Of One Blood

Behind on the last weeks postings thanks to work and sleep. So here's a double shot of goodness from last week. First up is the Boston based Metalcore band Shadows Fall. The band has been around since the mid 90's and are considered one of the bands in the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal (NWOAHM), with bands like God Forbid, Killswitch Engage and Lamb Of God. The band released their debut 'Somber Eyes To The Sky' in 97 with then unknown vocalist Phil Labonte. Phil now fronts All That Remains, who has had some recent success with their releases. The band continued on with new vocalist and former Overcast frontman Brian Fair. Continuing to to tour and open for bands like King Diamond, Death and Cannibal Corpse, Century Media took noticed and in 2000 released 'Of One Blood'. The album was somewhere in between hardcore and melodic death metal. In a sense this was the birth of the Metalcore genre. The band over the years has gained some attention, even so far as being signed to Atlantic Records for a brief time. However this album stands as starting point of their career and is a gem in a field of mediocre crap. Century Media re released and remixed the album in 08 and this is that version. Production wasn't the best on the original and this mix really brings out the songs.

I got into these guys by the fact that they toured with King Diamond back in 2000. I'm always interesting in what bands support the King when he hits the road. This was a peculiar choice just on the fact that they were an unknown band who had just one album under their belts. However the music spoke for itself, the anger coupled with the clean vocal breaks seemed a good fit. Metal at this time was just starting to recover from all that alt/nu metal crap. This album for me is still one of my favorites from them. Their follow up 'The Art Of Balance' was really a better produced and sounding record, but something about the gritty sound here pulled me in. Good album to crank and let loose to.

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Crimson

Mid week and it's time for some depressing Goth Metal. Hailing from Finland, Sentenced started out as a Death Metal band before changing gears midway through their career. They later adopted a doom/goth sound which they kept until the end. That sound is what gained the band more fans. 'Crimson' proves the bands sound wasn't a one time record trick. Released in 2000, the album showcases a depressing and somber metal tone through and through. With songs like 'Killing Me Killing You', 'Bleed In My Arms', and 'No More Beating As One', you kinda get the sense that this is a dark sand somber record. And it is for all intensive purposes. Sadly the band released only a few more albums before calling it a day in 05. The bands final show was filmed for a DVD/CD released entitled 'Buried Alive'. Stellar DVD if ya haven't seen it. Sadly any thoughts of the band reforming were shot down with the passing of guitarist Miika Tenkula in 09 due to heart failure. However the band lives on in the hearts and ears of metal heads.

Sentenced for me was always a doom n gloom band. I loved the stuff I had heard from the 'Down' and 'The Cold White Light'  records. Sure it was dark and depressing but somehow songs about death and the like were kinda upbeat. Plus the band has done some ridiculously awesome covers. Check out their version of Radiohead's 'Creep' or The Animals 'House Of The Rising Sun', the later is just an awesome drunk cover. Since the demise of the band, the members have kept busy with other bands like, Poisonblack, The Man Eating Tree and KYPCK. The latter band being a Finnish band that sings about Russian History, a very interesting mix. This is one of those bands I wish wouldn't have ended when then did, I feel like they had quite of bit of good music left to make. Still when the dark mood hits, always nice to throw one of their records on.

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Sculptured

Continuing on with the strange Metal of sorts this week, it's time for a band that hails from the Pacific Northwest and who has never played a live show. Sculptured is the brain child of Agalloch guitarist Don Anderson. Actually Sculptured came before Agalloch. The band has been around since 96 and has only released 3 albums to date. The last album, 'Embodiment: Collapsing Under The Weight Of God'  was released in 08. Sculptured is an unique band in the sense that much like Agalloch, it incorporates various styles of Metal and blends it into a unique mix. Each album is similar, yet worlds apart. To prove my point I've uploaded their debut and one of my all time favorite Metal albums ever, 'The Spear Of The Lily Is Aureoled'. Recorded in the Winter of 97 and released in the Spring of 98, the album is a unique mix of folk metal and death metal of sorts. You could go as far as calling it Avant-Garde Death Metal. A mix of guitars, horns and blast beats at time, set up the listener for a very interesting trip. This, like all their albums is a headphone album. So bust of the headphones and crank this album.

I got into Sculptured around the same time I found Agalloch. The unique mix of a horn section into an Avant-Garde Metal album really pulled me in. That and the mix of clean and death vocals works really well here. Lyrically the album is somewhat of a love story. Songs like 'Her Silence' and 'Almond Beauty' are just nothing short of pure epic in my book. This is one of those records I can play every week and never get tired of. I could probably do that with each of their albums in fact. Little known band that deserves a lot of credit.

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Scale The Summit

Week 2 of the S bands and it's gonna be somewhat of a Metal week, so strap in. Starting the week off is some Instrumental Prog Metal. Fans of the genre should find this one a little interesting. Scale The Summit hail from Houston TX and play Prog Metal minus a vocalist. The interesting thing is the guitars in the band are custom 7 and 8 string guitars, oh and there's a 6 string Bass too. Intrigued yet? Formed in 04, the band has released 3 albums to some acclaim. Having also toured with bands like Dream Theater and Between The Buried And Me, the band has been making a name for themselves out on the road as well. Decided to go with 09's 'Carving Desert Canyons' for tonight's selection. 8 tracks clock in at 40 min, not what you might expect with a Prog Metal band. However this album is actually pretty good and technical. Worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre.

I got this CD along with a bunch of other stuff after displaying my music knowledge for some trivia question. I had never heard of the band, but keeping an open mind threw it in and was impressed. I got the chance to see them open up for Between The Buried and Me, along with Cynic and Devin Townsend. Along with Devin they were the highlight of the night. The low light, having my car towed by some jackass business owner. Anyways, the band does play the style well and for being a technical band of sorts, really pull it off well live. Really seems like a promising band and one to watch out for in the coming years.

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Hall Of The Mountain King

Closing out this week with some American Power Metal. Savatage was one of the more well known names in American power metal. Led by the Oliva Brothers, Jon and Criss, the band formed in 83. Releasing a handful of records before their opus 'Hall Of The Mountain King'  in 87. Widely regarding as a classic in the genre, this album had it all. Of course the bands next album 'Gutter Ballet' was too shabby either. That album opened the doors further for the band. Sadly Criss wass killed by a drunk driver in the early 90's the band wasn't able to recapture the magic. Putting out several more album before going on hiatus in 01, several members of the band have surfaced in various other bands, most notably Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Jon Oliva's Pain. Jon Oliva has stated the a Savatage reunion is highly unlikely, fans of the band still remain hopeful.

I found Savatage through listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, only realizing later that albums like 'Gutter Ballet'  and 'Hall Of The Mountain King' served as earlier primers for what would eventually become TSO. Savatage was really a band that was ahead of its time. Taking a cue from European Traditional Metal acts and putting an American spin on it. Their first couple of albums were a bit heavier than what the band would evolve into over the years. While the band hasn't been around for over a decade now, the other bands formed from the ashes have all been really good.

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This Ain't No Fit Place

Time for another shot of NWOBHM this week. This time it's from UK based Savage. Another little known band that found some recognition when Metallica covered their song 'Let It Loose' on their 'No Life Til Leather' demo. Savage were formed in 76 and by 81 were featured on a NWOBHM split with other bands. By 83 their released their debut record 'Loose N Lethal'. That recorded was released on the tiny label Ebony Records, which also released Mercyful Fate's debut mini LP 'Nuns Have No Fun'. Little known fact about the albums artwork, which was done by Gary Sharpe-Young, who went on to become a respected metal/rock journalist. The band put out another album before splitting up round 86. The band resurfaced a decade later releasing three new albums in the mid 90's'/early 00's on the indie NWOBHM label Neat Records. Another decade passed before the band released a new album earlier this year. I could go with the debut record, but I've decided to go with a best of compilation that was issued in 02 from Neat. 'This Ain't No Fit Place: The Best Of Savage' covers the band up until that point. This is a solid collection considering the bands earlier material has long been out of print. Worth a listen if you're feeling nostalgic.

Savage was another one of those bands that really was just a blip on the NWOBHM radar back in the day. I honestly think Metallica was the only reason the band got some attention. And oddly enough, outside the demo and a few early live gigs, Metallica never played the 'Let It Lose' after that. The band had a style that was NWOBHM mixed with a tinge of speed/thrash metal. Savage were to me one of the better sounding NOWBHM bands of the time. And 'Loose N Lethal' is a great example of that.

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Nemesis Divina

Haven't posted any old school Black Metal in a while so figured it being Halloween and what not, it was high time to bust out some corpse paint and sing about the Dark Lord. Satyricon was formed in the early part of the 90's. Around the time of the second wave of Black Metal. Another Norwegian Black Metal band in an overcrowded scene perhaps. Their first two albums and subsequent split with fellow Norwegians Enslaved were all very well received. The pinnacle in the work was however 'Nemesis Divina' which was released in 96. This is about the time the whole second wave of Black Metal began to fall apart. Bands split and members were jailed for various crimes. However this album remains the bands best effort. For the most  part Satyricon has operated as a duo, consisting of Vocalist/Guitarist/Bassist Satyr and drummer Frost. The band continues to tour and release albums. The style has evolved into more of a modern radio friendly black metal sound. However if you want to relive the old Black Metal days this is the perfect album to do so.

Satyricon were up there with the ranks of Emperor, Mayhem and Burzum when it came to good Norwegian Black Metal Bands. But something happened after this album got released, the got bad. Like Cradle Of Filth bad. Oh I hear the boos now. Over the years Black Metal has become a joke, sounding more and more radio friendly. Stop with trying to add industrial influences or orchestral influences, it's not working. It all sounds the same no matter where the band hails from. And the corpse paint is oh so ridiculous too. Yeah its good to relive the old days every so often.

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