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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