Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity) (2014)

Like a lot of Scar Symmetry fans, I was massively disappointed when Christian Alvestam left after the monumental "Holographic Universe" album in 2007 (still my all-time favorite melodeath album). His growls and clean vocals are simply some of the best I've ever heard and I doubted the band could be any good after that or, indeed, that it could even continue. The next two releases, "Dark Matter Dimensions" and "The Unseen Empire," somewhat reassured me of the band's vitality by featuring choice cuts such as "Sculptor Void" and "The Anomaly." However, up until this album, the first three albums with Alvestam were still my go-to Scar Symmetry albums.

"Neohumanity" is undoubtedly the band's best release since "Holographic Universe." The songwriting is superb and the songs are all catchy and exciting. This is arguably the band's most "progressive" album with two songs that reach past the 8-minute mark. The lyrical content is really interesting (I've always loved the bands sci-fi/philosophical themes) and the album is simply more memorable as a whole than the previous two. The growls are actually better than Alvestam's and make a fantastic contrast with the improved clean vocals. The cleans are still not quite as good as Alvestam's perfect, polished crooning, but they're more than good enough to get the job done and don't detract from the songs' catchiness at all.

If I had to pick a favorite song it would probably be "Neohuman." It's ambitious, bold, and holds my attention throughout. The riffs, solos, and keyboards are all fantastic, especially the Haken-esque circus bit. It's just a fantastic piece overall.

The award for best chorus though would probably go to "Neuromancers." Something about the melody just makes it really stick out.

The album ends with the supremely epic "Technocalyptic Cybergeddon" which sounds like it could have fit on "Holographic Universe." The calm ending of the song is the perfect way to close out the album. 

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this record. I have a feeling that fans like myself who were lukewarm about the last two albums will really get into this one. I absolutely can't wait for Phases II and III. 

(Special thanks to Nuclear Blast Records for providing me an advanced copy.)

9.5/10

  

Arch Enemy - War Eternal (2014)

One of extreme metal's biggest names, Arch Enemy are back with a new album and a new singer. Following 2011's fairly disappointing "Khaos Legions," "War Eternal" marks the return of AE's classic, sophisticated melodeath sound. While I do miss Angela Gossow's evil screams, new singer Alissa White-Gluz is a solid choice to replace her even though her vocals are a bit bland at times. There's nothing in the way of experimentation on this album which is probably a good thing since the more simplistic songs on the last album fell a bit flat. "War Eternal" offers some choice cuts such as the immediately catchy title track, the classically influenced "Avalanche," and the highly impressive riffage of "Time is Black." Arch Enemy aren't looking to reinvent the wheel, nor is this album on the level of "Wages of Sin" or "Rise of the Tyrant." Rather, it's simply another great addition to their discography and one that won't let the fans down even despite the vocalist change.
8/10

(Special thanks to Century Media for providing me a promo copy.)

Insomnium - Shadows of the Dying Sun (2014)

Finnish metal is renowned for its melancholic, melodic qualities and Insomnium are one of the best exemplars of these traits. Returning for their sixth album, these melodeath/doom masters aren't looking to re-invent the wheel, having basically settled on their sound starting with their third album, but they are making some minor tweaks. Perhaps the most noticeable tweak is the increased amount of clean vocals. Songs such as "Lose to Night" and "Promethean Song" feature some truly memorable clean choruses that might miff a few hardcore fans, but to my ears sounds like a natural progression of their sound. Another small way in which this album distinguishes itself from its predecessors is the use of black metal-esque blast-beats on "Black Heart Rebellion" and "The River," the latter of which displays an excellent tremolo-picked melody that could have been lifted right from a Woods of Desolation tune. "Ephemeral" is a bit of an odd experiment for the band as it's probably the most accessible song they've made yet, sounding like something modern In Flames might do (not that that's a bad thing by any means). One of my favorites on the album is the single "While We Sleep" which shows off some of the band's best songwriting skills with killer riffs, catchiness, and a soaring outro solo that you can't imagine the song doing without. My other favorite is "Revelation" which is probably the most 'atmospheric' track, especially given its dark, brooding, whispered vocals and beautiful melodies. Where I feel the album falls a bit flat is on "The River" and the title track which are both too long to keep my attention throughout. It also wouldn't have hurt for them to reach out into the musical universe and pull in some more influences (i.e. a folk song a la Agalloch or something doomy like Swallow the Sun) just to make for a more varied record. But those are still minor quibbles since this is probably my favorite Insomnium album since "Above the Weeping World." This album's formulaic approach can be forgiven for the facts that Insomnium are one of the most unique melodeath bands out there and, not least of all, that this is a great album. It might not hold up to the first three records, but it's something fans of the band won't be disappointed in.
8.75/10
(Special thanks to Century Media for providing me with an advance copy.)

Triptykon - Melana Chasmata (2014)

Coming on the heels of 2010's critically acclaimed "Eparistera Daimones," Triptykon, fronted by Tom G. Warrior of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost fame, have returned with another dark, brooding monster of an album in "Melana Chasmata." The oft-repeated phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" certainly doesn't apply to this album as the sick, twisted art of H.R. Giger perfectly matches the music. And the album doesn't waste any time revealing its sinister nature to the listener. Right from the opening of "Tree of Suffocating Souls" with its heavier-than-lead thrash attack and Warrior's trademark commanding grunts through the hauntingly beautiful "Waiting", "Melana Chasmata" is truly a beast of an album that hearkens back to the old days of Celtic Frost. The real genius of the album is its ability to seamlessly weave black, doom, thrash, death, heavy, and avant-garde metal into a singular, monolithic package that almost goes beyond genre classification. In that sense, Triptykon still hold firmly to the pattern established by Celtic Frost on such albums as "Morbid Tales" and "To Mega Therion" which influenced an incredibly wide range of bands and even spawned entire genres. The difference here is that Triptykon, especially on this album, have taken the classic Frost sound and expanded it into the territory of avant-garde with a heaping dose of dissonance and drawn-out, hypnotic tracks that make me think of such nightmarish things as Inferno by Dante. Indeed, the whole album is a trip through hell. "Altar of Deceit" is perhaps the heaviest track on the album, and perhaps the most violent part of the trip through hell, and features gargantuan riffs that sound like Black Sabbath on steroids. Another highlight for me is "In the Sleep of Death" which features some truly demented, almost psychopathic vocals that just plain creep me out (in a good way though). It is also worth mentioning bassist Vanja Slajh's beautiful, siren-esque singing which complements Warrior's fierce growls perfectly. And of course let's not forget Warrior's morbid lyrics which, as usual, fit the music like a glove. While I enjoy this album more than its predecessor, it's not perfect. "Black Snow" is probably my least favorite track here as it goes on for far too long than it should. Otherwise, "Melana Chasmata" is a fantastic achievement that shows not only shows Warrior/Triptykon's relevancy in the incredibly crowded world of modern metal, but also stands out as a uniquely dark and, in a very odd way, beautiful artistic statement.
9/10

(Special thanks to Century Media records for sending me a promo copy.)

Kataklysm - Waiting for the End to Come (2013)

Simply put, this is Kataklysm's best record. Gone are the generic, boring filler songs from the previous two records and what we have left is awesomeness in every song. There are some downright brutal, punishing riffs on this record and, thankfully, only a very measured amount of blast beats. The songs, for the most part, are as catchy as death metal can be and leave you very satisfied. If you're looking for some no-nonsense, headbangable material then this album is a 100% safe bet.
8.5/10

 

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

 

Shade Empire - Omega Arcane (2013)

Finland is known in the metal world for its melodic metal sensibilities, producing such heavyweights as Insomnium, Swallow the Sun, and Amorphis. While each band has is amazing in its own right, none of them have the sheer ambition and audacity to produce something this epic. And I do mean epic. Shade Empire take all the best elements of their influences including Dimmu Borgir, Septic Flesh, Emperor, Behemoth, Opeth, and Fleshgod Apocalypse, and throw them in a blender with a dash of doom and a heap of steroids. What results is a dark masterpiece of extreme metal with some truly awe-inspiring classical orchestration, gargantuan riffs, jaw-dropping drumming, moving solos, and gorgeous acoustic parts. Some of the parts are absolutely mind-bending in their grandiosity and depth. How this band even wrote these insane songs, I haven't the foggiest idea. What I can say is that this is one of the best albums I've heard this year and that you should hold on to your jaw when you're listening to this.
10/10

In Vain - Aenigma (2013)

One of the most overlooked prog metal albums of the year, In Vain's Aenigma is an epic, dense album that takes some of the best elements of Opeth, Leprous, and even Gojira and blends them together into a coherent and immensely satisfying whole. If you're looking for prog technicality, then look elsewhere because this album focuses on melody and atmosphere with little in the way of complicated time changes and the like. Much like Devin Townsend's style, the music is straightforward, punchy, yet very uplifting and beautiful at the same time. Also like Devin Townsend (and Leprous), the choruses throughout are infectiously good and serve as the pivot of the songs. The production is excellent and does a great job at establishing the wall-of-sound effect necessary for epic music such as this. Finally, the riffs, vocals and melodies are all excellent and nicely blend death and black elements together. Aenigma is one underground gem you shouldn't miss out.
9.5/10

 

Deeds of Flesh - Portals to Canaan (2013)

Along with last year's Incurso by Spawn of Possession, this album is one of the most mind-meltingly technical and brutal things I've ever heard. The riffs and blast beats just pummel you almost non-stop like a swarm of arrows piercing you one after another. Everything is done with such insane mathematical precision that you wonder how this band can possibly remember how to play these songs live much less write them in the first place. The vocals are just perfect for this type of music and the lyrics are cool (no gore, just awesome sci-fi themes). One downside of this album, and this goes for a lot of tech death, is that it does get kind of samey and doesn't always hold your attention. Of course, that's to be expected when we're dealing with super-complex music like this so many repeated listens are required just to even start to wrap your head around this behemoth. Otherwise, this is a true feat of technical mastery that will leave you out of breath and craving more.
9/10

 

Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods (2013)

This album is probably my most anticipated extreme metal release of the year on account of Amon Amarth pretty much being the band that got me into extreme metal in the first place. I was also rather nervous about it because I found 2011's Surtur Rising to be noticeably lacking compared to its predecessor so I wasn't sure if they would continue to stagnate or make an awesome album again. Well, it turns out they did neither with Deceiver of the Gods. They've definitely made a more consistent and, perhaps, better written album than Surtur Rising, but this one doesn't live up to Twilight of the Thunder God or With Oden on Our Side which are my two favorite AA albums.

Now, many people may understandably criticize the band for making pretty much no innovation with their sound and being overly consistent (some have even referred to AA as the "AC/DC of death metal"), but I'm willing to overlook that and focus on the quality of the songs. Do they excite me? Are they memorable? I think the answer to both those questions is yes for most of the album. Songs like the title track and especially "Coming of the Tide" are really catchy and just what I was hoping AA would make. On the other hand, there's "Hel" which even though it features Messiah Marcolin (ex-Candlemass) who's one of my favorite singers, it's just not a very interesting track. Similarly, "Warriors of the North" is basically just an average length AA song unnecessarily stretched into an 8 minute epic. Contrast that to the epics "Under Siege" on this album and "Embrace of the Endless Ocean" on Thunder God. Both those songs are 6 something minutes long which seems to be the right length for their epic tracks. But "Warriors of the North" is still a good song of course; it just could have been pared down. Back on the positive side, we have "We Shall Destroy" which probably has the best riffs of any song on the album. The intro alone is just awesome. Another very positive point is that Johan Hegg's vocals haven't noticeably deteriorated as many other extreme vocalists' vocals have.

Besides the main album there are the 4 bonus tracks which are a really cool tribute to classic metal bands such as Maiden, Priest, Motorhead, and even AC/DC. Johan Hegg adopts a rather different vocal style in these tracks which makes him sound not too far from Darkthrone's Nocturno Culto on this year's The Underground Resistance. It's a very interesting and surprising move by the band and I applaud for them doing it.

To sum up: Deceiver of the Gods is as solid an album as you'd expect of one of melodeath's biggest names and while it's not breaking any musical boundaries or changing the band's sound in any way, it's still a really enjoyable listen that will undoubtedly continue to grow on me.
9/10

 

Enshine - Origin (2013)

And now for what will probably be my death/doom album of the year. Enshine differentiate themselves by adding in ambient electronic electronics to complement the heavy riffs and beautiful melodies. The atmospherics are simply some of the best I've heard in the death/doom genre, and the production is crystal clear. If you're a fan of Daylight Dies, Swallow the Sun etc., then by all means give this album a shot. You most likely won't be disappointed.
9.5/10

 

Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony (2013)

2013 has been a banner year for melodeath and this album is no exception. Like Children of Bodom, Kalmah started out with distinct neoclassical/power elements. Unlike Children of Bodom, Kalmah never really lost these elements even as they started writing heavier, more riff-based material. In any case, I think that Kalmah have done a better job than their Finnish compatriots in both staying true to their roots and delivering a solid album that fans will appreciate. "Seventh Swamphony" is chock full of heavy riffs, catchy melodies, and epic choruses. "Deadfall" and "Windlake Tale" are simply some of the best songs they've ever written. The quality is so consistent here even on their more experimental track "Hollo" which features clean vocals for the first time. I'm not sure how it matches up to their past albums as I'm not super familiar with Kalmah's discography, but it's definitely a great release and something I'll be coming back to.
9/10

Children of Bodom - Halo of Blood (2013)

First of all, sorry for the lack of updates recently. Second of all, this is definitely the best CoB album since "Are You Dead Yet?" if not since "Hatebreeder." CoB have long been chastised for abandoning the power metal/neoclassical sound they had developed so well on their first three albums. With this album, they go just about halfway toward reviving that sound on such complex, highly melodic tracks as "The Days are Numbered" and "Bodom Blue Moon" (my personal favorite on the record.) Then there's more familiar sounding songs such as "Transference" and "Waste of Skin" as well as some bold experiments such as the black-metal tinged title track and the ballad-esque "Dead Man's Hand on You." Thus, "Halo of Blood" winds up being their most diverse album to date with songs sure to please fans of any era. While it doesn't quite live up to the first few albums, it's still a very impressive feat from a band that everyone thought had gone stale long ago.
8.5/10

Dark Tranquillity - Construct (2013)

As a veteran band of the melodic death metal scene, Dark Tranquillity had a lot riding on this record especially after the rather mediocre "We Are the Void" which didn't really do anything to advance the band's sound. Fortunately, DT have remedied that problem on "Construct" and decided to try something new. The songs are more focused on atmospherics this time than catchiness. This approach is risky in that it distances the band somewhat from their roots, but it pays off in terms of both reinvigorating their sound and simply putting out a good album. Musically, "Construct" is a very dark, synth-laden record that can, in some respects, be compared to modern Katatonia. One can see this most clearly on tracks such as "Uniformity" and "State of Trust" which both feature stellar clean vocals and both have a nice doomy tinge to them. On the other hand, "Endtime Hearts" and "Apathetic" are excellent, aggressive nods to old-school fans. While it does take time to get used to this record's style, I can safely say that this is a great album and another artistic achievement in this band's storied career.
9/10

 

Immolation - Kingdom of Conspiracy (2013)

As with the Dillinger review, I'll start by saying that I've never been a big fan of Immolation. In fact, their music bores me more often than it impresses me. That said, I did enjoy Majesty and Decay quite a bit and it's remained my favorite in their discography. Kingdom of Conspiracy doesn't change that view at all. Immolation's trademark dissonance and dark brutality are, of course, dominant features of this album which is sure to please hardcore fans. In that respect, it's another very solid release from this legendary death metal band. On the other hand, there's no sense of progression whatsoever here so those who aren't fans of the band to begin with probably won't change their mind after listening to this album. For casual fans such as myself this is a grower and I can't see why I won't be liking this better after a few listens (though I doubt it'll ever measure up to Majesty and Decay.)

Edit: I have indeed been liking it better after more listens so I'll bump it up half a point.
9/10

Arsis - Unwelcome (2013)

After a run of rather mediocre, overly straightforward melodeath albums, Arsis have finally returned to their original style which mixed technicality and melody so well. It's a very aggressive, very heavy album with bass drums flying all over the place and cool riffs throughout. It's mostly a pretty catchy album though it does tend to sound samey and by-the-numbers in some parts. However, it's still nowhere near the levels sunk to by the new Hypocrisy and Sodom albums which truly bored me and left me utterly disappointed (sorry to fans of those albums). So, overall it's a pretty good listen and I suspect it's a grower.
8.5/10

 

Persefone - Spiritual Migration (2013)

Much like Ne Obliviscaris' debut album blew people out of the water last year with its insane technicality, epic songwriting and sheer uniqueness, so too I think will this album send ripples through the metal community. Combining the melodic sensibilities of Opeth with the raw technical power of bands such as Between the Buried and Me and Spawn of Possession, this is technical metal par excellence. There is not a single wasted moment or bad riff on the whole album. The band are clearly bursting with creativity, but they manage to direct it in purposeful direction so that you feel blown away but not overwhelmed. There's always some sort of beautiful, melodic moment in each song that bursts through the technical wizardry and ties the track together. It's incredibly rare to find a band that writes such well-constructed songs, but when they come along it's an incredible breath of fresh air with so many generic metal bands out there. Please do yourself a favor if you're a prog fan and listen to this album. It might just be the prog metal album of the year (barring the new Dream Theater and Ne Obliviscaris releases).
10/10

Skepticism - Stormcrowfleet (1995)

Skepticism, along with Thergothon, are one of the founders of the funeral doom genre and, after hearing this album, are among the best. The symphonic/atmospheric parts immediately brought to my mind the epic black metal band Summoning. The key differences though are the unearthly growls, non-programmed drums, extremely slow tempos, and a bass-heavy mix. For me, the atmospheric parts sound just as good in funeral doom as in black metal. They make the music that much more epic and emotional whereas other bands such as Evoken and Esoteric rely on clean melodic leads which, while still awesome, don't quite pack the emotional punch of orchestral synths. Ahab might be my favorite funeral doom band, but Skepticism are pretty close. I would call this album an essential staple of the genre and a must-listen for any one curious about funeral doom. 
9.5/10