Iced Earth - The Crucible of Man / Something Wicked part II (2008)

Country: USA
Genre: Heavy/ Thrash Metal
Members: Jon Schaffer - Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals
                Matt Barlow - Lead and Backing Vocals
                Brent Smedley - Drums
                Troy Seele - Lead Guitar
                Freddie Vidales - Bass Guitar
Website: http://www.icedearth.com/

Yes, this is Matt's return! I know that lots of fans had been waiting for that moment. If you ask me, I would say that Owens was great, too. I wouldn't be bothered if ICED EARTH had to continue with the Ripper, both singers rock (in their own special way). But the crucible of man has just let me down. It seems to me that maybe Iced Earth were not ready to release a new album, it's like they pushed themselves to do so, subsequently to getting Barlow back. Inspiration is missing in most of the songs, and thus repetition took its place. It's my firm belief that the interludes should be missing, and serve the maxim "quality over quantity". I can accept this band's work because it is them, a great metal band. I like the guitar playing, the solos are pretty good, but i believe that most of the songs are quite meaningless. Typical ICED EARTH riffs, simple and interesting solos deluge the album. But at the end of the day, I stay rather indifferent than wowed.

My favourite songs on the album:
- Come What May
- Behold the Wicked Child

6.5/10

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Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast (2010)

Country: Sweden 
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal / Alternative Metal (recent) 

Members: Bjorn "Speed" Strid - Vocals

                Peter Wichers - Guitars
                Sven Karlsson - Keyboard
                Ola Flink - Bass Guitar
                Dirk Verbeuren - Drums
                Sylvain Coudet - Guitars

Website: http://www.soilwork.org/

If you are a SOILWORK fan for ages, I am afraid that this album won't fit completely your imaginations, as the swedish metallers seem to have left the straight melodic death style of the past, heading to a more commercial metal. You'd better return to the earlier releases! Ok, competent and skillful, not outstanding effort though.

On the other side of the coin, that doesn't mean that The Panic Broadcast lacks of what one chases in metal music. It seems to me that the band has spent the appropriate amount of time in order to create an album pretty much versatile but complete as an entity, too; pure clean vocals and screamos, mostly high tempo in the songs (double pedal on drums dominates here!), catchy choruses ( I can't help singing "two lives worth of reckoning" and "deliverance is mine"), melodic guitar parts and solos whenever needed (some intrigued, some less complex). The album doesn't long much (48 minutes) but that's not a bad sign, as no  mental and aural fatigue is evoked, if I could use such an expression. 

Give it a try, but to be honest I am cautious over the opinion you are gonna  draw about SOILWORK recent release!

Songs that I have stressed, songs that I picked as the better over the others on The Panic Broadcast:

-Two Lives Worth Of Reckoning
-The Thrill
-Deliverance is Mine
-Let The River Flow



                                               7/10

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Excalion - Waterlines (2007)

Genre: Power Metal
Country: Finland
Members: Jarmo Paakkonen - Vocals
                Jarmo Myllyvirta - Keyboards
                Vesa Nupponen - Guitar
                Henri Pirkkalainen - Drums
                Tero Vaaja - Bass
  Website: http://www.excalion.com/

Have you ever wondered how many different genres of Metal are in existence today? If you search through your music collection, then perhaps you will find out there are bands that cannot be "categorized" as Power, Epic, Heavy, Thrash etc. simply because their style is a combination of many of the above. Seeing how this tends to be the direction in which most of the bands nowadays turn towards, you might think: "What of the original genres of Metal? Are there any bands that still stay loyal to them?". Well, in the Power Metal genre, Excalion is one of these bands. Coming from cold Finland, they will surely set your feelings ablaze with their powerful songs. Their music is a combination of power-filled drums, awesome guitar reefs and solos and a masterfully placed keyboard support. As for the songs, their deep meanings are greatly empowered by Jarmo Paakkonen's melodic and clean voice which gives them an "out-worldly" sense.
This album contains 10 songs and a bonus track which is different in the European and the Japanese version. In general, i would say that "Waterlines" fully deserves to belong to the "Power Metal" genre since it's songs have "power" in every aspect of them. It's one of my favorite metal albums and I think that at least one of them should be in your playlists in order to get your spirits high and remind you that power metal is and always will be AWESOME !!!.

Some of the best songs in this album (in my opinion):
- The Wingman
- Losing Time
- Streams of Madness
- Soaking Ground

9.5/10

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Scar Symmetry - Symmetric in Design (2005)

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Country:  Sweden
Members: Christian Älvestam − clean vocals, growls (2004–2008)
                Per Nilsson − lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards (2004–present)
                Jonas Kjellgren − rhythm and lead guitar, keyboards (2004–present)
                Kenneth Seil − bass guitar (2004–present)
                Henrik Ohlsson − drums, lyrics (2004–present)
Website: www.scarsymmetry.com
 Symmetric in Design is the debut album by Swedish melodic death metal band, SCAR SYMMETRY. Heavy riffs, dynamic drums, brutal vocals. All these blended with outstanding clean vocals, melodic parts of guitar playing (crazy but not  tiring solos) and a pinch of synthesizer wherever needed. I count this album as a definite purchase, whatever metal fan you are. Words like "death, brutal" may be appalling to many, but at least you need to try that band. This album (and the 2nd SS album called "Pitch/Black/Progress") was the reason why I got into death metal.
 You will surely find at least remarkable the way Christian Älvestam (vocalist) can get that high pithes and in the next second do death vocals and growls. Yes, it's the same person, no there are not 2 different vocalists here!! At least in the first 3 SCAR SYMMETRY albums...
 I also admire Per Nilsson (mostly lead and secondly rhythm guitarist) because of the inspired melodies and solos he is performing in the album.
 My favorite songs here (if I had to pick some):
- Dominion
- 2012 - The Demise of the 5th sun
- Chaosweaver
- The Eleventh Sphere


 Symmetric in Design is in my top-albums list. The band can mix complex but catchy rhythms and every style of singing known to metal in general.
  This is an album with no boundaries at all!
Symmetric in Design is, to my mind, a must buy.

                                                     9/10

Feel free to tell us your opinion on how we judged the album. Was this helpful? I hope so! 




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And the story begins... Getting Started!

Why create Metal Inquisition (MI)

That's a blogspot made by 2 cousins, both of which adore metal music. The blog's destination is to keep metal fans around the globe informed about what's going on with metal,rock and stuff.

You want:

-album reports

-news

-events' dates

-interviews

-much more that I can't think at the moment, as I hope to evolve from an amateur writer into a geek devoting his existance to this blogspot (I won't, but I don't really care about that)

We want:

So, keep in touch! Cast an eye on our blogspot, browse the web-pages through it, we really need and appreciate your feedback!

Sooooo

Have fun, get informed, save time, save money (based on the extra accurate and objective inquisition of the albums we scrutinize!)

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Metas & Sotis

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