Album Reviews

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    HDK - System_Overload (2009)

    HDK is the brain child of Sander Gommans from After Forever fame, so naturally I was very excited about this release. Now that After Forever split-up I’m looking for some band to take their place. Well let me tell you HDK is not that band, while I was impressed by reading all the people that participated in this project: Amanda Sommerville, Andres Matos and Arjen Anthony Lucassen to name a few, this album just does not deliver in my opinion.

    This album seems like a composition of random thoughts materialized in music, some parts are really good and some other ones are very bad. The album contains a mixture of genres that becomes annoying after a few songs. I don’t know how people can like this release as a whole, since while there are good parts and some of the guest performances are very good, as a whole it’s just bad.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    In Fear And Faith - Your World On Fire (2009)

    While I’m usually pretty good at filtering out Metalcore / screamo bands but for some reason this band from the USA flew under my radar. Once I started listening to the album I decided to might as well finish listening to it and write a review for it.

    I have to admit that many of these bands have very good guitarists and keyboard players. The whole concept and the singing just kill’s the mood for somebody that likes their metal to be… well metal.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Ephel Duath - Through My Dog's Eyes (2009)

    Well what can I say about this Italian, every time I pop in their music I’m in for an acid trip, or what I imagine one would be like. Through My Dog’s Eyes is yet in their crazy musical direction, now they sound more like Avant-garde jazz/metal than their earlier more ‘black metalish’ releases.

    The whole concept of the album is clearly described in the title, and it perfectly matches the weird and chaotic sound of the band. While they are refining their instrument mixing skill, sometimes stuff just seems very out of place.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Emergency Gate - Rewake (2009)

    Every time I hear and album start with the phrase: “Are you ready”, I get so irritated, since they are usually pretty bad. Well this album is an exception to that rule.

    I can’t really label this bands genre since they combine clean with harsh vocals, with some melodic death metal touches as well as power metal elements, and sometimes it even sounds like metalcore.

    I have to admit the songs are very catchy but the metalcore parts kill it for me. When the songs are more power metal or melodic death metal their guitar melodies are pretty awesome, also the drumming is pretty decent.
    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Tardy Brothers - Bloodline (2009)

    The Tardy brothers if you where living under a rock for the last 20 years, or are too young to know, are 2 of the founding members of Obituary (vocals and drums). I was very interested in listening to this album since they announced it. And let me tell you this album arrived 10-15 years late.

    While you can clearly notice the typical vocal style of Obituary, the Tardy Brothers music is more of a trash metal and death metal. I would have imagined that the brothers would have broaden their musical horizons in the last few years, but apparently they have been listening to their old tapes and LP’s for too long.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Luna Mortis - The Absence (2009)

    Luna Mortis is an American band formed in 2002 under the name of The Ottoman Empire, which they changed in 2008. They are traditionally labeled as progressive metal, but I think gothic/progressive metal is a better description of their music.

    This bands musical style is very interesting since they sometimes sound like Arch Enemy with clean female vocals, and the only weak point in my opinion is the  harsh vocals that sound a bit amateurish. Other than that this is a very good release both musically and production wise.
    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Battlelore - The Last Alliance (2008)

    The Last Alliance is Battlelore’s latest addition to their impressive musical catalog. This Finish band has been improving and refining their music since they where conceived almost achieving perfection in this last release.

    This album contains 11 carefully crafted battle hymns that will surely please any Battlelore fan. The album opens up with Third Immortal, an instant Battlelore classic of the caliber of House of Heroes, and it keeps this level all the way through the album.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Isole - Silent Ruins (2009)

    This Swedish band was known as Forlon until 2005 when they switched names and apparently their luck changed since they released their first full length under this name in 2005. While I’m not a big fan of epic doom metal, this release packs 54 minutes of pretty solid music. Sometimes it reminds me of Solstice or even Candlemass, yes the band is this good, and this release better than their 2008 effort.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Crimfall - As the Path Unfolds (2009)

    After their self released Burning Winds demo, I was anxiously expecting their full length album. This band formed in 2007, and they got a deal right after their previously mentioned demo and there is big reason why, their music is a perfectly constructed blend of symphonic, viking, folk and progressive metal.

    The band members come from different bands in the musical scene and have an ample background in making music over the years. No wonder Napalm Records snatched them so quickly and gave them a recording contract.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Lunatica - New Shores (2009)

    I’ve been following this Swiss band since their 2001 debut Atlantis, and while they have been taking almost 3 years in between releases, they are worth the wait. This band’s latest album is a new stepping stone in their musical evolution.

    New Shores marks the bands entrance into more commercial sound since most of the songs here are typical power metal ballads, while they are not bad musically they are just something that I would not imagine Lunatica doing in 2001.

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