Launching the ULTIMATE METAL COMPILATION PLAYLISTS

The Digital era and this little crazy thing called mp3 completely changed our approach to music. Everyone can have everything now, we don’t want BETTER music; we just want MORE music.

My nostalgia for the “old-school” way of listening to music is a never-ending story, but there is one central idea behind all of the debates: our appreciation of music. They way you purchase and listen to a specific album, by choice. Not just because it’s new or because it has a fancy edition or a free DVD. And most of all, NOT because you can just get it for free.

Listening to something you have actually meticulously chosen is a very special feeling. It’s a freakin’ privilege these days!

And one old-school thing I miss very much in this new era is good old compilations.

Of course, I don’t mean those silly Scorpions “best-of” CDs nor the mp3 compilation of “the entire Morbid Angel discography” your stupid cousin wants to transfer to your USB flash drive.

No, I mean those personalized hand-made compilations, recorded on tapes or CDs, the ones you designed for your girlfriend, your brother or your band-mate. I mean the ones with limited space and with a specific theme. I used to LOVE doing this. Taking the time to choose the songs one by one, thinking about the tracklist and having to eliminate songs so that the compilation fits on one CD or cassette tape. That’s such a pleasant exercise, it’s an awesome way to go through your music and analyze it.

Seriously, who still does that? In the mp3 era, if you think your friend might like Metal then you just copy him your 40GB of music and throw it as his face. And he’ll do as usual, insert the songs into his big shuffle playlist and one day, he won’t even remember you even recommended anything (and he’ll probably never really listen to any of it).

But what the hell; no one wants to take my burned CDs or tapes? Doesn’t matter, I’ll just create imaginary compilations for imaginary friends! Call it playlist if you want, it still works.

There are only 2 rules to follow:

1.     It has to contain 50 to 60 minutes of music, no more, no less

2.     It must have a specified Theme.

That’s it! From now on, every now and then, I’ll publish a list of songs for my imaginary compilations. The first one will be simply called:

THE ULTIMATE METAL COMPILATION 1 – THE ULTIMATE METAL RIFFS

Feel free to suggest any compilation theme or songs!

Who in the world still likes progressive metal??

Tough one. I know I used to. I used to love prog’ metal, I use to listen to inexplicable music and get crazy over never ending intros and epic guitar Vs keyboard duels. But now, I don't know anymore. 

I’m even hesitating: should I add the new Dream Theater record (A Dramatic Turn Of Events) to my “To Buy List” (this list really exists, I’ll tell you more about how it’s organized and precisely managed someday)? The cold fact is I bought the 2 previous records (Systematic Chaos & Black Clouds and Silver Linings) without thinking, and I can’t remember a single damn note of them… I just don’t feel like listening to their music anymore. 

Do I want to buy this one?

I even bought a Zero Hour record once. Don’t ask me how I actually survived, but I think I’d be too scared to play it again, I’m not willing to loose my sanity. I’m being sarcastic here on purpose, because this band really is hard to get into, but the guys are very talented and there is some pretty smart musicianship here, if you think you’re tough enough, check’em out.

The music is hard to follow, but this album has a very dark and interesting atmosphere...

Considering that Dream Theater is almost prog’ metal’s best definition, imagine how I feel about all the 2^nd class bands that sound like a cheap version of DT… In fact, I do not only dislike 2^nd class prog’ metal bands, I truly detest them. They are the downfall of a genre that is becoming a predictable & soulless self-parody. I still remember how much pain I felt when I tried to listen to bands like Communic or Thought Chamber. Just go to Inside Out Music label’s page to see how many of these bands released one or two records before getting back to being totally anonymous…I think times have changed for prog’ metal and people are not buying it anymore.

Just so that things are completely clear though; we’re talking here about PROG METAL in its literal meaning. Nothing to do with prog’ rock of course and nothing to do with Metal bands that have a progressive edge (we spoke of Obscura the other day, I can mention bands like Edge Of Sanity, Borknagar, the awesome Enslaved…).
There is also a new generation of bands, lead by Mastodon and who can be classified as "progressive" metal as well. They sound totally different though (totally different influences) and we'll probably discuss that scene soon, as the new Mastodon record is to be released by the end of the month. Until then, enjoy the cool new video...

That was the negative answer to the question. But there is also a positive answer since there are some awesome Prog’ Metal bands out there, and just because some of the leaders are declining, you shouldn’t ignore them.

Somehow, with their big chunky and fat packaging, Nuclear Blast convinced me into buying the new Symphony X two-CD record. Now that’s a nice band who managed to evolve and to seduce the Metal audience by being more aggressive and more “thrashy”. I still think their masterpiece is the fabulous record called "V", but it’s undeniable that all their CDs are good, original and catchy. 

 I feel like a teenager when I fall for such flashy special editions.

This one stays my favorite from Symphony X. Fantastic!

Another awesome prog’ metal band I must tell you about is Myrath. This young band from Tunisia is an perfect mixture of Dream Theater and Symphony X. Myrath sort of found the ideal equilibrium between technicality, impact, melodies and exotic tunes. Yes, they include some Arabic music here and there and they do it perfectly. It sounds genuine; it’s NEVER cheesy or cliché. The songs are pretty short and each one of them sounds memorable in it’s own way. Make sure you grab a copy of their new CD called “Tales Of The Sands”.

Perhaps one of the best "oriental metal" bands alongside Melechesh (who are way more extreme)

And of course, one must not forget to mention some awesome and classic bands like ARK, Conception or even Pagan’s Mind. 

ARK are split up, but they have probably issued one of the top10 records in heavy metal history. "Burn The Sun", their second and last effort is a masterpiece, nothing else to say about that fact. If you like rock, if you like music, you cannot ignore that one. Describing it would probably take me another couple of pages. Just know that the line up comprises all stars Tore Ostby and Jorn on the top of their game. 

MASTERPIECE.

Tore Ostby is also involved in Conception, alongside fantastic singer Roy Khan. The band has issued 4 records in the 1990’s, each one of them is brilliant. One of these band’s secrets is the genius guitar parts of Tore. Instinctive yet technical, heavy and yet so spiritual; Flamenco and Jazz guitar have never been so perfectly included on a Metal record. What is this guy doing by the way, anyone got news of his new projects?

In Your Multitude is conception's third and probably fan-favorite CD

Now Pagan’s Mind is a little bit different. This band can be described as being “Too much”, in all compartments. Too shiny, too cheesy, too technical, too melodic, too crazy… But they guys know what they’re doing and their songs are just awesome and addictive. 

The last CD called Heavenly Ecstasy is about some love story between a space goddess and another alien. If you buy the special edition you’ll get a couple of bonus songs, linear notes from each musician (detailing their passions, life philosophy…) and a fantastic old-school poster with a 100% leather and “Metal” pose.

Needless to say that the concept’s love story has a very happy and philosophical ending. Love is superior to evil; always.

Interview with Sinister Realm's John Shamus Gaffney

I know I keep repeating this, but I can't help it, The Crystal Eye, Sinister Realm's second album is one of my favorite albums of 2011. A classic Heavy Metal record, with 8 classic songs, each one of them being special and memorable in its own way. The Crystal Eye is an outstanding record produced by a pretty underground band and released on a specialized label (Shadow Kingdom Record), and it deserves all your attention. I recently conducted a short interview with band leader John Gaffney, a renown bassist and composer of the American Heavy Metal scene. These few words are about Music, Passion, Hard-Wrok and of course, HEAVY METAL. (You can read the french version of this interviwe on NOISEWEB)

John, my first question is about the band's lineup. 2 musicians have changed can you tell me more about the changes?

Our original drummer Darin McCloskey was with me from the beginning of the band but Darin landed up moving and it put him rather far away from where we practice and play most of our gigs, as the band got busier and busier it was more and more difficult for Darin to make rehearsals so he decided to leave and concentrate on his other band Pale Divine who are very successful and respected in their own right.  Darin and I are still very close friends and I speak with him all the time.  Our original guitar player was asked to leave because we were just unable to work together peacefully.  Our new guitar player's name is John Risko who is well known in our area as one of the best guitar players, so as soon as we needed a new guitarist I thought of him first.  Chris Metzger our drummer also has a reputation in our town as one of the best and he really brought his own unique style to the band and were very happy to have these guys on board.

The Crystal Eye is your second album and I found it much stronger than the first one. Were you guys conscious of that while you were composing and recording it?  

Thanks, I don't think I really knew how good this album was until we started recording it, as the songs started to come together I began thinking "Wow..this is really good" and I felt pretty confident that it was a step forward from the first CD, which I was also very happy with.  When we recorded the first CD we had never played those songs live but with the new album we had the chance to play all these songs out a bunch of times and that really helped the songs grow and become tighter, so all of us were feeling really good about these songs when we entered the studio, when we heard the final results we were very pleased.

How dis you guys compose? Together in a same room or do you exchange the ideas progressively?

I write all the music and lyrics for the band.  What I do is I demo everything out on my computer with a drum machine and me laying down rough tracks for the other guys to hear and then we get together and bash it out in the practice room and that's where the other guys will put their stamp on the songs. Every guy in Sinister Realm has their own unique style and elements that they bring to the table that help to create our sound.

I also want to congratulate your singer, Alex. His performance is amazing! He seemed to have worked pretty hard...

Alex did an amazing job on this record.  What a lot of people don't realize is that the first CD was written mostly with just me and our original drummer Darin with no proper vocalist, when we decided to get more serious about things and record a proper demo that’s when we got Alex into the band.  For this album, the band had already been playing for a while so when I was writing the new songs I had Alex's style of singing in my mind, I knew his strengths and really wrote to them.  I also think that Alex has become more comfortable interpreting my ideas and lyrics, he really knows what I'm after and does a brilliant job of brining the songs to life.

I also noticed that the record conceived like a “classic”: the length is ideal (45 mins). You have included fast songs, one very epic closer, an instrumental, a power-ballad, a slower song, a heavy one, the solos, the bass solos...It’s all on The Crystal Eye!

Thanks again… Well, that's how I like to put things together, I think of the "big picture" so to speak when I write an album, I'm very aware of trying to create a flow and feel to the record.  It's very important to me to take the listener on a journey.  I've always loved albums that you could put headphones on and listen to from beginning to end.  I'm old fashioned and even think in vinyl record terms.  I imagine what would be the first and last songs on each side of a record.  For instance, the song "The Crystal Eye" would be the end of side one and "The Tower is Burning" is a perfect album closer.

What are your favorite classic records by the way? 

British Steel-Judas Priest, Piece of Mind-Iron Maiden, Blizzard of Oz- Ozzy, Heaven and Hell- Black Sabbath, Holy Diver- Dio., Epicus Doomicus Metallicus-Candlemass.  Those are what I consider to be some of the greatest metal albums ever and they were and still are very influential to me.

There is some sort of "heavy metal revival" thing going on. It started with specialized labels like Shadow Kingdom Records and some forums, and now some big labels are signing traditional heavy metal bands...You feel you belong to this scene?  

Yeah, I think so.  I consider us to be a traditional metal band and I am very proud of that, our influences are very much from the classic metal years from 1980 to about 1984.  There are of course lots of other great years for metal but those years especially mean a lot to me and the guys in the band.  We like to believe that we are defending the flag for classic metal here in the United States.

You personally have been doing this for years, (the Pale Divine period), how does it feel to see this little "hype" going on? 

It feels good, very good, that's why we do what we do in the hopes that people will like it and say that our music means something to them, so when we get positive feedback from people, whether it's in a review, an email or on a forum we feel very proud.  We really believe in what we do and work hard at it. Heavy Metal means a lot to Sinister Realm and we take it very seriously.

Do you think it's a good opportunity for Sinister Realm? 

I think so, there is a lot going on for us right now and we are trying to make the best of every opportunity that comes our way.  With the recent "Heavy metal revival" as you put it we feel we are in a position to really make a name for ourselves, we want to just keep working hard and putting out the best music we can and hopefully the rest will fall into place for us.

How far do you think you can take the band? I think you guys have a huge potential. You have the songs, people seem to be demanding that style of Metal, you have a fantastic reputation on stage.

I hope that the band can just keep growing and getting bigger and bigger, so we are ready to take it as far as we can.  We want to keep moving up and hopefully we can land a recording contract with one of the big labels in the near future and we can get the opportunity to take our show to the big stages around the world.

What are your plans on the short and mid-term? 

Playing more gigs, especially more gigs out of our town, maybe do some touring and especially try to get over to Europe.  I've already started putting ideas together for our next record, which I want to be even more epic and another step forward in the songwriting department.  Basically are plans are to just keep pushing forward and getting better and reaching more and more people.

Any chance to see you guys on stage in Europe? 

I hope so! That is one of our big goals to get over to Europe and play in front of as many metal heads as we can, right now we are just trying to find the right person who can make that happen for us, so any promoters out there reading this drop us a line please, we're ready to go!

Today's history subject: Phlegethon

In Greek mythology, Phlegethon is one of the five rivers in the underworld. Yeah, the ones ruled by Hades, with the burning flames and stuff. The other four are called Styx, Lethe, Cocytus and Acheron (other Metal bands as well). It is said that Styx was in love with Phlegethon, but she was consumed by its flames and also sent to the underworld and Hades.

That was the Greek History lesson. Now let’s get to the cool story, the one about Finnish Death Metal.

Phlegethon is one of the first and most respected Finnish Death Metal bands. And if you have no idea was Finnish Death Metal is, just remember that it’s pretty similar to its Swedish cousin, but it sounds a little darker and it evolved into something slower and pretty much doom-like.

Phlegethon was formed and recorded some demos in the late 80s, before releasing their only official production, an EP called Fresco Lungs in 1991. But the band disappeared shortly after that release; according to leader Lasse Pyykkö; because they’d lost their inspiration. They reformed briefly in the early 2000s and recorded a few new demos that inspired Lasse Pyykkö to form other bands. And so Phlegethon was put on hold again…

The good news is that two years ago, Xtreem Records released Drifting In The Crypt a double CD compilation that features just about everything Phlegethon ever recorded. Just like the Spanish label did with Funebre’s Children Of The Scorn a few years ago. Label boss Dave Rotten (!!) really is a Death Metal maniac, you have to thank the man for these awesome releases.

Funebre's Children Of The Scorn: The other Finnish Death Metal classic

I’m not going into the details of “what sounds like what” and about “why this demo sounds cooler than this one” simply because in this CD’s booklet, you’ll find a fantastic interview of Lasse Pyykkö conducted by one of Death Metal’s finest specialists, Oliver “Zoltar” Badin. They’ll tell you everything you need to know about Phlegethon and about each one of the recordings.

Phlegethon's complete discography on this 2CD compilation out on Xtreem Records

Briefly though, note that CD1 contains the 1989 & '90 demos, and that they sound pretty much like all of the early European Death Metal demos: harsh, raw, very clumsy and very Slayer-like. They also have that insane and freaky atmosphere that made this period so special. Nothing really outstanding here, just another pioneer Death Metal band, with a taste for twisted riffs and weird song names (“Encapsulation Of The Ark Of The Covenant”). This latter song is probably their best song ever by the way; almost 10 minutes of insane thrash/death Metal riffing and a bunch of cool melodies.

Promo 95 on Disc 1 is a joke. Somehow in the 90s, some bands thought that mixing rock and Death sounded cool. They called it “Death Rock” and some bands actually released well-known records. Remember Carcass’s horrible Swansong? Or Blackstars’s self-titled?

Strange song names and also strange artworks...

CD2 is a little bit more interesting as it contains the famous Fresco Lungs EP, which pretty much sounds like the demos, but with everything being much better. Obviously better sound, but also better musicianship. Some old songs were re-recorded, like the fantastic “Ornaments” or the aforementioned “Encapsulation Of The Ark Of The Covenant” (still didn’t get that name!). You also get to listen to 2 bonus songs released back then, very doomy and Sabbath-like “Stone Me” and the weird techno-shitty one “Without Tea Waters”.

But things really get interesting with the 2006, '07 & '08 demos. With all the old-school Death Metal revival that went on, Phlegethon reunited and recorded a couple of new songs that show that they still ruled, and that their cult status isn’t an accident. The awesome riffs are still here and so are the twisted melodies. Really outstanding Death/Thrash Metal.

It’s a shame the band didn’t reform long enough to actually release some official new material. However, this experience was exiting enough to restart Lasse Pyykkö’s inspiration. This guy is a Death and Doom metal maniac and he soon started recording with an incredible amount of bands. Check out Metal Archives if you want the exact count, I’m just going to mention 2 of them: Claws (Death Metal) and the infamous Hooded Menace, my personal favorite, probably one of the best Extreme Doom Metal acts around. But that my friends, is a whole other story…

Are heavy metal fans GOOD hard rock fans?

Seriously, do you know any exclusive hard rock fan? I mean someone that specifically likes hard rock. Not a classic rock/pop fan that sometimes listens to “louder” bands, or a heavy metal headbanger that likes AC/DC.

The thing is, a lot of hard rock bands are thrown into the big “METAL” category, they find themselves signed on metal labels, they are treated in metal magazines and they sometimes even share the stage with metal or even extreme metal bands. For some, it’s a good opportunity. Sahg have toured with Enslaved. They share some band members and they know that their bigger possibilities in terms of sales and touring lie within the metal sphere. Plus their music isn’t exactly hard rock, it’s very doomy, 70s and Black Sabbath-like. Therefore, having Sahg to open for Enslaved does make sense.

Black Stone Cherry are signed on Roadrunner records, that has a tradition of working with hard rock bands, especially in the US where there still is a place on some radio station for such music. Again, makes sense.

Sahg'III is a very good retro/heavy rock record

I love all the Black Stone Cherry albums, but their self-titled debut remains my favorite

But sometimes, hard rock fans and heavy metal fans really don’t get each other. I remember Firebird’s Bill Steer telling me once that there was a big misunderstanding about his band on heavy metal websites. His records were classified as “stoner rock”, and of course “metal guys that like stoner rock” didn’t dig Firebird. No wonder they don’t; Firebird’s got NOTHING to do with stoner rock!

I’d also like to mention Jorn, a Norwegian singer struggling to make a living out of his hard rock band. He’s a passionate guy with a unique voice, a perfect mixture of David Coverdale and Ronnie James Dio. If you don’t know the guy, I suggest you check him out; you won’t be disappointed.

Did you know that Bill Steer is a founding member of Death Metal pioneers Carcass?

But the most dramatic misunderstanding I can think of is THE QUILL. This fantastic Swedish hard rock band released 2 awesome records in the late 90s. And in 2001, they released a pure masterpiece, called VOODOO CARAVAN on SPV-a German Metal label. The reactions to this record really showed the difference between recognized hard rock specialists and “metal fans that like AC/DC”. The latter found the record “cool”, sometimes “heavy” and overall kind of “mellow”. On the other hand, hard rock specialists found the album PERFECT. The vibe, the warmth, the psychedelic elements, the fuzzy guitars, the groovy rhythms and the unbelievable voice of singer Magnus Ekwall...everything on this CD is perfect. By the way, Ekwall’s voice is the X-factor that makes this record one of my all-time favorites. This guys sounds like Chris Cornell meets Dio.

In fact, this record can be your “evaluator”. If you want to know weather your favorite magazine/webzine understands what hard rock is about: go check out their review of Voodoo Caravan. If it’s described as a classic, then trust the guys. If not, then just stick to reading their metal reviews….

VOODOO CARAVAN: your reliable hard rock reviews quality evaluator

Despite the awesome record, The Quill sold very little, they had some nice tours but things clearly didn’t work out the way they should have.

After Voodoo Caravan The Quill released 2 more records (“Hooray! It’s a Deathtrip” and “In Triumph”); that really pleased metal fans and kind of disappointed hard rock fans. The sound became “raw”, “heavy”, “powerful”: everything you need to turn on a metal fan with (basically big riffs with big heavy production). No more fuzz, no more psychedelic guitars, no more warm sound… These records can also be used as “evaluators”, but of course you’ll have to reverse the equation.

Things didn’t work out either with these records and the band more or less disappeared after In Triumph’s release back in 2006.

Just like it's cover artwork suggests: this album is not as warm and psychedelic as Voodoo Caravan

That’s why I was very surprised to see that THE QUILL was back with a new record! The bad news is that awesome singer Magnus Ekwall is gone, but the good news is that the new record (called “Full Circle”, released on Metalville – notice the label name) is good.

New singer Magz Arnar is not as outstanding as he predecessor, but his voice is powerful and perfectly suited to the music. The only problem is that he sometimes pushes it too much, but hey, he seems young and he’s got the potential. 

However, I still feel that the band has taken very few risks as the album turns out very predictable. But as said it’s still pretty good, and don’t forget it’s a comeback record with a new singer; maybe it’s not the ideal timing for experimentation…

The Quill is back with a new singer and a pretty cool new record

I really hope that The Quill will ignore everybody else’s opinion and stick to their guns. They really need to play the music they love, and I believe that we can trust Joe Atlagic (drums) and Christian Carlsson (guitars) in writing some pretty awesome genuine hard rock tunes in the vein of Voodoo Caravan. And screw it if metal fans fans find it too "mellow". 

And to mark my difference with the “Metal fans that like AC/DC”, I’m going to confess that my 2 favorite tracks on that new record are the ballads. “River Of A Moonchild” is a fantastic psychedelic song that reminds me of the Voodoo Caravan era and I love the country feeling and the blues on “No Easy Way Out”.

The conclusion of all this blabla is pretty simple:

1. Heavy metal fans are sometimes pretty lousy hard rock fans.

2. We really live in such horrible times that bands that release an album as awesome as Voodoo Caravan dot not instantly become notorious rock stars. 

SINISTER REALM makes your summer EPIC

There is a new “hype” around old-school heavy metal going on. Every label wants a new rooster inspired by the glorious early heavy and/or evil bands. What’s even more impressive is that the movement started on very specialized forums, the whole thing grew, cool reviews started to bloom all over the web. And now, you got very promising bands, playing Mercyful Fate-like stuff like In Solitude and Portrait signed on Metal Blade! A few months ago, people would laugh at Mercyful Fate fans… That’s probably one of the very first cases where the whole thing completely started on specialized Internet forums.

But let’s give credit to those who’ve always been there, like Shadow Kingdom Records. The label has not only reissued some fantastic records (Manilla Road’s Live After Midnight), it also promoted promising new bands like Argus (now on Cruz Del Sur) and Iron Man (who released their fourth record, I Have Returned, probably one of the best heavy/doom CDs released in a few years).  

And one of the most awesome bands on Shadow Kingdom is without a doubt Sinister Realm, formed by former Pale Divine John Shamus Gaffney and Darin McCloskey (the latter had to leave the band after the very good first record).

Their first record was already a great heavy metal journey with some doomy edges. But the new one, The Crystal Eye is a pure diamond.

Everything on this record makes it sound like a classic. It has the perfect length: 45 minutes. It contains 8 songs, each one of them being memorable with something specific that makes it stand out. You have the strong and powerful opener, a slow and very heavy song, a fast one, the epic killer title track, the melodic song, the power-ballad, the instrumental and the final epic that shows some interesting progressive elements. Absolutely nothing’s missing here!

All of the musicians are on the top of their game, and vocalist Alex Kristof is realy stands out. The man’s got a powerful voice but he also knows how to sing. What I mean is that he’s not like at 110% all over the album screaming his balls out and irritating your ears!

You also have to note the fantastic solos by new guitarist John Risko and of course the superb bass-lines from John Gaffney. His old-school style reminds me of the way Steve Harris stands out in Iron Maiden. Now he’s also the main composer here and he’s not very far away from perfection with tracks like “Signal The Earth” or “Swords Held High”. These songs are truly amazing, as they sound classic but very unique at the same time.

All in all, if you are into heavy metal, this is your album of the year. Therefore, even if the it’s cover is a little bit cheesy and although it’s not edited in one of those huge digipacks with a bonus DVD (where you can look at the band fool around in the studio for an hour and a half) The Crystal Eye deserves your complete attention. Definitely one of my favorites this year!

Make sure you check’em out right here. 

OBSCURA KICKED MY ASS!

OK, I’m gonna be honest: I never really digged technical death metal. Really, Pestilence, Atheist, Cynic…I never got these bands and they create no emotions whatsoever in my deviant heart. And please don’t mention the AWEFUL brutal/technical death metal bands. How many of you still remember Pessimist???

I know some people who’d sentence me to death for saying that…

Anyways, there are some exceptions though, and they all share the same characteristics (I may be a jerk, but I try to stay logical). In fact, there is ONE simple characteristic: all the bands I like focus on writing SONGS, not just a bunch of crazy rapid riffs with wild and superhuman drumming.

The first band that obviously comes to mind is DEATH. I love Death, one of my all-time favorite bands, Chuck Schuldiner never released anything else than classics, classics and more classics. 
Then one day, I bought Omnivium, Obscura's third record by accident. I found it for a pretty cheap price, and just like when I’m at the supermarket; I never let such an opportunity slip through my hands.

And what a revelation it turned out to be! I love it, from the first to the last note, it’s brilliant. Very technical, sometimes totally insane, but the songs are still the main point here. There are several layers in fact, and you just rediscover the songs at each spin, from the apparently simple melodic death tunes like opener “Septuagint” to the killer instrumental “A Transcendental Serenade” (AWESOME bass lines!). There are also some cool choruses here and there as the band has reached tremendous heights in terms of songwriting.

Now what I love to do when I discover a cool band, is buying their previous records and listening to their whole production methodically.

Cosmogenesis is the band’s second record and it is also fantastic. Some people even consider it to be stronger than Ominivium. I understand them, but I do not agree at all. The thing is Cosmogenesis is more like a usual technical death metal record, the ones that I hate! Don’t get me wrong here, I still love it, but the songwriting here is not as smooth. The songs are impressively technical, totally crazy and sometimes you loose that focus. Still an excellent release though, with fantastic tracks like “Infinite Rotation” and “Noosphere”.  

Now comes Retribution, the recently re-edited first record. And as you might expect from a first record, it sounds raw, a bit naive and it’s not as good as the rest. It also lacks personality and sounds very much like…Death! There you go, now you know why I love that band!

I also need to mention that some sort of cosmic concept links the 3 albums, and they form a trilogy. The artworks are also fantastic, very complex as well and they perfectly fit the concept.  I just love such bands!