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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

James LaBrie - Impermanent Resonance (2013)
If the only new melodeath release this year was this album, it would still be landmark year for melodeath. If you haven't gotten into James LaBrie in his Dream Theater role for whatever reason then I strongly suggest you listen to this. The choruses are so catchy and the riffs are excellent not to mention the modern metal production that really complements the musical style. And the growled vocals fit perfectly with LaBrie's soaring vocal style. If you're already a fan of LaBrie in Dream Theater then I highly doubt you won't enjoy this. And if you're a fan of Soilwork and Amaranthe then I can virtually guarantee you'll enjoy this. All in all, I can say this is my favorite of LaBrie's solo albums and is my favorite melodeath album of 2013 besides the new one from Amon Amarth.
9.5/10 
Carcass - Surgical Steel (2013)
And the other comeback release that must be discussed is Carcass' Surgical Steel. While it may not live up to the legendary Heartwork album, Surgical Steel is a thrilling and very fun album with enough aggression and good riffs to warrant calling it one of the best melodeath albums of the year and a fine addition to Carcass' discography. I don't have much more to say other than it's a really solid album from a legendary band. Go check it out!
9/10
 
Gorguts - Colored Sands (2013)
Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been busy the past few weeks.

Anyways, Gorguts' long-anticipated followup to From Wisdom to Hate is sure to please their hardcore fans and perhaps make a few new ones. With newer dissonant bands such as Deathspell Omega, Portal, Ulcerate etc. Gorguts had a lot to prove on this record in order to not just make good music but retain their status as death metal pioneers. After having spent a good deal of time immersed in the insanity of this album, I think they've succeeded on both accounts. It's a very complex album structurally speaking, yet it's also quite straightforward in terms of the rawness and massive amounts of tension it's releasing. It's not quite the avant-garde masterpiece that Obscura is (my favorite Gorguts album), but it's one that sits comfortably amongst the rest of their discography and one that death metal fans will most likely not be disappointed with.
8.5/10