The clock moves back tonight, so herewith some tips for dark winter nights.
Ray Alder - What the Water Wants
Ray Alder is the voice of Fates Warning and until recently Redemption. Two of my favorite bands, so when he announced a solo album a pre-order was made fast. Two singles that were released before sounded already very promising and this album is what I hoped for. Shorter songs than with Fates Warning, his winning voice gives us a beautiful album, which I shall pick up many times still this year. After hearing the full album my first morbid thought was that it holds a song that will make it to the setlist of my funeral. The Road has the lyrics, the voice and melody to move anyone to tears. Songs co written by Michael Abdow and Tony Hernando are adding up to one of the highlights of the year. Ray Alder confirms his position as one of the best vocalists around, now also on his solo project. Obligatory purchase I'd say.
Angel - Risen
Angel are back. Over the last years on stage with original vocalist Frank Dimino and guitarist Punky Meadows. Now also on CD. In August I had the pleasure of seeing them for the first time playing live, which is interesting if you consider that I like this band for 40 years now. They played no new songs during that show, but the quality of performance made me confident of a good album. Well that is what we get in no less than 17 songs. Start and finish are old songs re-recorded in Angel Theme and their hit Tower. In between the 15 new songs go from fast rockers to ballads. A pretty well balanced album, with Frank Dimino showing a still remarkably strong voice. Angel were the masters of pomprock and we get poppy songs inbetween, but to me the only miss is IOU. On the other side we find in Under the Gun, 1975 and We Were the Wild some highlights. A succesfull and very welcome return therefore.
Opeth - In Cauda Venenum
My favorite Opeth album shall always remain Still Life. The story is known changing their ways Opeth now completely left grunts behind them for the last albums, I had some issues with that as well and even skipped previous album Sorceress. Untill on a long haul flight KLM had it in their CD collection and I could hear it killing flight time, reconvincing me on their class. So they are different, but after only a few plays I can already state that this might be their best album to me since Blackwater Park. Dark Progressive Rock with a voice that in Swedish and English seems to get better by time. I was not expecting such a good Opeth album any more some 5 years ago. Welcome back to my CD player Opeth, pity the Ducth gig sold out too fast for me to react.
Disillusion - The Liberation
Talking about comebacks, this one is not as long awaited as Angel, but therefore not less pleasant. German Disillusion were on their Classic 2004 debut Back to Times of Splendor more than once compared with Opeth. A Wonderfull album with mainly epic metal songs. Two years later they changed style towrads more industrial electronical metal and Glora was not that well received, although still interesting. Now they are back and they present us a logical follow up to their debut. Back are the melodic death metal, the harking guitar riffs and the epic long songs (three around twelve minutes) Maybe only the voice is not for everyone, but I hope they will be back in Holland soon, great surprise this heavy return.
Borknagar - True North
Borknagar the nrodic allstar combo, also return after some changes in their line-up. Given the big flow of good new albums I only heard it at first on the background and thought, not as good as Winter Thrice. But then I gave the album the proper time and attention and I find this to be a grower, Every next play it gets a bit better and we can conclude Borknagar nailed it again. Closing song Voices dares to be different, after an album that already moves between moods and heaviness. Scandinavians do release these kind of dark albums in autumn, when the soundtrack hardly can't be better. Up North is where the darkness awaits.
Insomnium - Heart Like a Grave
Coming home after PPE one always has this empty feeling of so now it is over again. This year matters were made easier by the mailman who literally rang the doorbell 10 minutes after my arrival to hand over the special edition of Heart Like a Grave. This hardcover book full of beautiful nordic pictures makes the work of art only bigger. As then the songs do match the quality of the package we have another winner by Insomnium. Their question was of course, how to follow up on masterpiece Winter's Gate. Well by just writing 10 great songs. Highlight of the album to me comes with epic Pale Morning Star, followed by doomy And Bells They Toll. This is not to say that the rest is of much lesser quality really. Mixing the melodies and speed we are treated on art for both ears and eyes. So I do recommend getting the special edition which does give you two additional instrumentals as well.
Ray Alder is the voice of Fates Warning and until recently Redemption. Two of my favorite bands, so when he announced a solo album a pre-order was made fast. Two singles that were released before sounded already very promising and this album is what I hoped for. Shorter songs than with Fates Warning, his winning voice gives us a beautiful album, which I shall pick up many times still this year. After hearing the full album my first morbid thought was that it holds a song that will make it to the setlist of my funeral. The Road has the lyrics, the voice and melody to move anyone to tears. Songs co written by Michael Abdow and Tony Hernando are adding up to one of the highlights of the year. Ray Alder confirms his position as one of the best vocalists around, now also on his solo project. Obligatory purchase I'd say.
Angel are back. Over the last years on stage with original vocalist Frank Dimino and guitarist Punky Meadows. Now also on CD. In August I had the pleasure of seeing them for the first time playing live, which is interesting if you consider that I like this band for 40 years now. They played no new songs during that show, but the quality of performance made me confident of a good album. Well that is what we get in no less than 17 songs. Start and finish are old songs re-recorded in Angel Theme and their hit Tower. In between the 15 new songs go from fast rockers to ballads. A pretty well balanced album, with Frank Dimino showing a still remarkably strong voice. Angel were the masters of pomprock and we get poppy songs inbetween, but to me the only miss is IOU. On the other side we find in Under the Gun, 1975 and We Were the Wild some highlights. A succesfull and very welcome return therefore.
My favorite Opeth album shall always remain Still Life. The story is known changing their ways Opeth now completely left grunts behind them for the last albums, I had some issues with that as well and even skipped previous album Sorceress. Untill on a long haul flight KLM had it in their CD collection and I could hear it killing flight time, reconvincing me on their class. So they are different, but after only a few plays I can already state that this might be their best album to me since Blackwater Park. Dark Progressive Rock with a voice that in Swedish and English seems to get better by time. I was not expecting such a good Opeth album any more some 5 years ago. Welcome back to my CD player Opeth, pity the Ducth gig sold out too fast for me to react.
Talking about comebacks, this one is not as long awaited as Angel, but therefore not less pleasant. German Disillusion were on their Classic 2004 debut Back to Times of Splendor more than once compared with Opeth. A Wonderfull album with mainly epic metal songs. Two years later they changed style towrads more industrial electronical metal and Glora was not that well received, although still interesting. Now they are back and they present us a logical follow up to their debut. Back are the melodic death metal, the harking guitar riffs and the epic long songs (three around twelve minutes) Maybe only the voice is not for everyone, but I hope they will be back in Holland soon, great surprise this heavy return.
Borknagar the nrodic allstar combo, also return after some changes in their line-up. Given the big flow of good new albums I only heard it at first on the background and thought, not as good as Winter Thrice. But then I gave the album the proper time and attention and I find this to be a grower, Every next play it gets a bit better and we can conclude Borknagar nailed it again. Closing song Voices dares to be different, after an album that already moves between moods and heaviness. Scandinavians do release these kind of dark albums in autumn, when the soundtrack hardly can't be better. Up North is where the darkness awaits.
Coming home after PPE one always has this empty feeling of so now it is over again. This year matters were made easier by the mailman who literally rang the doorbell 10 minutes after my arrival to hand over the special edition of Heart Like a Grave. This hardcover book full of beautiful nordic pictures makes the work of art only bigger. As then the songs do match the quality of the package we have another winner by Insomnium. Their question was of course, how to follow up on masterpiece Winter's Gate. Well by just writing 10 great songs. Highlight of the album to me comes with epic Pale Morning Star, followed by doomy And Bells They Toll. This is not to say that the rest is of much lesser quality really. Mixing the melodies and speed we are treated on art for both ears and eyes. So I do recommend getting the special edition which does give you two additional instrumentals as well.
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