Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned (2010)

Genre: Progressive Melodic Metal
Country: USA
Members: Khan (Vocals)
                Thomas Youngblood (Guitars)
                Casey Grillo (Drums)
                Oliver Palotai (Keyboards)
                Sean Tibbett (Bass)
Website:  http://www.kamelot.com

I have to admit that writing this review was pretty difficult for me.This was mainly because Kamelot is one of my favorite bands and I had to try really hard not to misjudge them due to the great respect I have for them.But it seems that even gods may bleed sometimes, though,for Kamelot even this has its own special beauty.Poetry for the Poisoned is Kamelot's latest album and, as you can see from it's title and album art it has a rather "dark and mysterious" aspect.Of course other Kamelot albums had it too, but not to such extent.All this reflects the shady feelings you'll probably have while listening to it's songs.A very clever use of guitar reefs at the right moments accompanied by beautiful keyboards here and there show once again the band's great skills and charisma.The rhythms are also very captivating although sometimes it feels like they are being repeated through different songs.So, in terms of melodies and rhythm, I would say that most of the songs in this album do not come as a surprise.The vocals on the other hand have proven to be more than satisfactory.In fact, I believe it is Khan's melodic and beautiful voice that this album is based on.Harmonic changes of notes and an ever present  "hidden  pain" in it compose the true magic of the songs and show what this album is all about.The lyrics speak of illusions created by sin and dark feelings, thus crafting a more insidious image of our world.Finally, I must mention that in this album there are contributions from other great artists like Simone Simons (from Epica) and Gus G. (from Firewind). Generally, I believe that Poetry for the Poisoned is a good album, though inferior to the band's previous ones.For those of you who have listened to Kamelot before it might seem a bit different than what you would expect.Nonetheless, I suggest that you listen to it and see how the world looks from the dark side.......

My favorite songs in this album:
- The Great Pandemonium
- House On A Hill
- My Train Of Thoughts
- Once Upon A Time

                                                              7/10 
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Periphery - Periphery (2010)

Country: USA

Genre: progressive metal, mathcore, metalcore, experimental rock, djent
Band Members: Alex Bois - guitars, live backing vocals
                Jake Bowen - guitars, programming

                Matt Halpern - drums, percussion

                Misha "Bulb" Mansoor - guitars, programming, producer

                Tom Murphy - bass guitar

                Spencer Sotelo - lead vocals                         
Website: http://www.myspace.com/periphery

This is the debut album by the band. To be honest with you, I just recently discovered PERIPHERY. By the first guitar riffs I was pretty sure that these guys were bound to amuse me. Misha Mansoor, the band's founder, had been working on the album for quite a long time, and I have no doubts that he is fired up by the outcome. In this album complex and progressive math metal riffs are combined with great vocal and lead guitar melodies. Almost in every song there are two rhythm guitars and a lead one, mostly responsible for the groovy and catchy melodic parts.  This is music from the future! Being influenced by the likes of  MESHUGGAH and CYNIC, PERIPHERY have probably released a masterpiece, an imminent landmark of metal music. All the songs together contribute to the image that the album stresses, and walking through each one of them helps the listener unveil the band's character and potential. To be impartial with my review/ inquisition, here are some cons I spotted. It has to do with Spencer Sotelo (vocalist), the vocals/ lyrics are quite straight up but too much metalcore-ish at times. Furthermore, the growls/ sceram vocals are not that powerful, but it seems that Spencer is getting better on that over time, so no need to to worry about that!
  PERIPHERY have a bright future ahead, all they need to do is to stay focused, hold their feet on the ground and keep downloading good music from their heads. Enjoy!

The best songs on PERIPHERY's self-titled album:
-Letter Experiment
-All New Materials
-Racecar
-Icarus Lives!

9/10

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Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare (2010)

Country: USA

Genre: Hard rock, heavy metal, metalcore

Members: M.Shadows - vocals

                Synyster Gates - lead guitar, backing vocals

                Zacky Vengeance - rhythm guitar, backing vocals

                Johnny Christ - bass guitar, backing vocals

                Mike Portnoy - drums (guest)

Website: http://www.avengedsevenfold.com/

On December 28, 2009 James "the Rev" Sullivan (drummer) was found dead at his home at the age of 28. That was a calamity for the band. Nevertheless, AVENGED SEVENFOLD asked DREAM THEATER's drummer Mike Portnoy to fill the gap. The Rev had already played the majority of the drums part in the album and Mike worked on the legacy that James had left behind. The outcome is at least remarkable, Nightmare is to my mind one of the best A7x (AVENGED SEVENFOLD abbreviation) and for sure one of the best releases in 2010. This album has come to take its place amongst other masterpieces of the past, some of which may be "7th son of a 7th son" or "and justice for all". The drums here don't simply accompany the guitars and the whole melody, but they stand out so dynamic. Avenged Sevenfold have decided not to include orchestral parts (like on the previous album), so Nightmare turns out to be much heavier and straighter than the earlier albums. Being Influenced by bands such as IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, GUNS'N'ROSES, A7x recent work is gonna attract far more metal fans to the band. A couple of ballads, the presence of some more powerful songs, the whole atmosphere that Nightmare has created would make the Rev feel thankful and proud of AVENGED SEVENFOLD. This album is set to be a landmark in metal music.

I picked my favourite songs here (tough decision...):

- Nightmare

- Buried Alive

- God Hates Us (maybe the band's heaviest song ever)

- So Far Away (probably dedicated to the Rev)

9.5/10

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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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