The Heart Of The Matter (Digipak)

"Abnormal Thoughts Patterns is a new technical metal trio that comes onto the scene equipped with twenty-plus years of experience. Featuring Mike Guy on drums and twins Jasun and Troy Tipton on guitar and bass respectively, ATP is perhaps better known as the musical backbone of underrated prog metal purveyors Zero Hour. Apt comparisons between the Californian three-piece and acts such as Death and Animals as Leaders have been made, but when Abnormal Thought Patterns are at their most frenetic, they also share Blotted Science's aptitude for conjuring up aural insect swarms. Some of this stuff is guaranteed to make listeners' heads spin.Manipulation Through Anesthesia is ATP's debut full-length release, and it gets off to an excellent start, extending on the saga of the very first tracks they wrote, "Velocity and Acceleration" parts 1-4. These songs, numbered from 5 to 8, flow together as one connected work, clearly taking place in the same universe and containing shared motifs. It's 13 minutes of some of the finest instrumental metal out there. The album then takes a left turn in the form of "Calculating Patterns", a pleasant, jazzy cooldown. It is the first of several mellow tunes that demonstrate Abnormal Thought Patterns' diversity."Harmonic Oscillators", the album's most challenging cut in more ways than one, is also worth a mention. Here, the guys in Abnormal Thought Patterns lose themselves in mathemathics for the first and only time on the album. It's the type of song to make aspiring musicians seethe with envy and set their instrument of choice on fire, being a technical tour de force full of mindboggling time signatures and incredibly dexterous playing. It's also, again with the maths, the only 7+-minute song on an album where the average one clocks in at 4 minutes, and without changing the formular around much. For many, this all-out assault will no doubt be considered the highlight of the album. For others, it'll be a bit too much of a good thing.Speaking of the formular, ATP seems to have carved out a more than solid niche for itself already. Though the notes-per-minute count is oftentimes off the charts on Manipulation Under Anesthesia, the majority of its content manages to stay quite musical. The main event of their faster songs tend to be a heavy, hypnotic, repeated guitar riff, assisted by the always-very-audible bass humming surprisingly melodic tunes while the drums keep everything in place, usually prioritizing cymbal and snare patterns over flashy tom fills. On that note, the album is in no way lacking in heaviness or rhythmic depth despite foregoing the use of double kick drums. Quite an unusual feat in the shred-based instrumental metal environment.For anyone familiar with Zero Hour, it should come as no surprise that ATP succeeds in shredding with style. But there's a lot more to them than that. Abnormal Thought Patterns keep an excellent balance between all three instruments (which are occasionally joined by some light synth accompaniment), making sure there's always something worthwhile happening on several fronts, and they're able to impress even when venturing out of their comfort zone. Manipulation Through Anesthesia does lose a bit of steam towards the end, but is nonetheless an impressive album and a very promising debut." - Metal Revolution

Reissue of the first album from this Italian folk metal band.  Vocals are sung in Italian and English.  Death and clean vocals abound."We’ve seen folk music/metal coming from some of the most notable places forest-dwelling metal would always sprout mushroom-like from, and as we all know, those are usually the best places to find them. But, lately, there have been other, slightly less frosty countries that have undertaken the natural-acoustics-meet-electronics, each with their own take and persuasion, and, for better or worse, worth donning the musical loincloth. Thankfully, the sensation of the creative pool becoming too crowded hasn’t come to pass, so one would be able to appreciate a little country differentiation if it means solid, worthy products.So, with that, can a country that’s been noted for creative, over-the-top melodic metal do the same, but in a different flavor? Let’s find out…Right away, it’s fairly evident that Furor Gallico are playing with a full stylistic deck, giving listener plentiful bouts of folk metal fury that comes more as a barbarian horde than a group of drunks lost in the woods. Odes to sword-swinging victory are the order of the day, wherein the fine Italian countryside is set ablaze in the name of all things heathenish and wild, albeit at a nice, almost leisurely pace. Things move from one extreme to the next, thankfully coming off naturally rather than just slapping some guitars and strings together and hoping for the best, and thus ensuring varying degrees of enjoyment on that end from start to finish. Taking a rather North-born approach, the Gallico gang takes to the metallic spectrum with powerful riffs, snazzy leads, raging growls/screams and pounding drum work while soft strings, glittery harp and flute work underscore the madness with a liltiness more befitting a nice evening beside the fire. Still, like other groups of their musical primordial soup, it fits, and it works.The group does its job and does it quite well, there’s no denying that. However, the threat exists in that they may be playing it a little TOO comfortably. For as fine as their s/t debut is, it runs the risk of sounding too similar to some of their contemporaries and not truly forging a path of its own. Then again, such criticism could very well be moot as a result of this being their first full length, and I’m hoping that’s the case, as I’d hate to see these guys fall into a rut they may not be able to get out of. First album doldrums are usually the test necessary to cow a group of musical bastards away from the mire of the unoriginal, wherein many an accolade and extra album sold is the prize in the end. Normally, not doing so would lead to disaster right from the foundation, but on a good day, these guys hearken enough strong song writing to keep your focus enough to know that something’s going down, where such fine examples include the likes of “Ancient Rites”, “The Gods Have Returned” and “Golden Spiral” coming at you like spiked gauntlets to the temple.At the end of the day I was quite taken with what Furor Gallico had to offer, with the hope that future endeavors will make things all the more fantastic and creative. But so far, things are looking up, and I can see them staying on my radar for quite a while now." - Metal Archives

"Enslaved are back with their 13th studio album, In Times, marking their first album in three years. The gap between discs ties their longest since the span between Frost and Eld. A lot has changed since then as the band has been blending their fondness for ’70s progressive rock with lengthy black metal songs remaining at the core since the dawn of the new millennium.At first glance, six songs may not seem like much for a new album by the modern standard, but the Norwegians echo the sentiment of quality over quantity. Five of the six songs clock in between the eight and nine minute mark with the title track being the lone exception at nearly 11 minutes in length.The opening track “Thurisaz Dreaming” tricks the listener by fading in with a sound that seems to be setting the tone for a lengthy and progressive introduction. Instead, Enslaved go for the throat as Grutle Kjellson shreds his in a matter of seconds with shrieks that alleviate any doubts that the band has strayed far from their black metal foundation. As quickly as Grutle presents himself, he sits back resigned to his bass, content letting the soothing clean vocals take over for a bit as the band embark on another journey revering the sacred runes.With each passing album, keyboardist Herbrand Larsen has become a more integral part of the band utilizing his soothing clean vocals to contrast and compliment Grutle’s uncompromising rasp. This is true again on In Times as the duo continue to vie for center vocal spot, creating a playful atmosphere where the listener can feel fully absorbed by both the progressive and black metal facets of Enslaved.The best demonstration of this can be heard on the masterful “One Thousand Years of Rain.” A true conquest among the entirety of the band’s catalog, this song sees each member of the band contribute a performance that transcends their individual duties. This is also where Cato Bekkevold’s drumming starts to truly stand out as the kick drum anchors In Times, often stitching together the disharmony.“Nauthir Bleeding” continues the experiment of clean vocals intersecting with the blackened side of the band and vice versa with astonishing results. This ambidextrous-like quality rounds out their most progressive aspect, allowing them to excel and innovate in both genres independently.With successive listens it becomes quite evident that In Times is written to be listened to as a whole. Each song flows into the next so seamlessly that it can be easy to forget where one song ends and another begins. Certain songs will always stand out more than others, but that isn’t what this album is about. The ever-consistent Enslaved have churned out another album to cement their legendary status in a style the continue to call their own." - Loud Wire

Lots of changes in the Mangala Vallis camp with this new release.  Bernardo Lanzetti is out, replaced by the great Rob Tiranti aka Rob Tyrant.  Many of you know Rob from his work in the metal world with Labyrinth but he has alway worked with New Trolls so he knows how to dial it back.  Great, great set of pipes.  The music has changed a bit too.  Its not as overtly retro although at times the keyboard sounds harken back to the 70s.  Definitely more of a contemporary neo feel.  Its a concept album about a hacker who infects the world with a virus that will destroy all the digital files on the planet.  Good times!

Andy Latimer goes Celtic!

This is another one of those classic Renaissance radio broadcasts that tape traders have circulated for years.  It gets an "official" release courtesy of Purple Pyramid.  It was recorded on the Turn Of The Cards tour at the Academy Of Music in NYC on May 17, 1974.  If you are fan and you don't have a cassette squirrelled away somewhere you need to own it.