Single Review: Lindemann - Praise Abort - 2015

Genre: Industrial Metal

Country: Germany
Year: 2015

Tracklist:

1. Praise Abort

2. Praise Abort (Clemens Wijers Remix)
3. Praise Abort (Ostblockschlampen Remix)
4. Praise Abort (Hedberg & Larsson Remix)
5. Fat (Jonas Kjellgren Remix)
6. Fat (Oliver Huntemann Electronica Mix)

Till Lindemann and Peter Tägtgren (ex Hypocrisy singer), released the first single from their new Industrial Metal band “Lindemann”, titled “Praise Abort”. As a former Rammstein fan I can’t help to say a few words about this song.

To begin with, I want to point some similarities with Rammstein. First, and as you may have already noticed, the cover reminds to one of Rammstein’s albums, “Mutter”. Second, it sounds like a Rammstein’s song. Third, it replicates the same formula used in the single “Pussy”, in lyrics, composition and instruments. So, if you haven’t listened to Rammstein, this may be a good chance.

The song itself isn’t bad, but it’s unremarkable despite of being catchy. The composition is the one of any pop song, and the instruments are the same ones of any mediocre industrial band. The participation of Tägtgren doesn’t bring anything new or good and the video sucks like the song does.

The Single comes with 5 more awful songs that happen to be remixes from “Praise Abort and Fat”, another piece (of crap surely) coming in the band’s next album.

Rammstein has lost its shine since their third album “Mutter” and it seems that this is NOT a comeback.

Rating: 4/10

Album review: Sirenia - The Seventh Life Path - 2015

Genre: Symphonic Gothic Metal
Counntry: Norway
Year: 2015

Tracklist:

1. Seti
2. Serpent
3. Once My Light
4. Elixir
5. Sons Of The North
6. Earendel
7. Concealed Disdain
8. Insania
9. Contemptuous Quitus
10. The Silver Eye
11. Tragedienne
12. Tragica" (Tragedienne Spanish Version- Bonus Track)

“The Seventh Life Path”, is, well… the seventh Sirenia’s studio album, and the one we are going to review right now, in its Limited Edition format. 

It is priced today at $11.99 at Amazon.com and at 13,99 € at Napalm Records. This seem to be a fair price for an album just released and more than ok if you consider its content. 

The compilation is extraordinary lengthy. It has twelve songs (included a bonus track), where one of them is an intro, but a total play time of more than one hour and ten minutes. That’s a big amount of content for any LP album. That would be great if it also were of acceptable quality or more than acceptable… And it is! Indeed, it is superb. Behold one of the best albums this band has ever conceived! 

For better or worse, the band’s style has changed, of course, since their debut album in 2002. Strangely (not really), the biggest change coincided with the same album which Sirenia debuted in Nuclear Blast Records. “Nine Destinies And A Downfall” is a good album but a very different one from its two predecessors. It has a closer approach to the pop genre and so it dropped most of the Death Metal elements. Strangely again (seriously, not really), with “The Seventh Life Path”, the band has returned to its birthplace, Napalm Records, and, at the same time, to its old style, at least partially. So, it’s great to have them back to where they can do what they like, the way they like. 

By listening to the album firsts minutes, this change I’m talking about, is perceived right away. Back are the Death Metal vocals, back are the heavy riffs, back is the dark atmosphere, and back is Sirenia. This release is very close to the Gothic Death Metal the band exhibited in their first albums, but it also retains some of the essence of the last ones. Thus, this work blends the best of two different styles. Being fair, we can say that this album has some of the best of Sirenia. 

As said before, the harsh vocals are back, and the riffs that come with them. It’s good to have them back with more relevance and not as a bridge-only-instrument. In a couple of songs they don’t appear at all, but in the others they have, more or less, the same importance as the female clean vocals. However, they are used in the riffs only, being the choruses reserved for Ailyn. 

The novelty is also a big positive part. The band has maintained its particular style almost intact. Since “Nine Destinies And A Downfall”, it has suffered some variation obviously, but not at its core. Fortunately for us, this work brings some original elements. Which ones? I won’t tell you! But, besides the inclusion for the first time of an intro piece, they seem obvious in songs like “Elixir”, “The Silver Eye”, and throughout the album. The composition now feels richer than ever and entertaining. 

About the audio, I have to say it’s a refined version of the one used in the previous release. Still it is flat enough to let every instrument be heard, but this time it gives also the right and due relevance to some instruments, at the right time. As a consequence, the drums now sound deeper and more defined, the guitars more powerful and the vocals clearer.

In sum, a great work. Let’s hope the group stays in this path.

Rating: 8/10

Album review: Apocalyptica - Shadowmaker - 2015

Genre: Metal?
Country: Finland
Year: 2015

Tracklist:

1. I-III-V Seed of Chaos
2. Cold Blood
3. Shadowmaker
4. Slow Burn
5. Reign of Fear
6. Hole in My Soul
7. House of Chains
8. Riot Lights
9. Come Back Down
10. Sea Song (You Waded Out)
11. 'Till Death Do Us Part
12. Dead Man's Eyes

It has been a long way for Apocalyptica. Several albums and almost 20 years have passed since "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos". A part of its style and even its genre has mutated into something completely different and, by doing so, the band has gained new fans but also lost some others. 

Oddly, that change, besides the inclusion of drums, doesn’t reflects itself in every song. In their last album, “Shadowmaker”, the one we are reviewing here in its Limited Edition, the band set only three songs that can be identified as an “old” Apocalyptica song, and all the other, as a “new” one. The difference between them is obvious and goes far beyond the use of vocals; it’s a change of genre, being the “new” ones of some kind of generic pop-rock or Nü Metal, and the “old” ones, of the band’s special mix between classic music and metal.

So, two different styles and songs coexist in a single album, like from two totally diverse bands. Just compare any song from their album Cult with any of Shadowmaker and you will see what I’m talking about. There is nothing wrong in such coexistence, the problem is the quality from the Popalyptica’s songs, let’s see why.

First, those pieces aren’t something that one may attribute to a particular band or style. They are too generic in its composition, and the only aspect that may differentiate them is the use of cellos instead of guitars. Indeed, the songs seem to be composed mostly to be played by an electric guitar, rather than by cellos. In other words, the cellos aren’t used as cellos, but as guitars, for most of the time. Even in their first album, the cellos shined more than here.

“Apocalytica started playing Metallica and now look at what it has become!”

Second, related to the above said, the song structure is a rigid AABA one. There is no variation at all. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but since the composition is too simple and uninteresting, it just adds more shit to the latrine. It’s just generic music for the masses, a simple and easy-listening style that may be of the liking of most of the people, but no to a metal fan.

Third, Franky Perez voice are nothing to be proud of, as a band. There is nothing bright about it, and nothing that may justify its inclusion besides the willing to include lyrics. Its vocals are ok, but nothing more than ok, thus they add not even a bit of spice to the music, and they don’t contribute to create a special band identity.

This crap isn’t new. It started, but not in full strength, with their homonymous album and it’s first song “Life Burns!” (a good one), and then it kept growing album by album till this shity pop... yes, Popalyptica. 

“Shadowmaker”, the album titled song and first single, is catchy at some point but it doesn’t excel in any way apart of its nice four minutes bridge. 

“You Waded Out” is one of the exception where the cellos are used as… cellos. It’s a simple but nice song. “Dead Man’s Eyes” is a similar piece but not as good. 

Three songs (only two if you buy the standard edition), are part of the second and old genre we have already mentioned, and they have no lyrics at all. They evoke the band’s best of, and are interesting pieces worthy of being appreciated by any music lover. Don’t miss them! (“Reign of Fear”, “Riot Lights” and “Till Death Do Us Part”)

The sound has improved since the previous release, being specially noticeable in the drums and plates.

Finally, this resulted in a disappointing album, where just a few songs are good enough to be willing to listen to them more than once.