Dio - Live at Donington UK : 1983 & 1987

Dio - Live at Donington UK : 1983 & 1987

easily one of my prized possessions. both these albums were recorded in 1983 and 1987 respectively but released only as late as 2010, but i vividly remember reading about Dio's performance in guitar world mag when he had introduced the world a guitar prodigy named Craig Goldy who made his debut in 1987 playing Live!! Craig, had before this played in "Rough Cutt" (American heavy metal band formed in the early 80's which boasted of another killer guitar player by the name of Jake E Lee (Ratt, BadLands), who we got to hear on Ozzys "Bark at the Moon" and "Ultimate Sin".

i have scanned the CD booklet for you to have a look 

Forsaken - Hemispheres Album Review

Forsaken - Hemispheres Album Review by Bed Pan Boy

From Forsaken - Hemispheres (2011)

Forsaken are a 6 member metal band that hail from Bangalore, India and have been pretty active ever since their formation in 2009.

and before i pigeon hole them into being a "contemporary metal band" playing "this" kind of metal" i decided to give a good listen to their album and here is what i really think...

Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010)

Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) review by Pritham Denzil D'Souza "MetalFarmer"

Band Members

• Dagon - Vocals, Guitars, etc
• Incubus - Drums

Track Listing

1. Astral Path to Supreme Majesties
2. Command of the Dark Crown
3. Desolate Funeral Chant
4. Cosmic Invocation Rites
5. Conjuration
6. Upon the Fire Winged Demon
7. Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
8. Crepuscular Battle Hymn
9. Hymn for a Dead Star
10. Across the Abyss Ancient Horns Gray

The mighty Inquisition's latest album titled Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm was released in 2010 a few weeks in fact before i write this, then why, u must be wondering, is it mentioned in the same list of classic albums and bands that boasts stalwarts like Maiden, Priest and Metallica? 2 reasons. One, Inquisition are black metal stalwarts in their own right and have a massive underground cult worshiping ever since their creation in 1988!

Two, this is a classic! a true gem that centuries from now will still have the necessary elements to send a shiver down your spine!

The album starts with the thundering drums of Incubus, smashing the kit as if your life depended on it and the unique frog like vocals of master Dagon soon follows. The vocals are unique coz for the first time true evil black metal is expressed not by screaming or growling, but by slow and deep 'whispers'. Listen to any track on the album and u will realize, music can really sound evil with that hellish Dagon whisper.

The best part in "Astral" starts midway, when u are bamboozled by the superb guitar melodies that makes you wonder in amazement if u got the CD right. and just when u start to enjoy the catchy harmonies, its back to blistering , unrelenting Black Metal.

"Desolate Funeral March" is 100 percent true to its name. the music is so slow and the distorted guitars create a mind numbing picture of a figure , walking like a zombie. at over 7 minutes long, its also the longest track on the record and the creepiest with Dagons grunts and grim guitars.

"Conjuration" is a well deserved 2 handed middle finger gesture to all those critics of black metal who call the music weak and predictable. just at 56 seconds, its perhaps the shortest song composed in black metal, with the excellent electric acoustic guitar passage that acts as a prelude (calm before the storm) to the crushing "Upon The Fire Winged Demon"

"Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" is another grim black metal masterpiece followed by my fav track on the album "Crepuscular Battle Hymn".

Every track here is excellent and i really dont see any weak moments in the album. it has a lot of variety and musical variation to make it enjoyable even after several repeated listens, something that is so difficult to achieve on a black metal record. The evil frog vocals are really evil, while Incubus is a mad hatter drummer , whose limbs must be donated to medical science as a case study. Extreme, technically sound and tight!

Production wise, the album scores over its predecessors and this is probably a good thing coz good music needs the backing of good sound engineering. it still sounds hellish without the unnecessary over-the-top quality sell out production, so called evil demonic black metal bands of today claim to be.

"This album could even freak out Satan!" and is well on its way to becoming a classic! oops , my bad... its already is a classic!

My Rating

10/10

Listen to Astral Path to Supreme Majesties here

Psychotic Waltz - Mosquito (1994)

Psychotic Waltz - Mosquito (1994) album review by Pritham 'MetalFarmer' D'Souza


Line Up

• Buddy Lackey
• Brian McAlpin
• Dan Rock
• Phill Cuttino
• Norm Leggio

Track Listing

1. Mosquito
2. Lovestone Blind
3. Haze One
4. Shattered Sky
5. Cold
6. All The Voices
7. Dancing In The Ashes
8. Only Time
9. Locked Down
10. Mindsong
11. Darkness (hidden track)

The first time i heard of Psychotic Waltz was sometime in early 2005 when i came across a band by the name Dead Soul Tribe. Since being a guitarist myself, i was listening to various prog metal albums and bands and spending countless hours sitting with my guitar and trying to figure out some awesome guitar licks. When i heard Dead Soul Tribe, i was wondering how could this band fit in the Progressive Metal category. coz the music was mid paced to slow, (compared to other show off prog bands), very melodic and the most unique feature of the band was the mesmerizing vocals of one Devon Graves. Progressive or not, i became an instant fan and decided to find more about the band.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of 'Mosquito' from a prog metal fan who told me to " just check them out".

Mosquito is the third studio album of Psychotic Waltz released in 1994, while the band decided to call it quits in 1998 after releasing one more album called "Bleeding" followed by a live album.

For the die hard fans of the band, "Mosquito" remains the weakest album they ever released but for fans of great music, this is a treasure worth its weight in gold.

Although the bands signature complex riffing and technical style guitar playing was not present here in the album, what i loved about it was the 'chilled out' , 'relaxed' feel and the ease of listening without pulling out your hair trying to figure out the solos or time signatures.

Dont get me wrong, the album is still a proper prog metal classic but without the technical wanking.

"Mosquito" starts with a narration of a judge passing an order to a marijuana addict. and is easily the catchiest track on the album. "Haze One" has an amazing psychedelic feel to it while "Lovestone Blind" is another groovy mid paced monster.

"Shattered Sky" truly stands out with its blend of alternative and prog styles and mid paced groove.

The last track "Mindsong" is over 10 minutes long, coz there is a hidden track "Darkness" which starts after a 2 minute silence.

Devon Graves is one of the greatest vocalists ever and this album proves just that.

I thoroughly enjoyed every track in the album and i must add that those who have heard the first 2 albums might not really like this coz the music is a toned down , filtered version of what they used to be. some might label them as sell outs, but i am sure that most of you out there have not even heard of Psychotic Waltz and its a shame coz they should have got all the credit they deserved.

This album is extremely rare to find and the sites that do have them are making a killing with the prices. An excellent album to listen to on a cold rainy day, with just your coffee mug (or shot of whiskey) in hand and with some good time to spare. You wont be disappointed. 16 years later this album is still as strong as it sounded back in 1994.

My Rating

9/10

Listen to the "Shattered Sky" here

Strapping Young Lad - City (1997)

Strapping Young Lad - City (1997) album review by MetalFarmer Pritham D'Souza

Track Listing:	Lineup:
Velvet Kevorkian All hail the new flesh Oh my fucking god Detox Home nucleonics AAA Underneath the waves Room 429 Spirituality	Devin Townsend Jed Simon Byron Stroud Gene Hoglan

Gene Hoglan was the reason i first picked up this album, coz i loved his drum work in Death and was expecting something close to what he achieved there. When i heard the first track, Velvet Kevorkian i seriously didnt know what to expect. It had a very industrial sound to it and a guy with really good vocal chords shouting his guts out. when the second track All hail the new flash blasted from my speakers, i seriously was left wondering what hit me! it was the heaviest wall of noise i had ever heard. the drumming was insanely fast and the riffs were jabbing at the bone. and a powerful voice, over shadowing all the music.

Devin Townsend is the craziest guy in metal. and i am not joking. a multi instrumentalist, vocalist, song writer , composer, and funny guy all rolled in one. All his other projects however great they are, still cannot come up to the level, he achieved musically in this album.
SYL has redefined words like rage, aggression and power. This is like 'Reign in Blood' of the 90's, only a lot faster!

Detox, All Hail The New Flash, Underneath The Waves and Oh My Fucking God are some of the most heaviest songs ever written. Off course this is not Death Metal, neither is it Thrash. With City, SYL has probably created another sub genre in metal, coz honestly i cant put my finger on it! (is he really vomiting at the end of Oh My Fucking God! or is he really getting possessed!! i will never know)

and when u get used to the chaos, Room 429 surprises you with its twisted slow pace , melodic catchy chorus and menaching guitar work.

A true masterpiece and an absolute must have Metal Classic!!! Guaranteed entry in the Top 20 Extreme Metal Albums Of All Time.
Am surprised, the album didnt come with a warning "clearly not for the faint hearted"

My Rating
10/10

Anthrax - Among The Living (1987)

Anthrax - Among The Living (1987) album review by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

From metal pics

Track Listing

1. The Living
2. Caught in A Mosh
3. I Am The Law
4. Efinkufsin (N.F.L.)
5. Skeleton In The Closet
6. Indians
7. One World
8. ADI Horror Of It All
9. Imitation Of Life

Line Up

• Joey Belladonna
• Dan Spitz
• Scott Ian
• Frank Bello
• Charlie Benante

If there was a band that got the hardcore fans and metal fans together, in the same room, thrashing and moshing to heavy , fast aggressive, fist pumping and chest thumping music, that band would be, without a doubt Anthrax

One of the most respected names in Thrash Metal, Anthrax was part of the 'Big 4' super heavy weights which included Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer.

while the other 3 bands mentioned here were dead serious on stage, with lyrical content ranging from death, war, suffering and Satan, Anthrax to me always had the image of 'Metal Clowns' and i say that with all respect, coz if one (even now) is lucky enough to be at an Anthrax concert, u can see the band having the time of their lives, laughing on stage, joking about, jumping and going berserk and yet in complete control. crowd favourites any day.

Thrashing, Moshing, stopping for a few minutes to grab a cold beer and starting all over again till you drown in your own adrenaline. That's Anthrax for you.

Scott Ian has to be one of the coolest dudes in metal history and Anthrax is probably the first band to bring the thrash aggression to the East Coast city of New York, which till then had a pretty strong albeit underground hardcore scene.

Anthrax, who always had a massive fan following were mostly a support band and an opening act, but with the release of Among The Living, they started to Headline and had several bands support them.

What makes this album special is the uniqueness in the song writing which is pretty evident with titles like "I am the law" which is a tribute to the comic book hero Judge Dread. "Indians" is about native American Indians, while "Efinkufsin (N.F.L.)" is Nice Fucking Life spelt backwards.

Joey may not be the greatest vocalist in metal , but here he sings in tune, shouts, screams and even sings clean, a concept which was pretty new, especially in a genre like Thrash Metal. Scott Ian keeps the rhythm section tighter than a cork screw while Dan unleashes a flurry of guitar notes during every solo. The bass doesn't get any dirtier than " Caught In A Mosh" and Charlie is an exceptional drummer keeping time for a band that never play anything straight forward.

"Caught in Mosh" is a perfect example of thrash and hardcore getting involved in a head on collision.

In a nut shell, Among the Living has more spunk than most of the so called thrash wannabes that we get to hear on popular social networking sites. How the band manage to juggle Speed, Aggression, catchy hooks, sing a long chorus and just berserk moshing is just beyond me. And this was in 1987!!

recommended tracks for maximum damage " I Am The Law", "Caught In a Mosh", "Indians", "One world" and the title track "Among The Living"

Among The Living is easily the best Anthrax release of all time

My Rating
9/10

watch Anthrax Caught In a Mosh live at Ozzfest 2005

Annihilator - Alice In Hell (1989)

Annihilator - Alice In Hell (1989) album review by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza




Line Up

• Randy Rampage
• Jeff Waters
• Anthony Greenham
• Wayne Darley
• Ray Hartmann

Track Listing

1. Crystal Ann
2. Alison Hell
3. W.T.Y.D.
4. Wicked Mystic
5. Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade
6. Word Salad
7. Schizos (are never alone) parts 1&2
8. Ligeia
9. Human Insecticide

Thrash Metal by definition means music that's played very fast and very aggressive. Some older bands that easily fit in the Thrash Metal sub genre are METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, EXODUS and the most notorious SLAYER. However, any Thrash Metal list or compilation is definitely incomplete without a mention to Canadian Thrashers ANNIHILATOR. Jeff waters is one of the most talented musicians out there and his jaw dropping metal solos and riffs have to be heard to be believed.

The album i chose to review as a 'must have metal masterpiece' also happens to be their debut. Released at a time (1989) when thrash metal seemed to be on a slow decline and death metal was getting all the attention it deserved, the band stood tall and proud over all the other local thrash acts that were getting media coverage for all reasons other than music.

Musically, Annihilator is exactly what Thrash Metal is supposed to be. It makes you wanna Thrash about the place without a care for anyone or self. Some might call them a hybrid between the other 2 heavy weights Metallica and Megadeth, but Annihilator doesnt sound anything like them. it probably is inspired by the technical prog guitar works of Megadeth and the fist thumping monster riffs of Metallica, but Annihilator adds its very own special ingredient that makes for an appetizing metal treat.

The album opens with the awesome and intricate classical guitar intro 'Crystal Ann' which under 2 minutes is something not to expect from a thrash metal band. 'Alison Hell' has an eerie build up before it explodes into a typical thrash number. the only difference here , is the song has a lot of tempo changes which makes it border line progressive. 'W.T.Y.D' stands for Welcome To Your Death' , starts on a fast note and has a surprising proggy guitar solo interlude that will make RUSH fans grin in delight.

'Ligeia' is without a doubt the heaviest and most brutal track on the album and its basically a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's supernatural story of love lost and found. Tracks like 'World Salad', 'Schizos (are never alone)' see Jeff , take his writing skills on matters related to altered states of mind. He can really set the guitar fretboard on fire with his immaculate picking style and flowing legato action.

Everything track on this album is awesome. This album is the musical equivalent of a bulldozer operated by a deranged psychopath who gets his high on running over anything that walks. Brutal and relentless.

This album definitely 'burns like a buzzsaw blade'...just a word of advice. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING YOUR CAR. You will wanna run over someone. If death by over speeding doesnt kill you, getting your ass raped in prison just might. Then u can blame Annihilator's Alice In Hell for for current state.

My rating
10/10

listen to sample track here Legeia from Alice In Hell

Dio - Holy Diver (1983)

Dio - Holy Diver (1983) album Review by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

From metal pics

Lineup:

• Ronnie James Dio
• Vivian Campbell
• Jimmy Bain
• Vinny Appice

Track Listing:

1. Stand Up and Shout
2. Holy Diver
3. Gypsy
4. Caught in the Middle
5. Don't Talk to Strangers
6. Straight Through the Heart
7. Invisible
8. Rainbow in the Dark
9. Shame on the Night.

Some facts about Ronnie James Dio. His real name is Ronald James Padavona. He is an American and not Satan's Little Helper. The oldest man alive in Metal today, Dio as he is popularly known as turns 68 on July 10 this year.

His musical career started in the late 1950's and he is still active even to this day as a musician, singer and song writer, a career spanning over 5 decades, a musical accomplishment of sorts.

After a successful career as frontman with Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, and BLACK SABBATH, Dio decided to form his own band. He and drummer Vinnie Appice, quit The Grandfathers of Heavy Metal , after they had some disagreements with Sabbath members on the mixing of their live album LIVE EVIL. He also managed to rope in a very young, talented and virtuoso guitarist named Vivian Campbell who was making all the right noises with his band SWEET SAVAGE at the age of 15! Jimmy Bain handled the bass duties and in the summer of 1983, one of Heavy Metal's finest Classics was released on May 25th. And what a debut!!

Dio was probably Americas answer to the UK metal scene. Vinnie had all the necessary skills that made his more than a good drummer, while Vivian had the guitar skills that could put present day guitar shredders to shame. But the strongest force in Dio has to be the vocals of the Ronnie. He could easily take on Bruce Dickinson or even the mighty Halford in vocal range and power. But for some reason, he never really got all the credit he so rightfully deserved.

From a musical point of view, this album is just excellent. the melody, the solos, the vocals and even the keyboards parts (played by Ronnie and Jimmy) all fit together like a glove. there are no 'filler' tracks here and one listen to any track, in any order will make u wanna listen to it all over again.

The album starts with an up tempo track Stand Up And Shout and ends with a powerful bluesy, power ballad Shame On The Night. everything in between is like Manna from Heaven... or in this case.. hell. oh! in case i forgot to mention, Dio in Italian means 'God'.

Rainbow In the Dark, Caught in The Middle, Gypsy, Holy Diver and Invisible are some of the best tracks you will ever hear and they are all here in one place, in one album. The melody in this album is just infectious and like earlier mentioned the guitar work is beautiful. Nothing too flashy, definitely not average, just right.

Even the album artwork has a special mention in being one of Metal's most controversial album covers of all time. a Catholic priest, bound in chains thrown in the sea by the devil himself. Or in this case, Dio mascot 'Murray'.

Current status on the band: everyone knows where Vivian Campbell is right now. Playing second guitarist in DEF LEPPARD, while Ronnie is battling Stomach cancer as i write this. But knowing Ronnie and the ups and downs he has been thru as a successful musician, its only a matter of time, he slays the dragon and goes back to the recording studio to give us another slab of pure, true Heavy metal. Till then, Holy Diver will keep playing in my Ipod.

My Rating
10/10

listen to sample here Caught In The Middle

04 - Dio - Caught In The Middle.mp3

Download Low Quality Album in Rapidshare here

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988) album review by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

Line Up Geoff Tate Chris DeGarmo Michael Wilton Eddie Jackson Scott Rockenfield Track Listing:
I Remember Now Anarchy-X Revolution Calling Operation: Mindcrime Speak Spreading The Disease The Mission Suite Sister Mary The Needle Lies Electric Requiem Breaking The Silence I Don't Believe In Love Waiting For 22 My Empty Room Eyes Of A Stranger

Easily, one of the most influential Progressive metal bands of all time, QUEENSRYCHE began their musical journey as THE MOB in the early 80's and like their peers FATES WARNING , were dismissed as 'yet another IRON MAIDEN clone band'.
A name change and 2 excellent albums later, QUEENSRYCHE were already being hailed as 'The next big thing to watch out for' all thanks to a copy of their self released EP which had made its way to the office of KERRANG! magazine way back in 1983.

Die hard QUEENSRYCHE fans will always debate on which is the best QUEENSRYCHE release till date. And its a pretty tough decision considering they they grew stronger with every new release since their official debut with their 1984 classic The Warning till 1990's Grammy nominated EMPIRE which had their label EMI laughing their way to the bank.

But its safe to say, their 1988 effort Operation: Mindcrime not only catapulted them to international stardom, but also ensured their permanent place in Metal's Hall Of Fame as one of the greatest concept albums of all time. The album is also often compared to PINK FLOYD'S The Wall and THE WHO'S "Tommy" which is a feat in itself.

The story of a junkie named NIKKI who gets brainwashed into performing assassinations for an underground movement, while battling his own demons, torn between his misplaced loyalty to the cause and his love interest, a reformed hooker who becomes a nun was stuff that made a best seller novel.

Every song here is a masterpiece and and the story telling is top notch. My personal favorites include Revolution Calling, Speak, Spreading the Disease and The Needle Lies, but the song i will give tooth and nail to watch live is I Don't Believe In Love a tour de force love ballad or anti love ballad thats arguably the best track here.

Geoff Tate has the vocal range that will make fans of Halford and Dickinson wet themselves, while the twin guitar assault of Chris De Garmo and Michael Wilton was the best thing that happened since Maiden.

The album is an "overdose" of excellent song structures, simple yet effective drums and bass, face peeling metal guitar solos with an infective hook and a voice that towers above all of this.

Do yourself a favor and buy this album today, coz if u dont, then u are obviously an ignorant cunt

My Rating
10/10

Type O Negative - October Rust (1996)

Type O Negative - October Rust album review by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

Lineup:

• Peter Steele
• Kenny Hickey
• Josh Silver
• Johnny Kelly

Track Listing:

1. Bad Ground
2. Love You to Death
3. Be My Druidess
4. Green Man
5. Red Water (Christmas Mourning)
6. My Girlfriend's Girlfriend
7. Die With Me
8. Burnt Flowers Fallen
9. In Praise of Bacchus
10. Cinnamon Girl
11. The Glorious Liberation of the People's Technocratic Republic of Vinnland by the Cimbined Forces of the United Territories of Europa
12. Wolf Moon (Including Zoanthropicn Paranoia)
13. Haunted

Its a long weekend and you decide to make the most of it in a decadent fashion by splurging on Cheap booze and Cheaper women. After having your fun, you finally wake up very late next morning, and realize that you are not even at your own home and slowly walk like a zombie back home which happens to be a few blocks away. Tired, drained out and with a splitting hangover the last thing your ears need is to listen to some good ol Heavy Metal blaring from your speaker system.

You manage to park your sorry butt on the EZ sofa and without knowing, you turn on the Cd player and the first track you hear is a buzzing feedback which lasts for 38 seconds followed almost immediately by mature men laughing and apologizing for their rude joke.

Finally the intro to Love You to Death calms your senses like getting a back massage by petite Thai girls in downtown Bangkok. The rest of the album flows seamlessly and almost flawless if one doesnt count the intro joke Bad Ground

This is the feeling one gets when listening to 1996 TYPE O NEGATIVE's masterpiece of an album OCTOBER RUST, which i consider one of the best albums to listen to, if not the best, when one is down in the dumps and wants to remain in the dumps.

I really cant even call this a metal album, even though it is, but unlike the rest, they have such a relaxed cool approach to everything here, from the soothing riffs in tracks like Love You to Death, Green Man, Die With Me and Cinnamon Girl to the morose setting of Red Water(Christmas Mourning), everything fits like pieces of a simple puzzle. Peter Steele has the deep baritone which will make any girl squirm in ecstasy while the music has this really great trippy feeling.
Even turning on the volume full on your system wont help much as the music, though heavy in parts, never distorts enough to call it noise. Gothic metal at its finest without sounding too pompous

This is truly a remarkable album and if i am not mistaken the best Type O Negative album ever! The fact that it was also a commercial success, was loathed by fans of Peter Steele' previous band CARNIVORE, and things were about to go downhill from here from a musical point of view as they never really managed to capture this magic in their future albums even though they came pretty close.

Melancholic, Dark, Melodic, Psychedelic, Powerful and Atmospheric are some of the words rightly associated with this album with a overdose of sexiness only Peter Steele can provide with his deep, masculine voice. His soulful singing and at times chanting compliments the melodies of the guitars and keyboards perfectly.

If you dont have this album yet, you dont have a life!

My Rating
10/10

Rapidshare Download Type O Negative - October Rust here

Listen to Sample track "Green Man" here

Type O Negative - 04 - Green Man.mp3

Opeth - Still Life (1999)

Opeth - Still Life album review by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza


Track Listing:

1. The Moor
2. Godheads Lament
3. Benighted
4. Moonlapse Vertigo
5. Face of Melinda
6. Serenity Painted Death
7. White Cluster

Lineup:

• Mikael Åkerfeldt
• Peter Lindgren
• Martin Mendez
• Martin Lopez

To simply call OPETH a death metal band is a total understatement. Not that Death Metal bands do not have any talent, something which i vehemently disagree, as it requires the highest degree of musical versatility but OPETH are a lot more than a simple death metal band.

The reason why i love this album is because of the amazing musical variations in almost every song, from bone crushing brutality to lullabies that will put a baby to sleep, this album has it all.

Mikael Åkerfeldt has one of the best vocals in the extreme metal industry and one listen to his vocal range on The Moor and Serenity Painted Death will convince even the most die hard metal fans. He effortlessly shifts from sounding like a man possessed by several demons to a soulful clean voice that can calm a terrorist. For a progressive metal buff, OPETH offers a lot more in their intricate guitar work again , from crushing riffs to beautiful acoustic guitar passages

Godheads Lament is a perfect example of a song with amazing acoustic guitar structures. and the soulful clean vocals of Mikael Åkerfeldt just compliments it perfectly.

The songs are very long, and Godheads Lament is the shortest at just over 5 minutes!

Bands like OPETH must be heard with a open mind, coz many times the music wont be easily digested. If there ever was a category in music called 'strange beautiful music' , OPETH would sit there comfortably.

Like someone told me the other day, OPETH's music is like giving music to a PICASSO painting.
In other words, you either like OPETH or you dont. If you dont, its your loss..

my rating
9/10

Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane (1995)

Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane (1995) - Review by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza

Track Listing:

1. At the Fathomless Depths
2. Night's Blood
3. Unhallowed
4. Where Dead Angels Lie
5. Retribution -Storm of the Light's Bane
6. Thorns of Crimson Death
7. Soulreaper
8. No Dreams Breed in Breathless Sleep

Lineup:

• Jon Nödtveidt
• Johan Norman
• Peter Palmdahl
• Ole Öhman

Dissection's 1995 masterpiece Storm Of The Light's Bane is a classic for several reasons, but i want to list the first two that immediately come to mind. First, for the sheer sonic intensity which is a musical equivalent of getting ones skin peeled off using a screw driver and second, for inspiring several dissection clones along the way.

Dissection was the brain child of Jon Nödtveidt, a musical genius and guitar extraordinaire who formed the band way back in 1989.

The album starts with a Black Atmospheric instrumental track At the Fathomless Depths which keeps the listener spell bound with the amazing twin guitar harmonies and the build up finally explodes with the drum roll thunder of the second track Night's Blood. From there, its a constant hell ride which will take you to the icy cold regions of Sweden courtesy the Grim Reaper himself acting as a tour guide.

Musically Dissection sound like Iron Maiden on speed with lots of Slayer, Morbid Angel riffage and complex technical passages that are bound to make most cynics nod in appreciation. Night's Blood, a perfect track in every sense, sounds like 3 tracks in one. it borderlines with thrash and death metal yet has the icy cold atmospherics of Black metal. Wait, there's even a ultra cool acoustic classical guitar part right in the middle of the song! and this is just the second track in an album of 8 superb songs.

Every track seems to tell a different tale and there are no short songs here except the first and last tracks which can be treated as an 'intro' and 'outro'. The remaining 6 tracks are pretty long in Metal standards, just showcasing the musical brilliance of Dissection particularly Jon Nödtveidt. His acoustic guitar parts blend perfectly with the heavy parts , and his vocal shrieks just spew venom. The last track No Dreams Breed in Breathless Sleep has one of the most grim sounding piano pieces i have heard in extreme metal

Even though every track is a flawless, my favorites are Night's Blood, Unhallowed and Where Dead Angels Lie

Sadly all good things must come to an end, and this was Dissections last full length release before Jon Nödtveidt was convicted in 1997 of being an accessory to murder in the killing a 38 year old Homosexual man of Algerian descent. And even sadder news of his ritualistic suicide shocked all his fans on August 16, 2006 where his bloody body was found in his apartment with a self inflicted gun shot wound inside a circle of lit candles.

This album has to easily be one of the most influential metal albums in the extreme music scene and one has to be really ignorant to not buy this album. Heavy, Fast, Brutal and melodic without sounding like sellouts. That's Dissection for you.

My Rating
10/10

Rapidshare Download here

Listen to Sample Track "Night's Blood" here

Cynic - Traced In Air (2008)

Cynic - Traced In Air revieved by Pritham 'metal farmer' D'Souza aka Morbidpitbull

Lineup:

• Paul Masvidal
• Tymon Kruidenier
• Sean Malone
• Sean Reinert

Track Listing:

1. Nunc Fluens
2. The Space For This
3. Evolutionary Sleeper
4. Integral Birth
5. The Unknown Guest
6. Adam's Murmur
7. King of those Who Know
8. Nunc Stans

Its been 15 years since Cynic gave us one of the most Progressive Metal Albums of all time with their masterpiece debut 1993's Focus, and the new release has finally answered the prayers of the dedicated fans. But is the album really that good or is it just the hype surrounding the release? Well, its great to say, Yes! Infact the album is a lot better than it was perceived to be.
Paul Masvidal is a certified genius composer, musician & guitarist whose talents can only be matched with the time keeping qualities of Drum God Sean Reinert.
The music here is absolute top class. Not as heavy as the first album, but then it doesnt even require to be. There are great Riffs all around, mostly played clean & the jazz influences really show here. Paul also mostly sings clean & the growly parts are only in bits sprinkled in tracks like King of those Who Know, Integral Birth and The Space For This.
Original Guitarist Jason Gobel couldnt join the band as he had family issues to deal with, but they have found an excellent replacement in Tymon Kruidenier, the Dutch virtuoso who also plays with another band featuring members of Textures, responsible for the death metal growls here.

Most progressive bands these days release albums with very lengthy songs & often the album length exceeds 60 minutes. Cynic's album thankfully clocks just over 30 mins but the listener is somehow compelled to repeat all the tracks on loop mode.
The eerie vocals are done using a vocoder which takes the vocal inputs and converts the signals electronically, like using a voice modulator.
The musical arrangements are lush, the production clear as crystal. Lyrically Paul dwelves into matters like the one ness of the universe and being reborn through integral birth.

Since the album is short in length, every song here is brilliant, though i love Evolutionary Sleeper and The Unknown Guest.This is not simple music. its pretty complex with so many guitar n drum passages, riffs & totally off beat rhythm sections. Seeing them play live (wacken open air 2007) is believing, that magic created in studio can also be recreated Live in front of thousands of people. Good to see Sean Malone return as he was not able to play with them on their live shows before the release of this album due to his commitments with several other bands.
This music is totally recommended for people who want a change from the average and tired of the ordinary. Highly recommended for fans of Jazz, Death metal, Technical Metal and for those who truley love music. If u want soul in your music look no further.
Cynic have arrived...again

My Rating
10/10

Novembers Doom - The Novella Reservoir (2007)

Track Listing:

1. Rain
2. The Novella Reservoir
3. Drown the Inland Mere
4. Twilight Innocence
5. The Voice of Failure
6. They Were Left to Die
7. Dominate the Human Strain
8. Leaving This

Lineup:

• Paul Kuhr
• Vito Marchese
• Larry Roberts
• Chris Djuricic
• Joe Nunez

the only thing that sucks in this band is the grammatical howler of its band name. thats all. the rest is just awesome.

November's Doom is easliy the American version of UK's doom death kings MY DYING BRIDE & the influence really shows. every track here is just a masterpiece & if you thought that they have reached their peak with their previous effort 2005's 'The Pale Haunt Departure', then you are going to be totally surprised.

it starts with a killer track 'rain' with its heavy intro & deep, dark, heavy death metal growls of the founding member, vocalist Paul Kuhr. the best part about his vocals is that , even though they can get quite brutal, one can follow the lyrics.

and he can also sound fantastic in his clean voice as displayed in 'Twilight Innocence', a ballad which sounds beautiful with its soft & crispy acoustic guitars.

'Dominate the Human Strain', 'Drown the Inland Mere', are absoloutely bone crushing heavy, 'The Novella Reservoir' starts with acoustic guitars & then transforms into typical doom death mode. here vocalist sings most in his typical growls & the chorus has clean vocals.

in fact, there is not a weak song here. every song has this haunting vibe its actually quite a challenge to listen to this album on a dark, rainy night without getting goose bumps.

even though this band comes in the doom death category, the music is quite fast paced & unlike other doom death bands which thrive on repeating a particular riff throughout the song, Novembers Doom thankfully prefer to take another path, that of sheer musical ability & melody which places them high & above the rest.

'They were left to die' & 'the voice of failure' demonstrate just that. brutal throughout the song, with the chorus being the most haunting & soulful.

numerous line up changes every album do not seem to deter Novembers Doom and they seem to be growing in strength with every album. it would be great to see what they can come up with next.

my rating
9/10

review by Pritham 'Metal farmer' D'Souza

Van halen - Van halen 1 (1978)

Track Listing:

1. Runnin' With The Devil
2. Eruption
3. You Really Got Me
4. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
5. I'm The One
6. Jamie's Cryin'
7. Atomic Punk
8. Feel Your Love Tonight
9. Little Dreamer
10. Ice Cream Man
11. On Fire

Lineup:

• David Lee Roth
• Edward Van Halen
• Michael Anthony
• Alex Van Halen

One of the greatest debut albums of all time, and also one of the greatest albums of all time, this is vintage VH.
though it cannot be called 'metal', the guitar playing style of Eddie Van halen influenced each & every metal guitar wannabe out there. the original 'atomic punk', responsible for creating and popularizing the 'air guitar' among fans, am sure if the greatest guitar player of all time Jimi Hendrix was alive to see Eddie Play, he would have gladly relinquished his throne for Eddie.

even though there were more popular metal bands before VH hit the stage, like JUDAS PRIEST, KISS, WHITE SNAKE, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, etc etc, it was Eddie's 2 hand guitar tapping technique that totally revolutionised the way the guitar could be played. & he got inspired from another legendary guitarist JIMMY PAGE(LED ZEPPLIN).

Its safe to say, that this album sounds a bit like a heavy LED ZEPPLIN minus the vocals off course.

and all their songs have this really catchy vibe to it. you just dont get tired even if you keep looping the entire album the whole day.
it all starts with 'eruption', a barrage of notes played at lightning speed by the 2 hand finger tapping technique & ends on a high note with 'on fire'.

the songs are short, catchy, melodic & make a point. even though the production sounds very 1970's, its still way ahead of a lot of other music that was released during that period.

"aint talking 'bout love", is still a crowd favorite with its A minor heavy palm muted intro. 'Runnin' With The Devil' show cases the vocal talents of David Lee Roth, who is such a fantastic vocalist live. 'Feel Your Love Tonight' would impress any teenage girl into going to bed with you, 'You Really Got Me' a cover of the KINKS with a heavy dose of VH guitar harmonics, 'Atomic Punk' with its catchy chorus riff are all classics.

they even cover JOHN BRIM'S 'ice cream man' with its old school rock n roll style, soft blusey intro & then typical VH bravado.

this album should easily fit in the top 5 hard rock albums of all time. it in fact it even reached diamond status, & only 3 other bands in music history have managed to do that. LED ZEPPLIN, PINK FLOYD & DEF LEPPARD.

VAN HALEN F****NG RULES

my rating
9.9/10

review by Pritham 'Metal farmer' D'Souza

Metallica - Master Of Puppets (1986)

Track Listing:

1. Battery
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage Inc.

Lineup:

• James Hetfield
• Kirk Hammett
• Cliff Burton
• Lars Ulrich

this album can easily share the throne along with SLAYER in the greatest thrash metal album of all time. after releasing a great album in RIDE THE LIGHTNING,metallica surprised even their hard core critics with the release of MOP.

all the songs here talk about power & control & how everything is ultimately under the control of a higher authority.

the opening track couldnt have gotten a better name than 'battery', as it batters your ears till they bleed. the sense of melody is just impeccable & the solos are drool material. & its such a highly addictive song, that it took me 2 months to listen to the other tracks in the album!

'welcome home(sanitarium)' is taken from the perspective of an asylum inmate, while 'disposable heroes' is about how a soldier takes lives & sacrifices his own just at the order of his superiors.

and the 8 songs here clock over 60 minutes & whats great about that is, not a single section is boring or repetitive.
with this album, METALLICA have raised the bar so high, it became an impossible act to repeat. they were at the top, & it seemed like, there was only one way to go. down.

life can really be cruel as this happened to be the last album of bass player Cliff Burton before he passed away.

'Master of Puppets' is an extreme song & one has to think metallica sold their soul to the devil to come up with genius stuff. they slow down a bit with 'The Thing That Should Not Be ' and 'Leper Messiah' but the gargantuan guitar riffs just boast of power. absolute power. 'Orion' is a cool instrumental, & at that point of time, Kirk Hammet was billed over Eddie Van Halen as the next big thing to happen in guitar. 'Damage Inc.' as the name suggests can cause serious ear damage if abused on the ipod.

every song is a masterpiece, epic, brutal, hard yet melodic & powerful. this album is one of those rare releases that feels better with every repeated listen.

my rating
10/10

review by Pritham 'Metal farmer' D'Souza

Metallica - Ride The Lightning (1984)

Track Listing:

1. Fight fire with fire
2. Ride the lightning
3. For whom the bell tolls
4. Fade to black
5. Trapped under ice
6. Escape
7. Creeping death
8. The call of ktulu

Lineup:

• James Hetfield
• Kirk Hammett
• Cliff Burton
• Lars Ulrich

even though a lot of people keep debating as to which is the best METALLICA album ever, 1984's RIDE THE LIGHTNING comes very close to being one of the best ever in metal history. this is pure unadulterated thrash metal, music that after one listen, makes you wanna beat up someone.

the opening track 'Fight fire with fire' starts with a cool sounding classical guitar piece, which then evolves into a barrage of thrash riffs created to numb your brain.

even though this is not really a concept album, death seems to take centre stage in every song here. the nuclear apocalypse tinged opening track, 'ride the lightning' talks about the electric chair execution, 'trapped under ice' talks about drowning, 'creeping death' talks about the famous moses & the pharoah incident mentioned in the bible, 'fade to black' talks about suicide.

also fade to black is probably the greatest ever power ballad/thrash song ever written. that one song has inspired more people to playing metal guitar than any other song on the planet.

Lars in an exceptional drummer & James is perhaps the greatest rhythm guitarist ever. there is not a single dull moment in the entire album.

the solos are crafted to perfection, the rhythm section is totally made to injure the spine, the drums are on fire & the vocals though not yet matured, couldnt have been done better by anyone else

the production is good & gives an ambiance of a dark, war ravaged wasteland where everything seems to just die.

a 100 years from now, & this will still be regarded as one of the all time classics in music history.
you can bet on that

my rating
10/10

review by Pritham 'Metal farmer' D'Souza

My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans (1993)

Track Listing:

1. Sear Me MCMXCIII
2. Your River
3. The Songless Bird
4. The Snow in My Hand
5. The Crown of Sympathy
6. Turn Loose the Swans
7. Black God

Lineup:

• Aaron Stainthorpe
• Andy Craighan
• Calvin Robertshaw
• Ade Jackson
• Martin Powell
• Rick Miah

doom death metal?? takes the listener by complete surprise when one listens to the opening track 'Sear Me MCMXCIII' with its funny name. evil yet utterly depressing piano accompanied with morose violins and narrative vocals which may not be the perfect start for a band just enjoying their success from their previous effort, but then this is no ordinary album

this album is solely responsible for the countless imitators of the 'doom death' genre , the most famous one being USA's NOVEMBERS DOOM.

just 7 song but over 1 hour of pure sadness. there are several shades of Gothic influences which only add more character to each song. this is one of those albums you wouldn't want to listen to if you have suicidal tendencies.
'Your River',''The Crown of Sympathy', 'The Song less Bird', 'The Snow in My Hand' are all depressing classics. and that's a good thing. there are some parts in the album which sound like as if Satan's having to deal with the loss of a loved one, evil , yet so beautiful & dark.

the guitars are very melodic at times, slow & then it changes all of a sudden to this real evil sounding passage that it scares the daylights out of you.
the riffs even though slow , weigh as heavy as a 10 ton hammer smashing against ones head. the moods that this album can create is quite phenomenal.

looks like Satan came down to earth, decided to form the ultimate depressing band on the planet, & gave its members music composed from the tortured pits of hell.

lethal album

my rating
10/10

review by Pritham 'Metal farmer' D'Souza

My Dying Bride - The Light At The End Of The World (1999)

Track Listing:

1. Into the Lake of Ghosts
2. Edenbeast
3. The Night He Died
4. The Light at the End of the World
5. The Fever Sea
6. Into the Lake of Ghosts
7. The Isis Script
8. Christliar
9. Sear Me III

Lineup:

• Aaron Stainthorpe
• Andy Craighan
• Calvin Robertshaw
• Ade Jackson
• Shaun Steels

one of the greatest bands to ever come out of britain, MDB were the founders along with compatriots ANATHEMA and PARADISE LOST of 'doom death' metal. the earlier albums were pure old school death metal, but these 3 bands later took their music in a different direction which we all are greatfful for.
as the name suggests, 'doom death', the music is painfully slow & filled with eternal sadness. the 'death' comes in the form of either the growly vocals death metal style which keep popping up in odd places in the album & also too many references of dying. hence 'doom death'

Aaron Stainthorpe's voice can convince anyone that he is really in pain, while the guitar work of founding member Andy Craighan is just addictive. all the songs except for 'The Fever Sea' clock well over 6 minutes.
the music is very slow, at times mid paced, with haunting melodies that just refuse to go long after you have finished listening to the songs, & the general ambience is very very dark throughout.

'Edenbeast', 'Into the Lake of Ghosts', 'Into the Lake of Ghosts', 'The Night He Died' are all brilliant compositions which take the listener to a world filled with ghosts, visions & even nightmares.

even though the music here is not head banging material, it cannot be sidelined in anyway. if you are one of those people who likes to live in cold places, wear long over coats & sip wine by the fire place while sitting on your rocking chair, then this is the perfect music for you.

my rating
9/10

review by Pritham 'Metal farmer' D'Souza

Spiral Architect - A Sceptic's Universe (2000)

Track Listing:

1. Spinning
2. Excessit
3. Moving spirit
4. Occam's razor
5. Insect
6. Cloud constructor
7. Conjuring collapse
8. Adaptability
9. Fountainhead

Lineup:

• Øyvind Hægeland
• Steinar Gundersen
• Kaj Gornitzka
• Lars K. Norberg
• Asgeir Mickelson

this should have come with a warning note "may cause melting of the brain"

when other progressive metal bands play progressive music just to sound really cool & technical, they mostly end up sounding like disjointed jam sessions. Spiral Architect on the other hand, make it possible to play highly technical music, without falling into pieces.

this band comprises of members playing in several black metal bands, is probably Europe's answer to America's CYNIC. plenty of influences can be heard here, from the classic YES, to the psychotic WATCHTOWER, to the weirdness of CYNIC, and yet, this album has its own originality.

this is what they have to say about their music on their official website
"Spiral Architect is about continual development, idealism, and intensity. Spiral Architect is controlled anarchy. The aim is to make music that challenges the listener, as well as pushes the abilities of the musicians and man."

this music seriously sounds like the members are aliens from another planet. If CYNIC"S FOCUS took like 10 listens to digest, this one requires a 100 listens. this music is just not meant for everyone, & thats whats so special about it.
the progression makes DREAM THEATER sound like a circus act, while the vocalist Øyvind Hægeland mimcs Devon Graves of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ. his high pitched vocals are just superb.

the guitarists shred the guitar to bits, & the drumming of Asgeir Mickelson who also plays with BORKNAGAR, VINTERSORG & IHSAHN, among others, is simply mind blowing.

this is the musical equivalent of a 10 year old kid(that being us) trying to figure out calculus (that being the album)

truley jaw dropping musicianship this

my rating
10/10

review by Pritham 'Metal farmer' D'Souza