This one took a little longer than I wanted, but there's a lot to cover here. I'm still focused on my Top 5 articles, and so here's a bunch from 2010, though it's a little bit of everything, really. I'm still hoping I can get through all these albums and articles before the end of the year, and maybe squeeze in a few more things, but it's looking tight. In the meantime, here's a new handful of albums I've checked out, and I hope you do as well, as there's some great stuff here!
Atlantean Kodex - The Golden Bough (A Study in Magic and Religion)I remember when this came out back in the day, with a lot of metal websites praising it. I listened to it back then, thought it was good, but then never listened to it again! I also feel like this band sorta disappeared off the face of the earth after their debut, but it seems they're still going with nearly the same lineup that recorded this album. In an effort to get back into more epic doom metal (and as research for the upcoming Top 5 article), I figured I'd give this another go, treating it like a new listen as I remember very little of what's on this album.
Based on a book series that discusses mythology and religion, the songs dive deep into those themes as well. The way the tracks transition from one to the next, using some sailing ambiance, gives this the feel of a concept album, like an epic quest. There really isn't much doom and gloom so much as the dealings with magical and esoteric traditions, and the music does a great job of evoking those moods. Many of the songs are long, include the first two both being over 10 minutes, and a 15 minute epic towards the end, but they never become boring or tedious. Instead, they tap into this almost folky, ancient atmosphere that's easy to sink into, making for some very solid doom metal. Markus Becker's vocals soar and harmonize very well, Manuel Trummer and Michael Koch provide great riffs and melodies on their guitars, and the rhythm section of drummer Mario Weiss and bassist Florian Kreuzer make sure things move along at a good pace.
If there is a problem with the album, it's that the production is a bit odd. While it does provide a solid wall of sound, there are moments were it feels off, especially when the guitars stop playing. The distortion effects are fine, but when they stop for a bit, the straight silence with no reverb that follows before they start playing again is so stark, it almost feels like a mistake, but it happens multiple times on the album, so it's a bit strange. Their transitions can also be quite sudden, going from loud to quiet and back to loud with little-to-no build up or anticipation. The drums might be a little too loud in the mix as well, as Becker does get a little buried at times.
Of course, these are just nitpicks. In the end, we have a very engaging album full of mythic awe and wonder as the music epicly plods through its course. I liked most of it, with the opener "Fountain of Nepenthe" setting the stage well, "The Atlantean Kodex" adding a nice dose of energy with more of an anthemic, 80s-metal sound, and the epic "A Prophet in the Forest" rounding out the journey Fans of Candlemass and Sorcerer should find plenty to like, as long as they don't mind lyrics more inspired by Bulfinch's Mythology than the Book of Revelations.
Vega - Kiss of LifeAfter enjoying their last handful of albums, I figured it was time I went back to their debut and checked out where they started. Unsurprisingly, they have their 80s melodic rock style down right from the start. These are songs full of cinematic touches, making them feel like part of the soundtrack of a melodramatic film from that aforementioned decade.
If there is one thing that stands out, it's the heavy use of 80s synths and keyboards, giving the band a bit more of a pop-band feel. Sure, they rock out well enough, but some songs lean pretty hard into the synths, like "Staring at the Sun." Still, this is some solid retro rock music, using a wall-of-sound-style production to make these songs sound anthemic and huge. The title track and "Headlights" are two great examples of this, as the songs show the band's excellent use of dynamics. Meanwhile, the opener "Into the Wild" and "Hearts of Glass" show the band's hard rock energy. Overall, it's everything I loved about them when I discovered them with Only Human. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up in my Top 5 for 2010, as it holds up well and is pretty consistent in quality.
Allen/Lande - The ShowdownIt's been quite a while since I last talked about this curious combo of crooners, but Allen/Lande, despite being a little generic in the songwriting, at least provides some fun symphonic metal. This third album would be the last they would rely on Magnus Karlsson's talents in writing and arranging these songs before moving on to a dozen other projects. Still, this one soars just like the other two albums.
What little experimentation there is mainly focuses on arrangements and instrumentation. The two singers belt out the lyrics in epic fashion, and there is plenty of lush orchestrations and slick guitar melodies, as one would expect from these guys. None of the songs are bad, though the lyrics on "Bloodlines" were a little strange. Standouts include the title track, "Turn All to Gold," and "The Artist" for their symphonic power, while "The Guardian" was one of the better ones in the AOR style. While there were no real surprises, it's still competent melodic metal with a flair for the dramatic, which is good enough for me.
Airbourne - No Guts, No GloryHere's another one that's filling in a gap. I enjoyed their debut album, and this follow up seems to lean even harder into their AC/DC influences. Between the raucous vibe and raunchy lyrics, it's another rock party jam from top to bottom.
As usual, I tend to like the faster songs, though I will say the band does some anthemic stuff pretty well. "Raise the Flag" and "Bottom of the Well" are perfect for fist-pumping self-affirmation, aside from being a pretty good time. Unfortunately, like reviewing AC/DC albums, there really isn't much to say. The production is solid, the riffs are crunchy, and the vibe is fun. Overall, it's a decent time with plenty of headbang-worthy tracks, but I wouldn't say it's necessarily an improvement over their first. However, there's nothing wrong with staying in cruise control sometimes, and these guys were pretty content to stay the course for this one.
Pathfinder - Beyond the Space, Beyond the TimeI came across this band the same way as I'm sure many others did, with their cover of Mike Oldfield's "Moonlight Shadow." It was bombastic, even operatic at times, and a very energetic version of the song. However, their name sat in the back of my memory like so many other bands, so I'm taking it upon myself to fix this and check out their debut album, which has some very over-the-top symphonic power metal, with all of its tropes.
While I've referenced Rhapsody of Fire many times before when discussion this kind of music, but if you had told me this was one of their albums and not a new band, I might have believed you! While the high speed riffing certainly recalls DragonForce, and the singer Szymon Kostro does lean a little into Hansi Kürsch's style, but in the end, these Poles are clearly inspired by the aforementioned Italian band. The result is some very fast songs, a few interludes, and some very complex arrangements, mixing the guitars and symphonics and choirs quite well (and throwing in Beethoven in for good measure). These songs are often long as well, fitting in all kinds of cinematic sections. While I wasn't able to find a lot of specifics, but I'm pretty sure this is a concept album, telling a high fantasy story involving a hero getting powers from the moon, rescuing his lover from cave dwellers, then facing the hordes of evil, and having a showdown between dragons that gets rather metaphysical. I think.
This is an album that's going to need more than few listens to really unpack everything, as there are so many transitions and sections. While it's done well, it does make the songs a little hard to follow at times. "All the Mornings in the World" was pretty good, as that song felt the most focused, and "Sons of Immortal Fire" was a nice break from all the high-speed melodrama by being just a solid metal song. The rest are enjoyable enough, but I'm not really sure if they're capable of coming out from under Rhapsody of Fire's shadow. I know they have one other album, which I will get to a some point, but for now, it's a curious album that I wish was easier to get into somehow.
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