2010, Looking Forward

Nothing has come out recently, but 2010 is going to be quite a year. Here's what to look forward to:

Jan 25, Orphaned Land- ORwarriOR
Feb, Eluveitie- Everything Remains
Feb 17, Finntroll- Nifelvind
Feb 22, Borknagar- Universal
March 1, Dark Tranquillity- We Are the Void
March 22, Kamelot- TBA
April, Kiuas- TBA
April 1, Nevermore- The Obsidian Conspiracy
May, ReVamp (Floor Jansen)- TBA
Sept 20, Dragonland- The Return

My most anticipated releases are also those without any dates yet:

Pain of Salvation- Road Salt
Circus Maximus- TBA
Blind Guardian- TBA
WINTERSUN- TIME

what am i missing?
addendum:
Royal Hunt- X
Agalloch- TBA
Symphony X- TBA

Swallow the Sun, "New Moon"

Swallow the Sun's fourth album released november 4th. they supposedly had no idea they were naming and releasing their album close to the new twilight movie. i'm sure it didn't hurt sales, though. I must admit i've never listened to swallow the sun before so i have no expectations. Kai Hahto is their new drummer, should be exciting. also, it was just announced swallow the sun would be touring the U.S. with Finntroll and Moonsorrow in the spring as part of the 'Finnish Metal Tour'.

1.these woods breathe evil- a pretty heavy doom metal song with growled vocals and occasional doomy spoken parts. lyrics are in english. guitar work at times is cold and atmospheric, other times brutal. from this brief introduction to swallow the sun, they sound like a mix of moonsorrow and agalloch-- a very pleasing match.

2.falling world- the main riff is extremely melodic and catchy. the verses are disorientating with atmospheric alternate picking. most of the lyrics are sung in a clean voice. the singer is weak but decent enough to not detract from the music.

3.sleepless swans- a slow brooding song for the first couple minutes. in no part of the song are there any noticeable melodies, so there is little memorable about it. as such, it seemed a bit long and boring-- the doom was too much for me i guess :)

4. ...and heavens cried blood- nice piano accents over thick, slowly growled vocals. this goes for most of the song. it ends with a guitar lead followed by solo piano.

5.lights on the lake (horror pt. III)- a truly great song and an instant favorite. it opens with a completely haunting and mesmorizing melody with harmonics on one guitar and clean rhythm on another. the female vocals are beautiful and spectral, perfectly matching the lyrics. the song picks up with a a lead guitar playing the main melody. the lyrics deal with a father who's drowned her daughter in a lake. after a haunting interlude, the drums go nuts with double bass and several fills. the songs ends after several final choruses.

6.new moon- similar to sleepless swans, but more eventful and at a faster tempo. the chorus is a little epic, more like an ode...har har har

7.servant of sorrow- at this point my attention is waning and i'm hearing little of anything worth mentioning that hasn't already been said.

8.weight of the dead- slightly better, more melodic. the drums are more active. ahh yes, this is definitely kai hahto. the verse, though, is unbearably slow and heavy. a nice little guitar solo is found midway in. after, there is a nice vocal chorus effect complimented with guitar harmonic strumming. it ends with a more epic version of the verse/main riff.

some true gems are to be found, but other songs are quite lackluster. a great album on the whole and worth listening more to.

Pain of Salvation, "Linoleum" EP

Pain of Salvation's new 6-track EP.

1.linoleum- similar sounding to songs from "Scarsick". The only noticeable difference in sound are dirtier sounding guitars and organs. after the second verse-chorus, there is a slow buildup beginning with a music box and daniel's delicate vocals. after a couple of minutes the crescendo crashes into a powerful climax. the lyrics are about a woman who shut herself off from emotions in order to get ahead in the world but who is now broken down, weeping on a linoleum floor. "sometimes that's all it takes-- a hand on your shoulder-- then she breaks."

2. mortar grind- retro sounding with distorted guitars, organ, and high-pitched snare. daniel sings with a lot of grit in his voice, some have said he sounds too much like mike patton. the song itself is simple, just a verse chorus repitition. i don't mind the sound, but this song is not progressive at all.

3.if you wait- a pain of salvation ballad. reminds me of some songs from BE. daniel's singing becomes quite inaudible at times; i have no idea what he's saying. yet, this song has a lot of emotion and you can really feel the pain gildenlow wants to convey in the lyrics (which deal with being permantely separated from someone).

4.gone- a powerful song about a character recognizing his loss of individuality to altruism and not being able to stop it. daniel's lyrics really creep you out with its vivid imagery:
"So crawl over the words I've bled
I'm not really there
Undress and crawl into my bed
I'm not really there
I'm gone
You see, deep inside I'm gone"

this song is most like pain of salvation's other work and is my favorite from this EP.

5.bonus track b- not a song, just the band talking, but it's funny. it involves hair.

6.yellow raven- a scorpion's cover. amazingly, pain of salvation's cover sounds even more blues-like than the original. a faithful rendition.

pain of salvation's linoleum differs from previous work with its retro-distortion guitars, less progressive riffs, and scratchier vocals. i don't really think it suites PoS, sounds almost like classic rock. still, a lot of the great things about PoS are still here: powerful lyrics, crescendos, etc. these songs are already confirmed as being on their upcoming "Road Salt", so expect this EP to be a good indicator of their new sound.

Katatonia, "Night is the New Day"

Katatonia's 8th studio album, now released three years after their great work 'The Great Cold Distance'. the production of this album is incredible. Night is the New Day is a bold step for Katatonia, but is still a natural development.

1.forsaker- electronic elements compliment the heavy guitar opening. the verse is fragile while the chorus is one of the heaviest they've done. then there is a guitar solo behind the verse instrumentals. jonas' voice is clear and calm as always. about three quarters through the song is an instrumental break that blows my mind. it's by far the most beautiful couple of seconds on the entire album. in the background is a muted distortion guitar while a clean guitar with echo leads before abruptly breaking into a heavier ending chorus; it's hard to describe.

2.the longest year- clean guitars, electronic drum pad and other synths create an atmospheric tone complimenting jonas' mournful voice. the tempo changes with a progressive, heavy break. the chorus is the result of an escalation from the atmospheric verse into a chaotic melody. this pattern repeats a second time and ends after the second chorus, where jonas lets his voice rise a little from its usual reserved nature.

3.idle blood- whoa, an acoustic track. the intro a beautiful guitar melody with matching synth strings. the verse picks the song up with chord strumming on the guitar. the chorus' vocal melody is amazing and is even almost not sad (though the lyrics are). the synths add a lot of dimension to the song. idle blood ends with jazz-like drumming, guitars, and electronic piano.

4.onward into battle- a simple song with a leisurely tempo. this is the song you listen to in order to let your mind drift. the guitars are a little retro with the flanger. the synths help elevate the chorus from the rest of the song.

5.liberation- a heavy opening that carries throughout the song reminds me of 'the great cold distance'. the verse is more atmospheric, though. half way through is a progressive, off tempo passage that begins with muted, dulcimer-like synth. a guitar solo grows off of it before becoming the ending chorus.

6.the promise of deceit- atmospheric yet more aggressive than, say, onward into battle. the electronic influences really give katatonia a clean, modern sound.

7.nephilim- distorted guitar with a lot of bends create a memorable opening. the chorus is heavier than the median for this album. after the second chorus jonas sings a melody without adding words to it.

8.new night- a more lively song than previous ones with rhythm guitar being heard in the verse. an instrumental break with distant sounding piano and guitar. the chorus is fluid even with distortion staccato on the guitar.

9.inheritance- there is not so much to say about the song specifically. more importantly, the atmosphere and tone of the song is what you listen for (as with the rest of the album). these songs, this one in particular, evoke real responses with minimalistic instrumentals and calm, simple vocal lines.

10.day and then the shade- similar in structure and liveliness to forsaker. this is their first single for the album. a song meant to be played live unlike some of the other tracks from this album. although this song is heavier than most from this album, its still as calming as the rest-- something about the way jonas' voice is always so peaceful.

11.departer- krister linder provides guest vocals for this track. somber piano chords are the spine of departer. krister linder sings with extraordinary honesty and emotion. an instrumental break changes the tone to a more haunted sound.

a great album. the electronic elements to this album give Night is the New Day a character quite different from The Great Cold Distance. Yet, if you liked tgcd, this album will please you. Night is the New Day expand's Katatonia's horizons with a modern, minimalistic, and atmospheric tone. The mental image i get while listening to this album are of driving through a city on a rainy night. in a way, that image summarizes Night is the New Day: modern, electronic, dark. I've found the best way to appreciate Night is the New Day is to listen to it as you go to sleep.

Folkearth, "Rulers of the Sea"

Folkearth- Rulers of the Sea. The newest folkearth album.

1.the voices of the dead
much better production than anything from 'fatherland'. singer is good, audio levels are normalized, everything sounds good. the bass is present, the drums don't sound like trash cans, and the guitars don't just emit distortion. if folkearth keeps it up, this will reverse their recent trend of being less than mediocre. the ending is a warm, acoustic segue to the final chorus.

2.rulers of the sea
similar in many ways to the previous track, and in all ways better than 'fatheland'. i'm relieved. there's a guitar solo and it's not great, but it exists.

3.the doomed crusade
bass solo in the intro, bagpipes in the verse. the bagpipes repeat through most of the song, and, instead of being annoying, create a melancholic tone that suits the lyrics.

4.lord of the spear
more lead guitar work that was nowhere to be found in 'fatherland'. there is also some kind of folk stringed instrument but i can't make it out (maybe a mandolin). there is a nice layering of tracks that adds tangible dimension to the song.

5.the price of epirus
i think the drummer is using heel-toe, which is really surprising. the acoustic guitar has a warm, round sound.

6.cosmogenesis
the quality of drumming remains high. it's nice to have guitar leads, but they seem aimless, not only here but in other songs as well.

7.folkearth
the lyrics are folkearth's mission statement? there's a guitar solo in the beginning and in the middle.

8.i am fire
both rhythm and lead guitars are quite good for what's to be expected.

9.apollonian light
the chorus is a little catchy

10.when the gods doth return
a fast tune, and the flutes have a hard time keeping up.

11.byzantine princess
the sole ballad of the album. it ends quietly with a nice guitar outro.

folkearth has improved immeasurably from their previous release. this is their best work since 'by the sword of my father', but its still weaker than it. even so, 'rulers of the sea' is a turnaround i was not expecting. 6 albums in 5 years means you're going to get a lot of garbage. folkearth should have some better quality control over what gets put on an album, and take more time developing them.

Folkearth, "Fatherland"

Folkearth- Fatherland. the earlier of the two albums they've released recently. folkearth (an international folk metal project) started great with their first two albums, but have seen a steady decline ever since 'drakkars in the mist'. the lineup has changed a lot, and i'm not really a fan of the sizable greek influences heard since 'drakkars in the mist'. the greek mythology and history is fine, i just think they're inferior folk musicians as compared to, for example, the english 'forefather' who were heavily involved in 'a nordic poem' and 'by the sword of my father'. their two previous albums before 'fatherland', 'father of victory' and 'songs of yore' were big disappointments. i hope they realized this and are trying to turn things around, but i'm not expecting much.

1.hymn to zeus
a paleolithic sounding tribal hymn, minimalistic and weird

2.braver than heroes vows (battle of plataea)
i'm all for songs about spartans killing persians, but its impossible to make out what they're saying, but it sounds like its in english (maybe?). folkearth isn't known for their mixing capabilities, but i don't mind the demo tape quality. however, even for making these allowances, it's not a great song.. it's alright.

3.guardian of the bridge
it's a decent folk song, but the guitars are inaudible to a painful amount. it just sounds like distortion. but with better guitars this song would be comparable to the quality of their older songs (similar to 'by the sword of my father' and 'drakkars in the mist')

4.freedom or death (kosovo 1389)
the vocals sound like they were recorded in a bathtub the reverb is so bad. the singer himself is also quite bad. other than that, though, its a nondescript song. only an instrumental midsection to note.

5.terror from the sea
i wish these vocalists stuck to growled vocals when they're bad singers. so far i've noticed folkearth now seems to shy away from synths and keyboards and rely more on actual folk instruments such as flutes or fiddles to add the folk dimension. i feel this is to their detriment. having atmospheric backing keys adds a lot to a song and could really help these songs seem less raw and impoverished.

6.fatherland
a ballad. i hear two acoustic guitars, accordion, flute, and bass. a beautiful melody, but they REALLY need better singers.

7.the fall of atlantis
growled vocals save me the pain of hearing whoever does the male clean vocals. again, the only clear folk influence is the presence of flute.

8.the victory rune
an alright song, but you can hear all too well the scratching of the pick from the guitars.

9.in blessed days
another terrible singer, but at least i can hear what he's saying.

10.cataphract legion
the flutes start to become annoying. there are so many more ways to incorporate folk elements than this.

11.exiled
hildr valkyrie (who has been with folkearth since the beginning i believe) composed this song, and it shows. it uses synths, and she can actually sing; that alone makes it miles ahead of most of 'fatherland'.

i hate to be so pessimistic, but folkearth has serious problems that crippling them. problems such as crap singers and poor guitar recordings limit my tolerance of them. they need more involvement from good folk metal bands, rather than whoever is contributing now. folkearth used to get contributions from members of eluveitie, forefather, otyg, etc. without another lineup change which involves better musicians, folkearth doesn't have a future.

Epica, "Design Your Universe"

epica- design your universe. the fourth release from this dutch symphonic metal band. 'the divine conspiracy' was a breakthrough for them, and it will be a feat to match up to.

1.samadhi (prelude)
ahh, it begins in full epic glory. a teasing one minute of orchestral variations that whets your appetite for grandiosity.

2.resign to surrender (a new age dawns - part iv)
a song that is not too heavy on the death metal, and focuses more on the symphonic elements of epica. it follows a medium tempo, and nothing noticeably progressive. still, a good opener that introduces oneself into epica's world. i'm not entirely sure what the lyrics are about-- something about our freedom being limited by our current condition. also, it has latin! nec plus ultra (nothing more beyond) is sung by the choir throughout the verses. simone's voice is as strong as ever, but she hasn't pushed herself yet.

3.unleashed
begins with a heavy orchestral intro and leads into simone in the verse. they lyrics deal with being unable to be oneself (for what reason i don't know). the layering of metal and symphonic elements in the verse alone are amazing. every second is incredibly detailed and structured. the chorus showcases simone, which later leads into a quiet, brooding interlude that escalates to the final two choruses.

4.martyr of the free word
a wonderfully heayy and symphonic opening riff set one off guard for the much more reserved verse that uses clean guitar (for a bit). the melody of the verse is haunting and powerful, and so are the lyrics. the song deals with freedom of speech and being open/tolerant to diverse opinions. a strong song in terms of melody, variation, lyrics (they use latin again!), and heaviness. the solo is the most developed from this album yet heard. this will be a great song to hear live.

5.our destiny
simone gives a taste of her alto soprano voice. the song is about fighting through a decaying relationship. the tempo is not slow, but flows at a comfortable pace. the vocal melody has some really strong sections, but is less powerful in other places.

6.kingdom of heaven (a new age dawns - part v)
opens with a tantric choir chant that sets up nicely with a menacing bell and string intro. next is a simple, heavy riff that is somewhat related to the upcoming verse. divided into five parts, the first is about institutions trying to prevent innovation and scientific advances. the second part is quite similar to the first, with little transition. the music during these first two parts is typical for epica. the transition into the third movement has playful, progressive guitar/orchestral mimicking. an acoustic guitar is next used to slow things down. the acoustic riff is slightly off tempo but comes back to normal time when the vocals resume. next is a spoken dialogue between two actors which leads into the guitar solo. finally, the fifth movement is a reworking of the second.

7.the price of freedom
a brief intermission featuring clips from speeches such as malcom x ("the price of freedom is death"), mlk jr.... and obama.

8.burn to a cinder
the orchestrations provide an eastern atmosphere that is heard faintly in previous songs and is echoed through such terms found in song names and lyrics (samadhi, sahasrara). there is a progressive instrumental break. later, simone sings the chorus with only slight accompaniment. there follows a solo, and then the final choruses.

9.tides of time
a truly beautiful melody on the piano. this ballad is one of their best. the song is about the constancy of love throughout changing seasons, times, etc. miss simmons' soprano voice in the chorus is the best i can recall at the moment. full accompaniment slowly builds through the song and the climax sees the end.

10.deconstruct
a commonplace epica song. the message in the lyrics are extremely cliche and overused (we're ruining ourselves and the planet through greed, cooperation is the only way).

11.semblance of liberty
growled vocals on the verse wrapped inside a catchy riff. the lyrics deal with private self interest harming public virtue (total b.s.), i think.

12.white waters
any song featuring tony kakko is going to be great, and this is no different. the guitarwork is mostly clean, almost in a gothenburg sound (well, not really-- it reminds me of amorphis). an eastern or oriental influence is heard again amidst a stripped down sound compared to the rest of the album. the lyrics deal with a man seeing a vision in the water, presumably his lost or dead lady-friend.

13.design your universe (a new age dawns - part vi)
an epic, using a lot of choirs but also more reserved verses. this song is missing something to make it great. as it is, it sounds uninspired and forced.

14.incentive
the bonus track. i don't have the lyrics for it, so i won't be able to tell you much from that angle. musically, its fast and aggressive, completely without simone's singing.

well, it turns out 'design your universe' doesn't match 'the divine conspiracy'. yes, it is more symphonic than 'the divine conspiracy' (as hard as it is to imagine that possible), but at what cost? it has fewer catchy leads or melodies, less aggressive death metal passages, and less progressive elements. its an epic that was engineered, not created, and so it feels heartless a lot of the time. perhaps we've put too much pressure on them to be more symphonic that they've sacrificed a bit of everything else that made them great. still, it has some great songs...just..not as many great songs as from their previous works.

Amberian Dawn, "Clouds of Northland Thunder"

amberian dawn- clouds of northland thunder. this is the second album of the finnish symphonic metal band, 'amberian dawn'. their 2008 release 'river of tuoni' was a great find. letting you know beforehand, all lyrics deal with various mythologies.

1.he sleeps in a grove
similar to what they did on 'river of tuoni'. i can't actually make out changes in their sound. it is very much a continuation of their previous work. they released a music video for this song if you want to check it out. heidi has a unique voice but one is inevitably reminded of nightwish's tarja. the guitar solos are possibly better than what one found on their debut album, but i can't really recall at the moment.

2.incubus
features both male and female vocals (i'm not sure who the male singer is-- he's not that great). the chorus is a chance for heidi to boast of her voice. this is the longest song of the album, though there isn't too much going on in terms of song structure. a decent effort.

3.kokko- eagle of fire
a splendid power metal track. the chorus has a hook that keeps you listening. it's a short song, like most of the album, but it's succint. no filler.

4.willow of tears
a ballad. i wish there was more to say, but other than a good post-chorus riff and the solo, there's not much to it.

5.shallow waters
a good intro and a strong verse. a big improvement over the previous song. the drums are actively contributing to the song, noticeably in the chorus, which is in itself quite enjoyable. an instrumental break between the solos gives some much needed creativity to their song structures.

6.lost soul
another lead guitar hook opens the song. the backing vocals are what make the chorus. here is the first keyboard solo of the album (why'd it take so long?).

7.sons of seven stars
this songs follows the same formula as the previous 4 or 5 songs. the only thing that really changes are chord progressions, choruses, and solos. don't get me wrong, it's a good song, i'd expect greater variation in songs.

8.saga
a more exciting verse and a better intro lead help amend some of the aforementioned problems. a great solo that covers a lot of ground really helps this song stick out.

9.snowmaiden
what we hear in the last few seconds of the song, a piano and a spoken sentence, is exactly what amberian dawn needs more of. something other than just a good chorus.

10.lionheart
symphonic opening. lyrics involving something epic. a really good vocal line in the chorus. this song does have a good amount of excitement and variation in the backing keyboards to prevent boredom.

11.morning star
the melody in the verse is really the core of this song, and the atmospheric backing keys are also good.

12.birth of the harp
slight use of a piano, but no harp. a slower ballad song, much better than 'willow of tears'.

'clouds of northland thunder' is at the most at least as good as their debut 'river of tuoni'. at worst it's a step in the wrong direction. it has great intro leads/chorus riffs, but there's more to a song than that. the guitar solos are great. still, it sounds uninspired. it's not as catchy. it's short, circa 45 min. at times its monotonous and predictable. they really should have taken more time with it and put more care into crafting it. i suspect that the record label rushed them into pumping out another album after they hit success with the debut release.

Tracedawn, "Ego Anthem"

'ego anthem' is the sophomore album of the finnish progressive/melodic death metal band, tracedawn. they are extremely talented and also quite young. 'ego anthem' is well produced (except of course it clips, as all music does nowadays). redhouse, their label, are really promoting these guys (they have 3 videos out, and they've only been around for about 4 years). hopefully redhouse won't pressure these guys into any artificial form. the solos are astounding for their age, though the songwriting has room for maturation.

1.make amends- nice progressive metal beginning later added with piano. the verse and chorus are easy to catch onto but not boring. i'm not really a fan of antti's clean vocals but still good that he uses both clean and growled vocals. guitar solo is on par with premier death metal bands, assuming tracedawn doesn't alter their tracks in the studio

2.part of the wounded- more of a death metal bent than 'make amends'. the chorus is a little juvenile (groupings of 8 sixteenth notes). the guitar solo impresses again. the ending-- a low pitch blend-- is a fitting intro to 'scum'

3.scum- pinched harmonics, thick keyboards, blast beats: 'scum' is a heavy, brutal monster of song. there is a spoken part before the guitar and keyboard solo, which, again, is incredible for how young these guys are

4.in your name- their first single for the album, check out the music video if you wish. it has a catchy chorus. there's a simple breakdown before the solo. i particularly like how vili uses a standard piano setting amidst the rest of the chaos of the instruments.

5.your way is not for me- offbeat main riff that trips you up the first couple times. the lyrics-- about individuality and free choice-- inspire the album name, i'm assuming

6.dirt track speedball- possibly the best song of the album. it's progressive, heavy, and fast. the keyboard and guitar solo are awesome enough to destroy small villages. the lyrics are quite humorous, but with 'dirt track speedball' as its name, i don't think they were trying to be all that serious

7.repeating mistakes- a good song, but at this point nothing different. the chorus is too similar to metalcore

8.brain attack- bass solo intro. i sense some '80s influences in the verse. another bass solo halfway in

9.the forsaken- great great great main melody on the guitar. it carries the entire song and imbues it with a creepy, atmospheric, and astral tone. there is a music video for this song as well (the visuals also emit the tone of the song very well, in particular the ashy, white contortionist). the spoken parts of astronauts again reinforce the mood of the song.

Sonata Arctica, "The Days of Grays"

far gone is sonata arctica's speedy power metal (with the exception of 'flag in the ground'). in short, sonata arctica's sixth album release is more like 'unia' than anything else and they have become more of a progressive metal band by the looks of this album. the lyrics still carry familiar themes of tony, featuring on this album wolves, relationships, stalkers, witch hunts, death, and the x-files. the theme of gray versus color also runs throughout the album, unifying it in a way. tony kakko has gotten extremely crafty at creating addicting and progressive vocal harmonies, and are without a doubt the best part of the album. tommy's drumwork is less progressive than it was in 'unia' but is not anything like his old 'ecliptica' drumming. marko on bass sticks out more as in 'unia'. elias on guitar is a bit of a disappointment. i don't know if he just didn't try hard enough or if tony didn't want as much wankery on guitar, but, in any case, there is little impressive guitar work to be found. elias makes a great rhythmm guitarist with heavy, off tempo palm mutes, but there are hardly any solos, i think only two. henkka, too, has only two solos. what strikes me as odd, though, is that there were plenty of opportunities during instrumental breaks were solos could and should have been placed.

the best moments of 'days of grays' are those that sound like blends of 'unia' and 'reckoning night' (e.g. the last amazing grays). the best songs are, in my opinion, last amazing grays, flag in the ground, the dead skin, juliet, the truth is out there, in the dark, and everything fades to gray. the others are good, but do not attach themselves to you as much. in an interview henkka said the days of grays would be less progressive but darker and heavier than 'unia'. that statement is absolutely correct, and it is exactly how i would summarize the 'days of grays'.

2.deathaura- a song about a witch hunt. it's the longest on 'days of grays' and is one of the fastest and most like 'reckoning night' on the album.
3.last amazing grays- simply a great song, but if only it had a solo!
4.flag in the ground- see the previous review on 'last amazing grays'
5.breathing- a good ballad, with astounding lyrics
6.zeroes- a fun song with a dirty keyboard solo and lyrics about corruption in business and politics
7.the dead skin- a great song, the chorus' vocal melody is amazing
8.juliet- the conclusion of the stalker caleb. a good song, perhaps as good as 'caleb'
9.no dream can heal a broken heart- the second song to have johanna kurkela on it
10.as if the world wasn't ending- the weakest song of the album? tony sings well on it, though
11.the truth is out there- a great song about dana scully's alien abduction
12. everything fades to gray- tony's singing makes this simple song wonderful
13.in the dark- an amazing song. it has a great song structure and progression. the chorus is ridiculously '80s.

the 2nd orchestral disc is a nice addition. 'days of grays' is by far the most symphonic sonata album, so it's nice to hear a full arrangement of almost all the songs.

'days of grays' at first doesn't make sense and my first reaction to many of the songs was disappointment. however, keep listening for a couple of days and soon you'll be humming the lyrics, waiting to get back to your computer/car to listen to 'days of grays' more.

Ensiferum, "From Afar"

From Afar is Ensiferum's fourth release, and it's been two years since Victory Songs.

1.by the dividing stream- standard ensi intro, much like 'ferrum aeternum'. all folk. just waiting for the metal.

2.from afar- the melody of 'by the dividing stream' doesn't carry through as was done on 'iron'. instead bombastic synths open the album. this is far more symphonic than usual ensiferum, something you'll notice throughout 'from afar'.

3.twilight tavern- a decent opening riff and chorus makes for a good old ensiferum song. it's style is reminiscent of their debut album with jari. but what really surprised me were the female vocals found halfway in the song. is that emmi, their new keyboardist, singing? i didn't find any credits to guest musicians, and emmi is listed as doing background vocals which leads me to believe that was emmi singing. pretty cool, it adds an extra dynamic i wasn't expecting.

4.heathen throne- leads in with a heavy, driving riff, just think amon amarth. it appears that ensiferum is making a slight foray into melodic death metal. combined with acoustic breaks, what comes to mind is a mixture of old ensiferum, moonsorrow, and amon amarth, in that order. actually, scratch that. this is ensiferum. they've matured. heathen throne is an epic, though not as good as their previous one, 'victory song'.

5.elusive reaches- a three minute condensation of most things ensiferum.

6.stone cold metal- has a more noticeable power metal slant to it, from the name (and so, lyrics) to the backing trumpets. as if trumpets weren't awesome enough, in comes a lone cowboy whistle and acoustic guitar twang. next up is a honky-tonk piano and snare drum rolls. oh yeah, and after that...banjo solo. yes, ensiferum went there. this song is fun and enjoyable, and i'm glad they don't take themselves too seriously while still not being a total sham like some bands (korplikaani).

7.smoking ruins- a slower tempo song. i don't know, there's not much to say. from what i can hear i like the lyrics and its story. it doesn't push any boundaries though.

8.tumman virran taa- a finnish vocal chant. that's all.

9.the longest journey- a sluggish lead in the intro gives way to a sypmhonic interlude and is later accompanied by the rest of the band. the last four minutes is a slow moving lead, eventually fading to silence. more epic than 'heathen throne', this song demands your attention and patience in order to fully enjoy.

'From Afar' is less folksy and more symhphonic than their previous releases. it is also less accessible. there are fewer catchy riffs, and instead most are slow and drawling. fans of ensiferum will take comfort in the familiarity of the sound while still being able to recognizes signs of growth in the songwriting. for newcomers, i wouldn't recommend this album. 'From Afar' isn't ensiferum's best, but if the best is yet to come, this is a necessary stepping stone.

*trivial note: kai hahto was the drum tech for the recording process

Sonata Arctica, "The Last Amazing Grays" (Single)

Last amazing grays is the first single from the upcoming sonata arctica album, 'the days of grays'.

1.the last amazing grays (single edit)- this is sonata's wolf song for the new album, so the lyrics deal with the death of an older wolf as it passes on leadership to the young ones. the lyrics, along with tony's vocal melodies, are my favorite aspect of the song. musically, last amazing grays sounds like it's from 'reckoning night'. this makes me happy. of note is an orchestral break that sounds like it was arranged by holopainen of nightwish. elias' guitarwork is up to standards, but there should have been a solo during the break. yep, a solo would have made this song perfect..

2.flag in the ground- the main melody was written in '96, so it's easy to hear ecliptica strains in the chorus/main riff. the verse is unia-styled, at first weird, but good once you are used to it. the lyrics are cheesy-- as to be expected--, but they get better as the progresses. the keyboard/guitar solo is classic sonata arctica, but is a little short. if it wasn't for the progressive elements from unia, this song would be terribly simple, but it's not!

3.the last amazing grays (orchestral version)- not much to say, it's what you would expect. i prefer the normal version. midway through the song it sounds like a hans zimmer film score.

last amazing grays has satisfied my curiosity of what 'days of grays' will sound like, or at least of what i hoped it would sound like. it's only two songs, though, so there is still ample room for disappointment. until then, i wait, with fingers crossed, for the new album release.

Augury, "Fragmentary Evidence"

it has been a long five years waiting for these montreal technical death metallers, but they have finally released their sophomore album, fragmentary evidence. augury has created a new sound for themselves, best described as the soundtrack for a space circus: quirky, clean guitar tapping, fretless bass tapping, and playful drumming with plenty of ride cymbal. the new sound is similar to their song 'from eden estranged except a lot more crazy. a great album, but, relatively, weaker than their debut.

1.aetheral
the opener comes flying into you from the upper ether followed by a subterranean growl from patrick loisel. aetheral is classic augury, it doesn't disappoint. as always, imaginative fretless bass work by forest lapointe. the guitar solo is more of a creative lead that came from outer space.

2.simian cattle
lapointe's bass work reminds me of les claypool here. simian cattle has a scary carnival feel to it, almost like manticora's the black circus. augury is pushing their boundaries with a middle section that is unlike anything from concealed. a creative and imaginative masterpiece.

3.orphans of living
this song contains a free flowing instrumental passage that features full bass chords before going into a phenomenal solo, similar to what you'd find on concealed. by now i see that the new drummer fills in his shoes nicely.

4.jupiter to ignite
jupiter has an instrumental opening and plenty of instrumental breaks. it's spacey, and i describe it as harmonic chaos. you hear progressively more acoustic guitars as the song goes. at the five minute mark, a beautiful instrumental passage with a faster tempo shifts the momentum of the song before diving back into loisel's vocals only to rise out again into augury's now seemingly trademarked instrumentalism. this song is a roller coaster between death metal and softer instrumental breaks.

5.sovereigns unknown
loisel changes up his vocals into something a little more audible. sovereigns has a true augury solo that will implode minds as usual.

6.skyless
what can i say? these guys make it seem all too easy, no surprises here. skyless is a solid addition to what so far has been a rock solid album.

7.faith puppeteers
no instrumental passages, faith puppeteers is 100% death metal. faith puppeteers is an unrelenting 4 minutes that makes contrasts well with the next song. as i've read, this song has been played in their live shows for a while now.

8.brimstone landscapes
this one opens with acoustic guitars and pretty noises from the ride cymbal. as in sovereigns unknown, i can hear what loisel is singing at times. two-thirds in, augury surprises with the reprise of female vocals (for the only time on this album).

9.oversee the rebirth
this 11 minute epic nicely sums up what fragmentary evidence offers. augury's new sound is cemented: a mixture of progressive death metal found on 'concealed' combined with their new instrumental sections.

standing on it's own, 'fragmentary evidence' is a wonderful album. yet, looking back with respect to what they did on 'concealed', i'm a little disappointed. i miss having female vocals, i miss their acoustic songs like 'the lair of purity'. none of these elements are on 'fragmentary evidence'. still, augury has further developed their sound, and i respect their creativity and willingness to experiment.

Týr, "By the Light of the Northern Star"

this is tyr's fifth studio album, released surprisingly early-- only a year since their fourth album, "Land". My major complaint with "Land" is that it is too slow wherever you look. Well, with "By the light of the northern star', they've corrected their lethargy, but at what cost?

1.hold the heathen hammer high
a great opener with a highly addictive chorus. the song is a little simple, a little repetitive, but it's so catchy you can't complain. The lyrics, like many of their songs, are about pagan pride with a few jabs at christianity. Kari's drumming is less progressive than i'm used to.

2.tróndur í gøtu
another catchy chorus, this time sung in faroese, is the highlight of this song (along with the pre-chorus). it's as fast as the opener, a good sign. other than two nice solos, there's nothing else to say about this song.

3.into the storm
an epic harmonized guitar lead begins the song. the lyrics tell the story of christianization in the faroe islands in 999 a.d. heri sings well, and so far these are the best vocals/lyrics on the album. midway through the song, we hear the longest, and best, solo on the album yet. the song finishes up with another verse and chorus and ends with the guitar leads we hear in the beginning. again, simple, but nice.

4.the northern gate
heri begins the song with a vocal melody that runs throughout the song. in fact, this chant runs too much throughout the song. it's like instead of having words to their chorus they just stuck to the melody. the main riff is, well, there's not much to say about it. the solo is mostly a rehashing of the main riff with a little bit of tapping towards the end of it. errr, there's that damn vocal melody again. okay, this is really getting annoying. sing words, heri! in summation, this song is annoying. i hate to say it, but it's depressingly simple for tyr.

5.turið torkilsdóttir
so the main melody is from a faroese traditional folk song, like most of tyr's songs. the song goes like this. heri opens up with the vocal melody (this time with actual words, sung in faroese) then add guitar leads laying over that. then, add in rising snare and bass drums. then, the song is in full motion with a guitar solo that ends in the main melody. after this, it reverts backwards into the rising snare and bass dum pattern. it then goes in reverse again, to a vocal and guitar lead harmonization like in the beginning. it then ends with heri alone singing the melody, just as in the beginning. okay, while this song is super epic, why is it so simple!!! come on, tyr, you're progressive viking metal, what are you doing!

6.by the sword in my hand
ahh, okay, this song gives me hope. an off tempo riff begins the song that will be used in the pre-chorus. the chorus is one of my favorites from this album, full of awesome words like "decimate" and "decapitate" (oh, the rhyming skills of heri joensen). kari also finally has some interesting drumming.

7.ride
possibly the best song of the album. the main riff that opens the song is catchy and fast, and kari matches it wonderfully with double bass and china symbol. the lyrics are debatably stupid but oh so very fun ("they die, well at least those that didn't run to hide"). the chorus is insanely addictive. the solo is rythmic and the kari impresses again with his drumming.

8.hear the heathen call
hmmm. there's nothing terrible about this song, but nothing makes it great, either. honestly, there's nothing to say about this song, it's just...tyr. it's like most songs on this album, just with a different main riff, and different lyrics, but it follows the same formula.

9.by the light of the northern star
the longest song at almost six minutes and the flagship of the album. the lyrics are about, you can probably guess it, the past glory of vikings with again some jabs at christianity. the song follows a traditional faroese & norwegian folk song, so there isn't much room for creativity.

i think i can explain what happened with tyr. "Land" didn't do so well for nuclear blast, their record label. so, they picked out what didn't make "land" so good, and pretty much forced tyr to write fast and simple viking metal. they were crunched on time, so the lyrics are all one sidedly about vikings, instead of their usual inventiveness. i mean, even their lyrics bashing christianity are dumbed down. remember how 'eric the red' made a semi-logical argument against the christianization of the faroese? i believe nuclear blast isn't taking tyr seriously, they're just using them to make pagan metal for teenage boys full of angst who want to run around pretending to be vikings. while "land" was definitely too slow, it still had integrity in it's song structures and writing (the sixteen minute titletrack is, in my opinion, their best song). this album has not pushed the progression of tyr's unique sound that made "ragnarok" and "eric the red" so great. this album is catchy, but it's too damn simple.

A Beginner's Guide To Metal

written for the winter 2008 edition of squeezebox, dartmouth's music magazine:

The Eight Sub-genres

When I say “metal” what do you think of? Apart from such alloys as steel or brass, perhaps images of Iron Maiden, Metallica and Judas Priest come to mind. Or, perhaps, you think of devil-worshipping bands whose names are some variants of the words “satan”, “blood”, and “goat”. As a metalhead, my goal is to help you better understand the misunderstood and understated musical genre that is metal.

The most basic sub-genres of metal as they exist today are: heavy metal, thrash metal, progressive metal, power metal, folk metal, death metal, black metal and doom metal. Heavy metal first established itself in the 1970’s through the pioneering work of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper and Cream. Since then, heavy metal has evolved and branched off into these eight core sub-genres. Each has its own distinct sound and character, although many artists intermarry them to create new slants of these sub-genres.

Heavy Metal

The forerunner of all other forms of metal, heavy metal is a true metalhead’s staple. Heavy metal is characterized by a general sense of loudness that is made possible by fast, rhythmic drumming, heavily distorted guitars and extended guitar solos. The existence of these key components of heavy metal in all of the other sub-genres of metal is a testament to the influence of early heavy metal bands. As a rule of thumb: if a band doesn’t have these influences either directly or indirectly, then it probably isn’t metal. Iconic heavy metal bands include Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Dio, AC/DC and Motörhead. Since this sub-genre is the oldest form of metal, there aren’t many new bands out today that play strictly heavy metal. For example, Black Label Society is the only heavy metal band I can think of that was founded as recently as 1998.

Thrash Metal

The most prominent thrash metal bands are Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Pantera, Slayer and Testament. If you have heard at least one of these bands, you will know to some degree what thrash metal sounds like. If you haven’t…well, that’s why I’m here. Thrash metal is all about capturing the sound of aggression. Thrash can be described as an evolved descendant of heavy metal in the sense that it uses its main components and takes them to the extreme. Faster drumming, faster solos, and faster rhythmic picking differentiate thrash metal. Lyrical content can range from war, politics and drug abuse to heaven, hell and the occult. While I’m speaking of lyrics: don’t assume that because a song may be about, say, drug abuse, metal artists support drug abuse. For instance, look at Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”, a song about the effects of cocaine: I’m your source of self-destruction / Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear /Leading on your death’s construction.

Progressive Metal

Progressive metal, I have found, is a good starting point for the metal neophyte. If you feel at all dissatisfied with the lack of virtuosity in mainstream music, give progressive metal a try. “Prog” metal is the most complex and intricate of the sub-genres of metal. Featuring odd time signatures, intricate instrumental passages, and some of the best guitar solos around, prog metal will confound and astound you. Prog metal is also the first sub-genre we’ve come across that features the piano/keyboard due to its classical influences. This added dimension gives progressive metal a lusher, fuller sound than thrash and heavy metal. Prog metal lyrics can be just as diverse as thrash lyrics, but prog metal seems to have more literary influences. I speculate that this is an indirect result of prog’s aforementioned classical influences which are unapparent in thrash. The most prominent progressive metal bands are: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Ayreon, Fates Warning, Evergrey and Queensrÿche.

Power Metal

Now on to my personal favorite, power metal. Having evolved out of speed metal (itself a sub-genre of thrash metal), power metal is best described in one word: epic. The “powerful” feeling power metal creates is achieved through harmonized guitar and keyboard leads (i.e. semitones are played over the main riff), double bass drumming, and falsetto vocals. Due to its emphasis on harmonization and choral effects, power metal songs often have sing-along choruses. Symphonic elements are also heavily used to create its epic feel. This can be done through either layering keyboard synth tracks or having an orchestra play an accompaniment. Power metal also has the highest concentration of female singers when compared to other sub-genres due to the high demand for sopranos. Lyrically, power metal covers topics such as mythology, fantasy, love and war. To get a feel for power metal vocals, here is an excerpt from Blind Guardian’s “The Hobbit”: Far to the hill we've to go / Over the mountain and seas /
To the old hill, where the old dragon sleeps / Blind in the dark dungeon's night /So God please take me away from here / And Gollum shows the way right out. As you can see, Tolkien’s Middle-Earth is a popular theme in power metal. Some of my favorite power metal bands are: Blind Guardian, Sonata Arctica, Kamelot, Nightwish, Angra and Stratovarius.

Folk Metal

What is unique about folk metal is that it varies by country. Norwegian folk metal does not sound like Israeli folk metal because of folk metal’s stress on folk instruments (such as fiddle, accordion, hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, lute and bouzouki). Lyrically, most folk metal songs are about nature, history and mythology (mainly Nordic, hence why some folk metal is often called viking metal). So, I suppose folk metal is best for you if you always wanted to know what a viking would listen to. Apart from viking metal, you can also find folk metal bands that specialize in pirate metal (Alestorm) and, believe it or not, troll metal (Finntroll, TrollfesT). The lyrics to Finntroll’s premier album “Midnattens Widunder” is written from the perspective of trolls. Folk metal is often sung in the language of the artist’s country, meaning only about half of all folk metal is sung in English. Apart from English, folk metal is sung in such languages as Finnish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Faroese, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Gaulish. Some good folk metal bands are: Týr, Elvenking, Eluveitie, Lumsk, Ensiferum, Moonsorrow, Finntroll and Folkearth.

Disclaimer: The remaining sub-genres (and folk metal to an extent) make use of “growl” vocals, which often turn-off those who are exploring metal. If you are new to metal, I would recommend saving the next two sub-genres until you have already listened to at least one of the aforementioned sub-genres and feel comfortable with furthering your metal explorations.

Death Metal

Okay, so death metal is pretty similar to thrash metal except with a few changes: keyboards are more often used, the lyrics are “sung” in a growled fashion, the guitars are tuned down to make the sound heavier and the drumming is more complex. Death metal lyrics are usually, though not always, about bleak subjects (death and war). The lyrical content is what drives death metal. It is what makes the down tuned guitars and growled vocals necessary. To give you an example of what I mean, let’s look at Amon Amarth’s “Death in Fire”: Total war is here / Face it without fear / Age of sword, age of spear / Fight for honor, glory, death in fire. There simply is no other way to play a song with those lyrics. Some notable death metal bands are: Wintersun, Gojira, Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Opeth, Death and In Flames.

Doom Metal

I’ll be honest, I don’t listen to that much doom metal, but I’ll do my best to tell you what I know. Having developed out of Black Sabbath’s sound, doom metal creates a feeling of despair and loneliness. Note: do not associate doom metal with emo. Doom metal features down tuned guitars, slower drumming tempos and a mixture of clean and growled vocals. The music and lyrics are meant to evoke a sense of impending dread, or doom. Here is a glimpse of doom metal vocals from the band Agalloch: The snow has fallen and raised this white mountain on which you will die and fade away in silence. Although doom metal may sound depressing and boring, give it a shot when you feel like experimenting. I recommend: Katatonia, Agalloch, Amorphis, Paradise Lost, and Moonspell.

Black Metal

Black metal has a long and unpopular history. Known for inciting church burnings and Satanism, black metal is not exactly mainstream. Still, a few bad apples shouldn’t spoil the whole bunch. Not all black metal is about summoning Satan (though I recommend Belphegor if that’s what you’re into). Black metal features tremolo guitar picking, fast drumming and unfamiliar song structures. It creates a minimalist, atmospheric mood that can be quite enjoyable. Some good black metal artists include Summoning, Falkenbach, Burzum, Behemoth and Bathory.

Conclusion

Some assume that metal is ugly and brutish. I contend this view. I hold that it is engaging, innovative and beautiful. Its underground status has preserved, on the whole, its integrity in an increasingly commercial world. I have never in my life met a 'former' metalhead. They simply don’t exist. Metal is not just a fad for teenage boys to be abandoned in adulthood. When one embraces it, it embraces you back, and you become its spouse for life. I hope that you will discover its existence. I hope you will love it and embrace it as I have.

Dream Theater, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings"

black clouds & silver linings
this is dream theater's 10th studio album, released in june. before i start, i'll just say i love the album artwork and that it matches the tone of the music.

1.a nightmare to remember
lightning cracks the sky, and what sounds like the undertones of a hammered dulcimer open the album. this song features plenty of tritones to create an evil sound, much like black sabbath. mike portnoy uses impressive double bass throughout the song with great variation. after a first four minutes of aggressive verses, the song turns directions into a soothing acoustic, ethereal sounding mid-section that lasts until the 8 minute mark, at which point petrucci and rudess duel away. after the solos, it gets heavy again, with portnoy-- almost comically-- singing in an aggressive voice. the rest of the song is pretty much repetition of previous parts, though notable is portnoy's first ever use of blast beats. i'm not opposed to this, as it suites the tone of the song. the lyrics are about john petrucci's near death experience when he was caught in a car accident as a child. the lyrics aren't fantastic, but they get worse. overall, this song reminds me of halloween-- lyrics about nightmares, lightning sound effects, and tritones all create the effect. this is a far cry from what some dream theater fans may want, but i'm glad they're trying to do something new.

2.a right of passage
the weakest track of the album, and their first single. a cathcy riff takes up most of the song and doesn't leave much room for anything else. petrucci gives nice pinch harmonics, but this song is too simple for what i want from dream theater. the lyrics, about the masonic order, are boring and lack any real meaning. While boring, rest assured the solos aren't.

3.wither
the shortest song on the album at 5:26, but one of the greatest. it opens with a soothing acoustic riff, and myung's thick and calm bassline creates a wondrous sound. while i often dislike james labrie's singing, he redeems himself with this song alone. the lyrics, the highlight of the song, are about petrucci's experiences with writer's block. with these lyrics petrucci helps to recoup some of the losses he makes in regards to some of the terrible lyrics on other tracks. midway through, the apex of the song is reached with rudess' soaring string synths and labrie singing the chorus' "like reflections on the page, the world's what you create". this song immediately became one of my favorite dream theater ballads.

4.the shattered fortress
this is the final song in portnoy's twelve part suite about his recovery from alcoholism. as such, he rehashes and works in favored riffs from the previous songs in the suite. at first, i felt like i was being cheated out of a 10+ minute song, but i have since then recanted this view. though many old riffs are being reused, it's great to hear all these songs come together in a conclusive way (it's sure to be an amazing song live because of this). what is new, though, is the beginning: a thunderous prelude with drums, guitar, and keyboard coming together to make me feel like i'm ancient babylon. altogether a great song.

5.the best of times
mike portnoy played this song to his father before he passed away from cancer. that said, this song is a tribute to his father. Instead of being a song about his father's passing, it's more of a celebration of his life. the song is in e major, which lends an air of happiness to the song. in the beginning is a touching piano intro, then a lovely violin mimics, followed by a tear-producing acoustic guitar solo. after these introductions, the real song begins with an overarching riff by petrucci that reminds me of 'the spirit of radio' by Rush. towards the end of the song, portnoy's lyrics are truly hearfelt, and labrie sings them with sincerity. the highlight of the song is petrucci's ending solo, one of dream theater's best.

6.the count of tuscany
my favorite track of the album, this song has everything-- an acoustic intro, progressive verses, heavy choruses, great solo interludes, and an epic ending. the one thing that falls flat, for the most part, are the lyrics. with such cheese as "let me intoduce/ my brother/ a bearded gentleman/ historian", petrucci recounts his frightening encounter with a count of italy who takes him to his estate where petrucci's bowels then loosen in fear for his life. still, labrie sings them well and you learn to appreciate the elementary lyrics. the last five minutes are the best of the entire album. it begins with simple acoustic guitar. labrie then begins to gently sing lyrics that don't suck and a conversation between petrucci and the count follows. then comes in rudess with a simple piano line and portnoy with a bass fill before bringing in a drum pattern that carries for the rest of the song. at this point, the lyrics and vocals climax, as well as everything else. the end result is a slow progression from simplicity to symphonic grandeur. the song ends then ends with a soaring guitar solo. this five minute ending ends the album so very well and is one of my favorite passages of dream theater.

black clouds & silver linings is as good as you'd expect dream theater to be. it has its faults, but its strengths overshadow them. i believe it to be a step up from their previous album, systematic chaos, and, unlike others, i have hope for the future of dream theater. they've been making music for over twenty years, and i'm amazed i can still be impressed by them. maybe i have crappy taste in music, or maybe dream theater is just that good.

Cain's Offering, "Gather the Faithful"

cain's offering is jani liimatainen's first solo album, but is more of a finnish supergroup with tomi kotipelto of stratovarius on vocals, mikko harkin (ex-sonata arctica) on keys, and jukka koskinen of norther/wintersun on bass.

1.my queen of winter
a great melody opens 'gather the faithful', and my hopes for this album are already realized. the lyrics are charming and i think the best on the album. fast tempo. sounds like a mix of early sonata arctica with new stratovarius.

2.more than friends
a love song, like most songs on this album, about unrequited love. the chorus has a nice vocal melody and kotipelto puts in a nice amount of variation to keep the choruses memorable. slower pace, and heavier than the opener. there is an instrumental interlude with really great bass work.

3.oceans of regret
one of the best tracks, and one of the longest. here we first hear jani's guitar hegemony with a nice solo towards the end of the track. by now you'll notice that mikko seems to get more attention than jani-- i was hoping for each track to be full of jani's solos. the vocals have good melody, but i don't really like the lyrics themselves (kotipelto is complaining about some lady who "hurts me just because you can")

4.gather the faithful
the album's eponym is an instrumental track full of orchestral bombast. short, but lively and progressive.

5.into the blue
a slower ballad, with a repetitive chorus, but kotipelto pours enough emotion into his singing for you to not mind the repetition.

6.dawn of solace
a chipper song, but pretty standard when it comes to power metal. the lyrics are similar to oceans of regret, so yeah. good solos, i was more impressed by mikko's.

7.thorn in my side,
in my opinion, the weakest track of the album. nothing makes this one stick out, and i find myself skipping over this one frequently. oh, and there are these annoying digital drums that make this song seem way too electronic for its own good.

8.morpheus in a masquerade
a rival with oceans of regret and my queen of winter for best song on the album, and it's also the longest at 6:45. plenty of variation and tempo changes. more solos by jani make this track all the more worthwile. a waltzy atmosphere matching the lyrics makes this song quite playful.

9.stolen waters
an average song compared to what we've heard so far, but jani's solo saves it from mediocrity. i also like the name, so that makes it better than thorn in my side.

10.elegantly broken
a beautiful ballad led by mikko on piano with kotipelto sining wonderfully. the way he sings the song's title lyric at the end ("together we will be, so elegantly broken") makes the entire song. its the shortest song at 2:45, but every second is valuable.

on the whole, a great, happy power metal album, my only complaint is the songs all had too similar a feeling and not enough variation on the whole in terms of tempo, heaviness, and lyrical content. also, i wanted jani's guitarwork to stand out a whole lot more. i mean, considering he left sonata arctica and now has a chance to do his own music, i would have expected him to have more inspiring guitar work in the songs. after a couple of listens, the songs become addictive.