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Album Reviews; Everyone Loves Music, Right?
Topic Started: Mar 27 2011, 04:44 AM (11,688 Views)
DucksFAN93
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Artist: The Word Alive
Album: Deceiver
Released: August 31, 2010
Performance: Debuted at #97 on the Billboard 200 Charting

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REVIEW: The debut album by The Word Alive is so epic, epic doesn't even do it justice. Lead singer Tyler "Telle" Smith does some of the most thundering death growls and high screaming I have ever heard. But not only does he do the screaming, he also handles the clean vocals, which are equally amazing. What's unique about his voice is he sings in tenor, and his vocal range is very wide. The dual lead guitarists are absolutely breathtaking. Often dueling guitar solos, it is tastefully done. "Hounds Of Anubis" is stellar with guitar work, as is "Battle Royale". "Hounds Of Anubis" also includes an absolutely crushing breakdown midway through the song. "Epiphany", the second track, has the most infectious chorus, and the melodic singing is epic. Additionally, the breakdown verse is jaw-dropping. It is so heavy, the screaming is layered with highs and lows, then lows with epic lows. Wow. "The Wretched" features guest vocals from Dave Stephens from We Came As Romans, as does "2012" feature guest vocals, this time from Levi Benton from Miss May I. "2012" also features noticeable electronic influences, especially right before the breakdown. "Like Father Like Son", which has amazing lyrics, is the most creative (If that's possible) song from the album. With an almost dubstep bassline, aggressive double bass, dueling lead guitar solos/riffs and amazing screams/growls, I can't get enough of this track. Other tracks are equally as awesome.

The only flaw is that there are only 10 songs on the standard issue version, however, the songs are almost always over 4 minutes, giving a good longevity. The cleans occasionally get whiny, but it's rare.

The Word Alive gets a 10/10 for their album Deceiver. I can't wait for their next record.
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Outlaw454
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Artist: Machine Head
Album: Unto The Locust
Released: September 27, 2011
Performance: Debuted at #22 on the Billboard 200 Charting

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(dunno if anyone else did one for this, but cba to look)

Wow. I don't think that really sums up how awesome this is, but it's the best I can do. Machine Head's follow up to The Blackening did something I didn't think was possible, and that's surpass my expectations and made The Blackening look like a mere warm up. Yeah, I said it. Unto the Locust is crushingly powerful start to finish, with the slight exception of the uncharacteristically light opening of "Darkness Within". Said song is easily my favorite track on the whole album. A heartfelt ode to music as an entity of higher purpose, the track opens with a single clean guitar and Robb Flynn actually singing throughout. It continues like this through to the first chorus, and then builds to an epic climax from the second verse on. I was going to list other stand out tracks, but there are only 7 songs, and they are all amazing songs. The album closer, "Who We Are", stands out with its opening, featuring a child choir singing the chorus. It then proceeds to play out in typical MH fashion, a riff fest complete with all sorts of guitar tricks, solos, and the insane drumming of Dave McClain.

The only gripe about the whole album I have is that there are only 7 songs. That said, the one gripe I am sure other people would have is that the tracks are long. The shortest song is 5:43, and they only get longer from there. The extended edition features an additional 3 songs, two of which are covers, and the other is an acoustic version of "Darkness Within".

Machine Head's Unto The Locust gets a 10/10 from me.

1. I am Hell (Sonata in C#)
2. Be Still And Know
3. Locust
4. This Is The End
5. Darkness Within
6. Pearls Before The Swine
Who We Are
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: blessthefall
Album: Awakening
Released: October 4, 2011
Performance: Debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200 Charting

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Awakening, the third studio album by Phoenix metalcore quintet blessthefall, is just as hardcore as you might expect, but also more mellow than you might have thought. One thing that is more prevalent this time around is blessthefall's faith. Nearly all of the songs (minus the love ballad) show the band's Christian faith. Songs like "Promised Ones", "The Reign", and most blatantly "Till The Death Of Me" feature obvious references, both passing and direct, to the afterlife, redemption, forgiveness, love, and futures. Musically, if you have heard a blessthefall record, you should know what to expect from this one. Heavy, crushing breakdowns? Check. Guttural screaming? Yep. Melodic and powerful clean singing. You bet.

However, blessthefall adds some new things to the mix to keep things fresh. Guitar solos are added to the already amazing guitar work. Technical riffing has been a prominent feature in blessthefall since Beau Bokan took control in 2008. Drumming is outstanding. Matt Traynor knows how to play, and he shows it. Blast beats, double bass (Melodic and fast), altering tempos, drum fills, rolls, he does it all.

"Awakening" kicks the album off with a chant of "We Are the Saints/We Are the Promised Ones" before the true form of blessthefall kicks in with "Promised Ones". "Bottomfeeder" (The best song on the album) then follows with an amazing aggression in the verses but also amazing vocals and melodic show in the chorus. Also, it has an epic breakdown. "The Reign" is awesome and features another crushing, but also synthetically altered breakdown. Truly unique. "Bones Crew" and "40 Days..." slow it down a bit by featuring no unclean vocals at all. "Bones Crew" is a alt rock showcase, and "40 Days..." is this album's "Hey Baby, Here's That Song You Wanted". Aggressive instrumentally, but still no dirty vocals. The final standout track is the album closer "Meet Me At The Gates". Again, no dirty vocals are present, but that only makes this track that much more amazing. Bokan's vocals soar through this song, behind several guitar solos, varied drumming techniques, and melodic progression. Also present is subtle electronics courtesy of Christopher Dudley from Underoath. This song is a must-listen.

Overall, I love blessthefall. I love Awakening. Progression is really shown on this record. Only a throw away interlude song called "Flatline" is this album weakness. Everything else is amazing, so I can't recommend this album enough.

9.75/10
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: Shinedown
Album: Amaryllis
Released: March 27, 2012
Performance: Debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 Charting

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REVIEW: "During the recording of Amaryllis, the vision of what Shinedown is and where it's going became completely clear. Amaryllis is the manifestation of that vision, the centerpiece of what Shinedown is. It reflects on everything we've done and where we're heading. It's a message of empowerment, perseverance, and inspiration that I think speaks to fans that have been with us since the beginning as well as those who are just learning about who we are and what we're about." Shinedown has crafted an absolute epic, a rock and roll classic. Amaryllis is everything Brent Smith said it would be. I've never been more uplifted and encouraged by a secular album before in my lifetime. Each and every song is such a highlight, and so powerful that I will have to cover each and every one of them to do a review justice. This 12 track, 45 minute journey is an absolute must listen to fans of Shinedown, fans of hard rock, and anybody who finds even some enjoyment out of any kind of music. Amaryllis is that good. Starting at the top of the order:

"Adrenaline" kickstarts the album hard. Reminiscent of their 2008 hit "Devour", "Adrenaline" brings, well, adrenaline to start the album. Hard rock at its core, the song screams along driven by energetic guitars, powerful vocals, and wonderful drumming.

Next, "Bully", (which is also the lead single) is almost as awesome. Killer vocals performance, and a little voice distortion effects give the song variety, while maintaining the rock n' roll sound Shinedown fans are accustomed to hearing. Also present is a pretty righteous guitar solo, an abnormality for Shinedown guitarists. It is, however, welcome to the fray and adds a new side to their sound.

The title track "Amaryllis", then follows. This song is absolutely amazing. Absolutely stunning. Part acoustic, part hard rock driven, the tune to this song is perfect. It has been stuck in my head since I heard it this afternoon. A gorgeous guitar solos perfectly complements the bridge. The amazing vocals, as always, by Brent Smith shine through so well, I just love it.

"Unity" follows, the most amazing, yet soft one two punch you will hear. Starting off with a quiet piano, the guitars launch with a powerful, yet familiar beat from Barry Kerch. "Have you ever been caught in a sea of despair/...I'm not leaving you behind" is a wonderful chorus, and only gets catchier as you hear it over and over again. Again, a short, yet tasteful guitar solo follows the bridge, giving some more respect to guitarist Zach Myers.

"Enemies" is simply the embodiment of modern rock. It has the hook, it has quick energetic guitar work, it has Brent Smith's vocals. Nuff said.

In "I'm Not Alright", a violin line is incorporated through the track. It is just another nice piece of variety Shinedown through in to make sure listeners don't get bored.

"Nowhere Kids" follows with one of the catchiest hooks on the record. Drumming is fantastic, and the background/chant vocals are incorporated perfectly. The tempo is a step up on this song, it is quite possibly the fastest, hardest hitting song on the album. If not this one, then definitely "Adrenaline". But anyway, a sweet sounding guitar solo intros the last chorus gloriously. The song is just perfect.

"Miracle" is quite the happy song. Powerful vocals and lyrics are actually the best part of this song rather than the instrumentation, which is also quite good I might add.

"I'll Follow You" seems to slow the pace down a little bit, but still maintains the energy of the rest of the album. It is placed oddly, as putting it right after "Miracle" just doesn't seem like the right place, but that is kind of irrelevant. The almost haunting piano start of the song is quite nice, complimented perfectly by Smith's vocals. Love the chorus too.

"For My Sake" is a rock thriller. Fantastic lyrical lines are complimented by stellar instrumentation by the rest of the band. The guitar riff is great and catchy, while the drumming and bassline work in favor of melodic, yet still hard hitting.

"My Name (Wearing Me Out)" keeps up the quick, relentless striking, while also setting up a nice finale. This is the last hard rock song on the album, and is well placed at track 11. The vocals, again, are a highlight, and the guitar work is pretty good here as well.

Finally, "Through The Ghost", the softest song on the album closes it perfectly. Perfect harmonies, great lyrics and the soft acoustic guitar end it in the best possible way.

Shinedown, at least to me, cannot up this release. Every song is stellar and memorable in its own way. All parts fire perfectly together, making this such an enjoyable listen. The vision of where Shinedown is going is perfectly clear, Brent Smith. You guys are an inspiration, a spirit lift for the weak, a message for the hopeless, and feeling for those who have none. A perfect record to introduce yourself to new listeners, and a perfect record for all of your already adoring fans. I'll never stop listening, and I urge all of you, no matter your tastes or conceived notions of the band, to buy this album. Giving this album a score wouldn't do it justice, so I'm not giving it one. I can't tell you how to spend your hard earned money, but I would encourage you greatly to give $10 to Shinedown for Amaryllis, a musical journey as beautiful and flawless as the flower it is named after.
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DucksFAN93
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I'll be reviewing The Used's new album, Vulnerable, either later tonight or tomorrow. :)
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: The Used
Album: Vulnerable
Released: March 26, 2012
Performance: N/A

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REVIEW: The Used, for me, have been a frustrating band to listen to. Part of me likes the interesting song arrangements, post-hardcore aggression, and intriguing synth elements. The other part of me doesn't like the over-blown production, crazy sound effects, or occasionally crappy lyrics. Albums like Lies For The Liar and Artwork are always mixed emotions for me, but does The Used's latest effort, Vulnerable, change any of that. Of course not.

"I Come Alive", the albums first track and lead single, is filled with the aggression, melody, synthetic elements, and craziness you would expect from The Used. The problem is, the song is great until the end, where it becomes a literal train wreck. Synth, crazy laughter, and horror inspired sound effects back the bridge and the ending. It is horrendous. "This Fire" follows it up horribly. The song starts with circus inspired sound effects (Not even joking). The vocals are terrible, Bert McCracken's screams are completely off key, and the spoken vocals during the verses are as uninspired as can possibly be.

Fortunately, the first true good song hits us, in the form of "Hands and Faces". This song also gives listeners their first foray into the electronic elements the band is obviously experimenting with for the rest of the album. Starting off with a synthetic bass and hands clapping, Bert distorts his voice electronically for the verses before delivering a soaring chorus. This is a fantastic song. "Put Me Out" makes it two in a row. Solid vocals are backed by screamed backgrounds, and this is the first effective "aggressive song" on the album. Nothing special, but at least it didn't drag the album down any further. "Shine" is a heavily electronic rock song, and is pretty good as well. Very good melody during the chorus, and actually is very smart in its use of electronica.

Things come to a quick acceleration with "Now That You're Dead", a post-hardcore song if I'd ever heard one. It is only okay. The screaming is okay, and the song takes over a minute to even start. Quiet, ambient spoken vocals intro the song for an entire minute. The problem is that you can't understand what the person is saying, so it leaves you waiting for the song to start, and it isn't even that good.

Finally, the album finally hits its melodic groove with the last quarter of it. "Give Me Love", "Moving On", "Getting Over You", and "Together Burning Bright" are actual quality tracks. They are all softer, power ballads of sorts. McCracken's vocals finally hit nail on the head, the atmospheric elements are used appropriately, and the electronica really is used to a positive effect. Unfortunately, these tracks are surrounded by cookie-cutter throw away tracks like "Kiss It Goodbye" and "Hurt No One".

Unfortunately, The Used can't seem to make a full, quality LP. I haven't thoroughly enjoyed a The Used release since In Love and Death, and even then, that wasn't all that either. Vocals are hit and miss, instrumentation is above average at best, and the sound effects are used horribly. So what we are left with is a handful of decent songs surrounded by a handful of crappy, experimental songs. Electronic elements are obviously dabbled with here, but with mixed results. The vocals really are somewhat torturous on some of the tracks, and the band's genre of "gross pop" is just that. Gross. Hone it back and refine what you do well next time guys, because this one isn't anywhere near quality or good. If you are already a fan of The Used, then you'll probably find this as more genius creativity from the band. If you are like me, on the fence about them, then you will probably remain there. If you hate The Used, this album will most certainly not change your mind, but rather reinforce the fact that you hate them. I'm more frustrated that this band doesn't go with what it does best, power ballads. Maybe I would've been entertained if they filled the album with those types of songs, but they insist on making polarized albums. My advice, skip this one, and hope that they get it together on the next LP.
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: My Darkest Days
Album: Sick And Twisted Affair
Released: March 26, 2012
Performance: Debuted at #29 on the Billboard 200 Charting

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REVIEW: The second effort by Canadian Post-grunge, hard rock band My Darkest Days is as lazy, boring, and half-hearted as you probably imagined it to be. First of all, I would like to mention that there are only 9 songs on the standard edition of the album, and one of them is a cover song. So, as you can see, the value is horrendous. With most songs clocking in at just over/under 3 minutes, there isn't a whole lot to cut your teeth on. But as long as the quality is good, there's no problem, right? Right. The second problem, is that this sophomore release is about as standard issue as rock albums come. Nothing here is stellar, nor is any of it even good.

"Sick And Twisted Affair" is so boring, it is absurd. Plain verses, stereotypical chorus, lazy vocals and instrumentation compose this turd. "Save Yourself" follows it just as bad. It is another mid-tempo rocker that does nothing to separate itself from the pack of hard rock bands. "Casual Sex", the lead single, is another boring trite song that is only above the rest of the song collection here by virtue of featuring John 5 on the guitar. The second half of the album kicks off with "Stutter", a cover song that is better than the original, but that isn't really saying much, considering the original is terrible. The final tracks are more of the same; boring, uninspired tracks just to fill space.

My Darkest Days, is Nickelback on a very, very bad day. You think Nickelback is bad about unoriginal and lyrically bland songs? My Darkest Days is worse...much worse. Only 9 songs, one of which is a cover, and 6 or 7 of the songs are boring, cliched songs about sex. Boring... Maybe My Darkest Days will re-evaluate themselves before releasing another record, or hopefully they just disband. There isn't anything horribly wrong with this album, but there isn't anything good. Skip this one for sure, and if you're in the mood for some post-grunge/hard rock, check out Shinedown's amazing record Amaryllis.
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: Nickelback
Album: Dark Horse
Released: November 18, 2008
Performance: Certified 3x Platinum in the United States

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REVIEW: So, it has been a while since I listened to Dark Horse, an album that did absolutely nothing to silence critics, but gave Nickelback die-hards more of the hard rock/post grunge/pop rock they had been craving. I decided to re-review this album because I feel like my first review really didn't explain why I liked it, and why I thought it was quality. So, here is the revised and updated review of Dark Horse.

Cause you look so much cuter when you never pull it out/Cause you look so much cuter with "Something In Your Mouth". That pretty much explains exactly how Nickelback approached this album. Album starter "Something In Your Mouth" showcases the upped sexuality of the album. Usually Nickelback albums have 2 downright sex songs. Well, out of 11 songs on this album, we hear 4 of them. Two of them are quite graphic (If not comical, considering how serious Chad Kroeger sounds while he is singing them) and the other two are clever and funny, exactly how they were intended. The intro guitar to the first song is quite good, but I could have done without the almost rapped pre-chorus. Overall, the lead off track is good, but not the best. The ode-to-drinking track "Burn It To The Ground" is second, and is quite good. The song has great guitar work, a very catchy chorus, and slick production.

Next, instead of more drinking and sex, Nickelback throws a change-up. Back-to-back ballads. My personal favorite from the album, "Gotta Be Somebody" is the first one and is superb. The guitar effects in the beginning give it an ethereal feel, while slowly introducing the rest of the band by vocalizations, and a start of the slow bass pedal. The chorus is insanely catchy, and the bridge is heartwarming. Overall, this is the best ballad on the album, and is also the best overall song, as well as my favorite. "I'd Come For You" backs it up nicely. The song itself sounds very familiar, a basic drum pattern is mixed with standard guitar work. What really separates the track from other songs like it is the unique and creative lyrics sung beautifully by Kroeger. This is the best performance by him on the album in my opinion. I love these two songs, it is the best 8 minutes I've heard in some time.

"Next Go Round" is a heavy rocker that is totally obsessed with marathon sex. The lyrics are funny, hence the line: "slap John Deere across my ass/And ride me up and down the lawn" and "We're gonna do it hanging upside down/we're gonna go until our legs give out/up and down we go/Yeah/Getting ready for the next go round/Round and round we go". Other than funny lyrics, the tune is very catchy and actually has a really, really good guitar solo. "Just To Get High" features descriptive lyrics and Kroeger describes what happens when you get addicted to drugs. The verses are quite captivating and the chorus is hooky with lots of "yeah's" and prolonged notes. There is another very good guitar solo, and again at the end. Definitely one of the best on the record.

"Shakin' Hands" has a really good riff, but kind of pathetic lyrics. Hence the line: "Well she ain't no Cinderella/When she's getting undressed/'Cause she rocks it like the naughty wicked witch of the west". Pretty weak. Another decent solo, and a really good beat make this track still good despite weak lyrics. "S.E.X" pretty much says it all. The tune is really, really good and the bass line stands out on this track more than any of the others. The bridge and guitar solo are awesome.

Lastly, "Never Gonna Be Alone", "If Today Was Your Last Day", and "This Afternoon" are more quiet, well-thought out and creative tracks. All of them have either funny lyrics ("This Afternoon"), touching lyrics ("Never Gonna Be Alone"), or just down right inspiring ("If Today Was Your Last Day") lyrics. The tunes are familiar, but all of them try to incorporate more of a country flair, and it really works.

Say what you want about Nickelback, but like it or not, they are absolutely BULLETPROOF. There is no amount of criticism that can keep this Canadian group down. Just like all other Nickelback albums, the most notable thing here is the creativity in the lyrical content of MOST of the songs here. There are some lazy lines here and there, but overall it is better than average. Honestly, hating this band due to them being mainstream is just dumb. Popularity doesn't make music suck. Period. The music is great, the lyrics are intuitive and creative, and the bulletproof Nickelback gallops along on their Dark Horse to multi-platinum status, whether YOU haters like it or not. As for the those of us who like it for what it is, Dark Horse is a fine piece of hard rock and soft ballads sure to please almost anyone who dares to really listen to it.
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nascargo19
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@Shinedown review: dang it, I kinda wanted this one to be my first actuall review after my trollish Beiber review a while ago. Oh well, you probably did it better then I would have. Wouldn't shock me if off of that album, "Enemies" was the next single. Either that or "Unity"
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Annihilator Zero
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Iron Maiden - Brave New World (2000)

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tl;dr bit: context

Ok. Here we go. Allow me to put this album into context for you. Iron Maiden, as you probably know, were one of the biggest bands in the world in the 80s. Every metal band that could hold a guitar in the 80s was influenced by Iron Maiden. Any band who said they weren't was lying. Songs like "Phantom of the Opera" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" completely redefined what metal was.

Before Iron Maiden, no one could have imagined music that was fast and loaded with vocal hooks and riffs, while being heavy, very melodic and grandiose, even edging towards progressive. Nowadays, we call that music "metal". I'm not saying Iron Maiden invented metal, after all, that was Sabbath, but what I'm saying is that metal as Sabbath played it and metal as the 80s and later played it were different beasts, and Iron Maiden was the transition between the two.

Sadly, during the 90s Iron Maiden went wrong. The four albums they released during that decade are almost unanimously considered their worst, and even standout tracks like "Fear of the Dark", "Sign of the Cross" and "Mother Russia" couldn't save the albums they were contained in from being largely poor. Partly this was due to the band stagnating. Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith, two key members from their heyday, departed in the early 90s, and Steve Harris simply wasn't putting out the material he used to, and even the good songs suffered from largely lackluster performances on the studio versions (Don't believe me? Check out "Sign of the Cross" from Rock in Rio in 2001).

With that in mind, there was a lot riding on Brave New World. Dickinson and Smith had rejoined the band, leading to an unprecedented triple-guitar lineup as Janick Gers remained. The question was, would the reunion album live up to the hype?

tl;dr: 90s Maiden sucked

It didn't just live up to the hype. It blew it completely out of the water. Brave New World was the culmination of everything that Maiden had been trying to do for the last ten years. The brief flashes of brilliance on the darker X-Factor and Virtual XI albums were now ignited in the form of songs that were memorable, complex and epic in the true definition of the word. There's more energy and power in the first riff of opener "The Wicker Man" than most bands, including 90s Maiden, could fit onto an album.

The quick-paced rockers that were the bread and butter of early Maiden are certainly present here, with quick-fire pieces like "The Wicker Man" and "The Mercenary" being enough to delight the diehard old-school fans. But there's a sense of refinement and effort to them, and this is certainly more noticeable in the album's more melodic moments. The finely crafted blend between heavy, energetic riffing and soaring melodies has always been a hallmark of Iron Maiden, and Brave New World is no exception. Title track "Brave New World" and live favourite "Blood Brothers" both showcase a much darker, melodic twist than many earlier Maiden cuts, a by-product of the X-Factor album.

Crazy stuff

However, while songs like "Brave New World", "Blood Brothers" and "Ghost of the Navigator" represented a new departure on the old Maiden sound, some of the album's finest points come from Maiden leaping into newer territory, their immortal sense of grandeur and melody readily at hand. No song exemplifies this more than "The Nomad".

"The Nomad" spends its first five minutes of existence as a rather heavy, thrash-like Maiden song. Bit of a departure, but nothing really unusual. The Eastern flavour to the riffs is pulled off fantastically, with the Phrygian-esque lead guitar runs. However the highlight of not just this song, but quite possibly the entire album, arrives after the fourth (!!) chorus. The music grinds to an abrupt halt, and the bass and clean guitars provide a haunting atmospheric chord progression. Then Dave Murray comes in with easily the most beautiful solo Iron Maiden have ever recorded. Three minutes of lead-guitar work and epically climaxing rhythm parts tell a tale of journeying and solitude better than any words ever could, and it feels horribly disappointing when the solo finally ends and Bruce returns to scream out the last verse/chorus of the song.

The Performances

After the lack of energy Iron Maiden exhibited in their 90s work, you wouldn't think this was the same band. Every member of the band is on absolute top form and you can almost hear the joy they're experiencing playing the songs. The three guitar players feed off each other perfectly, each's style complimenting the others, breathing further life into the riffs. Steve Harris' bass playing is heavy and powerful as always, driving the music along and holding it together tightly so that the guitarists can play more intricate parts. Nicko McBrain's drumming on this album is phenomenal. Even Marill reckons it's probably his best performance (except just maybe The Final Frontier). His drumming always gives the song what it needs, emphasising just the right parts to give them a powerful groove while remaining inventive and even tasteful during calmer sections.

Bruce Dickinson shines especially on this album though, and you won't often hear me singling out a singer for praise. His calmer voice adds haunting depth to quieter moments like "Blood Brothers" and "Dream of Mirrors", while his powerful operatic tones give mighty choruses like "The Wicker Man" and "Out of the Silent Planet" the strength they need. One song, however, stands above them all as quite possibly Bruce's best vocal performance ever, and that song is "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate".

The entire song is a complete departure for Maiden, the first half is a mid-tempo rocker with slow and chugging guitar parts, even the energetic verse/chorus are relatively subdued when compared with songs like "Out of the Silent Planet" or "The Mercenary", but Bruce's vocal performance is beyond stellar. The verses and first chorus feature his voice quite clearly harmonised with himself, obviously representing the title of the song, and occasionally the harmony will drop out, allowing certain lines to be emphasised or have a little twist put on them. The harmonised vocals cement this as the most unusual song on the album, but they fit perfectly with the slower pace, giving Bruce an opportunity to really bring out his voice's melodic qualities. Then there's the second chorus. Holy fuck. The guitars, which had been palm-muted throughout, erupt into a strong frenzy of powerchords, Nicko's drumming goes into overdrive, and Bruce unleashes his famed operatic voice in one of the greatest culminations to a build-up in Iron Maiden's lengthy career. The lyrics in this song are absolute genius too, and Bruce's way of singing them is just phenomenal. The excited and hopeful lyrics of the second chorus really hammer home as Bruce screams "I will live forever!"

The second half of the song features very little of Bruce, but has some pretty spectacular melodic work. The song was clearly Maiden having some fun and experimenting with no real restrictions, hence the 6-part layered guitar bridge and the sheer amount of melodies they manage to cram into one 8-minute song, but the results are absolutely glorious.

tl;dr. This album is amazing

Standouts:

The Nomad
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Brave New World
Blood Brothers


Final Score: 9.8/10

Even though it's my all time favourite album, it loses a couple of marks because there are flaws. Dream of Mirrors drags on for too long (and this is a prog fan saying this) and the Mercenary's riffing, while good, doesn't feel on par with the rest of the album.
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: Nickelback
Album: All The Right Reasons
Released: October 4, 2005
Performance: Certified 8x Platinum in the United States

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REVIEW: Veering between obtusely sexist and sensitive guy sweet is something Chad Kroeger is awesome at. Luckily, on the absolute hit album All The Right Reasons, Kroeger plays the sensitive card MUCH more than usual, which was a great direction to go in. Yep, listeners can relate to virtually every emotion Kroeger sings about on the record. It is this kind of honesty that can really pull listeners in and not let them go.

Starting with the hard rockers more akin to 2003's The Long Road or 2001's Silver Side Up, we have a selection of five songs ("Follow You Home", "Fight For All The Wrong Reasons", "Animals", "Next Contestant", and "Side Of A Bullet"). "Follow You Home" is instantly notable by the use of brief double bass in the intro, a novelty for the band. Heavy, grueling guitar riffs accompany notable basslines, and throaty vocals. By the time the chorus rolls around, you will be singing "You're my Mississippi princess, my California Queen, like the Duchess of Detroit and every city in between, You can leave me here to die alone, but I'll still Follow You Home". Creepy stuff, yet insanely catchy. Vintage Nickelback ensues on "Fight For All The Wrong Reasons", where the palm muted guitar chords add an eery feel, as Kroeger realizes he is in a relationship with someone he doesn't love, something a lot of people can relate to. The wild bridge is awesome, heavy, and just cool. "Animals", one of Nickelback's most loved (and hated) songs is, quite honestly, one of the best songs. I LOVE the riffs, and the drumming on the intro is just epic. "You're beside me on the seat/Got your hand between my knees/And you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze/It's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear/But I got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gears/By now, no doubt that we were heading south/I guess nobody ever taught her not to speak with a full mouth". Yeah, you gotta love Chad's dirty mind...But seriously, you gotta give him credit for two things: One, thinking of that many rhymes, and two, being able to sing for 3 minutes straight...that's impressive. "Next Contestant" is one of my favorites, and is very heavy. It has a very catchy chorus, and is a tale about getting angry over someone hitting on his girlfriend, something I'm sure EVERYONE has felt at least once, because I know I have. The bridge is very awesome, heavy, and really shows a side of Nickelback a lot of people probably just don't know, or care to explore. "Side Of A Bullet" is alright, but is a little derivative albeit featuring a dubbed in guitar solo by the late "Dimebag" Darrell.

Now, for the best parts of the album. The speedy, rocking track about having a crush on someone that doesn't even realize you exist ("Someone That You're With")and the pipe dream, or perhaps renunciation of the celebrity lifestyle (Yes, I'm talking about "Rockstar", the song we've all heard abused on the radio). The first song mentioned is perhaps the fastest tempo song, and it will get stuck in your head...Will. Get stuck. In your head. "Rockstar" on the flipside is a mid-tempo song that we all know the lyrics too, so I won't linger on this one. But even though it was abused (And still is) on radio play, I like the song, and I find it quite funny.

Kroeger seems to want to turn over a new leaf on "Savin' Me", a fantastic rock ballad of sorts about crying out to God for help in a broken life. The slow tempo veers between acoustic and electric guitars several times, feature immaculate writing, and powerful vocals. The lyrics are just amazing, and the song is a simple masterpiece of story telling. "Photograph" is another example of lyrical genius, as Kroeger and the band recall fond memories of the past, as well as regrets. Honestly, more songwriters need to be able to write such vivid imagery, as you can literally picture a story in your head just from the lyrics. The soft song is musically great, as the verses and choruses mix perfectly, and the bridge is amazing. Although we have all heard this one, and it has been abused as well, it is still great. Saving the best for last, Nickelback finally wrote, yep believe it or not their first one ever, a love song ("Far Away"). This slow tempo soft rock mega-hit is absolutely perfect. A wonderful acoustic guitar intro gives into Kroeger's best performance on the album, and perhaps the best performance of his career. The chorus is touching, and the verses are phenomenal. Again, this is a song many people can relate to which makes it even better. Backed softly by a piano, and a charming bass line, the tune is unbelievable. If you haven't heard this song yet, (chances are you have) then please go give this a listen. It is epic, especially if you love soft ballads. This song is easily the best on the album, which is distinctive because you wouldn't expect it. Love this song.

This album doesn't just feature amazing songs, it has memories. I can remember exactly where I was when I heard some of these songs. Each song is perfect lyrically, and awesome musically. A perfect balance, and clocking in at the right amount of time (40 minutes), it seems to go by way to quickly. This is an amazing album I will always love, and will be making new memories to for some time to come. Thanks, Nickelback.
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: Hinder
Album: Extreme Behavior
Released: September 27, 2005
Performance: Certified 3x Platinum in the United States

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REVIEW: The debut record from Hinder is truly nothing remarkable. You've got your straight forward post-grunge/hard rock songs and your power ballads. By the way, if you're looking for some sweet sentiments about love or living in the moment or anything remotely positive, then you are most certainly looking in the wrong place. What we have here is a collection of 10 songs filled to the brim with drugs, drinking, sex, love gone wrong (Mostly at the fault of the lead singer Austin Winkler), and self pity. So besides the themes, and they are all completely depressing, how is the music itself? Uh, it fairs a little better.

"Lips of An Angel" is probably the best song present on the bare bones track listing. The lyrics, while depressing, are at least not self-absorbed and obnoxious, but rather emotionally honest and earnest. "My girls in the next room/ Sometimes I wish she was you/ I guess we never really moved on". Lyrics like those paint the kind of picture listeners can relate to, adding a sense of realism to this disc stamped hard with carnal celebrity excess of epic proportions. Yeah, it is true; Hinder is at their best when they stick to their power ballads. Following the same suit, "Better Than Me" (Which is admittedly pretty awesome) starts off all acoustic for the first 2 minutes before kicking in all the hard rock elements. The lyrics again present the song its greatest allies with lines like, "The bed I'm lying in is getting colder/ Wish I never would've said it's over/ And I can't pretend... I won't think/
about you when I'm older/ Cause we never really had our closure/ This can't be the end"
. Other highlights include "Bliss (I Don't Wanna Know)" and "Shoulda".

"Get Stoned" is musically okay, but lyrically bland....actually horrendous. This song is all about getting drunk, getting high because apparently the sex is better when she's pissed. Okay, thanks for that tid bit Hinder. "Room 21" is equally pathetic, with no lyrical depth to speak of. Why do I care if Austin Winkler (Who usually looks like a retard) is having an indiscriminate boner, having sex with someone who he's proud of the fact he doesn't know her name, and getting so drunk he can't remember the night at all? Answer is I don't.

There are a lot better bands than Hinder, but for me there is something oddly appealing to them. Really you could do a lot worse than Hinder, they're not the worst band ever, but they're certainly not the best. Not even close. So what is there to love? Honestly, not a whole lot, but you might be able to squeeze a little entertainment out of a couple tracks.
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DucksFAN93
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Artist: Hinder
Album: Take It To The Limit
Released: November 4, 2008
Performance: Certified Gold in the United States

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REVIEW: So, I just reviewed Hinder's 2005 release Extreme Behavior, and if you read the review you would know I had mixed feelings about it. Take It To The Limit pretty much is the same thematically, however, the music itself is much more proficient and hooky. The band also shows its sensitive side more than just twice, very much unlike the predecessor. Similar (Very similar) to Nickelback, half of this album is fist pumping bravado and odes to drinking, drugs, and sex. But then the other half is songs about love, love gone wrong, and how he plans to get it back. Sweet stuff, kind of. Anyway, on to the review of the music itself.

Starting with the lead single (Some of you may have this song on Rock Band or Guitar Hero), "Use Me" starts the tracks off fast with heavy riff-age, and unrelenting guitar solos. Literally the whole song is one giant guitar show. But instead of detracting from the song, it IS the song, making this one of the harder tracks a highlight. By the way, if you are not into Austin Winkler's raspy, semi-annoying voice by this song, then don't bother with the rest of the review or the record.

"Last Kiss Goodbye" stands as the first truly notable song. Being the first ballad on the album, it is well placed at track 3. The pacing of the album so far is solid, but this does mark a change. Anyway, strong vocals punctuate a very catchy chorus about catching your significant other cheating on you. But instead of being harsh and vicious, surprisingly Hinder shows a soft side. Regretting what could have made her want to cheat, as well wishing things would be okay. Nice. "Without You" is also a real highlight. Comparable to Extreme Behavior's "Lips Of An Angel", it starts acoustic before becoming a full force power ballad. No, this isn't a typical "Oh I love you, my life would suck without you" song, instead it is about how much better life is without a problematic partner. It is different to say the least. "Take It To The Limit" is very catchy (And also shamelessly compares an exotic car to a woman's figure, as well as matching his ability to "go all night long" with a fast car), and features a guitar solo featuring Mick Mars of Motley Crue.

The last four songs are all awesome ballads, including my personal favorite ("Heaven Sent"), the softest and most sentimental song ("Thing For You), a fast uptempo song about love and forever promises ("Lost In The Sun"), and repentance for being tough to be with "(Far From Home").

Hinder significantly improved in three years between releases. Instead of packing in 8 hard rocking, post grunge, striving for mediocrity they changed styles. Now sounding much more like Nickelback and less like Puddle Of Mudd, Hinder hits their stride, especially in the last half of the album. While the hard rock, uptempo songs are fun, the real highlights are the slower power ballads once again. Luckily, we get many more of them than last time. Hinder shamelessly accepts its mainstream calling and creates an album with bi-polar disorder. Chad Kroeger would be proud. Ultimately though, Hinder succeeds in Taking It To The Limit, and this is easily much more enjoyable than its predecessor. I would say check it out, especially if you are on the fence after Extreme Behavior.
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Granskjegg
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Artist: Candlemass
Album: "Psalms of the Dead"
Released: June 8th, 2012

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Introduction:
Candlemass is a very important band for me. They’ve been one of my top five favourite bands for quite some time. They helped me get into heavier music and have just been a band that I’ve never grown tired off.
Now to the reviewing part! “Psalms of the Dead” is Candlemass’ 11th full studio album, and sadly their last (or that’s what Leif keeps saying). This is an album I’ve been eagerly awaiting and an album I feared would be either nothing special or terrific, as is their tradition (the latter I mean). This is a great album, and a worthy farewell album. Robert’s vocals are some of the best we’ve heard from him from Candlemass and the riffs, solos choruses, fucking everything is great!
In the first listen the album didn’t really prove anything, the solos were nice and everything was pretty cool, and the keyboard’s are a welcome addition. But the album didn’t really get me going, until “Siren Song” came on, which is one of the best songs on the album, but more on that later. This seems to be how it is for most new albums for me, but on the second playthrough my body was loving it Feet stomping, hands flailing and head banging.

The Good:
The entire album consistently provides with great riffs, catchy (yeah I said catchy) choruses and lyrics that will latch on to your brain and make you want to sing out loud at work and in the shower.
Speaking of lyrics, Leif Edling always writes interesting and good lyrics that often tell a story that gives you goosebumps. My favourite lyrics are probably the ones in “Dancing in the Temple (of the Mad Queen Bee)”. They might sound a bit silly to start off with and even a little power metally, but as the song progresses and the more doomy parts come out everything gets darker and so, so good.
And Robert’s vocal duties on this album are so magnificent, and sometimes remind me a little of Solitude Aeturnus (an American Doom Metal band), but that’s just awesome. His vocal range goes from high pitches that make your underparts tingle to almost deep growls that make your body tingle with excitement.
As I mentioned earlier, the keyboards are a great addition to the album and really adds to the mood and melody of the album. Per (the keyboardist) even pulls of an awesome keyboard solo in “Siren Song”.
And then there’s the riffing and soloing. You simply can’t go wrong there when it comes to Candlemass, Mappe just chugs away while Lasse pulls off those sweet sexy solos. The solo of “Dancing in the Temple” might be a little too familiar, but it’s very good none-the-less.
Oh, and even the album art is great. It’s some of the best in Candlemass history.

The Bad:
There really aren’t any bad parts about this album, it’s consistent, and not only consistent; it’s terrific. The only bad thing about the album is the horrible voice over in “Black as Time”. Not only is in bad and awkward, it’s long. About 90 seconds long, it really ruins the otherwise awesome song.

Conclusion/best songs:
“Psalms of the Dead” is Candlemass’ best release since 2007’s “King of the Grey Isles”. The album is so consistent throughout, the atmosphere, the melodies and great choruses simply make this an album I would highly recommend for anyone who like Doom Metal and metal in general, and if you’re a Candlemass fan: I hope you have this album, you owe it to yourself.
As for the best songs on the album, the title track is a nice slow/mid tempo song with nice lyrics and it's just an overall good song that reflects the overall album well. "Lights of Thebe" and "Siren Song" are the two songs with more prominent keyboard playing, and they are so good. They organ sound fits the music so well. "The Sound of Dying Demons" is another amazing track, and probably my personal favourite. Robert sing the line "...the sound of dying demons.." in such a great way, it just sticks in your head. And then lastly "Dancing in the Temple" is another killer track, and probably the best on the album. I wont be surprised to see this song becoming a fan favourite.
Again, go check out the album if you liked what you read!

Score:
8.5/10
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DucksFAN93
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Gonna have some new reviews coming soon:

Miss May I - At Heart
For All Those Sleeping - Outspoken
Linkin Park - Living Things
The Word Alive - Life Cycles

And possibly some others, but those for sure coming within the next 20 days or so.

Nice review Paal :)
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