New Reviews 6/23/2013
Tristania- Darkest White- CD/ Digital (Napalm Records)
So with Tristania long and turbulent career with many shifting members and musical ideals over the years at the heart of this band we have gothic melodic doom/death band with Darkest White thought. The industrial, Prog and thrash elements have come into play making it a bit of a more aggressive chapter for the band. It still has the epic Tristania sound and presentation . We just see another layer added in on a more then 18 yr journey to Darkest White. With these words I'm about to speak we will see praise and major criticism. I really feel that Tristania is following in the direction like Theatre of Tragedy , The Gathering and 3rd and the mortal did . Were the modern sound of the day are really influencing the band and bringing them into a more industrial/ electronic flavor with the maturity of the music a very progressive and adult alternative over tone as well. This doesn't make the band any less impressive actually it makes them all the more impressive to incorporate these sounds into a staple and sound that the band as made all there own over the last decade. Tristania is a band to never take for granted of to let slip away as they will shock and amaze you over and over again.
http://napalmrecords.com/
Eternal Tears of Sorrow- Saivon Lapsi-CD/ Digital ( Massacre Records)
The Finnish are an interesting group of people they are Slavic, isolated from more of Europe and very very proud people . Sometimes Finland seems like another world and I think they want it that way. Think of bands like Amorphis, Thergothon, Skepticism, Sentenced, Nightwish etc all very different but have something very similar about them and that one this always is the Prog element s and as time go by all Finnish metal seems to head that direction with Eternal Tears of Sorrow the focus is Orchestral Electro Melodic Death metal and I know that sounds like a mouthful but it really is what they do mix the elements of NIN, Samael, Dark Tranquility , Opeth and Amorphis and you have the band is a path to the future of their sound and major and massive talents. The band never lets go of that Melancholy overtone either with almost gives that that early HIM sound ( oh look another Finnish band). Everything is really full circle with this nation and I could not be prouder to be a fan of this band.
http://massacre-records.com
De Arma- Lost, Alien & Forlorn- CD/ Digital ( Troll Music)
With De Arma we are going to have a love/ hate collection of folk as this is that Depressive Coldwave metal that many of you just do not understand or want. To even being to take this band at any direction you will need to be a fan of Canaan, Katatonia, Alcest and Klimt 1918. Some people even use the term Avantgarde Post Metal but all in all this is a goth rock band that feel in love with the more minimalist elements of Doom metal and Post rock and decided Dark Metal was to aggressive and like the more hypnotic tones of bands like Love and Rockets and Nick Cave. What you get is something that is almost metal, almost Alt rock and distantly related to Gothic . For the struggling poet, artist or writer this will seem to make sense in the world to some this will be way to high brow affair. At the end of the day though is that not way there are so many styles and flavors of music. This will have a diehard cult fan base but never much more. De Arma my hats of to loving you craft so much to make exactly what you wanted.
http://trollmusic.net
Sjellos- Transmission Lost- CD/ Digital ( Cyro Chamber)
Well Well Well Aquatic Dark Ambient in a very sinister and slow manner . You now have me interested in this Sjellos. So from what I've read after listening to Transmission Lost . Its suppose to represent you traveling through a sunk war ship or sub and how the metal and internal aural elements. If your a fan of Vidna obmana, Peter Anderson, Sleep Research Facilities and Schloss Tegal this is a mandatory listening event . It also has those elements that made the 30 days of night soundtrack so compelling . The total unknown of whats ahead. Sjellos is true untouched Dark Ambient in every sense of the word and you do not really get to hear that anymore. Cyro Chamber releases are really impressing me and I hope to get to hear more as time goes by. Thier artist and label take the time to let the craftwork and themes really play out in the music at hand. Another stellar release I want to hear more from Sjellos for sure...
Voices- From the Human Forest create a fuge of imaginary rain-CD/ Digital ( Candlelight Records)
So members of Akercocke have a new project called Voices and its beyond anything they have done before. To call it Avant metal is to limit its potential and majesty. Mix Grim Black and Death vocals with angellic Female vocals all in a musical style that most remindes me of bands like Code, Manes, Orphaned Land, A Forest of Stars etc Voices is all over the place and also have a chaos that is very controlled and dissident tone that work so very well over all the madness that comes forth. I hear alot of bands like Aborym and Solefald going on through out the release as well. Voices is a mega talented unit with so many metallic elements going on its really hard to point out just one. They have a love for Post Black metal, Eastern and Jazz sound as well as a very electronic and acoustic interplay as I keep telling you . It's just something your going to need to hear to understand and then it will take several listening to full digest the beast know as VOICES!!! AMAZING....
http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/
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