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Opus
Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2022 12:17 am 
 

Anvil - This is Thirteen (2007)
Still the same. 3/5
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Last edited by Opus on Thu May 05, 2022 8:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Empyreal
The Final Frontier

Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 6:58 pm
Posts: 35179
Location: Where the dead rule the night
PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2022 12:42 am 
 

Opus wrote:
Antiquus - Eleutheria (2006)
Is there a thing called epic quirky metal? Well, there is now. Antiquus is playing epic quirky metal. The characteristics of epic quirky metal are unconventional song structures, unorthodox riffs, unexpected harmonies, unusual vocal melodies - all things un-, really. Did I mention unique? Also long songs and a quirky name. I mean Antiquus? Who even remembers that name, let alone how to spell it? What separates epic quirky metal bands from normal progressive metal bands is that the progressive metal bands have a theoretically sound structure to their songs. Epic quirky metal bands don't. The music is completely unhinged, but in a good way.
Another typical feature of epic quirky metal is the emphasis on story telling. And this is something Antiquus excels at. It's more like a novel set to sound, rather than just "lyrics". The album is wonderfully dynamic, and the 54 minutes it lasts just flies by. 4/5


I was playing this just a bit ago. One of my old favorites and a true gem of what underground metal is... glad ya like it.
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Opus
Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2022 10:46 pm 
 

Arch Enemy - Black Earth (1996)
This is much better than what I remember. I guess that what happens when you read enough shit flinging opinions on a band. There's very much death metal here, and the musicianship is spectacular. There aren't many really great choruses, but that doesn't matter since the riffs make up for that. And Johan Liiva is better than I remember. I had this notion that he was just doing lazy, middle of the road growls, but he is going full force! I love it! 4/5

Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges (1999)
A lot has changed here. Not much death metal anymore and a lot more melodies. Some songs seem a bit disjointed at places, but those that work, boy do they work! Hooks for days here! 4/5
I kind of wish Michael Amott would start a band that's in between Arch Enemy and Spiritual Beggars. Just straight up heavy metal with a power metal-ish singer and a somewhat toned down Daniel Erlandsson. I think that would have been interesting.
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Opus
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PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2022 10:58 pm 
 

Archetype - Dawning (2002)
Prog metal from the US. One album and never heard from again. A quick way to describe them would be old Iced Earth mixed with Dream Theater without keyboards but at least two John Petruccis.
The musicianship is outstanding. The only thing I could fault them for is that they sometimes appear to bite off more than they can chew song writing-wise. But maybe it just takes more listens to figure it all out? 4/5
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Opus
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PostPosted: Fri May 06, 2022 11:08 pm 
 

Ark - Burn the Sun (2001)
If you are putting together the proggiest prog band in the prog world, why would you have David Coverdale on vocals? Oh, it's Jørn Lande...
This is too much prog for me. I don't even know if this is metal or phrygian latin jazz fusion? Tore should stick to Conception. 3/5


Armageddon - Crossing the Rubicon (1997)
Christopher Amott's side project. On this album he's not doing anything that Arch Enemy hasn't done. The songs are forgettable, but the guitar solos/leads are great. 2.5/5
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Opus
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PostPosted: Wed May 11, 2022 10:48 pm 
 

Armageddon - Embrace the Mystery (2000)
Now this is more like it! From directionless melodic death metal to a perfect power metal. Too bad this line up didn't make more albums. 5/5

Armageddon - Three (2002)
Walking in big brother's foot steps, this is Chris' Spiritual Beggars album. Heavy metal rooted in the 70's. Again, a fantastic one off-project. And now he's in Dark Tranquillity!? I still can't fathom that. 5/5
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Opus
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PostPosted: Wed May 11, 2022 11:04 pm 
 

Artch - Another Return to Church Hill (1988)
This could have been so good. The first track is 5/5, a bit like Mercyful Fate in the songwriting and guitar leads. But by the second song they drop the ball completely with an anti-feminism rocker(!). The rest of the songs are standard 80's metal, like what Torch did five years earlier, only much better. 3/5

The one good song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsuL3mWiUn0


Artch - For the Sake of Mankind (1991)
1991. A time of confusion. Now they are mixing in some sort of sleaze with their metal. I'm guessing Guns n' Roses had an influence on them. It's not very good. 2/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aBCmxP353w
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Last edited by Opus on Thu May 12, 2022 10:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Opus
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Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
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PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2022 10:30 pm 
 

Arthemis - The Damned Ship (2001)
Italian power metal. Just the way I like it. Fast and still heavy. Good songs, good riffs, good guitarist, a great power metal singer. But there's one flaw. One that makes this pretty much unlistenable for me. Drum machine! I can't stand it. Had they used a real drummer this would easily been 4/5. Now, I'll generously give this 3/5.

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K9X5_92tRk
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Opus
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PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2022 10:44 pm 
 

Artillery - When Death Comes (2009)
As you may know by now, I am the littlest thrash metal fan around here. There's not a single "pure" thrash metal band I like. I love technical thrash, black/, and a certain kind of melodic thrash. This album is that kind of melodic thrash. Temporary singer Søren Adamsen is doing it for me. There are some really ugly - in a bad way - choruses on this album (Sandbox Philosophy, Not a Nightmare, Uniform), but other than that, it's solid. 4/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEQFLRsGXig
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PeteGas
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 2:34 pm
Posts: 172
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2022 12:18 pm 
 

Gotta say I’m liking these short reviews - well done

Even if I don’t agree with all of the takes. Temple of Shadows is a 5/5

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Opus
Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
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PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2022 9:14 pm 
 

PeteGas wrote:
Gotta say I’m liking these short reviews - well done

Thank you!
Believe me, I want to like Temple of Shadows, but it's just too much. Besides, since Rebirth is perfect, how do you top that?
I need to get Aurora Consurgens and Aqua one of these days.
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Opus
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PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2022 11:03 pm 
 

Asguard -Black Fireland (2003)
This was a nice surprise! I have no idea when or why I got this. With a band from Belarus named Asguard on a label named More Hate Productions I was expecting you know what. Instead I got really solid melodic death metal of the Children of Bodom variety. Really nice riffing and good songwriting here. On the down side the sound isn't the greatest. Really wonky guitar tones, and electronic drum kit. But as far as melodic death metal goes, this is good stuff! 3.5/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phXHHX25SXE


Asguard - Wikka (2004)
Apparently, this was recorded 1999, which is odd since the sound is considerably better. The playing is also more dynamic. The electronic drum kit is worse though. It's more heavy metal/Gothenburg here. 3.5/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtFfPDG1wvY
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Opus
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PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2022 11:29 pm 
 

Aska - Nine Tongues (1997)
This is a good example of albums I rate 2/5. The key word is "why?" Why did they release this? Who thought this was a good idea? Why did I buy it?
This is current Cloven Hoof singer George Calls' band that's been going since 1990. Obviously, the musicianship is good. But I can't figure out what they were going for? Were they trying to mimic the NWOBHM bands that were mixing heavy metal and hard rock? One song is metal, the next is AC/DC rock, the next is plain rock n' roll (that one is incidentally the best one on the album, music wise). There were of course a lot of early bands who did produce pedestrian music, so in a way I guess they succeeded. Only when Aska is bad, they are offensively bad. 2/5

The best song, with absolutely horrid lyrics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0G8_x0bgWk
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Opus
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PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2022 10:22 pm 
 

Aska - Avenger (2000)
Now they have found their footing. Competent USPM, but it's still sorta meh. Could have been heavier, and the production is too weak. Only one song offends me this time around, the song "Leather", with some odd S/M / torture / ihavenoidea lyrics. 3.5/5

A typical song with a really catchy chorus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MoYrV4TNOs
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Opus
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PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2022 10:43 pm 
 

Atlantean Kodex- The White Goddess (2013)
This album is just perfect! Epic in every sense of the word. As an old Manowar fan it's such a joy hearing how they have picked up the epic bits from the early albums and turned them up to 11.
If there were a downside to this album, it would be that it is very pensive and solemn. It's best appreciated when you sit down in a meditative state and just take it all in. Without hesitation, 5/5.

Here's the whole album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7NB9gbds6Q
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Opus
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PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2022 10:31 pm 
 

Attack - Danger in the Air (1994)
I really hate the term "pop metal". But this is actually just that. Here we have the synthpoppiest synth you have heard outside of synth pop, a pop sounding singer with a nice voice (he also plays the drums and funky bass, and a metal guitarist. The music is consequentially pop with metal riffs. It's the same style as Phil Collins' song Easy Lover, also recorded in 1984.
Good songs, but not too exciting. 3/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30fR03m ... -V&index=6
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Opus
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PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2022 10:32 pm 
 

Attika - When Heroes Fall (1991)
This is just bad! It's supposed to be USPM, but sounds like Complete with Richard Benson on lead guitar. Seriously, these guys can't play. But that doesn't matter much since they can't write a song to save their lives either. Boring riffs over monotonous music. All the songs are centred around one chord.
The singer's got a somewhat good voice, but to no avail, since he doesn't come up with a single melody for the duration of the album. 1/5

Do you really want to hear this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA23iD8 ... Z27I0VFZq8
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Thexhumed
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Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:26 pm
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PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:18 pm 
 

A has proven to be a rather average letter when it comes to quality metal music. Looking forward to B
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Opus
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PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2022 11:51 pm 
 

Me too. Blind Guardian week!
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Opus
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PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2022 12:17 am 
 

Auberon - The Tale of Black... (1998)
These guys were late to the melodic death metal party. Dark Tranquillity did this five years earlier. But it's done with such vigour and conviction I can't but help to approve. I'd rate this a strong 3, but since they have the good taste of having Andreas Stoltz from Hollow doing a lot of clean vocals it earns them another half point. 3.5/3

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xobmsWbW34


Auberon - Crossworld (2001)
I don't know what happened here, but it took a turn for the worse. It's heavier, it's more polished, but it doesn't make any sense. It's like they listened to At the Gates and misunderstood it completely. Worst of all is that the singer changed his style by adding this sharp tone. Now he sounds like an angry Sam Kinison, and that's not what I want to hear in my metal. Not even Andreas Stoltz can save this. 2/5

A typical chugga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-4dk2Oyz9Y
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DoomMetalAlchemist
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PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2022 9:58 am 
 

Opus wrote:
Now he sounds like an angry Sam Kinison


Was there ever a Sam Kinison that wasn't angry? :lol:

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Opus
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PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2022 10:28 pm 
 

Axenstar - Perpetual Twilight (2002)

Now is a good time to explain my simple and intuitive rating system.
1/5 Unlistenable
2/5 Why?
3/5 Head bobbing
4/5 Spontaneous smiling
5/5 Goosebumps

Axenstar is a 2/5. It doesn't move me. They do everything right, and have all the right parts. You could even say the music is objectively good. But it evokes nothing in me. One thing that I can put my finger on are the lyrics. They have the same problem I have when writing lyrics: they are too wordy. My lyrics usually end up being badly rhymed short stories. This I think is a general problem for non-native speakers. I also touched on this in my Accept - Blood of the Nations review. A native speaker can, with their substantially larger vocabulary, find words the 1) have a nice sound to them and 2) have a rhythm within themselves. Good lyrics isn't just about the meaning.

Axenstar would, however, make a terrific Sonata Arctica tribute band. They sound just like them, down to the keyboard settings.

Sonatina Antarctica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtJGb4o ... -3E-l-HD9c
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Opus
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PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2022 11:28 pm 
 

Balance of Power - Ten More Tales... (1999)
A rarely heard mix of prog metal and AOR, and it works. Sounds like a very light Queensrÿche circa Rage for Order. Very strong choruses and great singing and vocal harmonies. 4/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjezEK1ddsQ


Balance of Power - Perfect Balance (2001)
This one is more varied, but still just as good. Heavier and proggier. A bit pop and a bit neo-classical. There is a flaw here, and that's the cover. It's butt ugly! But I won't deduct any points for that. It was 2001 after all. 4/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXMqFiUKotc
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Opus
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PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2022 10:41 pm 
 

Balance of Power - Heathen Machine (2003)
If they were Queensrÿche light previously, they now have gone full USPM/prog. They even got a Tate-style singer, the fantastic John K. Much darker and heavier than before, but still have the big choruses. After this album they have made nothing.
This band really is a hidden gem. 5/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNkX-qJNGbw
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Opus
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PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2022 7:24 pm 
 

Below - Across the Dark River (2014)
It's so much easier, and funner, to write about really bad albums. Or albums that are in between, that are ok but you can point to things that could have been better.
This album sounds like Candlemass, and it's awesome! 4.5/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLi2QpiBUZA
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Thexhumed
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Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:26 pm
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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2022 9:16 pm 
 

Opus wrote:
Balance of Power - Heathen Machine (2003)
If they were Queensrÿche light previously, they now have gone full USPM/prog. They even got a Tate-style singer, the fantastic John K. Much darker and heavier than before, but still have the big choruses. After this album they have made nothing.
This band really is a hidden gem. 5/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNkX-qJNGbw


This is great
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Opus
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2022 9:14 pm 
 

Beyond Twilight - Section X (2005)
One of the worlds greatest albums featuring one of the worlds greatest singers, Kelly Sundown Carpenter. Prog metal with lots of keyboards and orchestral arrangements courtesy of main man and mastermind Finn Zierler. But it's not "symphonic metal". Or rather, it is. If there indeed is such a thing as symphonic metal, this is it. Pop songs with a soprano voice and keyboard set to strings is not in any way symphonic.
Eight songs at just - for prog - 44 minutes, this is such a ride! Fantastic compositions and fantastic song writing. 5/5

One of the odder songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JWMdnyudAY


Beyond Twilight - For the Love of Art and the Making (2006)
OK, what happened here? Kelly Sundown Carpenter is no longer on board, and neither are coherency. This isn't just an album, it's also a puzzle apparently. 43 separate tracks, between 9 seconds and 3 minutes long, that the listener is supposed to put together in the right order to unlock the meaning of the album. Or meanings, since there are several.
I don't know, being ambitious is good, but it is possible to take it too far. There are some good bits here and there, and it's possible there is a good album to be found somewhere somehow between all the strange interludes, but I'm not inclined to find out. 2/5 for effort.
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Opus
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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2022 9:39 pm 
 

Biomechanical - Eight Moons (2003)
I don't like Pantera. This sounds like Pantera. Vocals like Pantera, riffs like Pantera. This is John K's band, so I didn't expect it to sound like Pantera. But it does. 1.5/5

A song that sounds like Pantera:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ye3x0-aIqM


Biomechanical - The Empires of the Worlds (2005)
It sounds to me like they put much more effort into the songwriting this time, and the singing is much mere varied. Still too much groove/thrash for my liking. 2/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RKVT7umlHg
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Opus
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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2022 9:40 pm 
 

Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971)
Unpopular opinion: I don't really like the Ozzy-albums. Too much hippieness still lingering. The only song I really like all the way through on this album is Into the Void. 3/5

Into the Void:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx6IwshTL6M


Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (1980)
Now this is Black Sabbath more up my alley. But, I find this album too uneven. Lady Evil and Walk Away isn't any good at all, Wishing Well and Lonely is the Word is so so. Die Young is fantastic though. Might be my favourite Sabbath song. 4/5

Die Young:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJgHn7MeAwc
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DoomMetalAlchemist
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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:35 am 
 

Opus wrote:
Lonely is the Word is so so.


:boo:

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Opus
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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2022 11:41 pm 
 

Black Sabbath - Mob Rules (1981)
This is near perfect! While H&H was more straight rockers, there are more details and nuances on this one. The only song that isn't top notch is Slipping Away. 5/5

Here's the whole album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dGi4J-4wFQ
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DoomMetalAlchemist
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PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2022 9:04 am 
 

Opus wrote:
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules (1981)
This is near perfect! While H&H was more straight rockers, there are more details and nuances on this one. The only song that isn't top notch is Slipping Away. 5/5

Here's the whole album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dGi4J-4wFQ


Ok, now THIS I can agree with. :thumbsup:

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Opus
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PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2022 8:21 pm 
 

Of course, we are right.
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Do the words Heavy Metal mean anything to you other than buttcore, technical progressive assgrind or the like?
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Opus
Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2022 12:03 am 
 

Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear (1988)
This is an exciting listening. The whole band is going at full speed, just at the edge of failure. The guitars are just about to crack at the seams and Hansi is
singing and shouting and howling at the limit of his capacity, and somehow it just comes together into this wonderfully chaotic, unhinged whole. 4.5/5


Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind (1989)
This one is actually quite boring. It's like they wanted to polish their speed metal, and we all know there is no such thing as polished speed metal. The only redeeming factor is Thomen going at it like a coked-up squirrel. 3/5


Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World (1990)
What a shift in quality! Now they have found the Blind Guardian sound: speed, massive choruses and guitar melodies and leads everywhere. The first in a string of classic albums. 5/5

Welcome to Dying:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQkOSz-QrIw


Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
This is fucking magically good! (Yes, I'm using the big words now.) And now Hansi has found his signature clean deep baritone. And Thomen! I have never heard a drummer bashing the cymbals with such frequency! I'm certain he hits the cymbals more that he hits the snare. Amazing! 5/5

A Blind Guardian epic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXKQ96R-rS4
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Opus
Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2022 11:25 pm 
 

Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side (1995)
They are almost making things too complicated here.The songs aren't as direct as before, but it's still has the now trademark BG sound. 5/5

The Script for My Requiem, what a song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVYyCoeglPw
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Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 10:13 pm 
 

Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle Earth (1998)
Their crowning moment. This is what they should be doing: fantasy and sing-along choruses. 5/5

Nightfall, quietly it crept in and changed us all:
https://youtu.be/M0TcB5lxfuY
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Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 11:27 pm 
 

Bloodbound - Nosferatu (2005)
As I understand it, this started as a side project by Bergh and Olsson from moderately successful AOR band Street Talk when they wanted to play some heavy metal. So they recruited some local guys, which just happened to include world class singer Urban Breed.
There's a lot of paying homage here, especially to Iron Maiden, but also Helloween. It's a fun album with good songs, nothing more nothing less. 3.5/5

Bloodbound having fun being Iron Maiden:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QPxQU8k670


Bloodbound - Book of the Dead (2007)
Urban Breed is out (who would have thunk?) and in comes AOR singer Michael Bormann who does a terrific job being a heavy metal singer. Here he often sounds a lot like Demon singer Dave Hill, and I love Dave Hill's vocals! Imo, Bormann is a much better fit for the band than Breed.
While there still are lots of tropes and clichés, they now sound like Bloodbound. The songwriting has been taken up a notch, but they are still not dead serious. You can clearly hear how much fun the guitarist is having being a guitar hero, shredding away like he just heard Yngwie for the first time.
If I were to compare them to another band it would be early Edguy: really sharp metal riffing and ultra-melodic choruses. 4.5/5

A typical song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbEWidSwK30
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Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
Posts: 4266
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 9:51 pm 
 

Bloodbound - Tabula Rasa (2009)
Well, this just went tits up. This album does absolutely nothing for me. A few things have changed since the last album: Urban Breed is back, pretty much all the power metal is gone, they have changed their lovely riffing for chuggas. I guess it's supposed to be darker and heavier, but it just sounds flat to me.
When listening to the semi-ballad Night Touches You, I'm thinking they could have gone towards a dark prog rock sound a la IQ, or Eldritch. That might have worked. This I give - with a heavy heart - 2.5/5

Night Touches You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E355NKJmZwU
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Spiner202
Veteran

Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:32 pm
Posts: 2738
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 10:03 pm 
 

Your Bloodbound ratings are probably the opposite of the consensus. I think most people (myself included) like Tabula Rasa and Nosferatu the best and find Book of the Dead to be relatively uninspired.

Ratings aside, it's weird how Tabula Rasa is nothing like anything else in their discography. I'm not sure why the band largely disowns the album given that it's a fan favourite.

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Empyreal
The Final Frontier

Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 6:58 pm
Posts: 35179
Location: Where the dead rule the night
PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:49 am 
 

Tabula Rasa is pretty easily the only Bloodbound album I give a shit about anymore. I guess people dislike that guitar style, I never cared if the songs were good and catchy. That band turned to such shit a few albums later.
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