Don’t even think of asking me how I managed to record two songs in one day, when I’ve only recorded two songs in the last two years. Once again, this is just an excuse to write/record but I don’t care. It’s fun. Here’s the newest addition…in all its glory. Enjoy!!!
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It’s been yet another year since I’ve been able to record anything and so today I did! Part of this was just to make sure my audio hardware was all set up properly. So, as usual, it started with a very basic riff (on bass this time), a pair of stereo guitars, a mono solo-type doodle, drums/snare, hi-hats and finally cymbals. It’s quick, dirty, sloppy and just good enough to post. \m/
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I’m still a sucker for a good Ys OST and after all these years, I’ve gone back to sort out my collection of soundtracks. I’m looking at 35 complete ones right now which accounts for nearly 4Gb of music. And while I’ve heard countless renditions of A Premonition – Styx-, sometimes ~Styx~, others =Styx=, I always have heart to listen to one more. And how does this one stand up to the original Ys III? To Ys: The Oath In Felghana? Quite remarkably, actually.
The track hearkens back to a different time, as do all the tracks. And while there are 2-3 iffy ones (I can usually skip Feena and in this case Casnan, The Frontier Town), others are incredibly strong. The metal rendition of Last Decisive Battle sits among my favorite Ys tracks and the calm power of The Depth Napishtim gives this a well-rounded polish. This entire soundtrack is great and I love the new twists on a mix of old classics. From The Dawn Of Ys to Crimson Wings, for any Ys music fan, I highly recommend this one. It shines through 4Gb of similar tracks and stands shoulder-to-shoulder to my favorites from yesterdecade, a word I just made up, but sounded cool in my head. This OST rocks.
I’ve been posting my Best Records of The Year for over a decade now. While 2012 was the weakest year in…well…over a decade, it still had some good stuff. So, in continuing the trend of listing the best of the best, I’ve given the coveted Album Of The Year title to Vintersorg’s Orkan. Read the whole article here.
I have high expectations for 2013, as I’ve already stated. However, until then, I’ll still have last year’s Vintersorg, Borknagar, Alcest and Module.
As I work on my Best of 2012 article, I can tell last year was a weak year for metal. In looking around, it was evident that 2013 would crush last year’s offerings with an incredible listing of albums to come. In the very least, there’s a new Kalmah which alone should do the trick. However, I’m also terribly excited about a new October Tide and I’m curious about the Soilwork double album. And..Skeletonwitch is in the studio? Lantlôs?!?! Fuck yeah! So…let’s see what’s coming. Better than 2012? It has to be! What follows is the Date/Release/How Excited I Am (out of 10).
Out! – Helloween – Straight Out Of Hell (It’s quite good!)
02/27 – Soilwork – The Living Infinite (8)
03/19 – Anthrax – Anthems (6)
03/22 – Hypocrisy – End Of Disclosure (6)
03/25 – October Tide – Tunnel Of No Light (10)
03/25 – Finntroll – Blodsvept (6)
04/19 – Amorphis – Circle (9)
04/?? – Summoning – Old Mornings Dawn (9)
05/28 – Dark Tranquillity – Construct (7)
06/?? – The Black Dahlia Murder – Everblack (8)
09/?? – Solefald – Kosmopolis (6)
??/?? – Kalmah – ? (11)
??/?? – Lantlôs – Melting Sun (10)
??/?? – Skeletonwitch – ? (10)
??/?? – Amon Amarth – ? (8)
??/?? – My Dying Bride – The Manuscript (EP) (8)
??/?? – Children Of Bodom – ? (7)
??/?? – Down – Down IV Part II (5)
??/?? – Megadeth – Don’t really care (5)
I added a few I’m not too excited about…but still…this should be a pretty good year! Imagine Moonsorrow announced a new album too? Oh….just imagine!!!
So…Einherjer is coming to North America?!?! Oh man, the band that broke up after 2003’s brilliant Blot came back 8 years later with Norrøn. Now, I never expected them to come anywhere near me…and, well, they’re not. But they’re coming! Most dates are in Canada, but man I wish I could see them. They’re one of those ‘Never saw ’em, really wish I had’ bands. *Sigh* Ah well.
That’s not a dramatic header there. I’m serious. The more I listen; the better it gets. Moonsorrow’s masterpiece is a perfect album. OK, the three 90-second interludes are useless, but they bridge the awesomeness in a
necessary way. The four remaining 13-minute-average epics are possible the best four songs in years. The
complete tale from beginning to end is a vast journey, perfectly completing a cycle of metallic excellence.
It’s funny. Barring the hypnotic acoustic intro of Huuto, I can’t hum to you any one specific riff, memorable interlude or catchy progression. The songs go one for so long; what makes them so good?
Moonsorrow’s powerful blend of keyboards, sheer heaviness and crushing vocals lead from one tune to the next, not faltering, not offering a throwaway segment. As a musical fanatic, I memorize band member names, song titles, years, everything but lyrics. On Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa I know none of it. Even as a linguist who revels in etymology, language change and meaning – I don’t care. I just want to turn this up and play it again.
This album is just about everything I love about metal. I almost have nothing to write about it – but yet it’s the greatest shit in the world. It very well could be the best album of this millennium.
The last time this happened to me was way back with Blind Guardian’s Imaginations From The Other Side. I’d put the record on and consider it a good album, nothing more. Then, a subsequent spin would leave me much more impressed. This would continue until I absolutely loved the record. The sad thing is; it would reset every time I stopped.
So, while I was a huge fan of Vintersorg’s first three releases, I lost interest when Cosmic Genesis came out. Now, I quite like it, but then I was disappointed. The next two albums were not really my thing and the following one was a step in the right direction. Next would be Jordpuls (Pulse of the Earth) and again, I liked the 2011 version of Vintersorg but I never found myself putting it on. Until now, that is.
Several months after Jordpuls’ successor came out, I went back to this album and have been loving it ever since. I can’t say it hearkens back to the excellence of Ödemarkens Son but it’s new, fresh and phenomenal. Bouncing between the folk influence to the wonderful raspy vocals, I loved hearing his trademark vocal style, catchy riffs and having that familiar Vintersorg sound.
A year after Jordpuls we were treated to Orkan (Hurricane). Again, this took a few months to warm up to, but now, almost half a year later, I cannot stop listening to it!!! It’s got everything Jordpuls did but with catchier riffs, more memorable melodies and choruses. The vocals are powerful, the mix is spectacular and it’s one of those records where when it ends, I want to put it back on again. I cannot find a single weak point on the record. It’s excellent through-and-through.
Now, I’d already talked about Borknagar’s Urd and with it being a bit of a weak year, that may have been my Album Of The Year until I started up with Orkan. If not, Vintersorg himself may be on two of my top albums of the year, something that has never happened before. Ultimately, I’m loving these two Vintersorg records, something my Last.fm profile can verify! I haven’t listened to this much of the band since 2001. And to think…there are two more records of this planned four-album concept to come!
I remember working at the radio station in college and being in love with the Swedish family tree of bands. Åkerfeldt sang for Katatonia on the brilliant and grim Sounds of Decay. Blackheim of Katatonia had his solo project Diabolical Masquerade and Dan Swanö played drums with him. I guess that was enough to purchase Moontower in 1998.
12 years later, however, I still play it regularly, more than any of those Swedish bands, really. (Though, I do write this while wearing my favorite Opeth shirt) This album is the bomb and I have nothing else in my collection that is quite like it.
Speaking of Opeth, their latest album, Heritage, is a nigh-unlistenable ode to 70s prog. It’s strange then, that I love Moontower so much. This is 70s prog done right IMO, with its catchy songwriting, standard death vocals and all that moog! I can’t get enough. There are some moments where I’m lost in the unique tone and mood. And those clean vocals, when they do come about, I’m blown away.
There’s not a whole lot to say about this other than the fact that it rocks. I can listen to this any time, and lately, have been doing so a ton. From the opening notes to that spectacular ending, this is one of my favorite albums of the ’90s.
With just four months left this year, I’ll admit it’s been just a so-so year for metal releases. Several have come out which have left me unimpressed (Lamb of God) and only a few have really surprised me and have colored me enthusiastic about listening again (Borknagar). However, with a few more months left, there should be plenty of time for bands to woo me. Here’s the list of my ‘waiting for’ albums. I don’t see any of them really blowing me away!
August
Katatonia: Dead End Kings (zero expectations)September
Down: Down IV (Part I)
Anthrax: The ’70s EP
Enslaved: RIITIIR
I wasn’t too thrilled with Down III, so I can’t say I’m really excited about another. Anthrax? Ah, ’70s covers could be fun, but I don’t expect regular spins. Enslaved? I never know with them. I look forward to it!!!
October
My Dying Bride: A Map Of All Our Failures
Neurosis: Honor Found In Decay
Cradle Of Filth: The Manticore And Other Horrors
Now This is what I was looking for. Another MDB!? I tend to like every other release. The Dreadful Hours and A Line Of Deathless Kings = awesome! Songs of Darkness, Words of Light and For Lies I Sire = less so…now, I loved The Barghest O’Whitby so I have high expectations for this one. Neurosis…been waiting a long time for a new one. COF? More of the same, I expect.
When?
Soilwork: The Living Infinite
If they can keep up the quality after the last album, I’ll be thrilled.October Tide
Oh I can’t wait…Doubtful for this year.Skyfire
Oh I can’t wait…wait…did I say that already?Summoning
I love this band. As usual, just wait and one day it’ll pop up.
Well, there you have it. If none of these come out/destroy, it’ll probably be Borknagar or Alcest for AotY. While I just got into Alcest, their newest isn’t nearly as good as their last. Borknagar is the best of the year? Hmmm…
Oh, and I’ll have to get around to mentioning/reviewing Vintersorg, Tenacious D and Citizen Cope. I really want to like the new Vintersorg…it’s good…but I’m not completely sold on it yet.