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The Incurable Tragedy

SKU: CM8508
Label:
Century Media
Category:
Death Metal
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"Sometimes, as strange as it may sound, tragedy inspires creativity. Such seems to be the case with the latest release from Canada's Into Eternity, one of the brightest stars on the progressive extreme metal landscape. In the last two years, bandleader, songwriter, and guitarist Tim Roth lost his mother, and then later on, two of his best friends, both brothers, died from cancer within two months of each other. Many would have crumbled under the weight of such loss, but Roth was able to move on, digging down deep and using his grief and anger to come up with the concept for The Incurable Tragedy, an epic technical metal extravaganza that runs the gamut of all the human emotions that one goes through in a situation like Roth dealt with over the last two years.

Though shorter than some of the past Into Eternity albums, it's no less spectacular and perhaps this concept album is better suited for a less lengthy, more direct approach. Instrumentally, the guys are blazing as always, Roth and Justin Bender ripping some insane guitar harmonies on the complex mind-bender "Diagnosis Terminal", while drummer Steve Bolognese and bassist Troy Bleich provide the intricate rhythms. Despite all the wild instrumental interplay that has seen the band's musical talents continually grow (all the touring with bands like Symphony X, Dream Theater, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Lamb of God, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Megdeth, and Dark Tranquility has obviously paid off), the thing that grabs you the most here, are the multi-faceted vocal dynamics. Stu Block has developed into one of the most impressive singer in extreme metal, and his wide assortment of raging, Halford-ish wails, black metal screams, death metal growls, and melodic clean passages, is wonderfully on display throughout this CD. Just listen to his gorgeous melodic voice on "The Incurable Tragedy I (September 21, 2006)", or his assortment of extreme metal styles on "Tides of Blood", showing his great versatility. Of course, having the superb backing vocals from Roth and Bleich also helps, as both of these guys also are able to mix in solid extreme styles as well as clean vocals depending on what the songs need. All three turn in fine performances on the excellent "Indignation", one of the CD's strongest cuts, and a perfect example of how Into Eternity combines complex, technical progressive metal, death metal, varied vocal styles, lots of melody, and a compelling story.

In the end, The Incurable Tragedy is gripping stuff, especially from a concept/storyline perspective, but also the album grabs you by the throat musically as well, delivering a statement that Into Eternity are now ready to play with the big boys, even though for many of us they have already been there for a few years now.

Easily one of the best releases of 2008 folks-a concept album of epic proportions that carries a message that is totally relevent in this day and age." - Sea Of Tranqulity

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  • "Persefone has, possibly more than any other band in the contemporary prog metal sphere, set itself apart by pairing devastatingly brutal tech death metal with uplifting, inward-looking lyrics that would gain approval from even the most devoted TM practitioners. Hailing from the tiny Catalan-speaking nation of Andorra in Northeast Iberia, this remarkable sextet is set to drop its sixth album – and first with proper North American distribution – on Feb 4th, and holy shit is it a doozie.As its title suggests, “Metanoia” traces the protagonist’s journey into and out of a psychotic meltdown, beginning with the universal first step out of the shit-zone – admitting that there’s a problem. “I feel void/ I feel absence,” our narrator affirms, crooned by the unmistakable voice of one Einar Solberg, who continues what seems to be turning into a tradition in the Persefone camp (their previous album, “Aathma,” opened with a guest spot by Paul Masvidal of Cynic).After that heartfelt introspection, hell is suddenly unleashed. “Katabasis” kicks off with a searing riff that wastes zero time bespeaking what awaits. The song’s calm and subtle moments are forcibly but deftly paired with brutality and complexity. This battle between the delicate and the devastating reaches its apex with Marc Martins’ agonizing growl, rewarding us with a captivating track that enriches the record’s dynamism and fluidity, and succinctly portrays the protagonist’s mental anguish to an unnerving degree.Persefone aren’t just telling you how the narrator feels, they are making you feel it yourself.The delicate half of Persefone’s demeanor might seem to have the advantage as “Architecture of the I”begins. However, the calm is abruptly ripped away once again by ferocity portrayed through blasting beats and insane riffs. So far, the band has displayed their ability to change from a masterclass in instrumental mastery to melancholic and intense atmospheric passages; they drag the listener through a frantic seesaw of sensations with surprising ease. The frenetic pace at this track’s end creates enough friction to threaten to ignite the great globe itself. And that’s precisely how the next piece starts.Accompanied by flames and embers, an idyllic, somber piano melody welcomes the listener to the remarkable sonic experience that is “Leap of Faith.” For five minutes, this instrumental piece plunges the listener into an introspective journey, quite emotional and intense, demonstrating that Persefone is no longer just playing mind-warping music, but also creating cathartic, extrasensory experiences through their art.The dynamic changes in structure and approach behave more measuredly in “Aware of Being Watched.” The dynamism is still present, but it’s carefully wrested from the extreme and brutal spectrum, and instead focuses on the more accessible passages with stunning intricacy. The vocals are kept clean throughout the song, illuminating the despondence and countering the riffs that threaten to break the balance. When the musicianship nears its own breaking point, however, it contains itself and thus maintains that balance, however tensely. Persefone is a beast only Persefone can tame, so the brutality reserve waits impatiently to mightily ignite; the tracks that follow are unable to escape that complexity and ferocity for long.The album’s first single, “Merkabah,” already belongs in the imaginary Persefone’s Greatest Hits compilation.Opening with a hybrid-picked nod to Marillion (who have touched on mysticism a few times in their own right), the song quickly escalates to the hyper-technical maelstrom for which Persefone is known. But as on the rest of the album, we hear a more thoughtful and open form of menace, spotlit by the smooth yet sudden transitions to tranquility and Miguel Espinoza’s soothing lilt.Sprinkled throughout the latter half of “Metanoia” are numerous callbacks to Persefone’s finest hour (and my personal favorite album of the 2010s), “Spiritual Migration,” both in the form of lyrical shoutouts and quoting some of its more memorable musical passages. These callbacks feature most prominently on “Consciousness Part 3,” which just might be the most engaging instrumental metal track since Dream Theater graced us with “The Dance of Eternity” over two decades ago. Besides its obvious relation to Parts 1 and 2, which both appear on that remarkable 2013 album (and the second of which boasts a dreamily theatric passage of its own), “Consciousness Part 3” whomps us with that distinctive, ass-kicking rhythmic pattern that opens “Spiritual Migration,” leads us through another halcyon segment that unexpectedly quotes Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes,” and concludes with the mesmeric tapping sequence that greeted us on“Flying Sea Dragons.” Appropriately, words cannot do this eleven-minute beast justice, and fans of Floyd,Persefone, and prog metal in general would do themselves a worthy favor by embarking on this journey themselves.In another nod to its predecessors, “Metanoia” closes with another multi-part centerpiece. “Anabasis Part 1” begins with Espinoza’s gentle ivory-tinkling accompanied by a cello and the sounds of that ever-present fire. The song gradually builds in intensity, with symphonic elements giving even greater depth by the time“Anabasis Part 2” starts.On the second installment of the Anabasis trilogy, Persefone shows how easily this Andorran band can move in directions that blur any barrier or preconceived notion of mere genre. No matter how dynamicPersefone gets though, the listener finds those two ever-present constants –  the complexity and the candor – coming together at the end of “Anabasis Part 2” to deliver a climax that’s as mortifying as it is satisfying. Just wow, y’all. Wow.The “Metanoia” journey ends as “Aathma” and “Spiritual Migration” did: with a serenity that indicates the narrator has found inner peace. But where Persefone have previously done this with piano, strings, and voice, “Anabasis Part 3” rides us out much like latter-day Anathema would, reassuring us that as long and dark as the inner night may be, the sun does indeed also rise.Persefone has taken their challenge to the musical limits and creativity to another level, and have produced another album flowing with vitality and rich in depth. With their breathtaking combination of technical complexity with intense and emotive soundscapes, the band again succeeds in creating a fascinating immersive experience. With “Metanoia,” Persefone may have outdone even themselves." - Sonic Perspectives 
    $15.00
  • "When multiple members of a sextet juggle recording and touring responsibilities for known entities such as Kreator, Turisas, and Moonsorrow, rest assured that new studio product isn’t going to hit the streets for a little while. Finnish progressive melodic doom/death metal act Barren Earth face their biggest challenge though to date beyond scheduling issues since their beginnings in 2007, as their third full-length album On Lonely Towers represents the vocal debut of Faroese native Jón Aldará – for Swallow The Sun requires Mikko Kotamäki’s full attention at this point in time.To those unfamiliar to this band’s approach, these musicians offer up a heavy slice of Scandinavian death/doom, while also injecting a love of 70’s progressive rock in a lot of their piano/organ passages, spirited instrumental sections, and outside the box epic arrangements or left-field saxophone use. Early on they may have been considered sons of Opeth meets Amorphis, but not anymore. When they choose to be straight ahead doom in the closing sections of “A Shapeless Derelict”, the mid-range operatic bellows and evil heavy riff combination are classic Candlemass trademarks. Sami Yli-Sirniö and Janne Perttilä excel at layering guitars plus emotive, meaningful lead sections as the supplementary keyboards, bass and drums move in an alluring cadence that you can’t help but be swept into its melancholic majestic splendor – even at a close to 12 minute timeframe as in the title track.Jón can gurgle from the swampiest lands (check out his Christian Älvestam register on the culturally adventurous “Set Alight”) but deliver these chill bump clean textures that recall the best work of Dan Swanö on “Howl”. And take a microscopic aural approach to the saxophone passages during “Sirens of Oblivion” – exotic, jazzy and occasionally syncopating to the churning guitars (2:36-2:51) but then free flowing in a lighter, progressive context during the subsequent instrumental section.Barren Earth stands head and shoulders above a lot of the progressive doom/death pack because of their solid songwriting chemistry and ability to never push technicality over the limit to lose the human feel that makes On Lonely Towers special. Given North America’s proclivity to applaud foreign metal over much of the domestic product these days, you would be wise to add these 9 cuts to your playlist immediately." - Dead Rhetoric
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  • "SCAR SYMMETRY made one of the best records of their career with The Singularity (Phase I – Neohumanity). The 2014 release was a science fiction concept album based around transhumanism and was as catchy as it was elaborate. It told the story of a future society where class boundaries develop into a war between regular humans and elite, mega-rich, cybernetically enhanced ‘neo-humans.’ It was incredibly nerdy but it also ruled. For the first time since their controversial 2008 line-up change, the Swedes sounded confident, capable, and in complete control of their destiny.Then for a long time, things went quiet. Neohumanity was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy, but the years ticked by and there was no sign of a follow-up. The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph)was delayed first by fatherhood, then by COVID, but after nearly a decade of waiting, it’s actually here and it’s really good. It’s not quite in the same league as its predecessor, or their incredible second record – 2006’s near-perfect Pitch Black Progress – but it is still a remarkable piece of work.It helps that the first two songs are absolute bangers. Chrononautilus and Scorched Quadrant are textbook examples of how to kick off an album. Screaming into life with a gravel-throated roar, the former is a seamless amalgamation of the brutal and melodic, while the latter is what it must feel like to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere while high on Ayahuasca. SCAR SYMMETRY have always managed to blend death and power metal together in a way that seems totally natural, and they’ve lost none of their skill during the coronavirus lockdown.They’re also very good at channelling their inner EUROPE and landing a big chorus or two. Reichsfall is irresistibly catchy, and Digiphrenia Dawn has some impeccable vocal harmonising. With years of experience under their belts, singers Roberth Karlsson and Lars Palmqvist have learned how to work together to great effect. Theoretically, Karlsson is the growler while Palmqvist is the singer, but they’re both capable of switching between styles and their vocal interplay is on point. They elevate tracks like Hyperborean Plains and do a remarkable job.Xenotaph is also going to appeal to guitar enthusiasts. Per Nilsson might be one of the most underrated axemen in the game and this time he has newcomer Benjamin Ellis to back him up. There are vibrant solos and explosive riffing aplenty, all adding an aggressive, futuristic sheen to proceedings. The rhythm section doesn’t exactly slouch either; drummer Henrik Ohlsson has been in the band since 2004 and has developed into an infuriatingly talented stick man.If Xenotaph has one fault though, it’s the sheer size of it. There’s a full 60 minutes of music here and when it’s this detailed, making it to the end in one go can be exhausting. SCAR SYMMETRY can do streamlined and accessible melodic death, but they’ve chosen not to on Xenotaph. There are a hell of a lot of ideas crammed into this album and if we’re being harsh, maybe they could have cut a song or two.That being said, choosing which songs to cut is beyond us and there are no glaring weak points. The middle part of a trilogy is usually the least satisfying, but despite being a bit unwieldy and overlong, Xenotaph is hugely entertaining. You can tell there’s been a remarkable amount of effort put into creating this album and long-time SCAR SYMMETRY fans will welcome this with wide open arms. And we haven’t even mentioned the killer closing duo of Soulscanner and the title track. It’s good to have you back guys. Also, there are aliens this time." - Distorted Sound
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  • "Arch Enemy have always been reliable, every few years dropping a solid collection of catchy, chunky melodic death with at least a handful of real bangers to chew on. With Deceivers they have surprisingly managed to up their game, delivering an album that slays from start to finish and is essential listening for metalheads yearning for a soundtrack to wreck their necks to.If there’s a word that sums up Deceivers it’s 'mean'. This resonates equally from the thick grooves of In The Eye Of The Storm and One Last Time to the thrashier, more ferocious Deceiver, Deceiver and Sunset Over The Empire. Of course, they also bring the massive hooks, and frequently they take flight on the back of these as they launch into rousing choruses, strong songwriting on display throughout, and Jeff Loomis’ solos of course kill every time they are unleashed. They also incorporate some additional elements that increase the album’s already dramatic scale. On opener Handshake With Hell Alissa White-Gluz cuts loose with some clean vocals that soar above the tumult, while on Poisoned Arrow they add some strings that lend a cinematic air, brief instrumental Mourning Star sounding like it could be the work of film composer Hans Zimmer. Closing on the epic Exiled From Earth they sign off on a high point, leaving you wanting to listen to the whole thing again. Not bad for a band who not long ago celebrated their 25th anniversary, and hopefully this is the start of a whole new, exciting phase for them." - Kerrang
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  • "With a concept about the Greek goddess Persephone, the Andorran band Persefone deliver probably the musical equivalent of a Greek epic in form of a melodic and progressive death metal album named Core. It should be noted that this album is seventy minutes long and have only three songs. Listening to this album in one sitting the first time hearing it, is not recommended, despite that the music is interesting. But regardless of that, how can Core be described? Broad, one way or another, it should at least have something that appeal to most. That does not mean it is recommended for most. But enough of that. What is going on here?The first thing you will hear is a piano, or keyboard more correctly. To be honest, there is not much to say about it. It adds some flavor to a lot of sections throughout the album, but could perhaps be left out without damaging the music overall too much. The piano parts however, are the only thing the keyboard should be doing, the rest feel a little tacky. The guitars pick the pace up, and creativity. These can go from chugging to spastic and alternating riffs, be fast or slow, and help color the music a lot, setting a specific landscape for everything else. The bass guitar is another thing that cannot be said so much about, once in a while, it can be heard, but for most of the time, it seems nonexistent. But when heard, it seem to follow the lead of the guitars. Nothing very impressive, but nothing too bad either. The drumming however is great. There is a lot of force behind them, and the general playing is nothing less than laced with rhythms, sometimes complex and sometimes just simple. But overall, they add a dynamic feel to the music that is vital. Finally are the vocals, that come in a variety of styles, from screaming, growling, roaring and just clean singing. In addition to these styles, are also the female vocals that drop by sometimes, and these are the most enjoyable as they break the monotony of the rawer male vocals.With the mixing, things are overall very good. But the the biggest problem is the drowned bass guitar that can barely be heard in the middle of everything else. The production is fairly good, but can perhaps be a little too gritty for this type of music. As for the musical delivery, it comes in an array of emotions to set the mood, going from aggressive assaults to mournful funerals, along with more hopeful feels. The songwriting is quite good, with each song loaded with sections that demand your attention, whether being aggressive or slow, catchy or perhaps a little jazzy. And yes, that happens a couple of times, with some jazzy delivery, but these are spaced out far too uneven than say the more aggressive sections. There are however some places in between here that really lack anything noteworthy. And those, while they do not occur too often, are quite dragging.But speaking of the length of the album again and the number of tracks, it is hard to imagine Core being a nine track album, but with so few tracks divided on such a length, it can become a little tedious and bothersome. So as mentioned, you should not listen to the whole album in one sitting. Give it time and be patient, and it will pay off.Persefone have done a tremendous job with Core. It is through and through entertainment, though it does lack a little from time to time. But in the end, it does deliver a rather impressive narrative." - Metal Archives
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  • New but not so new...SpellBook are a Pennsylvania based band that released three albums under the name Witch Hazel.  They have rechristened themselves and should have called the band Black N Blue...oh wait that name is taken.  The music bears the musical imprint of Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult.  A total 70s dark/doomy metal mash up."In the early ‘00s, almost every new band was blindly following the BLACK SABBATHtrend, and because of this, the Metal scene became saturated with Doomy guitar-laden releases that, to be honest, sounded quite similar to each other. Fortunately, this crazy trend has died down leaving the true believers chasing the Doom / Occult Rock / Proto Metal dream. Formerly known as WITCH HAZEL from York, Pennsylvania, SPELLBOOK seems to be one of those and is about to deliver an album that “marries BLACK SABBATH, PENTAGRAM and Progressive Rock for seven songs of entrancing classic Metal”, directly quoted from the press release. Can this venture be considered as inspired and/or successful even? Let’s give fresh-from-the-oven “Magick & Mischief” a spin to find out.The quite fitting, magical theme-titled “Wands To The Sky” lifts the curtain (or cloak, if you like) and shows its true colors right from the start; DEEP PURPLE-ish keyboard melodies and Rock groovy guitars set the tone for what’s coming; ‘70s / ‘80s Rock tunes that will shake your world. On top of this uplifting Rock cake, there are Nate Tyson’s crispy and Ozzy-like trippy vocals that nurture the BLACK SABBATH references I was talking about earlier. With that being said, SPELLBOOK’s music should not be approached as a run-of-the-mill SABBATH-inspired tunes, because the hard-working band was focused on creating its own identity, and it shows. Take for example the BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-like intro in “Black Shadow” with the catchy and easy to sing along chorus, or the funky basslines in “Ominous Skies”, and if you look past the Ozzy-dipped vocals, you will notice the awesome drum work that winks at you between the old school, Heavy guitar work.What I like the most here, are the non-Ozzy sounding tracks, like “Not Long For This World” and “Amulet / Fare Thee Well”; in the former, Tyson transforms into a different beast, working his way from the lower range to the high-pitched screaming that actually fits the track’s moody atmosphere like hand in glove. And while you have convinced yourself it can’t get any better, the latter track kicks the door down in a GRAVEYARD / “Lights Out” manner, building the momentum with warm guitars and epic drumming, leading to Tyson’s classic Rock-sounding timbre as he unfolds its dynamic to all its occult glory. The rest of the band’s backing vocals work in the track’s favor, tying to what I already said about “working hard in the details”. A true surprise is the album’s closing track “Dead Detectives”; its Jazzy character makes quite an impression, and even though sounds a bit strange when compared to the rest, the Alice Cooper-laden setup (think of the “Welcome To My Nightmare” era) and again Tyson’s metamorphosis into a Burlesque-type performer wrap things up, and it’s quite brilliant how it reveals its dark colors in an IN SOLITUDE / TRIBULATION way somewhere in the middle.It’s fantastic how “Magick & Mischief” unfolds all its ‘70s / ‘80s Rock glory, hitting all the right nostalgia spots, going from SABBATH to DEEP PURPLE to B.O.C. with finesse and style, proving that these guys know what they’re doing. It was more than exciting to learn that SPELLBOOK are in a high creative mode right now and already writing for the next album, which is something rare these days. But until then, open up the spellbook and dig into “Magick & Mischief”." - Metal Kaoz
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  • "Laying a foundation nearly two decades ago, Finland’s Swallow the Sun have become a leader in the Metal sub-genre of Death-Doom. Building their legacy brick by brick, their sound has often been ominous in nature, dark in subject matter, yet undeniably melodic and beautiful in the same breath.Founded by Guitarist Juha Raivio, they have sustained the strong lineup of Mikko Kotamäki on vocals and Matti Honkonen on bass for many years, while adding the talents of Juuso Raatikainen on drums in 2014, along with most recent additions, Juho Räihä on guitar as well as Jaani Peuhu on keyboards in the last year.That all in mind, it has been a couple of years of silence since the band released 2015’s Songs from the North – an mega triple album consisting of over 2 1/2 hours of music. A massive undertaking, that no doubt drained a great deal of emotional energy from the musicians involved, recharged, Swallow the Sun are set to return with the highly anticipated follow-up record, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light, on Friday, January 25, 2019 via Century Media.Reflecting back on a 2017 interview with Kotamäki, when asked about the prospect of new music from Swallow the Sun, he told Cryptic Rock, “I don’t know about the future, we will have to see.” At the time wrapping up the North America leg of a tour with Amorphis, and already having spent 1 1/2 years consistently on the road, the wear on the band was evident, but collectively they remained in high spirits. Furthermore, they were also still processing the tragic death of longtime friend and collaborator Aleah Starbridge, most often known simply as Aleah.Aleah, at only 39 years of age, was sadly succumbed by cancer in 2016, no doubt leaving a gaping hole in the hearts of many, especially Swallow the Sun. You see, Aleah’s story with the band runs far and deep, dating back to 2009. Since that time, she worked with the band on various occasions, including 2009’s New Moon, 2012’s Emerald Forest and the Blackbird, and 2015’s Songs from the North, where she not only provided vocals, but also worked on the band’s photo shoot and cover art for the album. Making a massive impact on the lives of the band members, it stands to reason that When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light is directly inspired by her.In fact, Raivio states the album “is about my own battle since she passed. The album title, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light, comes from Aleah’s own words, ‘When a shadow is forced into the light.’ That was exactly what I needed to do. To push myself out from the shadows. I’ve been pretty much a hermit in the woods for two and a half years. Gathering my life to write this album. That’s also why the subject is very personal and therefore hard for me to talk about. I’d rather leave it all to the music and words on When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light to tell the story. It’s all there.”Anyone who has dealt with lose can most certainly relate to Raivo’s explanation quite well, so well that some may even come to tears when reading it. Do not despair though, we are all in a similar boat paddling the same waters, so take a deep breath and let us dive into the cathartic release that is When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light.Consisting of 8 songs, do not let the single digital track number confuse you, because the album runs for over 50 minutes, leaving no shortage of material to indulge in. True to form as previous Swallow the Sun outputs, the concept of time restriction when putting down a song is non-applicable – it is more about the music will resolve itself when it is finished. Subscribing to this sentiment from the very first song, the title-track engulfs you in a sea of sorrow from the moment it fades in. Deeply emotional, it sets up the entrance of Kotamäki’s clean singing voice. Welcomed clarity, the explosive change into harsher vocals strikes you like a fury of hurt and frustration.An epic and nearly flawless opening, the darkened tunnel takes you deeper underground with the gloomy “The Crimson Crown” with over 2 minutes of instrumentation prior to any vocal introduction. More stripped back out of the gate, “Firelights” is no less intense, creating the imagery of trekking through a darkened forest searching for some sort of light to guide your way out. Brighter in relation to the prior the first quarter of the record, the album’s first single, “Upon The Water,” is a lively cut that moves you with various vocal inflections along with guitars that build and release with heavier distortion. Then, acting as the first beacon of hope, “Stone Wings” provides a momentary exhale with a beautiful melody that sticks to the psyche in a haunting matter.Then opting for a shorter format in track duration, songs like “Clouds On Your Side” work as a connecting bridge, bringing the entire album together. Subtly layered with instrumentation and multi-vocal tracks, its words are really what drive home a message of feeling hopeless, but remembering that there is something worth living for beyond the shadows. This is all while “Here On The Black Earth” stands out as perhaps the most Doom Metal vibed tracks of all, complete with funeral-inspired keys and signature drum beat. However, in contrast, vocally, it is anything by standard Doom Metal cliché – evoking a much more dynamic style that peaks and dips at will. Finally, and fittingly, “Never Left” concludes the journey in a colorful display of guitar and strings as if to say, we all have faced our losses, and while it may feel daunting to carry on, we must.An outcry not to be denied, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light will no doubt resonate in the heart of anyone who listens. Musically the record is deep, intense, and undeniably personal. For some, expressing their feelings is near impossible, but Swallow the Sun has certainly mastered the art in an extraordinary way. That said, the album cannot be pieced apart to truly grasp its intention. Much like previous bodies of work from Swallow the Sun, it must be listened to in its entirety. A therapeutic freeing, it is as much introspective as it is extrospective. That is why Cryptic Rock give When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light 5 out of 5 stars"
    $15.00
  • ‘Exul’ personifies Ne Obliviscaris’ distinctive, boundary-pushing ethos. The band’s trademark blend of emotion and beauty is as towering as ever, if not even more compelling, particularly how the haunting violin lines carefully weave their way around the riffs. The duality of Charles’ clean vocals and Xenoyr’s growls remains the narrative anchor, elevating songs that emanate sophistication and are a masterclass in composition.
    $12.00
  • "Finland’s Barren Earth started as the bastard child of Amorphis and Swallow the Sun. Their first record, Curse of the Red River sounded like Opeth played by Tuonela-era Amorphis, and the follow-up—The Devil’s Resolve—was similar, if not as good. Barren Earth really came into their own on their 2015’s On Lonely Towers. That record introduced new singer—who they coincidentally share with the astounding Hamferð—Jón Aldará and helped to refine their sound even further. They took a distinct step away from the Åkerfeldtian sound they had crafted earlier on, putting their cards in the epic and doom-y; a sound which they supported perfectly with Jon’s addition to the band. I, of course, celebrate Barren Earth’s entire discography, and I’ll be frank: A Complex of Cages features these Finnish-Faroe melodic deathers still obviously at the top of their game.A Complex of Cages doesn’t break open Barren Earth’s sound to be something dashingly new. Rather, it shows these Faroe-Finns rocking out mid-paced death riffs, offsetting it with cleaner parts and littering the heaviest sections with borderline orchestral black metal. All of this is built on the sturdy base of Amorphis riffs that permeate nearly every song on the album. “Further Down,” for example, features the kind of winding guitar melodies—counterpoint to the vocals—characteristic of Elegy-era Amorphis. Epic “Solitude Path” is like a Moomin-esque “To Tame a Land,” and in my notes I started short-handing these moments as “Tuonela-melodies.” The band leans heavily on the use of harmonic minor, like many bands from Norden, but there is a specific kind of musical phrasing to these tracks that is uniquely Barren Earth’s.With this base—a combination of a unique voice and harmonic minor—the band litters the songs with a ton of ideas. Folky acoustics, like on “Ruby,” with an Åkerfeldtian feel on “Dysphoria.” “Spire” features almost OSDM riffing, while “Scattersprey” starts with a 6/8 swing only to end up with wet, keyboard soaked blasts. The material is sneaky progressive at times—the main verse in “Zeal” is in 7/4, while the interlude after the chorus grinds like late-Vomitory.All of this, of course, is held together by the incredible vocal performance of Jón Aldará. His delivery is dynamic and varied—moving between breathy, dramatic cleans on “Further Down,” to vicious growls on “Dysphoria.” His voice is the thing which takes the riffing and songs over the edge. He has great range, and he evokes emotion without ever feeling melodramatic. They harmonized a lot of his material this time, as well, often giving the main vocal line a single harmony—evoking those classic Amorphis harmonies. Put together, his vocal performance reminds me of Trim from King Goat or a Candelmassian drama; epic, dynamic, and the perfect focus for the album. Barren Earth’s music is far more dynamic than the aforementioned doomsters, but Jón’s voice makes this album excellent. I think he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite vocalists in metal.Generally speaking, A Complex of Cages sounds pretty good; I had hoped to get the vinyl version for review, to help the band avoid the paragraph about brickwalling and Industry Standard Mastering™, but I’ve listened to the album through a variety of speakers and while one can knit pick, I didn’t find it as fatiguing as its predecessor. And I need to give a shout out to V. Santura’s production, which managed to maintain surprisingly good drum sound for its DR6 master. The biggest knock against A Complex of Cages is that it’s a bit too long. The track that I could most do without is “Solitude Path,” which clocks in at 10+ minutes and reeks of bong water and patchouli. While none of the component parts are bad—in fact, I love the way the song recapitulates the intro at the end, but in a heavier form—it takes 5 minutes to get going and it breaks my immersion. My Angry Metal Attention Deficit Disorder (AMADD) may be the problem, it breaks immersion and is the place where I’m most likely to stop the record.The final test of whether a record is good comes when the final notes of the last track die out and you are left in silence. If you reach to re-start the thing, then you know that you’re listening to something special. A Complex of Changes always gets me to press play again. The epic melodeath that Barren Earth purveys may be perfectly crafted just for me, of course, but I think that A Complex of Cages is excellent because it balances drama, melody, intensity with artful composition and skill. The addition of Jón Aldára pushed this band from great to excellent, and A Complex of Cages is another hour of beautiful, intense and thoughtful music that will surely excite fans of older Amorphis and melodic death more broadly" - Angry Metal Guy
    $22.00
  • "Sometimes, as strange as it may sound, tragedy inspires creativity. Such seems to be the case with the latest release from Canada's Into Eternity, one of the brightest stars on the progressive extreme metal landscape. In the last two years, bandleader, songwriter, and guitarist Tim Roth lost his mother, and then later on, two of his best friends, both brothers, died from cancer within two months of each other. Many would have crumbled under the weight of such loss, but Roth was able to move on, digging down deep and using his grief and anger to come up with the concept for The Incurable Tragedy, an epic technical metal extravaganza that runs the gamut of all the human emotions that one goes through in a situation like Roth dealt with over the last two years.Though shorter than some of the past Into Eternity albums, it's no less spectacular and perhaps this concept album is better suited for a less lengthy, more direct approach. Instrumentally, the guys are blazing as always, Roth and Justin Bender ripping some insane guitar harmonies on the complex mind-bender "Diagnosis Terminal", while drummer Steve Bolognese and bassist Troy Bleich provide the intricate rhythms. Despite all the wild instrumental interplay that has seen the band's musical talents continually grow (all the touring with bands like Symphony X, Dream Theater, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Lamb of God, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Megdeth, and Dark Tranquility has obviously paid off), the thing that grabs you the most here, are the multi-faceted vocal dynamics. Stu Block has developed into one of the most impressive singer in extreme metal, and his wide assortment of raging, Halford-ish wails, black metal screams, death metal growls, and melodic clean passages, is wonderfully on display throughout this CD. Just listen to his gorgeous melodic voice on "The Incurable Tragedy I (September 21, 2006)", or his assortment of extreme metal styles on "Tides of Blood", showing his great versatility. Of course, having the superb backing vocals from Roth and Bleich also helps, as both of these guys also are able to mix in solid extreme styles as well as clean vocals depending on what the songs need. All three turn in fine performances on the excellent "Indignation", one of the CD's strongest cuts, and a perfect example of how Into Eternity combines complex, technical progressive metal, death metal, varied vocal styles, lots of melody, and a compelling story.In the end, The Incurable Tragedy is gripping stuff, especially from a concept/storyline perspective, but also the album grabs you by the throat musically as well, delivering a statement that Into Eternity are now ready to play with the big boys, even though for many of us they have already been there for a few years now.Easily one of the best releases of 2008 folks-a concept album of epic proportions that carries a message that is totally relevent in this day and age." - Sea Of Tranqulity
    $7.00
  • "It’s time once again to turn loose the Swanös! Well, the Swanö named Dan anyway. That’s because the mega-man is back with his Witherscape project, and as before he’s brought along his mustachioed compadre, Ragner Widerberg to provide multi-instrumental support. Those who heard the massive debut, The Inheritance know what to expect – rich, melodic, somewhat progressive death metal with a cosmic ass-ton of hooks, mood and memorability. The Northern Sanctuary cleaves close to the style of the debut while expanding the scope and breadth of the band’s vision. Basically it’s like a collaboration between Yes and early Opeth, or if you prefer, Swanö’s Nightingale project mashed up with Edge of Sanity‘s timeless Crimson opus. It’s emotional and melodic as hell but still a death metal album at heart and it’s actually amazing just how musical and beautiful these two can make the material without it feeling too soft or watered down.The goods are dropped at your doorstep immediately with mammoth opener “Wake of Infinity” which serves up the best of Omnium Gatherum, Edge of Sanity and Symphony X all stuffed into one glorious musical empanada of awesomeness. There are wild and inventive riffs, crazy keyboard runs and a tasty mix of death roars and uber-dramatic clean singing from Mr. Swanö. This results in a wondrously addictive song that’ll stick in your head like a rusty Bowie knife. It’s a tremendous way to open an album and the best is yet to come.Follow up “In the Eyes of Idols” has a rock style mixed with classic melo-death as Dan’s vocals (both deathy and cleans) sometimes take on an arena rock vibe, and “Rapture Ballet” is one of the best songs so far in 2016. It’s just a monster of a tune featuring all the things I’ve come to love about Swanö’s work: first-rate riff-craft, excellent vocal melodies and a keen ear toward hooks. It reminds me of vintage Stratovarius mixed with classic King Diamond with some quality melo-death added for depth and body. Also impressive is the grim, brooding emotion and angst of “The Examiner,” and the doomy heft of “Marionette” where Dan outdoes himself vocally, balancing slick clean singing with guttural death roars.The centerpiece is the 14 minute title track which has a strong Edge of Sanity vibe running throughout as it jumps from mega-melodic to doomy to deathy. As with any long song, the quality of the writing can be weighed by how fast the time goes by and here it flies! The Hand ov Swanö keeps things moving and engaging throughout and with Ragnar’s unquestionable guitar chops things stay technical but always accessible and compelling. It isn’t quite as immediate as the shorter tracks but it’s a grower with a lot of quality moments waiting to be discovered within.As the 14 minutes of the title track flies by, so do the 47 minutes that compose The Northern Sanctuary. It’s got a great flow and it’s one of those albums you put on and spin straight through to the end. There are no duds and even the weakest track (“God of Ruin”) is still a pretty righteous song loaded with atmosphere and high caliber performances. Since the album was produced by Captain Dan, you know it will sound first-rate and it does, with a rich mix. I can’t speak to any potential forthcoming vinyl mixes, but this sounds just fine as it is.You’d certainly never know this was a two-man project with all that’s going on musically. Dan handles vocals, keyboards and drums and does his usual high level job. His vocals in particular have gotten better and better and when he sings he sounds a lot like Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers) with a bit of Piet Sielck’s (Iron Savior) gruffness. The highly dramatic style of his singing can seem over-the-top at times but it works and his cleans are used sparingly enough to achieve maximum effect whenever they pop in. His keyboard and piano work is also strong, and the understated closing piano interlude “Vila i Frid” is especially touching. The guitar-work by the ever mysterious Ragnar is once again impressive, ranging from Michael Romeo-esque corkscrew riffs to wild solos and soft, nuances pluckery. The man has game and he brought it here. Though a technical wiz kid he shows admirable restraint across the album, never wanking when winking would suffice. I don’t know where Dan found this character, but he was lucky he did so.I was very taken by The Inheritance, but this is a superior album in all ways. The songs are bigger, the writing more confident and inspired and everything just feels larger than life. Dan Swanö has been successful at everything he’s done in the metal world and The Northern Sanctuary is yet another trophy for his already cluttered Hall of Fame. This will be on many a year end list so don’t miss out. Now kindly gets these other swanos off my damn lawn!" - Angry Metal Guy
    $15.00
  • Thrash classic remastered with 4 live bonus tracks.
    $10.00
  • "Change, as they say, is the one universal constant. But that doesn’t mean that change is always good. Or, at least, it’s not always perceived (or received) that way.Case in point, following the departure of the Sandagger brothers in 2009 Mercenary were – rightly or wrongly – criticised for, ahem, metamorphosing from the distinctive Prog/Power/Death Metal hybrid they used to be into a more groove-focussed, Metalcore-ish “Nu-Melodeath” act in the vein of bands like Caliban, Deadlock, etc.Much of the blame was placed, unfairly, on bassist (and now primary vocalist) René Pedersen – mostly, it seemed, because his singing style was supposedly less “epic” and more “emo” than his predecessor – even though the core guitar duo of Jakob Mølbjerg and Martin Buus (who have, at the time of writing this, now been playing together for over twenty years!) remained unchanged.But the truth of the matter is that there was no one person responsible for the band’s downturn in fortunes, it’s simply that, for a while, they didn’t seem to know quite who they were, or who they wanted to be, any more.But on their new album Mercenary sound more like… well, Mercenary… than they have in years!Now, to clarify the above statement, you shouldn’t go into Soundtrack for the End Times expecting to hear a direct return to the sound of Everblack or 11 Dreams, but there are prominent aspects of this album which could easily have fit in with the band’s output circa-The Hours That Remain/Architect of Lies.Take the high-energy intensity and high-voltage melodic hooks of “Through This Blackened Hatred”, for example, or the shameless Power-Prog grandeur (including some vivid synth and piano-led passages) of “Become the Flame”, both of which recapture much of the same spirit – if not always the exact sound – of the group’s glory days far more than anything else from the last decade or so of trying.As good as those songs are, though – and I haven’t even touched upon how strong the back half of the album is overall, with both the ridiculously hooky “From the Ashes of the Fallen” and the throwback melodic/metallic thrills of “Black Heart, Dead Tissue” also recalling the best of the band’s post-millennial output – it’s also worth pointing out that even the band’s “Euro-Trivium” leanings on songs like “Heart of the Numb” and “Anthem for the Anxious” all sound significantly more vital and vibrant than the band’s earlier attempts at achieving a similarly stadium-friendly stature (though Heafy’s guest appearance on the former track barely makes a dent).Of course, as much as I like this album – and I like it a lot more than I expected to, and will likely be listening to it a lot more over the coming months – there’s definitely things about it worth criticising, including its excessive run-time (there’s absolutely no need for it to be as long as it is, and quite a few songs could probably have been trimmed down – or even cut altogether – in order to craft a tighter, and stronger, record) and the fact that the group still sometimes feel like they’re trying to follow two different paths without fully committing to either.That being said, the high points on this album – with stunning closer “Beyond the Waves” being probably the best example yet of how the modern incarnation of Mercenary are more than capable of recapturing that old magic without feeling like they’re just retreading old ground – far outweigh the occasional lows.So even if it’s not the perfect “return to form” some fans may have been clamouring for, this is definitely – and thankfully – not the end of Mercenary. And that’s something worth celebrating." - No Clean Singing
    $16.00