Revocation - Deathless Review

Revocation - Deathless [Death Metal / Thrash Metal]

We had the pleasure of watching Revocation live on Monday night here in a little building off Armenian Street (Substation), and I will start proper by saying that the band kills it live. They sounded good despite a shitty soundtech crew. Another bonus was Jon Rice (ex Job For A Cowboy) filling in on drums since original drummer Phil Dubois was injured. Needless to say, the real star of the show was band leader David Davidson on guitar.He played with grace and vigour. The band played two songs from this album, the title track and 'Madness Opus', which sounded fantastic as the band closed the gig. Regardless of what you think of this album, this reviewer highly recommends checking most of the band's discography if you love riff-centric metal.




As for the album, a track-by-track review:

1. A Debt Owed To The Grave - The opening track leaps out without wasting a single second. The song is straightforward, but with great riffs and audible bass (which was missing on the last album). The ending is power-metal influenced. Davidson's vocals have improved considerably. A good song.
2. Deathless - Title track which sounds a bit flat now that I have been spoilt by the live version. Still a very strong song with minimal use of clean (autotuned) vocals and a fantastic solo. All the songs on this album have a fantastic solo.
3. Labyrinth Of Eyes - The main riff is a little complex, and this song ought to please fans who prefer their metal with a little different time signature. Coming from the band, this is anything but complex, but I guess being mainstream has a price. Autotuned vocals make another comeback, but they fit the song better here than they do on the previous track. There is a very headbang-able jam session in the middle of the song.
4. Madness Opus - One of my favourite songs on the album for many reasons; great vocals from fellow guitarist Dan Gargiulo (whom, I realised, was the better vocalist live), a fantastic riff (pre-chorus) and a rather progressive approach at the song's midpoint that toggles between jazzy and heavy in a jiffy. The section of course translated very well live, and it's a clear sign of self-aware songwriting. It is a relatively simple song that is more than the sum of its parts.
5. Scorched Earth Policy - A return to lively riffs, with an almost power metal-ish introduction. The main riff is again highly memorable, and there's a drum solo somewhere i the middle (sort of). 
6. The Blackest Reaches - Halfway in and Phil Dubois-Coyne is really starting to shine. Some intricate drumming on this song, some nice guitar licks here and there. Again the solo here is pretty well done. The music is written by Dan Gargiulo here and if anything, he's no slouch on song-writing either.
7. The Fix - Another song written by Dan Gargiulo, it's another more direct song with many short but sweet solos. Dan Gargiulo must love black metal.
8. United In Helotry - You know it's back to Davidson on songwriting when the main riff has a funky time signature. The clean vocals were a bit of a surprise when they kicked in, but they flow seamlessly with the song. Fantastic solo.
9. Apex - Customary instrumental per album. I feel this has to be one of their stronger instrumentals, with a heavier emphasis on melody than the other songs. The jazzy interludes are back, and its surprising how progressive the album has been thus far.
10. Witch Trials - Closing track brings Revocation to NWBHM territory, something that's pretty wild for the band. Not that it is devoid of harsh vocals, but it is noticeably different from the rest of the album, and a well-placed experiment for the band. The song sticks out in a good way, excellent riffage, a catchy verse and some more NWBHM soloing as the song ends. Some may not like the different direction, but I welcome the diversity.

I did not get a chance to hear the bonus Morbid Angel cover.

Overall, it's a surprisingly strong album from Revocation with hardly any filler, putting it far above the band's previous two albums. However, there are still issues that prevent me from awarding the album all five stars:

Production by Zuess and Alan Douches isn't underwhelming (at DR 7), but could have been vastly improved to sound more dynamic. The mostly monotonous vocals may take a bit of getting used to. And love it or hate it, the band is still unmistakably the same at its core. Despite the variations in songwriting, those who didn't like the band before aren't going to like it now either.

★★★★☆

Iced Earth - Plagues of Babylon Review

Iced Earth - Plagues of Babylon [Thrash Metal/Power Metal]

It's been a long while since anyone has posted on this blog, so I thought it'd be good to write a review of an album I'd anticipated for quite a while.

Unlike most of the legions of hardcore Iced Earth fans, I did not grow into the band during the Matt Barlow era - as such it is to be expected that this review will not attempt to draw too many comparisons between Barlow and current Iced Earth vocalist Stu Block.

At this juncture I must point out: despite not being an Iced Earth follower from the early days, I obviously took it upon myself to listen to the work that the band did with Barlow and Ripper; I have tremendous respect for the abilities of both singers, and can totally understand why so many people continue to pine for Barlow's return (not happening, people - get over it! hahaha). Barlow was a fantastic technical singer in his own right: good range, great power and rich tone. However, what stood out most about his singing was the quality of his delivery - it's one thing to sing a song and another to own the hell out of it. 

I have to say now: Stu Block owns the hell out of a few songs on this album. I've always thought - and Iced Earth hardcores can hate on this all they want - that Stu Block, dating from his time with Into Eternity - is a far more technically-proficient and stylistically versatile singer than either Barlow or Ripper ever were. 

Evidence of Stu's vocal chops can be found in tracks like 'Cthulhu' - where Stu busts out a piercing Rob Halford-style scream - and the surprisingly accessible piece 'If I Could See You' - where, during the clean verses, Stu channels his inner Myles Kennedy and goes all rock-ballad. A minus point here, though, is that Stu's vocals, at least the clean bits, were obviously auto-tuned, even though clearly he doesn't need the aid of software. God forbid that Iced Earth eventually trends towards the direction taken by 'rock' bands like U2.

However, not much can be said in the defence of the rest of the band in this album. Notwithstanding that Jon Schaffer and company did well showcasing their new vocalist (as well as guest stars like Hansi Kursch and Russell Allen), the riffing and song structure were pretty much standard Iced Earth fare - not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but after a couple of decades doing this you'd think the band would wish to take the chance to innovate. At times, it felt like the sporadic moments of brilliance from Stu and the blistering guitar solos from Troy Seele - who is in fine form here, by the way - were placed strategically to ensure that any attention lost during the verse and bridge segments was regained.

The album as a whole had a rather mid-tempo feel to it, replete with the usual Jon Schaffer-driven cliches (harmonised guitar breaks, E-flat tuning, and a ton of open string chugging). Objectively speaking - not one of Iced Earth's more inspired offerings. Also of note: this is also the Iced Earth debut of drummer Raphael Saini and bassist Luke Appleton, but you wouldn't know it, because there is nothing about the rhythm work to separate this album from the rest of Iced Earth's considerable body of work - not that this can be attributed directly to the two of them, though.

Overall, you can almost sense that during the songwriting phase, the band leaders decided that they would actively attempt to utilise the considerable talents of Stu Block - not a bad thing, mind - but in doing so compromise on any attempts to write new harmonic and rhythmic material. What this album offers in terms of vocal and melodic interest is largely negated by the blandness of the riffing ideas and the almost-lethargic feel of much of the songs.

★★☆☆☆ Passable - One or two good songs, a bit of flow

Written by: The Buona Vista Musician

Havok - Unnatural Selection Review

Havok - Unnatural Selection [Thrash Metal / Punk]

It's a given that thrash metal would not have existed if Slayer had not created a storm by bottling the lightning speeds of hard rock and the rebellious youth of punk together on their earlier records. Whilst the majority of the world will remain divided on whether the Metallica path or the Slayer path captures the essence of the genre better, there are a select few that have decided to go down the punk route (let's not forget that punk also gave way to d-beat and subsequently, and even more importantly, grindcore). It's therefore logical for Havok, as harbingers of the thrash metal resurgence (which I personally do not dig, but this is purely personal), to go even further back and establish themselves from their peers to embrace a more punk vibe on their latest, third offering.



However, fans of their masterpiece 'Time Is Up' may have to be more patient with this record. Where the former saw the band with rushed beats and a sense of urgent aggression, this album is a cruise on the road to 80s anarcho punk, with few heavy or aggressive moments. In fact, there's a strangely relaxed atmosphere on the album, with crooning, sung choruses (sung, not yelled), and mostly mid-temp drumming.


Very easily, the album is more or less homage to the older generations, without having to change the formula for the current generation (as opposed to Revocation's mix of thrash metal and technical death metal, or Vektor's progressive, psychedelic thrash). Songs like 'Waste Of Life' sound like they should be on a Megadeth album (and a pity, since Megadeth's latest is a comedy), whilst the speed of their previous offerings are all contained within opener 'I Am The State'. 'It Is True', on the other, shows the actual evolution of the band, with restrained riffing, allowing new bassist Michael Leon some showtime, though he seems content with staying behind Reece Scruggs' and David Sanchez's guitars. What is interesting to note, is the way the chorus is executed, with tempos slowing rather than intensifying. Strangely enough, this works to it's advantage in helping the band sound fresh and (gasp!) mature.


The sad thing however, is that the energy dies by the time the band hits the half-time mark. Not that there are no interesting moments, but the album starts to rest on these moments rather than the songs themselves, which doesn't run well with the strong songs in the beginning. 'Worse Than War' has an interesting opening riff that is barely used through the tired trudge of the verses. The bridge also doesn't deviate further from the actual riff and the tempo is barely changed. Ditto for 'Chasing The Edge', that flirts with pinch harmonics on it's intro, a surprisingly fresh feature on thrash metal, but the experimentation stops there. It barely peaks with a syncopated bridge, but nothing else is done to save the song. 'Living Nightmare' doesn't bring anything new, neither does it feel energetic.


The last two track, however, are interesting. There is the Black Sabbath cover 'Children Of The Grave', which is a surprisingly executed reimagination of the 70s classic. David Sanchez's vocals are also semi-decent, he is definitely not a master of singing but his lips pay homage to their influences and he is at least tolerable. On the other hand, the title track is a sudden return to the almost-there speed Havok captured on 'Time Is Up'. It is not the greatest song but compared to the middle tracks, it does remind you of the band that seemed like the clearest winner in the competition for thrash revival.


The album, in a nutshell, confirms my thoughts on Havok, that the band's talent rests on drummer Pete Webber. Not that the other members suck, no, they are excellent riff-writers and know their place in their music, but where the rest are content with putting meat on the bones, Webber is the force of the band. He plays with signature, conviction, speed and decent experimentation. His death metal fills and his pounding sense of urgency is what made me return to 'Time Is Up' so frequently. Where there was a mastery of dynamics between verses and chorus, here seems like a tired attempt at the more political message of thrash metal. My personal opinion? This should have  been an EP with less songs. It's definitely a grower though, and it sounds a lot better than when I first heard it a month ago.

★★★☆☆ Average - Half of album is listenable

Lost Society - Fast Loud Death Review

Lost Society - Fast Loud Death [Thrash Metal]

This album has had my jar dropping and head throbbing so many times. This album, isn't necessarily a classic, but is one of the strongest thrash albums to come out in recent times.

It's hard to assess this album until setting the scope of thrash metal first; lots and lots of guitar riffs, tasteful riffs, not chugging or space-filling riffs like those of djent descend, fast groovy drums and a lot of energy. This has been the basis of thrash metal in the last three decades, and the reason for stagnation in the genre once bands failed to push beyond the boundaries. Some recent bands did; the progressive flair in Vektor, or the overtechnical display of guitar playing by Revocation. Some bands didn't innovate but had the essence of early thrash, like Havok. And for those who immensely enjoyed Havok, Lost Society is going to be your new drug.

Band leader Samy Elbanna sounds like the bastard child of Tom Araya and Dave Mustaine, channeling the rough barks of the former and the melodic rasps of the latter with exceptional ease, and he and Arttu Lesonen are no slouches on the guitar either; there is not a single song with bad riffs on this album. Yes. No filler. Ossi Paananen is not exceptionally spectacular on drums but he has the right thrash essence (save for Dave Lombardo, there has never been a need for creative, progressive drummers in thrash metal anyway). Mirko Lehtinen is surprisingly audible on the bass, and his basslines are groovy and precise, and he does counter the riffs at numerous instances, none of which I may single out because there is quite honestly no bad song on the album.

Add to that the essence of thrash, the music has a lot of youthfulness to it. A bit of immaturity and a whole lot of energy, this isn't music to think over or ponder upon. This instant headbanging material, one not exactly new but so heartfelt and rich, it's the most infectious album to come out in a while.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Voivod - Target Earth Review

Voivod - Target Earth [Progressive Thrash Metal]

Thrash metal and progressive metal together? The genre name is misleading, because the resulting sound is nothing like its parent genres. Rather its more like classic prog with extreme jazz fills peppered in between. So even though I put it as progressive thrash, I would like you to remain non-judgmental towards the name. The cover art depicts an alien and the sound sure as hell is alien. A heads up before I progress (heh), I have heard nothing from this band except for its apparent influence on modern thrash metal band Vektor, which in my opinion earns the title "progressive thrash metal", but let's not bother with genres and classifications anymore since all of these only exist in subjective conjugations.




One thing that strikes me about this album is that its not exactly 'heavy'. Not even close. Like mentioned earlier, it sounds more like classic prog with extreme jazz. Having said that, Jean-Yves “Blacky” Theriault's bass is an enormous, distinguishable presence on the album. It's interesting because while his skill isn't overwhelming, he provides a huge counter-balance to new guitarist Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain jazz sweeps. The drums are serviceable, not outstanding but decent. I am not sure what to make of Snake's vocals; they are not raspy and heavy or whatever, but there is no denying that his relatively friendly vocals make what would be a technical and complex album a lot more accessible. Time would tell whether I can stand the vocals, but for now songcraft and instrumentation takes centerstage.

Unique is a severe understatement for what you will hear on Target Earth. 'Kluskap Okom' opens with appears to be snorting and panting that lay down the rhythm for the album's first uptempo song. The riffs are not heavy, but rather intricate or even angular, so the songs maintain an air of progressive creativity and never sound metal at all. Having said that, there is a hell lot of progressive experimentation (opening the album with a nice bassline and immediately adding the vocals and guitar over it, rather than use the bassline to lead into the actual song like most metalcre / deathcore artistes do), and songs tend to have no coherent structure but flow by sections, and this is the main complexity of the album, and in that, the band excels. One song that comes to mind is the epic 'Mechanical Mind', which has four seperate parts that are of completely different moods and tempos but sound like one, organic, living song.

My frustration with the album is, however, the production. Because of the lack of a second guitarist, it sounds dry. And that is a pity because the songs are good but sound tired, especially since the band is trying to achieve a psychedelic sound, and that contrasts with the thrash moments. At this juncture I would bring in the band Vektor again, because Vektor has the sound Voivod would have been striving for, production-wise. The bass could have been given more treble so that it sounds like a second guitar, and not stand out because of the absence of a second guitar. Nevertheless, this band has my curiosity and I will definitely look at their back catalog.

★★★☆☆ Average - Half of alum is listenable

Revocation - Teratogenesis Review

Revocation - Teratogenesis [Thrash Metal]

 

 This is a free E.P by Revocation which may be downloaded legally here. It downloads at 320 bitrate for five extremely well crafted songs. Revocation hit the metal world only in 2008 with their long awaited debut 'Empire of the Obscene'. This was enough to get scooped up by Roadrunner Records, which gave way to 2009's excellent 'Existence Is Futile', with many noting the prowess of young guitar virtuoso David Davidson, which has led to some dubbing Revocation the next Metallica or Megadeth. Fusing technical death metal and thrash metal together for a fresh style of music that moved forward with as much reverence for the past, Davidson's solos demonstrate astonishing confidence and skill for a young man, and this brought their 2011 album (yeap it was only last year) Chaos Of Forms to mainstream attention. The thing about Revocation is that they truly are the next big thing; accessible, complex, technical, old-school and clearly having fun just listening to the record.




And if Teratogenesis is any indication, this band can only keep getting better. Starting off with 'The Grip Tightens', the title is apt for a truly refined sound that sounds even tighter than previous records. And there is a sense of urgency too, Davidson launches to a blinding solo just one and a half minutes into the song, after a well crafted chorus that can be enjoyed both in studio quality and in a live setting. There is also a new concentration on groove in the second song 'Spurn The Outstretched Hand'; vocals are more bearable and guitarists always give time for the bass to have some show off time but he rarely produces much to be interested in, whilst drums manage to keep up with the varying song tempos. 

 This may be the one and only big flaw of the album, and the band on the whole, that none of them match up to Davidson's guitars. But think about it, did Metallica and Megadeth come to power with equally talented band-members? Perhaps this is what gives the music its youthful accessibility, its human element despite the technical wankery, and not in the emotional way, but in the reckless teen way, a bridge that metaphorically gaps the guitar-hero days with the newfound anger with political systems, and if that isn't metal, then you are obviously a Megadeth hater. 

 One of the few bands of today with a serious amount of potential, watch out for them in years to come. 

Rating: ★★★★☆ Good - Strong flow, immediately grabs you

Dust Bolt - Violent Demolition Review

Dust Bolt - Violent Demolition [Thrash Metal]








Amidst the sudden craze in thrash metal recently is yet another new fresh-faced band that has all the vital elements of thrash that make for a roaring good time.


Production is nice and thick, finding a fine compromise between space and warmth to create a large wall of sound, though as with all modern production, the bass gets lost in the mix and makes brief appearances only when the guitars are breathing. However, this common mistake is well covered guitar-wise, with every of the nine songs having chockful of crunchy beefy riffs.


Vocals are very standard, I do not have anything to say about them. The drummer, whilst working very hard on the excellent pacing of Violent Demolition, stands out very little in a genre founded upon drum wizardry as a key element in the music. Song-writing wise, the tracks are fully fleshed out in their own courses, but the effect is long-lasting.


To be exact, Violent Demolition is an excellent album, with every thing just right to make an album worth four stars. But personally, the tracks do not stick in your head as well as choruses from bands such as Revocation, Havok or even more recently, Testament, do. Also, the blandness of the rhythm section is a slight error that goes a long way because thrash metal is suddenly being revived and this young band faces extremely stiff competition from their peers. Dust Bolt sounds like Kreator at many intervals, which is not a bad thing, but they need to find their own identity if they want to find a place among the the modern thrash metal elite.


Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average - Half of album is listenable

Testament - Dark Roots Of The Earth Review

Testament - Dark Roots Of The Earth [Thrash Metal]





I was already ready to give this band a high score for their album art. Then came the first single, 'True American Hate', with excellent drumming from the drum none other than Gene Holgan (who is just 'filling in' for the band's original drummer, Paul Bostaph formerly from Slayer) and fantastic guitar from Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson. This is no exaggeration. The basic elements of proper riffing and primal drumming in thrash metal has been lost over the years, and with the recent resurgence of old school thrash metal, most noticeably from Kreator and Overkill this year, and Havok last year, thrash metal is getting a major shot up the arm almost three decades since the inception of Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth.





The entire album is overflowing with great riffs and an outstanding vocal performance by frontman Chuck Billy. He does not do unnecessary screams or growls, he does not sing like a choir boy. His voice is distinctly metal, without having to resort to the typical metal styles. A good comparison would be olden day Metallica or even Symphony X. Also, the lead guitar from Alex Skolnick is intricate and not wasted with ugly spam solos which we haven't heard from Slayer in a while (they were apparently supposed to come back). The songs are definitely made for energetic live shows that engage the crowd, as seen in the call response chorus in the first song, 'Rise Up'.


The album, by regressing in their sound, undoubtedly carries the same flaws olden thrash metal has. The album is shallow and has laughable lyrics. There is some level of depth in the guitar solos that pervade the songs, but they do not amount to much. Bands like Havok bring vigor and youthful energy to the genre, Revocation adds in jazz elements and Vector overcomplexifies the genre. Modern thrash, though not immediately accessible, is definitely the new standard for thrash metal. While this album is welcome and reminds old schoolers why we love the genre, it doesn't do anything to push the genre further.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average - Half of album is listenable