Saor - Aura (2014)

Saor (formerly Arsaidh) may not be a household name in black metal, but this album might just change that. Featuring breathtaking atmospherics, soaring folk melodies, and unearthly roars from the vocalist, this is a epic album in every sense of the word. The band being from Scotland, it's easy to see why they chose to make an album like this since it evokes the incredible beauty of that land so well. One can easily imagine standing on a mountain in the Highlands peering over the fog and just being in awe of your surroundings. The album can demonstrate immense power one moment and emotional fragility the very next. It's those kinds of powerful emotions and imagery that are the album's appeal to me and doubtless many other fans. Every one of the five tracks flows extremely well and tells its own story making for a highly cohesive album. And what's truly unique about this album is that despite its beauty and grandeur, it's still sounds raw and intense with the with the frenetic, intense drumming being a particular highlight for me. Where this album suffers though is mainly on the production. Admittedly, I really don't know anything about production from a technical aspect but from an aesthetic aspect, it somehow feels awkward on this album. Perhaps if it were a bit more polished like on the last Summoning record it would have been even stronger. Another, more minor beef I have is that there are a few too many similarities between the songs. An acoustic interlude or two might have been nice too. Despite those issues, this is an amazing record that, like last year's new Summoning and the Caladan Brood debut album, will probably go down as one of black metal's most unique and awe-inspiring.
9/10

(Special thanks to Northern Silence Productions for a sending me a promo copy.)

 

Anathema - Distant Satellites (2014)

Since Anathema's return to the music world with 2010's "We're Here Because We're Here" and 2012's stunning "Weather Systems," the band have carved out a well-defined sound that, while similar to that of their older albums, marks a distinct chapter in the band's history. On "Distant Satellites" this sound has been altered slightly to evoke a darker, more brooding mood but the changes are certainly less subtle than one would expect simply based on the beautifully dark album cover. Things are a bit more stripped down on this album with an emphasis on simplicity, catchiness, and directness. This is most apparent on songs like "The Lost Song Pt. 1" and "The Lost Song Pt. 3," both of which are structurally straightforward with a constantly repeating drum beat and crescendo at the end. Yet even though this album is more minimalistic than the band's past releases there's still a whole lot of variety, perhaps more so than in the past. Take the difference between "You're Not Alone," for example, with its repetitive, almost garage rock sound and the ethereal, Radiohead-esque "Take Shelter." Here we see a band that's a little less restrained than before in terms of reaching into other genres while still retaining their trademark sound. While others may disagree, to me the way the album transitions into electronic territory on the last three songs is a brilliant move. One could think of the first portion of the album as signifying one's relations with people whereas the last part of the album takes a more introspective turn and examines our own consciousness and psyche. In any case though, the last three songs certainly give the album breathing space and allow it to end gracefully. If I had to pick some highlights from "Distant Satellites," mine would be "The Lost Song Pt. 2" and "Ariel." These two tracks are to me some of Anathema's greatest artistic achievements even if they sound like they could easily been on the previous two albums. In all, this is an album that's focused on trimming whatever fat was present on "Weather Systems" and further perfecting the band's atmospheric sound. The lyrics may be pretty cheesy but that's they've almost always been for Anathema and since they're coming from a genuine place it's hard to fault the band for that. I'll close by saying that "Distant Satellites" is another fantastic release from one of my favorite bands and it can stand tall in Anathema's discography.
9.5/10

(Special thanks to Kscope for the promo copy.)

Devin Townsend - Casualties of Cool (2014)

After the bombastic, poppy heaviness of Epicloud, the ever-eccentric Hevy Devy decided to pull another 180 and deliver something quiet, emotional, and entirely heartfelt. Casualties of Cool is in many ways the spiritual successor to the awe-inspiring Ghost, albeit with an interesting twist. Devy has experimented with a wide range of genres throughout his career, but his love of country was something previously unknown to many fans and hardly anyone expected him to incorporate it so extensively as he does here. Yet in true Devy style he amalgamates the soulfulness of Johnny Cash-type country music with spacey ambient explorations similar to those found on Ghost. To top it off he brought in Che Dorval (previously the backup vocalist on the Ki album) and she does an absolutely stellar job throughout. Her vocals are at once engaging, as if she's beckoning the listener to embark on a journey into the depths of the human soul, and distant, as if struggling to come to terms with the human condition and therefore ambiguous. While Anneke von Giersbergen, Devin's more well-known female collaborator, has helped contribute to some of his most legendary songs, I think that her more pop-oriented vocals would not have fit the introspective tone of this album as compared with Che's soulful, emotionally fragile singing. Song-wise Casualties has some truly sublime tunes like the Pink Floyd-ish "Moon" which is essentially a gradual build-up into aural bliss with a soaring saxophone complemented by Che's wordless vocalizing (a la "Great Gig in the Sky") and Devy's characteristic half-whispered crooning. Another highlight is the arresting "Flight" where Che is absolutely hypnotizing. "Mountaintop" takes things into a more upbeat, catchy area with an excellent video to accompany it. Finally, there's the sublime ballad "Bones" where Che once again shines like a star. Production-wise, this album features the same engrossing wall-of-sound we're used to and, as always, it makes the music stand out all the more Casualties of Cool is a beautiful, engrossing journey but it's not without its speed-bumps. . Some of the interludes like "Hejda" and "Pier" feel out of place and detract from the album's cohesiveness. Then there are other songs like "The Code" and "Deathscope" which are merely good but pale in comparison with the highlights. So while Che may have given Devy some of his best songs here, the album as a whole suffers a bit from inconsistency unlike the superb Ghost which I fully enjoyed all the way through. Nevertheless, Casualties is still an excellent achievement in Devy's storied career and something he should be very proud of.
9/10

 

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.)

Agalloch - The Serpent and the Sphere (2014)

When I heard Agalloch were trying out a space theme rather than their traditional nature/winter theme, I was very excited. "Marrow of the Spirit" was great but it showed signs of a band aging and starting to run out of ideas. A change was indeed in order. Unfortunately though, it seems Agalloch's musical abilities were not up to par for this change. Much of this album feels tedious, repetitive, and downright boring. Take the opener "Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation" for example. It's probably the first time they've Agalloch have attempted a straight-up doom metal song and I have to applaud them for that but it could have been so much stronger by either cutting it in half or adding more variation. The song kinda plods along and I find it difficult to emotionally connect with it in any way. The same goes for "Plateau of the Ages." It's 12.5 minute long metal instrumental whose most interesting feature is perhaps the cool drum beat. Every time I listen to it I think about Agalloch's other metal instrumental, "The Hawthorne Passage,"and how much better it is. Then take "Dark Matter Gods." That song has so much potential but it far too repetitive and unnecessarily long to stand anywhere near Agalloch's best songs. On the plus side, you have "Vales Beyond Dimensions" which features an excellent dark, doomy lead melody that fits the space theme perfectly. Then there's the lead single "Celestial Effigy" which is the most dynamic, progressive track on the album. It's the kind of song that keeps your attention throughout. "Astral Dialogue" is not only one of the most aggressive songs Agalloch have penned, but it's also my favorite song on the album. It's a perfect blend of doom and black metal, and it features the unique songwriting the band are famous for, something sorely lacking elsewhere on "The Serpent and the Sphere." Another positive feature is the lyrics which are fantastic as ever. As for the acoustic interludes, they unfortunately all sound basically the same and are very stale and uninteresting. There is absolutely no comparison between them and the songs on "The White" EP or the glorious "Odal" on "The Mantle." Simply put, this is Agalloch's weakest album but it certainly does have a number of redeeming factors that make it worth listening to. You can hear the seeds of better songs throughout, but those better songs never materialize. If you're expecting something on the level of the first three albums then prepare to be disappointed. I suspect though that this one's a grower so my opinion might very well change later on.
7.5/10

Coldplay - Ghost Stories (2014)

After the glitzy, overproduced pop stylings of "Mylo Xyloto" which left many long-time Coldplay fans such as myself disappointed, the band decided to move back, at least partially, towards their original sound. Nowhere is this move more apparent than on the two sublime ballads "Oceans" and "O." These two tracks alone are possibly some of the best material Coldplay have created. Elsewhere on the album we see Coldplay experimenting around, especially on the ethereal, stripped-down "Midnight" which sounds like it could have been ripped from an M83 or Tycho album. Another highlight is "True Love" which is a fantastic synthesis between their new and old styles and is a truly gorgeous track. Then you have "Always in My Head" which seems to draw influence from U2. The album falls a bit flat on tracks such as "Ink" and "Another's Arms." Overall though "Ghost Stories" manages to be highly consistent in both its themes and overall mood despite having a lot of stylistic diversity. It might not be on the same level as "Viva La Vida" or "A Rush of Blood to the Head" but it's quite enjoyable nonetheless and I'm satisfied that the band are moving back on the right track.
8.5/10

Epica - The Quantum Enigma (2014)

I never thought that Epica could deliver something that rivals the great "Design Your Universe," my favorite album of theirs, but lo and behold it's happened. "The Quantum Enigma" is not only better than the album that preceded it; it marks the culmination of the band's artistic endeavors as they strive to create catchier, more concise songs. And by shifting to such a style, I don't mean to imply that they've abandoned their identity for commercial gain. Rather, they've made their message all the more direct and powerful by trimming the fat and thus delivering a more memorable product, at least compared "Requiem for the Indifferent." On this album you'll find some of the best songs Epica have crafted so far including the lead single "Essence of Silence," the grandiose "Second Stone," and the soaring "Natural Corruption." Whereas "Requiem" felt a bit stale and not all that satisfying, this album sounds fresh, vibrant, and energetic every time you hear it. Every song has something about it that will stick with you. There are no fillers or duds here and you'll undoubtedly come back to it repeatedly. With less growls and catchier choruses than ever before, "The Quantum Enigma" is bar none their most accessible album so keep that in mind if you're thinking of introducing people to the band. If there's anything wrong with this album, I'd say it's the lyrics. The themes they chose to discuss are quite intriguing, but the way Epica discusses them leaves a lot to be desired. Another slight imperfection is the repetitiveness of "Kingdom of Heaven Part II." Were it to be either cut in half or simply made more interesting it could have been as good as its predecessor. All in all though, this is a stunning accomplishment and quite a pleasant surprise for me. I expected to find them running out of ideas and circling the wagons after "Requiem" but instead it seems like they went back to basics, reevaluated their sound, found their creativity once again, and hit it out of the park. The odds of this album ending up on my top 10 list in December are quite high.
9.5/10

 

Lantlos - Melting Sun (2014)

After Neige, vocalist of Alcest, left the more black metal-oriented band Lantlos after their last album "Agape," the future of Lantlos was murky. Thankfully, it has been nicely resolved with a complete shift away from black metal and towards post-metal. This isn't the kind of dark, depressive post-metal associated with acts such as Cult of Luna, nor is it technical in any way like Russian Circles. Rather, it's beautiful, bright, expressive, and downright uplifting while being quite heavy at the same time. I like to think of this album as "Shelter's" metal brother. From the winding ambient soundscapes filled with subtle, emotion-laden melodies to the raw intensity of the riffs, this is an album that sets the listener on a journey through forgotten corners of the heart and mind. It's hard not to be completely hypnotized by the vast, immersive sounds of this album, nor is it so easy to restrain your imagination from running wherever it pleases as you're soothed by the calm sounds of, for example, "Golden Mind." Perhaps the most captivating moment on the album is the intro on "Cherry Quartz" which transitions from serene to heavy-as-lead so gracefully and effortlessly it'll likely leave your jaw on the floor. The only fault I could find on this album is the sometimes stale vocals, but it's a minor issue on an otherwise incredible achievement. I absolutely loved Lantlos' second album ".neon" with it's dark atmosphere and Neige's melancholic howls, but "Melting Sun" marks a whole new chapter for the band and I can honestly say I love it just as much. In a word, it's glorious and a unique addition to the post-metal genre.

9.5/10
(Special thanks to Prophecy Productions for providing me an advance 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.)

Animals as Leaders - The Joy of Motion (2014)

Instrumental progressive giants Animals as Leaders have returned with their third offering and boy does it pack a wallop. After the excellent, yet slightly unsatisfying "Weightless" in 2011, "The Joy of Motion" sees the band less willing to experiment and more focused on delivering something both powerful and memorable. With 12 songs and no filler, it's an incredibly dense album that offers enough variety amongst the stellar musicianship to keep listeners happy. Most songs here are reminiscent of the band's earlier work, but a few have brand new elements such as the stomping grooves of "Physical Education" and the Latin flavor of "Para Mexer." But regardless of whether it's new sounds the band are incorporating or if they're relying on the same basic jazz fusion/prog metal admixture that brought them to fame in the first place, this is simply a phenomenal album. While it doesn't reach the heights of the debut, at least in my book, it does come pretty close. Once again AAL have proven their worth and set the bar astronomically high for other bands and musicians. If you haven't heard this masterpiece yet then it's about time for you to go over to Sumerian Records' official channel and prepare to have your jaw hit the floor.
9.5/10

 

Crosses - Crosses (2014)

With "Koi No Yokan" in late 2012 and "Palms" last year, Chino Moreno has been quite busy as of late. Now we have "Crosses" which, similarly to his 2005 project "Team Sleep," is an experimental electronic side project. As usual, Chino sounds fantastic. His vocals perfectly fit on every song whether it's more on the dark, reflective side or more on the pop side. Though the album is a bit too long and not entirely consistent in quality, it does feature some excellent songs, "Bitches Brew" and "The Epilogue" being chief among them. Given the length I think it's more of a grower so I highly recommend giving it a good number of listens before deciding on a final score. Fans of Grimes, Chvrches, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, and, of course, Deftones should feel right at home with this album.
8.75/10

 

Kuolemanlaakso - Tulijoutsen (2014)

Featuring Miko Kotamaki of one of my favorite doom bands, Swallow the Sun, Kuolemanlaakso is death/doom band whose lyrics are entirely in Finnish and are based on the poetry of Eino Leino. Not surprisingly, the music is pretty close in style to that of StS, if not a little more stripped down, and while I do prefer StS there are some pretty interesting bits on this album that make it a worthwhile listen. There are quite a few great riffs and Kotamaki's excellent vocals, consisting of banshee-esque rasps and demonic growls, are my highlight of the album. It's pretty much standard death/doom fare except for "Glastonburyn Lehto" which is an odd folky/psychedelic number featuring clean vocals and guitars. All in all, this album is quite good and should be enough to tide StS fans over until the next release.
8/10

 

Woods of Desolation - As the Stars (2014)

Following their masterful 2011 release "Torn Beyond Reason," Woods of Desolation's "As the Stars" is a more than worthy successor, even if they decided to go in a different direction this time around. Whereas the former exudes darkness and melancholy, this one is much like Deafheaven's "Sunbather" in that it's emotional, joyful, and utterly captivating. The riffs, melodies, and vocals are all out to make a bold, triumphant statement about life and they all do a fantastic job of it. Unlike Alcest's most recent album which did away with metal elements (not that that's a bad thing by any means), WoD decided to blend black metal with post-rock and shoegaze in about equal proportions. It may not have the intricacy or concept-album feel that "Sunbather" has, but it does have just as much passion, intensity, and beauty. It's an extraordinary journey that is both brutal and dark as well as uplifting and utterly gorgeous. As of now, I can only see this album being rivaled by the upcoming Agalloch release in terms of best black metal albums of 2014.
9/10

 

Ulver/Sunn O))) - Terrestrials

Both Sunn O))) and Ulver are masters of experimental music, whether it be ambient or drone, and I was fully prepared to have my mind blown when I heard they were collaborating on an album. That didn't exactly happen, but my mind did go on quite a strange and long journey while listening to this. "Let There Be Light" starts off the album with soft, quiet droning pierced by a jazz-like background and, eventually, followed by free-flow drumming. It all goes together very well and creates a distinct sense of foreboding mixed with a certain degree of anticipation. However, once "Western Horn" comes in, that anticipation is gone and all that left is misery. It's an incredibly dark track that has me imagining the darkest scenes of the classic Apocalypse Now film. Everything about it oozes menace and doom. On "Eternal Return" we hear something much more akin to Ulver's most recent album "Messe I.X-VI.X" with strings and dark ambient noodling. The strings let up and eventually we hear the familiar sound of Garm's ethereal vocals which, in my opinion, really complete the album. "Terrestrials," while not as good as "Messe" or Sunn O)))'s most recent album "Monoliths and Dimensions," is a dark, psychedelic trip through the unknown that is sure to send a chill down the listener's spine. It represents the best of what both bands have to offer and I don't think there's much they could have done differently.
8.5/10