SOILWORK - North American Tour Diary

Soilwork has just released part 6 of their tour diary, the final part.

I watched each part as they came out, and each part told a story. I think the tour diary was a great idea, a way to see inside Soilwork during tours. I hope you enjoy it as well as I did.

You can watch parts 1-6 using this handy playlist I set up on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=047F84D86F1C6A6D


Cheers,
           Soilworker

Electronical

Just putting it out there. Electronic music is great. I know this is a metal blog mainly, but I just wanted to point out another type of music that is just great.


deadmau5, one of the great artists out there (imo). Here is a sample song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb-EwykPTv8


In other news, I will be putting out a few album reviews soon, and work on a band review.


Cheers,
           Soilworker

War is the Answer

Been listening to a lot of Five Finger Death Punch lately, they are a pretty B.A. band. Good sound, good style, and their live shows are insane. Definitely a band to check out.


On other news, if you like to stalk people (kidding), and like music, why not follow me on last.fm and see what is the latest I am rockin' out to.
http://www.last.fm/user/SOILWORK-er  Enjoy.


Anyways, gonna listen to some mastodon to put me to sleep.

Cheers,
          Soilworker

Been a while...

So yeah, has been a while since the last blog post, I will get back to posting them soonish. Sorry for the absence.


Cheers.

Checker's Corner: The Painter's Palette

A new addition to the blog, Checkers is one of my friends who has helped me expand my music library vastly, and without his musical insight I'd never have heard of half the stuff I listen to. I am not responsible to anything he says on here that may offend you. So hope you enjoy his reviews.  ~Soilworker

CHECKERS CORNER:

Italy has always had a prevalent Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal scene, but I think we've found a kicker here. EPHEL DUATH is a band from the boot country that has made itself known in the Avant-Garde community as one of the first bands to seamlessly fuse Jazz and Metal with Progressive stylings, all without being overly pretensious.

Unfortunately, I can't give anyone a line-up on these guys, because they've never stayed constant. Ever. Only one original member is still with the band, and he's currently the only member. However, I'm only reviewing one album.

Following general Prog-band tradition of first names, on THE PAINTER'S PALETTE, Ephel Duath consisted of:

Davide Tolomei doing clean vocals

Davide Tiso on guitar,

Davide Piovesan on drums,

Luciano Lorusso George doing screams and

Fabio Fecchio on bass

But enough small talk, on to the review.

DISCLAIMER: This review is purely opinion, and when I say "Heavy" I'm judging the heaviness by the standards of the album itself, not all metal. You won't find anything to upstage Scar Symmetry here.

An interesting note about this release is all the songs are represented by a name and an abstract color, following the theme of art. I actually find myself referring to the songs by their color more often than the actual title, I'm not sure why.

The Passage (Pearl Grey): 9.6/10

The first on the album, the first song I heard by the band; how great it is. We're introduced to the album with what would seem to be a calm sounding jazz intro, before bursting into a mental breakdown of unknown proportions, wailing trumpets and all. That's probably the most in-depth description of all the songs you'll get in this review though, I can't describe it much more than a great song that any fan of metal, jazz or prog should hear.

The Unpoetic Circle (Bottle Green): 8.5/10

Do you play drums? I don't. But I'm sure anyone who does would fall in love with this from the start if I'm the one being asked. Bottle Green's guitars seem to sound deeper when distorted than that of Pearl Grey, and the vocals much more ethereal. As usual, the backing during clean parts create a nice atmosphere. My favorite parts of the song are from about 2:00 to 2:53, it's a nice little funky section that ends sounding like a track managers play at Wal-Mart. A great song that builds both emotionally and musically, go listen now.

Labyrinthe (Crimson): 9/10

Do you play bass? I do. There's a little solo in the latter part of this song, but I won't be touching on that. You'll have to hear it for yourself. I can't really sum this one up accurately, it speaks for itself I think, but one section (The breakdown..?) is very nice. The song builds until a little freeform session before transitioning to a meditative riff that sounds like something I'd expect hearing in the halls of a fancy library that used to be a cathedral. It's at 2:50.

Praha (Ancient Gold): 7.9/10

THE TRUMPET RETURNS!! This peice (is what all true warriors strive for) isn't really a metal tune, or something you'd expect that punk who sits next to you in Geometry to have blasting from his earbuds-OH WAIT IT'S GONNA GET-Nope, it's still quiet. But if you're listening to Jazz-metal, you're probably more classy than that kid anyway. He's probably listening to Bullet for my Valentine. Uh...Enough of that little flame war (and appologies to BFMV fans.) The song does pick up, but I can't give you a specific time. It's almost always intense, but only heavy at some parts. It's like watching a suspenseful movie, the calm parts are probably more hardcore than the actively nerve-wracking ones yet you still know what's going to happen, just not where or when.

The Picture (Bordeaux): 8.4/10
INTRO IS LOVE. Here we are, this nice synth, sounds like we're gonna get thrown into something like Deathbox by Mnemic. But what do we get? MORE JAZZ!! YEAH!!!...To be fair thought, it's heavy enough. The Picture's heavier parts are more groovy than other tracks, which is always a bonus; there's more speedy, thrashy-type riffs and that ethereal presence is brought back for us, with some bass slapping and a lot of reverb. When the synth is present, it's the most unique selection from the album, areas lacking the keyboards are a bit...Lacking.

Ruins (Deep Blue and Violet): 8.9/10

The only title with more than one color. Good news for death metal fans, this is where you're immediately submersed in the heaviness these crazy Italians had to offer in '03. Clanky cymbals, spastic (Yet audible) bass, droning screams and all. Hard do describe, find the song on YouTube and have a listen.

Ironical Communication (Amber): 9/10

The Jazz is back, so are the synths...AND THE TRUMPET :D. Then heavy, lotta heavy. D:. So far, I'd say this is the heaviest on here. and even harder to tell about than Deep Blue and Violet up there...huh. It changes around enough and keeps moving to as many places as it needs to to keep things interesing, and not being annoying. Funny ending too.

My Glassy Shelter (Dirty White): 8.3/10

Heavy. Then not heavy. Then ascends to heavy. Yeah. The bass at some parts reminds me a bit of music from Sonic the Hedgehog, and the prog part of The Blacklight Machine by Frost*. Very nice clean vocal bounces, proggy bass supports, dissonant and doomy guitars where needed.

The Other's Touch (Amaranth): 9.1/10

I came.

OVERALL: 9.4; Excellent

This is the only album I've heard of these guys in its entirety, and I gotta tell you it's a treat. I wouldn't say it has universal appeal, it certainly doesn't. It's possible the 3 people who read this won't like any of these songs, but anyone who is already knowledgeable in the styles encompassed (and open-minded enough to receive it) should love it.

---------------

The scores I give these songs will go UP over time, the more I listen to them the more I'll notice and start to enjoy them more. This is what I give them at current time.

            -Шашки (Checkers)

A neat band I found

I happened to stumble across Anubis Gate while watching YouTube videos. Sounds pretty great. Check em out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_MnU_reZco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ilud2vYs44


Let me know what you think of them in the comments.

Saw this earlier.

This made me chuckle. Solution .45 is a great band.

Be sure to check them out. Christian Alvestam is a beast.


               Cheers,
                         Soilworker

First album review

Today decided to do something a little different. I am going to be reviewing an album. And what shall I review for my first album? Here's a hint:

Yes, Demon Hunter's latest masterpiece, The World is A Thorn.

I will first review each track, rate each of them, and combine the scores at the end, and review the album as a whole.


Descending Upon Us: The intro to the album, has a nice quiet intro, that transcends into a great heavy kick-off. The verses are screamed out very well by Ryan, then the chorus is all singing, it is a beautiful mix. Overall a great song to start off.
Rating: 10/10, a perfect start.

LifeWar: Track one leads right into an explosion of track 2, a heavy, hard hitting vocal track. A great heavy song that will leave you headbanging for a bit.
Rating: 9.5/10, the album is continuing along nicely.

Collapsing: After such a heavy song, what else better to put than a heavy, yet melodic single. This is by far one of the best songs on the album. Great vocal job by Ryan, the vocal melodies are just amazing. And it also includes Bjorn "Speed" Strid, of Soilwork. His part is small, yet a perfect addition to the song. This song you'll be listening to for ages.
Rating: 10/10, a perfect single.

This is the Line: The intro on this song creeps me out a bit, but in a good way. This song is not as good as the others, but it's not something to just brush off. The chorus is well done.
Rating: 9/10, not as good as the first 3, but still good.

Driving Nails: The first quiet song of the album, and man, what a great song it is. It's a very nice break from all the other songs to remind you that, "Hey, we can do the softer stuff too, and make that sound just as great." I always enjoy the softer songs that DH puts out.
Rating: 9.5/10, another great lighter-sounding song.

The World is a Thorn: What better to put after a quiet song than a very very loud and heavy thriller. This song is just all heavy, much like LifeWar, but this takes it to another notch. A well-written song. Just makes me want to scream, "I DEFY!" The breakdown in this song is unreal.
Rating: 9.9/10, an amazing track.

Tie This Around Your Neck: I love this song. When the heavy first verse is done, it kicks into a very melodic vocal chorus. Just simply beautiful. "Tie this around your neck, FOOL!"
Rating: 9.5/10, another great one.

Just Breathe: What can I say about this song... just the fact that Christian Alvestam guest vocals in it already makes it top notch and kick-ass to the highest degree. Christian's vocal part is just mind-blowing, he is one of the best vocalists out there.
Rating: 10/10, I love it.

Shallow Water: The album takes a lighter step here. This has to be the track that I don't like as much, but it doesn't mean it is bad. There's just too many other good tracks that it has to compete against. I like the chorus though.
Rating: 8.5/10

Feel as Though You Could: Overall good song. I love the pre-chorus especially. Dave Peters puts some good guest vocals on here too.
Rating: 9/10

Blood in the Tears: A great ending to the regular album. A very nice soft ending to the album. Ryan's vocals have improved vastly over the years, and I must say this album has his best yet.
Rating: 9.5/10

Bonus tracks:

Desire the Pain: A nice softer song, I like this a lot, but I was hoping for a bonus track that was a bit heavier. But this does justice fairly well.
Rating: 8.5/10

Driving Nails(string mix): This is exactly like the original song, only even more acoustic and EPIC. I love the standalone vocals on it. Just simply beautiful.
Rating: 10/10


AVERAGE RATING: 9.4/10


Album as a whole:
When they announced that they were working on the fifth album, I went crazy. I enjoyed all their previous albums very much. When they announced that it was gonna be heavy and more melodic, I went even more nuts. I am a sucker for melodic albums. Demon Hunter by now know how to make a good album, this being their fifth. All I have to say is.... GO BUY THIS ALBUM, IT IS WORTH IT.


            Cheers,
                        Soilworker

I'm a Hunter

So next on the list is the most influential metal band I have listened to. They are the FIRST metal band I listened to and liked instantly. Without them, I might not have ever gotten into metal music. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce: Demon Hunter


Members:
Ryan Clark – lead vocals (founding member)
Jon Dunn – bass guitar (founding member)
Timothy "Yogi" Watts – drums (2004–Present)
Patrick Judge – lead guitar, backing vocals (2009–present)
Ryan Helm – rhythm guitar (2009–Present)


Demon Hunter formed in 2002 as a project by the Clark brothers, Ryan and Don. In october they released their self titled album. Two years later came the release of Summer of Darkness. After a year of touring they headed to the studio again for the 2005 release of The Triptych. This album was a great success, and their fame grew greatly. In 2007, they released their fourth album, Storm the Gates of Hell, and began the Stronger Than Hell tour. Two live CD/DVD albums were released in between the fourth and fifth album. In August 2009 Ryan announced that most of the new album was finished. On March 9th, 2010, The World is A Thorn hit the music store shelves. It featured several guest vocalists, Dave Peters of Throwdown, Christian Alvestam, and Bjorn Strid.


What I like about them:

They are the first band that got me into metal.
Ryan Clark's singing voice has improved greatly over the years, and it sounds great mixed together.
Consistency of sound. They have this certain "Demon Hunter" sound that always sounds great, and has only gotten better and better.
Their acoustic songs are beautiful melodies and I just can't get enough of them.

My album ratings:


Self titled: 7.5/10  A great start.
Summer of Darkness: 7.9/10  A few amazing songs in it. Good overall.
The Triptych: 8.5/10  Good overall.
Storm the Gates of Hell: 8.6/10 A little bit less, but with a few great songs in it.
The World is a Thorn: 9.3/10 Their masterpiece so far. An outstanding album.

Overall rating: 9/10

Sample song from their new album:

Be sure to pick up a copy of their new album and rock on out to them! They are great for anyone to listen to.


                     Cheers,
                                Soilworker

To start it all.

Time for the first official blog post for music! And what better band to start this off with, of course, I am talking about Soilwork. Here is some background info:

Members:

Björn "Speed" Strid - Vocals
Peter Wichers - Guitar
Ola Flink - Bass Guitar
Sven Karlsson - Keyboards
Dirk Verbeuren - Drums
Sylvain Coudret - Guitar

Commonly referred to as, "The Godfathers of Swedish modern metal", Soilwork has been around for 15 years, having released 8 amazing albums in that time period. They started out as Inferior Breed, then soon changed the name. They named it Soilwork, as they are working it from the ground up.

Their first few albums are a bit more thrash and influenced by the Gothenburg metal sound, starting off with the demo In Dreams we fall into the Eternal Lake, then two years later debuted with Steelbath Suicide. Two years later, they released their second album, The Chainheart Machine. It was a success, and landed them with a record deal from Nuclear Blast Records. After much touring, the band released their third studio album, A Predator's Portrait. Gradually as the years progressed, they developed a more melodic sound to their music. The first modern "Soilwork" sound came out with the Natural Born Chaos album, released in 2002. Soilwork then toured across the sea in America, and after another year of touring, in the end of 2002 they returned to the studio. 2003 saw the release of Figure Number Five. Two years later after replacing several band members, Stabbing the Drama was unleashed. This album drew more and more attention to the already successful Soilwork crew. Unfortunately it was after this album's release that lead guitarist Peter Wichers had to leave for personal issues. Soilwork was moderately quiet, until they went into the studios yet again to begin recording their seventh album. Sworn to a Great Divide came out in 2007, and was not as good as the previous album, but still kicked some major ass. Several tours later, they announced the return of Wichers, and Soilwork seemed complete once again. For 2 years the band waited in silence. With the new decade came a new Soilwork album. In early 2010 Soilwork headed to America to record their eighth album, The Panic Broadcast. With the album on the way, they prepared for the "Panic over North America" tour. July 2nd saw the release date, and they began their tour over North America.


Soilwork is one of those bands I am glad I heard of. When I first started listening to them, I wasn't impressed. I never really liked their first few albums much. But as friends showed me more and more songs, I grew to like them more and more. Soon enough Soilwork passed all my top bands and become my #1. After forcing a full listen through, I actually began to like their old stuff a lot more.

A few aspects I enjoy about them:

Bjorn's vocal abilities, being able to scream it out and sing it out, very melodic and pleasant sounding to the ears. I enjoy vocalists who can do this feat.
Their softer songs. These sound great with the album, and combined with Speed's vocals, will captivate your mind, heart, and ears.
The double guitar solos. A trademark of Soilwork are these double solos in songs, they add a nice touch to the song. Why settle for one, when you can have two in a row?
Very well produced. Each album shows a gradual progression towards a great, smooth sounding musical masterpiece.
Bonus album tracks. Usually the bonus tracks that are included are amazing, and should be on the regular CD.

My album ratings:
Steelbath Suicide: 7.5/10  A great start to their career.
The Chainheart Machine: 7.5/10 Continuing success.
A Predator's Portrait: 7/10 An alright album.
Natural Born Chaos: 8.5/10 The beginning of a great sound.
Figure Number Five: 8.5/10 Very nicely done.
Stabbing the Drama: 8.8/10 Another great album.
Sworn to a Great Divide: 8/10 Gotta love their sound.
The Panic Broadcast: 9/10 A very well made album, a nice modern sound.

Overall rating: 9/10

Here is a sample song from their latest album:

I fully recommend anyone who likes metal, any type at all, to try out Soilwork. Listen to a few different songs, and see how you like them. You won't be disappointed.


          Cheers,
                     Soilworker

Welcome to my blog!

Hello, and welcome to my metal music blog. To start off, I will state the purpose of this blog:

To show the world my views, likes, dislikes, and other stuff about metal music, and music in general. You will learn over time the exact style I like, and see many bands you have never even heard of before.

I enjoy listening to music all the time. I am usually listening to anything hard rock/metal, but I do listen to other genres. I like a wide variety. Helps keep everything interesting, and I don't get bored on the same band over and over.

So be looking forward to future posts as I take you on a journey of metal music and more!


~Soilworker