Altar Of Plagues - Mammal (2011) - Tides was a great album, but this album brings a little more to the table. Some of it might be too much, though. Particularly, "When The Sun Drowns In The Ocean" might be a big skipper on the disc, because there's not really much metal to it, just some chanting and a few other atmospheric pieces, which is not to say that this isn't atmospheric progressive black metal with post metal influence, because it is.
Most of this disc is dominated by the atmospheres, yet progressive black metal riffs and drumming come into play also, further enhancing the sound on their older albums. Also, the production is much better on this album than on their older releases. As a progressive black metal and post metal fusion band that excels in both regards, this 4 track 52:00 album might be just what you're looking for. 51:59
3.5/5
Anaal Nathrakh - Passion (2011) - Anaal Nathrakh has always been a rarity in the sense that they seamlessly mix black metal and grindcore together so effortlessly. Of course, screaming your head off in the middle of great guitar melodies with lots of blasting on the kit is not necessarily what I would consider a task requiring much effort.
Still, the band has progressed further from their last album, keeping those great clean vocal choruses and Dimmu Borgir style eccentrics intact. Most of the album sounds as you would expect it to, which is very fierce, except when there are musical interludes or long intros like on "Drug Fucking Abomination." (The longest song on the disc at 7:46)
For the most part, this album will not disappoint fans, and is just what they were expecting. Despite the rumors, Demi Lovato (Former Disney Channel Star) is nowhere to be heard on this disc, so I am assuming that the track with her is bonus content, or was taken out altogether. Regardless, the band has put out a swell release with just one track I would have to consider a definite skipper, "Tod Huetet Uebel" which has screaming so over the top and damn near feminine, that I would have to immediately cast it off as one of the worst songs in the band's catalog; and one of the worst almost deafening tracks I've ever heard.
Don't play this one at full blast, you might lose your hearing for sure. 35:00
4/5
Black Label Society - The Song Remains Not The Same (2011) - This is the most lackluster, "I don't really give a shit" release of the year. Black Label Society made a triumph with their last album "Order Of The Black", but this new one is nothing more than a bunch of extremely sad acoustic versions of songs that were fine being heavy, and some gospel in there to boot. Just like Elvis Presley, Zakk Wylde has now also covered "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Not to mention, "The First Noel" which nobody wanted to hear covered by Zakk Wylde anyway. Remember that it's 9/10 piano driven ballads, and there's barely any guitar theatrics on the album.
If you like southern soul and stuff from "Book Of Shadows" which I actually liked myself, you might like this. "Parade Of The Dead" and "Riders Of The Damned" have both become sorrowful ballads, for example. Add "Darkest Days" plus the two bonus ballads from "Order Of The Black" and you've got a southern man's "Drinking My Sorrows Away" album. Don't forget about the Christmas song.
You know, I can't even consider this a metal album. It's not one by any means. It's like I said before, "The kind of thing you play when your woman's left you, your truck's broken down, your bossman's fired you, and you can't get a disability from Uncle Sam either, so the only thing you've got is a six pack of beer left in the fridge and this album, which you've been playing for weeks now."
It's one sad song of the south. Listening to this album is like the equivalent of cutting onions. You could make the happiest man in the world want to shoot himself after a few minutes of tracks 2-9. Yeah, that's most of the album. Still, if you like southern soul, it's here for you. I think it's the worst thing I've ever heard from the band, personally. 41:00
NOT APPLICABLE
The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction (2011) - The main course is finally here, after three years of waiting, the infamous "heaviest album from Devin Townsend in years" has finally been released to the masses.
Well, what do you want me to say about it? If you liked SYL and Devin's solo work, as well as his previous Devin Townsend Project albums, then there is no earthly reason why you wouldn't enjoy this penultimate release. "Ghost" will arrive next month, and it's an ambient album. A sort of "after dinner mint" for the set.
In this third paragraph you're probably wanting me to tell you what to expect from this album. I can tell you that it's by far the man's best work in several years, mixing valid and bold lyrical points together with comedy in a few areas. (The title track, for example.) There are nine tracks on the album, and it's clocks in at around 70 minutes. Yes, it's heavy. Yes, it's technical. Yes, it's completely bat-shit crazy over the fucking top and insane. There's a myriad of things going on this album, and it's one that you might just need to go through again to fully appreciate. Yes, it could be the best album of the year. I've never heard quite anything so bombastic in all my life.
So, am I supposed to tell you the who the guests are, and how well the "drum kit from hell" software is performing on this one? What about the guitar riffing? What about the...
No. Not this time. I can't spoil the surprise and spill all the beans. Some of these songs are stand-alone pieces in their own right. I'm just going to give it the old 666 on the rating's scale, and say "this is one of the best albums I've ever heard in my life" and "I'm exhausted from just listening to it." Go get it as soon as you can. This one will be talked about for a long time to come. I see topping this one an impossible feat, and I now have my doubts for Z2, but you never know...
It's an essential metal album, I mean to say... It's an essential album for music in general. 70:45
"WE WORSHIP SATAN IN OUR HEADS, AND PRAISE OURSELVES DAILY."
666
Also Recommend : Ocean Machine (1997), Terria (2001), Accelerated Evolution (2003), Synchestra (2006), Ziltoid The Omniscient (2007), Addicted (2010)
Hate Eternal - Phoenix Amongst The Ashes (2011) - Hate Eternal definitely didn't do anything mind-blowing on their last album, 2008's "Fury and The Flames." On this release though, there are actually some rather interesting technical riffs that are just that. Although, the band is hampered down by their constant need to repaint over the same color, with the same color.
Say you paint a house yellow. It looks good for a few weeks, months, years perhaps...but eventually the paint job gets weathered down by nature, and the paint starts cracking or peeling. A couple years later, and your house needs to be re-touched. So, if you do it the Hate Eternal way, you're going to recolor over your house with the same exact color of paint, but maybe add a few things here or there. Maybe you'll paint the door some obscure blue color, or you'll highlight the windows in green. Problem is...you've still got a house with a yellow paint-job. Just because your door is some off the wall blue, and your windows green, pink, or purple, or whatever, doesn't mean that somebody's going to look at your house and say "Hey, that's unique."
For the most part, people are just going to walk by and say, "Do you see what that idiot did to his house? He's trying to be different, but it's still that ugly yellow color. I mean, that was fine for a while, but I think it's time the guy did some real remodeling."
The bottom line here is, there's only a blue door and some green windows on this album. Take out those, and you've got the same old bland Hate Eternal sound which has been copied the world over, including by the band themselves in this case. There's really not much here to amaze someone, but it's still yellow. If you like that sort of thing. Everyone else just needs to go back and listen to the new Obscura.
3/5
Jesu - Ascension (2011) - I remember reviewing another Jesu disc earlier last year. Well, I'm guessing that this one is their big 2011 release, and not a retread - so let's see just how these post metal / drone masters have fared this time around.
First off, most of the songs this time around are really bright. I thought I'd mention this because much of the music this band releases can sound very depressive, and rather rough at times. Calling the album "Ascension" really feels right, because this sounds like Jesu has reached a lighter place musically. Some of you might even be surprised to hear some experimenting on the disc, such as tracks like "Sedatives" which sounds like major alt rock in the vein of R.E.M. or mid-era Smashing Pumpkins.
For the most part, the album is not an abandonment of the Jesu sound, and the post-metal/drone heads that loved the past albums will certainly love this one as well. There's no real harsh metal elements to speak of, other than a "scream portion" in "Broken Home." Since I am expecting the album title to be in sarcasm, given some of the song titles, even the bright sound of the album is probably just a ploy in itself. Regardless, the band has gone musically with the same "if it ain't broke" style that they've done time and again, and even though things might sound brighter and a tad more experimental, nothing really has changed. I could find little fault with this disc, and it was relaxing to play as I cleaned and straightened things up a little. 61:00
4/5
Krallice - Diotima (2011) - One can expect it to be the same all the time, right? Things change for a reason, and most of the time it's so they don't repeat themselves. Krallice has now included death metal vocals to their mix, and a little more "umph" in the drumming area to make things sound much more like death metal. Even the melodies aren't as sweet as they once were, and they sound much more anthemic, sometimes even evil. The whole disc will begin to sound like an artsy death metal album, with oversized track lengths.
The disc is 68 minutes long, but none of the space is wasted as Krallice still has an uncanny ability to make great atmospheres as much as they used to in their old days, yet the added production value and death metal edge will surely have fans talking. Yes, one many get the impression that Krallice switched because they didn't want to sound like 80 million other progressive black metal bands, or probably because 2009's "Dimensional Bleedthrough" sounded just like their debut. Regardless of the reason behind this change, death metal fans might now want to check them out.
Yes, this isn't the same Krallice you knew and loved, get over it. Some of the riffs still sound in the vein of their old material, but this isn't exactly awful either. In fact, many have been really pleased by it. The progressive melodies and tight playing are still there, and the drums are definitely a major part of this band now. Yeah, it's not all black metal, and it's not all death metal...but it works and it might get them a bigger fanbase, I suppose. Just give it a listen, it won't kill you, trust me. There are several albums that sound much worse than this this year. 68:00
5/5
KMFDM - WTF?! (2011) - While KMFDM may not be the most metal thing there is, they have used several elements of metal in their music, and are still the "ultra heavy beat" as they've claimed in their 31 year reign of having been arguably the first band in the world to combine elements of industrial/electronic music and rock/metal together.
Sadly, the newest release of the group falls a little short. The band decided this time to go with a much more old school and simplistic sound, and that's all that they've accomplished. 2009's "Blitz" was probably the best release from the band in some time, and feeling big headed they decided in 2010 to re-record two of their classic singles, "Godlike" and "Light."
Also, they released a best of and worst of compilation respectively, on top of a remix album of Blitz, called "Krieg" which offered some more metal elements and collaborative work that Sascha happened to be so fond of that he thought he'd use them on this album. Let's not forget about "Day Of Light,"(2010) which is probably one of the most lackluster and throwaway singles from the band that I've ever heard from the band. The new single "Krank" was also released earlier this year with some extra remixes and some more remixes of "Day Of Light."
As for this disc, it's got little going for it. The production is really low-key and it makes the whole album sound like it was recorded in the 90's. There are few tracks here to like, and even the few bits of guitar and such that are used here aren't to my liking. Sascha's voice is still strong, and Lucia still carries a great scowl and singing approach respectively, but the songs are far too basic this time around.
"Blitz" had an underlying concept of Anti-Christianity for the most part, but this one sounds like a bunch of stuff just thrown together, and if it was a musical collaboration between several other musicians, then I'd love to hear how the band would've done it themselves. Clearly the formula is not one to be tampered with, since 2002's Attak forward to 2010 (Krieg) have been good discs for the most part with this one the most disappointing release in years. I can only count about 4 songs on the disc as being enjoyable including the single, with the rest like I've said - coming up rather short.
I am sure that 2012 will see a remix album of possible better quality coming up soon. 2007's "Tohubavohu" was also not my favorite, so perhaps this is just another slip up. (But at least that album had a few tracks that I really liked on it. These are so/so at best!) 50:00
2/5
I Recommend Instead : Naive - Hell To Go (1994), Nihil (1995), Symbols (1997), Adios (1999), Attak (2002 HIGHLY RECOMMEND) WWIII (2003 HIGHLY RECOMMEND), Hau Ruck (2005), Blitz (2009)
Otep - Atavist (2011) - For once I can actually say that I haven't heard one line of Otep Shamaya rapping on this disc. As a matter of fact, it's one of their most serious and brutal albums to date, sans a few tracks. This band has been around for at least ten years now, so they're not going anywhere, and things seem to keep getting better with every release. I used to hate this band profusely until I gave all of their releases my full attention. I found most of them to be decent and interesting in a few places. Of course, Shamaya still reads from literature and poetry "Baby's Breath," (which is about a murder) and the band still uses what really are good atmospheres during the readings, (does anyone even notice that this woman actually has a good reading voice?) so I wish that people would stop giving the band so much flack.
First of all, "Atom to Adam" shows that they certainly are coming a long way. Of course, there are still the moans of a completely destroyed woman in here, as well as some decent singing in places. "We Dream Like Lions" shows off her singing ability, but I didn't like it because it was a break from the heaviness.
I think the musicality of the band is definitely getting better and the riffs have improved a bit, not to mention the drumming, which is pretty damned good. If the vocals are the only thing to kill this album, well that's a pretty low blow to the other musicians on this disc; because at least they're actually playing some interesting riffs in a few places, and always experimenting "Stay" so that's something worth noting. Yes, everyone loves to hate them, but they've got some musical talent. 50:00
3/5
Pestilence - Doctrine (2011) - Yes, this is my first dose of Pestilence, (feel free to hit me in the head now) and the only thing I can find to like on this album is the great progressive death metal sound, with a vocal touch comparable (and I even heard some cynic/atheist) to Chuck Schuldiner. I always liked Chuck's vocals, but this guy is all over the place.
At 39:00, there's not much here, but there is great playing throughout most of the disc. Even if you're a younger head and can't get through the vocals, there are definitely some great riffs, and drum work on this disc, as well as the staggering technicality.
Pestilence has been around for a long damn time, and even with their Meshuggic tendencies (and I DON'T use that term lightly) it still manages to work out well enough. But, if you just can't make it through the vocals, just skip them and other such bands I've reviewed this time that don't do well vocally. (Otep and Samael for example)
Personally, I think they are trying too hard to be Death, and are missing some of the necessary ingredients... 39:00
Score: 4/5
Poisonblack - Drive (2011) - Well, it seems that the band did have another one up their sleeves, and according to the jacket, it claims to be:
"The most grooving album of desperation from the Poisonblack."
So far, so good, I guess. It's got to be better than the shit slab they released last year, "Of Rust and Bad Ideas." Here I thought they were sounding more like Sentenced with the 2008 release, and then I'm slapped in the mouth by the band in 2010. Hopefully, this is more to what I'm looking to hear from the band. Either that, or Sentenced just needs to come back. Just call it: "The Resurrection Album."
The disc for the most part is a heavier, much groovier version of Sentenced. There, I said it. Sure, it's not perfect - but this is the closest goddamned thing I've heard to Sentenced in years. Is that not enough to make you go check it out yourself? The production quality is good, the riffs are nice and heavy, the guitar solos are great, and the vocal approach is just as good as it's always been. It's definitely not another drop in the bucket for these guys.
Yes, there is an "added groove" on the disc, but the lyrics are the same morose topics (with the exception of a few) and the melodies flow the same way that they would have done with Sentenced, even moreso this time around. Very depressing stuff.
44:00
4/5
Also Recommend: Escape Exstasy (2003), A Dead Heavy Day (2008)
Primordial - Redemption At The Puritan's Hand (2011) - Nemtheanga is no stranger to me. I anticipated their new album so much that I even asked him on myspace one year if he could tell me if the band was working on something new. I was a little shocked to see that he had replied to tell me that they were indeed working on what was to become one of the band's best releases, 2007's "To The Nameless Dead." Yes, go ahead and say it...
Damn, that was a good album.
Well, after something as brilliant as that, I had my doubts about this one. Nemtheanga is a household name now among black metallers and doomers alike, and he's done several projects since then, one of which I reviewed in the first ever review set. (Blood Revolt - Indoctrine)
Primordial comes on very strong with this album, which has a well produced and still very raw quality that displays the drummer's prowess perfectly, the riffs as they should be, and Nemtheanga's unbridled display of emotion in a way that I just haven't heard from many other bands out there. When this man sings about something, the sorrow just carries in his voice unlike any other vocalist I've heard to date.
The drums have always been a great part of the band, and they're still just as present and capable as ever. The riffs haven't changed or gone happy, and the emotion is all still there. Yes, nothing has changed in the band's sound, and I don't expect it to. The songs are still long and mighty, each one being over the 6:00 mark, and each one having an impressive intro as all great epics should. "God's Old Snake" though adds the black metal scowls that we've missed back into the Primordial sound, and they fit like a perfect puzzle piece.
Even Crowley makes an appearance here, with an excerpt from "The Pentagram." The album's basis is on the denial to accept the Christian church, basically. If the lyrics don't portray that, the song titles will. "The Mouth Of Judas" is another great song on the disc, so do check it out, along with the closer, "Death Of The Gods." The title track "The Puritan's Hand" is also not bad, but there are better on the disc.
All in all, Primordial have once again out-fucking-done themselves. Definitely get this disc and experience these amazing Irish black/doom-metallers for yourselves. The atmospheres created alone by these epic pieces will really submerse you. 63:00
5/5
I Also Recommend: Journey's End (1998), Spirit The Earth Aflame (2000), The Gathering Wilderness (2005), The Nameless Dead (2007)
Samael - Lux Mundi (2011) - Samael really worked their asses off trying to make an album that combines all of the band's best elements and showcases their sound perfectly. It's time to retire after this one, and I hope that they do. This disc is absolutely perfect in fully demonstrating their black metal/industrial sound, and combines elements of "Eternal", "Reign Of Light", and "Above" just perfectly.
This is more or less Samael's "Black Album," and it's going to be highly respected among their new fans as well as the old. Most of the songs are very catchy, with a very good lyrical base, Rammstein-ish playing, and mainstay elements which haven't changed since Eternal. Bombastic horns still dominate their sound, and most of the songs are anthemic marches, with the exception of a few, like the melodic "Shadow Of The Sword."
For the most part, the vocals are audible enough with a few language issues. Their lead vocalist has always had a bit of a problem with getting the words to come off his tongue just right, and it hasn't changed here. Despite the lack of solos or memorable riffs, it's still great anthemic black metal with hints of electronics (notice that I say hints as opposed to full on trance fuelled stuff like on 2005's Reign Of Light) and plenty of staying power.
It's definitely very catchy, even if the riffs are for the most part basic. I would give it a 5/5, but I cannot do that since it really is not an album that will simply amaze a person. But it should put smiles on the faces of Samael fans the world over. A definite return to form, and possibly the best they've put out in years. The best thing since Eternal (1999). 48:00
3.5/5
Also Recommend: Passage (1996), Exodus (1998), Eternal (1999), Reign Of Light (Personal Favorite 2005), Solar Soul (2007)
Arkan - Salam (2011) - Arkan is a middle eastern metal band that is parts melodic death metal and parts very familiar to bands like Lacuna Coil, and others of that genre. That being said, the female vocals are excellent in this release, the vocal harmonies working very well. There's also a guy that attempts a death metal vocal that winds up either sounding half-ass, or deathcore at best.
The band doesn't have any real amazing riffs, and their only real strength is in their melodic solos and good knowledge of traditional middle eastern instrumentation. So yes, you will hear a great deal of middle eastern acoustics and drumming in addition to the Farsi chanting. The male clean vocals are also used just a few times, but sound much better than the growls on this disc.
The bottom line for this album is that the female works much better with this band than the male does. His injection of death metal just sounds hokey, and it sounds like their female vocalist could carry the band better by herself. As I said before, there are parts of this album that really aren't metal at all, and are just middle eastern music. If that upsets you, then don't get this disc. While I still believe Orphaned Land and Melechesh to be some of the best middle eastern metal, Arkan is not a bad band, and certainly has promise.
It's not something that you must immediately check out, unless you really like female fronted melodic death metal bands with middle eastern elements. 43:00
3.5/5
Einheuser - Einheuser (2011) - If you're looking for a band with music that's well worth supporting, I'd have to recommend Einheuser. While I am not sure if this is their first album or not, the musical prowess that is displayed on the disc is certainly worth sinking your teeth into. The band plays a surprisingly good mix of black and progressive metal, sometimes influenced by thrash, and sometimes completely melancholy with a great clean male vocal. It's almost like two different bands on the same disc.
The tracks on the disc are very long, and with 56:00 of full playtime; the band puts all of them to use, creating both great soundscapes and brutal thrashers while still adding some enslaved style riffage, and some proggy hits on the kit. The production on the disc is definitely tolerable, and the guitar tone sounds a little old school as well. But the musical theatrics of this band are something to take notice of, and if you're into bands that don't stay in the box, this one is definitely for you. There's even a long instrumental track that proves just how talented the band is, "Smash The Altar" and of course a little instrumental "Ode To Slayer." 56:00
666
Feral - Dragged To The Altar (2011) - By the band name and description, you're probably already aware of what kind of music this band plays...black metal, right?
Wrong. Feral is a Swedish death metal band that plays some rather solid death metal. It's got plenty of groove and some good solo work, the drums sound exactly as they should, and the vocalist has one hell of a bark and scream. If you're looking for some good death metal, Feral won't put you in the wrong direction.
The disc isn't too long either. It's 46 minutes of straight forward, no clean vocals, no avantgarde silliness, and what some would probably term "grown man's metal" and what other's would term "meathead metal." It just applies to what brand of asshole you wish to be on the subject.
Furthermore, the band really does a great fucking job of bringing that traditional Swedish death metal sound to front, and even though the bark might eventually get on one's nerves, since it is heard so much so over all of the other instruments; most death metal heads won't really give a shit, and after all - this one is for those death metal heads. Knock back a few beers and crank this one. There's even a 3:00 instrumental outro. It's true Swedish death metal, for sure. 46:00
3.8/5
Inquisitor - The Quantum Theory of Id (2010) - You ever hate how an album intro can make something sound so damn interesting, and then be really weak or less than what you've already heard before? Well, that's what this is. It's avantgarde symphonic black metal, but it's very bland in that vein because these riffs are riffs that I've heard have been done far better by the bands that actually pioneered them.
Lets not forget that the vocals are so amateurish, it's pathetic. The guy just has a very annoying and basic scream approach that sounds more like screamo and less like black metal. Yes, there's avantgarde riffs and piano playing and drums the way you'd expect from any proggy black metal or proggy avantgarde album. The disc itself contains one intro and four main tracks, each being over 9 minutes. Some of these tracks do however; feature a healthy amount of experimentation, like "Die Welt Als Wille Und Vorstellung."
But for the most part, the Emperor riffs and Arcturus experimentation combined with Gojira style sweeps, can only go so damned far. Yes, there's some nice drum work, but it's nothing completely out of the ordinary. Inquisitor does what they do quite well, it's just not anything that will really stand up against some bands that are innovating much further than avantgarde. Scarcross and Blutmond for example, could be put into this category.
If you're looking for some symphonic black / death/ avantgarde that pushes the boundaries in some places and stays very normal for the genre in others, and sounds sort of screamo on the vocals...well, Inquisitor just might be your thing. It's slightly promising avantgarde black metal that tastes just a little undercooked, or might just be too overcooked to stand up against bigger slabs of beef released earlier this year, and those still to come.
Regardless, check it out. You might hear something that I don't. 41:00
4/5
Miasmal - Miasmal (2011) - Honestly, I was waiting for this one to end. It might seem like it's only 62 minutes of death metal, but it's going to feel like it's 62 hours of death metal. That isn't a good thing, because an album that drones on and on and on and on is nothing more than wasted expectations. Sure, they have a great old school sound, with solos flying all over the damned place, and some classic riffs you've heard a million times before, but what makes Miasmal special (if that could be the correct term here) is the fact that this recording sounds like is was made in 1991, not 2011.
Death metal fans might rejoice at this blast from the past, but for me, I thought the whole damn thing was much too late. I cannot count how many times I have heard this same thing again and again and again and again and again. This may be their first album, but I don't know if they'll put anymore of these out, because who really wants to hear something with no innovation or change to offer? Hair metal albums still come out, but I don't review them. Yes, there are people who will like this album because it reminds them of other bands that they already know and love, but it might just be easier to put on one of those older albums. 62:00
2/5
Pyrrhon - An Excellent Servant But A Terrible Master (2011) - Alright, Pyrrhon is actually a rather ingenious technical death metal band. They're quite something, but don't start out that way. Within the first few minutes I was about to cast the disc aside as fodder, and garbage that I've already heard hundreds of times over. But, as the disc continued, the band started to get more and more interesting, pulling out atmospheres and strange riffs, and going far beyond the call of normal technical death metal.
The album ends just as strange as it eventually becomes, and the whole thing is just altogether different and worth noting. While I don't care much for the core elements and what could be deathcore growls (although they might be death metal, since it is getting harder and harder to tell (perhaps that is a good thing) the technicality is not nailed down to only speed, and that seems to be the glue that makes this band work. The crazy time signatures and outlandish acrobatics of this band, not to mention the weird concept of the album about losing one's sanity in a chaotic universe, are what help to make this act stand out from the rest.
You've probably already heard much about this band from whatever metal sources you have, and yes they passed the exam and they are worth your money, especially if you're looking for a very odd trip. 45:00
4/5
Rainroom - ...And The Other That Was A Machine (2011) - This is another slightly bizarre act which melds progressive death and doom death together quite nicely. There's not a whole lot of doom elements in the beginning of the disc, it all sounds rather like proggy death metal with some bells and whistles and other things, but closer to the end; especially on the album closer - things get very dreary, very quickly.
Yes, there's a story behind this album. No, I've no idea what it is, so if you want to know, then do these guys a favor and pick it up. I'd have to recommend this one to fans of slow progressive death metal and doom death metal respectively. There's no Opeth style stuff here, it's much more towards atmospheres with some bizarre riff structures, as well as use of electronics in a manner that would have to be quite sparingly. Even though the album is about machines, few electronics and such are used on this disc. It's mostly guitars, drums, and vocals.
Don't expect a major speed up, or things to get groovy anytime soon. This is more like a relaxing sort of death metal, if such a thing can be said. You might find yourself really enjoying the atmospheres created by the band, but then wonder why in the hell things got so dark and drab at the end of the disc. Oh, well. I guess you can just go back to the first track and play the whole damned thing over again. It's worth checking out, but it's not for everyone. 43:00
4/5
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