EXPERIMENTAL/POST METAL

Every song just draws you in with its majestic wall of sound. I don't know how this man manages to put together heavily layered albums like this in the short amount of time that he does it. I attempt to make recordings like this and I just can't seem to find the right loops or synthesizer sounds to compliment the song. I struggle to balance out all the levels and frequencies of each track if I'm piling on the layers like Devin does with his songs. There are so many little bits and pieces of sound that you discover in revisiting this record time and time again. The same goes for a number of his records. It's sheer brilliance, in my opinion, the way he makes his albums.

Possibly the most awesome thing about Addicted is that it is literally highly addictive. There's just so much about it that brings me back over and over. The sounds of the instruments are fantastic, the vocal performances are stellar and even bone-chilling at times, the rhythms are fun, the melodies are entertaining, and the flow is seamless. Each song is rock solid. Their structures, or at least the way the songs bleed into each other, don't lend the songs to standing on their own tremendously well... I would say. But that might just be a psychological thing with me though. Because I don't have many urges to listen to just one song from the record. I NEED THE WHOLE THING... every time!

I should note that the drummer, Mr. Ryan van Poederooyen, does add to the excitement of this album is a significant way. And of course the lovely Anneke van Giersbergen makes this album shine in an incredibly special way.

I wish I could put into words the ethereal, cosmic, goosebumpy vibes that I get while listening to this album, but I don't think I can. I think that is something you need to experience yourself. Five Stars without a doubt! This album stands tall and shines even in the brilliant discography of its creator.

This is a band with a lot of ideas, and many different musical traits, but they are let down throughout this album with some pretty poor production. If the idea is to generate the idea of how the sound may come across at times in a live gig then they have succeeded, but the listener wants some clarity to the instruments and the vocals. "Marooned" starts life as a number by Everything But The Girl while "Probably Built In The Fifties" comes across as if the band are attempting to be Hawkwind with a female singer.

An album which is most definitely spoilt by the poor sound. A shame.

Originally appeared in Feedback #57

Instead of releasing a standard live album, Tool have packed in a few surprises along the way. "Third Eye" and "Part of Me" are reasonably close to the versions performed on the albums. "Pu[&*!#]" takes thing in a totally different direction. It's a stripped back version and puts an entirely new emphasis on the song, which is refreshing to see. "You Lied" is a cover song that's not available on any other Tool release.

"No Quarter" is the highlight on this album by a long way. It's the reason I rushed out to buy the album upon release. Recorded during the Aenima sessions, this cover of the Led Zep classic is a gem. Tool expand upon the original and give it a taste of their own signature style. The result is an 11 minute epic that shows the way a cover should be done - not just by playing the same song with more contemporary guitar distortion or some other superficial change, but by actually writing some new material that complements and enhances the original.

The album closes out with a couple of 'jokey' tracks, with "Maynard's Dick" in particular a track worth more than one listen.

There is also a DVD included with several of Tool's early film clips, and a glossy hardcover booklet with photos and artwork as well. Both of these fall under the category of collector's items.

For serious Tool fans, this is a 4 Star package and one you'll want to own. For others? 3 Stars, grab it from a bargain bin for "No Quarter" if nothing else.

In any case, I became aware of Indukti since I recognized Marius Duzsa's voice in one song, and being a great fun of Riverside, I thought it was a new song of theirs, instead, I discovered it was another band, in fact named "Indukti". Did some more search, found the Album, "S.U.S.A.R" bought it, and at that point I fell in love for Indukti too. But the real shock came once I listened to Idmen... I am not a metal fun, neither dark, let alone power or death metal, but do appreciate some of prog-metal bands' music, like Opeth, Baroness and few others. And, of course, I wouldnt label Tool music as "metal" either, it's a bit "prog-metal" to my ears, but more "Toolian". Turning back to Idmen, I was not looking for any metal-something, however once listening the cd I was struck with their power and executing skills of these guys, but what really caught me is their capabilities to mix together some kind of power metal with beautiful melodies, at times even romantic. I do really like coupling acoustic instruments as the violin, the guitar or the trumpet, together with a tremendous rhythmic section, particularly evident in track #5, "Indukted", to me the best of the album. Also, I like very much Sansara (#1), Tusan Homichi Tuvota (#2), and Ninth Wave (#8) with its beautiful trumpet, very moving emotionally, yet very rock (!) There is a clear inspiration from Tool: as many have noted the vocalist in track #7 clearly recalls Maynard J. Keenan of Tool, but the music still is "Indukti" Some tracks are a bit weak, like track # 6 "Aemaet", a bit too long and with no particular direction. But other songs I mentioned above largely compensate these few weaknesses. My bad I got this album in my hands only 2 weeks ago, while it was published in 2009.... well, better later than never! To conclude on this Indukti's cd, I'd say every progger should have it in his/her music library. A must of contemporary prog-metal.

This is the first release of a new three album deal with Code666 and I bet the label are well- pleased with his outing. From atmospheric gentle keyboards and riffs to something far more hellish this really is an album that shows that British BM can be just as unforgiving and dynamic as that from the European mainland. The more one listens to this the more there is to hear, with a simple complexity that is going to gain this band a lot of praise. Evil comes to those who wait and there is a foreboding and presence in this music that contains plenty of that. www.auralmusic.com

'Dividend in Division' opens the EP and is the only track worth of further analysis. It begins with a "techno" sounding keyboard but soon the heavy guitars take over on an experimental/punky riffology on a rather annoying drum-programming sound. However, the vocal melody is fairly decent and saves it from disaster. The techno vibes continue throughout even when a strong (but short) guitar solo kicks in and another proggier section leads it to its conclusion. Although not a complete composition, it entails a couple of interesting ideas.

Tracks 2 to 5 represent what I would call a pointless electronica experimentation with atonal passages and pure programming - even the addition of (any) keyboards would help give this some life. The only exception appears at a couple of minutes in the closing track where a layered guitar melody and a dreamy vocal section accompany the beat with some success. The joy lasts for about only 60 seconds or so...

With a single experimental/electronic-metal track there is not much here to recommend. Conclusion: Avoid or give it a go if you are a fan of such music as the EP is (still) free to download.

There are albums that you hear once, and which you instantly fall in love with. For me, "Undertow" was not one of these. It was a creeper. I had it copied to tape and listened to it in my car on regular rotation, and it didn't strike me as being better or worse than the other things I was listening to, such as Primus or RATM. It was only after several months that I realised other artists would come and go every few weeks - but "Undertow" kept finding its way back into the tape deck, and still sounded great. Moreso, it was actually getting better with every listen.

I bought the CD and it included a special edition live disc as an extra bonus. Many more months went by and it was still the album I craved most. Strange things began happening that I hadn't experienced before. Every month I'd have a new favourite song on the album. First Intolerance. Then 4 Degrees. After about a year of listening it became Flood, a song that was probably their first foray into something proggy.

At that point I realised that, in a very unassuming and gradual way, Tool had become my favourite band. They still are today.

I'm not sure exactly what it is about this album that resonated with me to such a great extent. Most likely, it was an album that was in the right place at the right time. I was a kid still trying to find his place in the world, and many of the themes on the album revolving around anger and frustration certainly spoke to me. They had a cathartic effect and helped me through tough times. Undertow became a convenient pressure valve for me to turn on whenever I felt the need.

The film clips went hand in hand with the music and enhanced the experience further. I remember showing some friends the "Sober" clip and how they recoiled at the odd creatures and themes on display. And how I tried to explain my viewpoint: "Don't you see this guy has been lost and alone for so long, searching and finding nothing, and then when he finally does find something he's incapable of understanding what it means; it's just this ugly, strange creature to him because he has no frame of reference." Suffice to say they didn't share my wonderment at this particular piece of art.

While not really prog, "Undertow" is still an incredible rock/metal album. It's the early beginnings of a band just stretching its muscles, with even greater things in its future.

The first half of the album is very strong. Jambi in particular is a standout. Very much influenced by touring buddies Meshuggah, it features some of Adam Jones' most complex guitar work. The polyrhythms of guitar, bass and percussion intertwine wonderfully and help to keep things interesting for the duration.

The centrepiece of the album is Wings For Marie Pt 1 and Pt 2. Clocking in at over 17 minutes, it's a moody, regretful and cathartic journey. In the earlier "A Perfect Circle" track "Judith", frontman Keenan delivers a scalding, contemptuous appraisal of his mother's religious beliefs in the face of her physical disabilities with lines such as "F$#k your God, he did this, Took what you had and left you this way." Now after her passing, he gives the strong impression that he wishes he could take those words back, praising her patience and her unshakable faith and likening her to an angel. "It's time now, Give me my wings." It's a deep and intimate window into Keenan's soul and thus one of Tool's most powerful moments on any album. Add to this the unbelievable bass playing of Justin Chancellor and it makes for a killer track.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot to like after this. "The Pot" is a great upbeat rock track, just the tonic to follow on from "Wings" and to lift the listener out of that dark and sorrowful moment. But then? The second half of the album is dominated by segues and ambience and all in all seems bereft of ideas. "Rosetta Stoned" is silly and a bit of fun but doesn't provide any lasting appeal. "Intension" sounds like the formative stages of a good song, but doesn't go anywhere. "Right In Two" provides the only substance in the last 40 minutes of the album, but as a song is only average.

This could have been a good, engaging 50 minute album. As it stands, it seems Tool were intent on maintaining the 70 minute plus standard of previous works, but just simply did not have the inspiration to fill it with anything meaningful. The resulting meanderings detract from the album as a whole.

As an addendum I would like to praise the CD packaging, which is very inventive and unique, complete with stereoscopic glasses built into the front cover. It's a great incentive for fans to go out and buy the product rather than just downloading it.

A solid 7/10 but I'll round it down to 3 stars.

Pixillated Sludge Metal That Still Rocks.

At their sixth album, Cult Of Luna once again keep their roots solidly untouched, experimenting more with sound and exploring new sonic territories they'd yet to venture in. 'Vertikal' hasn't pleased all fans because of these reasons, or because it's been thought that these new ideas haven't been developed in a better way. Opinions vary, but in my eyes this is one of the better albums by the Swedish band, and it's good to see that experimentation in Metal bands today is still very embraced.

On this new album, Cult Of Luna take a step forward especially with the sonic decorations, these bursts of electronic layering that in the past were present, excellent, but not essential, are now pretty prominent, and sound quite different as well: the rough production creates these razor-sharp synth pulses that come and go throughout the album, some of them are not at all accompaniments and play a major, if not completely essential role for a track. This peculiarly rough production compliments also the crushing guitars, here more crushing than any other Cult Of Luna LP so far, and that is saying a lot.

But Cult Of Luna have not distanced themselves from their original style enough to not sound like Cult Of Luna: the riffs are overall crafted in the same fashion as their previous compositions, and anyone who has heard their previous work can confirm.

As for the album itself: it's an album that at first feels a little generic and familiar, but with further listens, it reveals a sophistication that was heard only on the band's better albums. Every song has its unique role, and they all do the job done well, some times, excellently. 'I, The Weapon' and 'Synchronicity' are the catchiest and at the same time better structured songs, in spite of the eighteen minute monster 'Vicarious Redemption', which is nicely arranged and structured but doesn't quite justify its length. 'Mute Departure' has nice, heavy moments, 'The Sweep' is an interesting divisive interlude of the album and 'Passing Through' closes everything quite well, a calm, tense piece that ends it all with a suspended note.

'Vertical' is the living proof that Cult Of Luna have not stepped down their game just yet, and are willing meander into new paths and directions, sounding a whole lot more interesting than many Sludge Metal bands today, who merely model a sound that is perhaps too familiar nowadays.

While Anathema did release an album of re-recordings in 2011, 'Weather systems' contains their first collection of new material since 'We're here because we're here' in 2010. The core line up has been pared back a bit since that album, but the personnel remain effectively unchanged, with Jamie Cavanagh having a cameo role and Les Smith's keyboard duties being absorbed by Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh.

Produced by Vincent and Daniel along with Christer-Andr' Cederberg, the emphasis here is on emotion, melody and musicianship. On all three counts, it delivers in the proverbial bucket-loads.

The opening 'Untouchable' is nominally in two parts, but in reality it is an 11+ minute song which opens with acoustic guitar and builds to two wonderful crescendos. If we wish to be picky here, we can get tied up in the 'is it prog?' debate, a discussion which could be had about the album as a whole. The fact is though that regardless of genre, this is a truly magnificent opening piece, charged to the brim with emotion and supreme melody. There is hypnotic repetition at times which swings towards post rock, but the infectious hooks make the track an instant winner aimed at a much wider audience. What is noticeable, especially in part 2, is the more prominent role afforded to (female singer) Lee Douglas that pulls the band even further from the acquired taste nature of their earliest days.

The first of the 'Weather systems' is the distant thunder which introduces 'The Gathering of the Clouds', a semi-acoustic harmony piece which features Spanish style guitar (a bit like that on 'Question' by the Moody Blues). The song merges into the following 'Lightning Song', for me the only weaker section of the entire album. It is not a bad song, just a bit uninspired. Things quickly get back on track though with the fine 'Sunlight', which blends post rock with Coldplay to create a captivating piece which builds throughout.

The nine minute 'The Storm Before the Calm' written by John Douglas is the only song on the album not written by the Cavenagh brothers. Here, the influence of the band's touring partners Porcupine Tree can be detected in the use of guitar driven theatrics and distorted vocals. This is certainly the most obscure and experimental of the tracks on the album, but even here the band retain their discipline throughout the apparent chaos.

'The Beginning Of The End' returns us to the soft melodics that distinguish the album. Once again, the track builds from a quiet beginning through emotion charged vocals to a climactic conclusion. 'The Lost Child' is something of a mini-epic, the underlying piano base supporting a pained vocal and sympathetic arrangement. The album closes with the 9 minute 'Internal Landscapes', a beautiful quasi-classical number which returns us to earth with true grace. The spoken word section is slightly reminiscent of 'Voyage 34' while the vocal section takes us back to the second part of 'Untouchable'.

Overall, another superb album from this great band. While in musical terms Anathema are probably moving into more mainstream territories with each album, there is no denying the strength of the melodies, the musicianship and indeed the the songwriting.