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.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
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
Cheers,
Soilworker
Thursday, September 23, 2010
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 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
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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
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
Monday, September 20, 2010
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
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
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