FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
With a handful of underground EPs, splits and live albums under their belts, this first full-length studio offering from Atlantean Kodex will
have the armour-clad, sword-wielding power-metal warriors and the downtrodden doomsters slow-motion headbanging in unison.
The whole band are great musicians whom have played in and around the New York area with such bands as Zandelle, Circle to Circle and James Labrie. With all this talent it is refreshing to hear that they don’t really focus so much on the actual technical wizardry of the musicianship but on the writing of great dark, brooding melodic songs and, with this being their debut, I am happy to say they nailed it.
Salome’s second full-length is definitely worth the patience and the introspection, and a very strong contender to be on the top of many “Best Album” lists this year
It seems to me that there are two possibilities here. Either MMX was done with a lot of thought and they over analyzed it or they were as fucking high as Hunter S Thompson.
Abrahadabra is an incredibly cultured listen showing audible evidence of effort contributed, yet making you feel as though the work was generated on the spot.
There isn’t much in the way of standout tracks on this one, but rather a continuous, pummelling, ear-pounding assault that only seems to get slower as the album nears its conclusion.
The album feels dark, but overall it leaves you with a positive feeling, positive that Lucassen is a fantastic musician/writer/lyricist and he knows exactly how to put together an amazing album and get incredible results from his guests.
Some listeners will be incensed by the combinations that Escape The Fate are making here, some will call it a mockery – but many will see the resulting pop-metal as a gateway; what Escape The Fate has done on their new album is create a bridge connecting the continents of pop and metal that makes it possible for listeners to call it either because it incorporates an equal amount of both.
As far as the Torche sound goes, Songs For Singles is a breakthrough; there have been hints of veering off in this direction from the beginning, but Torche have really nailed it down here. Though I’d have been just as happy to wait for a full-length, at 21 minutes, this feels like more a tease than anything.
Even with turnover amongst the ranks of its members over the years, Therion has the foundation of Johnsson and (unofficial) Karlsson and continue to write and record some of the most creative albums in the symphonic metal genre. The epic album Sitra Ahra ranks among their very best works.