They're back! The band with the hardest working membership on the UK scene return with their fifth record as Absolva. That's not to mention the three albums Chris Appleton (guitar), Martin McNee (drums) and Karl Schramm (bass) have been a part of with Blaze Bayley and the two Iced Earth records featuring Luke Appleton (here guitar, there bass) as well as the four Fury UK albums back in the mists of time. Luke returned to the ranks of the the band on Defiance (mainly due to the Iced Earth hiatus) and he has really amped up the bands sound, again not to say their previous guitar players, but the link with his brother and also with McNee dates back to those proggier Fury UK days. It means that the grittier style of the earlier albums has been refined into wider scopes but they are still proper heavy metal.
I've mentioned before how Absolva have no melting pot of sounds they are a straight up classic metal band in keeping with the traditions laid down by Maiden, priest et al. They have Maiden tropes on songs such as Burning Star and End Of Days which even has the Maiden bass intro that they use on their more cinematic tracks (you know the ones). End Of Days is probably the best song on the record, which is saying something as there is so much to enjoy here. They bring some hard rock hooks to The Sky's Your Limit and lot of emotion to From This World an ideal way to close out this great record. Absolva have always been a band who do everything well, McNee and Schramm's engine room drive galloping songs like the title track where Luke locks in for riffs and Chris explodes with frantic leads.
Much of this record is full of fist in the air anthems for all fans of heavy metal fans, especially Legion which is a marching fist up kind of song, one that will do well on stage as Eternal Soul rumbles. There's also two covers on the at the end which are 2 Minutes To Midnight and Heaven And Hell both of which have been done to death but hell let them have their fun. Side By Side is another top level heavy metal album from one of the UK's best metal acts. 8/10
Ayreon: Electric Castle Live And Other Tales (Mascot Records) [Simon Black]
Dutch Prog Rock outfit Ayreon may have the distinction of being the first to create the concept of the modern rock opera, but I would argue that Avantasia have probably become the market leader. Having a large ensemble cast of musicians and singers started here, but whereas Avantasia’s songs are crafted to echo the glory days of the guest musicians, Ayreon is all about Arjen Anthony Lucassen. However, Avantasia got there first in taking this out live as an ensemble piece and so this release sees Lucassen finally taking the marathon double concept album from 1998 to a live audience on the 20th Anniversary of its release, although it’s taken a while to hit the shelves. Despite loving a good concept album and rock opera, I’ve never been a great fan of the spoken narrative passages bands are often tempted to insert, as frankly they sound cheesy.
So having a full four minute one at the start of this album before you actually get to the music really is overkill for an introduction, and nearly turned me off completely. And they keep popping up throughout, which really kill the pace. For me if you can’t tell the story through the lyrics, then you’re missing the point. Musically this has got all the prog rock tropes. I cannot fault any of the playing, and the recording quality is excellent, with clearly audible performances and a cracking mix, but it does go on rather. This doesn’t seem to bother the audience, they are clearly loving it and their energy stop this from being a dull affair. Normally I would be all over this sort of thing, but I found this to be a slow affair unfortunately. 5/
Master Boot Record: Floppy Disk Overdrive (Metal Blade Records) [Alex Swift]
Finally! I’ve wanted to talk about industrial metal in a capacity that doesn’t involve lamenting hoe overly generic the genre has a tendency to be for some time now! Despite their nerd-core name, and album and song titles that only reinforce that image Master Boot Record uses multi-layered electronic textures, paired with juggernaut guitars wonderfully. There’s a tangible feeling that these musicians understand their instruments and how to utilize them to maximum effect, rather than being abrasive and coarse to fall within genre restrictions or convey a particular image. Throughout, I felt as if I was riding on the crests and peaks of the sonic frequencies as they ebb and flow, bringing together the values of disorder and musical harmony.
I must concede the first 20 seconds of ANALYSIS had me worried, with a synth line that initially seemed to be creating false tension by progressing to a piece we’ve heard a million times before, It’s not until that wonderfully retro keyboard chimed in the foreground that my ears started to prick up – vitally, engaging such a characteristic, archetypal instrument and tone could have been a mistake. However, rather than coming across as cheap or dated the sensation is one of uplift. You’re flung into a world of arcade games and science fiction left to battle aliens and evil robots in a quest. Remember how I hinted at the geekiness on display? Well that’s exactly the feel Master Boot Record is embracing here and as a fellow geek, I love their commitment to the style. EDIT continues on a gamer’s gone wild note with a medieval-style opening section before spilling over into full-throttle metal territory, with the tone of the affected instrumentals retaining a ferociously nostalgic feel. One criticism I will dole out here is that the marching percussion can feel like a little much at times. Luckily, the third track, FDISK scales back the more passé industrial elements in favour of letting the players divulge their complete, uninhabited skill.
CHKDSK proves earth-shattering in the way it rises and falls constantly, in true compositional style – Master Boot Record may be industrial in their choice of instrumentals, yet I’m convinced they could easily compose for progressive or symphonic metal, with the ambitiousness they display from start to finish. As if to prove that last statement, DEFRAG brings back the traditional elements alluded to earlier in an immersive way, feeling like the soundtrack to royal battles and ancient conquest, albeit if King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had Casio's instead of lyres and lutes. Changing the notion from one of heroism to one of ghostliness, RAMDRIVE hypnotizes with dark, ethereal and haunting soundscapes, only losing the momentum later in the song when dubstep inexplicably creeps in. Whatsmore, sadly DBLSPACE lapses back into those obnoxious that elements I dislike in a lot of modern electronica, regardless of the clever flourishes surrounding them. SMARTDRIVE commits the same mistake, chucking disparate elements into a mixer without any guiding light for their creative choices.
Thankfully, DISKCOPY gets us back on track, proving adventurous in tone as if inspired by cowboys or pirates. Everything synths together neatly and each change feels like a logical progression from the last, albeit with unpredictability still playing a huge part in MBR’s winning formula! EMM386 is by far the most serene and contemplative piece on the entire album, in the larger part and the change in mood certainly feels refreshing after what can be, let's face it, quite a demanding sit. We finish on the ten-minute HIMEM, contributing to those grandiose, lavish textures which I praised earlier and proving an epic closer to a unique experience. 7/10
Irist: Order Of The Mind (Nuclear Blast) [Liam True]
To be in a Metalcore band and to stand out from the crowd has become difficult as Metalcore has become more prominent and in the spotlight since the late 2000’s/early 2010’s, and the same sound has been produced across those years and bands. So to stand out you have to make a unique sound. Take Irist for example. On their Debut album, might I add, these guys are blending Metalcore with modern day Metal riffs and Punk-like vocal backgrounds to create a bludgeoning sound that hits the nail on the head for what they’re going for, while it rips you apart with the crushing riffs in between the breakdowns. The vocals are pretty standard for a Metalcore band. Being in your face while also taking inspiration from their Punk forefathers before them to create a different vocal style from frontman Rodrigo Carvalho. The guitar style, while remnant of Gojira, creates a blistering work of originality while laying tribute to the past of metaldom. The ear shattering drum work of Jason Belisha creates the war-like sounds of him laying waste to his kit while producing a twisted sickening back drop to this new wave of modern Metalcore. And what new way to usher in the new decade with this frantic record full of twisting genres and repulsive sounds. 8/10
I must concede the first 20 seconds of ANALYSIS had me worried, with a synth line that initially seemed to be creating false tension by progressing to a piece we’ve heard a million times before, It’s not until that wonderfully retro keyboard chimed in the foreground that my ears started to prick up – vitally, engaging such a characteristic, archetypal instrument and tone could have been a mistake. However, rather than coming across as cheap or dated the sensation is one of uplift. You’re flung into a world of arcade games and science fiction left to battle aliens and evil robots in a quest. Remember how I hinted at the geekiness on display? Well that’s exactly the feel Master Boot Record is embracing here and as a fellow geek, I love their commitment to the style. EDIT continues on a gamer’s gone wild note with a medieval-style opening section before spilling over into full-throttle metal territory, with the tone of the affected instrumentals retaining a ferociously nostalgic feel. One criticism I will dole out here is that the marching percussion can feel like a little much at times. Luckily, the third track, FDISK scales back the more passé industrial elements in favour of letting the players divulge their complete, uninhabited skill.
CHKDSK proves earth-shattering in the way it rises and falls constantly, in true compositional style – Master Boot Record may be industrial in their choice of instrumentals, yet I’m convinced they could easily compose for progressive or symphonic metal, with the ambitiousness they display from start to finish. As if to prove that last statement, DEFRAG brings back the traditional elements alluded to earlier in an immersive way, feeling like the soundtrack to royal battles and ancient conquest, albeit if King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had Casio's instead of lyres and lutes. Changing the notion from one of heroism to one of ghostliness, RAMDRIVE hypnotizes with dark, ethereal and haunting soundscapes, only losing the momentum later in the song when dubstep inexplicably creeps in. Whatsmore, sadly DBLSPACE lapses back into those obnoxious that elements I dislike in a lot of modern electronica, regardless of the clever flourishes surrounding them. SMARTDRIVE commits the same mistake, chucking disparate elements into a mixer without any guiding light for their creative choices.
Thankfully, DISKCOPY gets us back on track, proving adventurous in tone as if inspired by cowboys or pirates. Everything synths together neatly and each change feels like a logical progression from the last, albeit with unpredictability still playing a huge part in MBR’s winning formula! EMM386 is by far the most serene and contemplative piece on the entire album, in the larger part and the change in mood certainly feels refreshing after what can be, let's face it, quite a demanding sit. We finish on the ten-minute HIMEM, contributing to those grandiose, lavish textures which I praised earlier and proving an epic closer to a unique experience. 7/10
Irist: Order Of The Mind (Nuclear Blast) [Liam True]
To be in a Metalcore band and to stand out from the crowd has become difficult as Metalcore has become more prominent and in the spotlight since the late 2000’s/early 2010’s, and the same sound has been produced across those years and bands. So to stand out you have to make a unique sound. Take Irist for example. On their Debut album, might I add, these guys are blending Metalcore with modern day Metal riffs and Punk-like vocal backgrounds to create a bludgeoning sound that hits the nail on the head for what they’re going for, while it rips you apart with the crushing riffs in between the breakdowns. The vocals are pretty standard for a Metalcore band. Being in your face while also taking inspiration from their Punk forefathers before them to create a different vocal style from frontman Rodrigo Carvalho. The guitar style, while remnant of Gojira, creates a blistering work of originality while laying tribute to the past of metaldom. The ear shattering drum work of Jason Belisha creates the war-like sounds of him laying waste to his kit while producing a twisted sickening back drop to this new wave of modern Metalcore. And what new way to usher in the new decade with this frantic record full of twisting genres and repulsive sounds. 8/10
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