Metal Heart

"One of my greatest pleasures as both a reviewer and a music fan in general is introducing people to bands that they may have failed to take notice of before; with that in mind, I bring you a review of Theocracy’s Mirror of Souls. Unfortunately missing review in 2008 by MR.com (Though all the better for me), MoS is nothing less than a masterpiece of the power metal genre; with its towering melodies, stunning musicianship, fantastic vocals, and a friggin’ colossal title track, Theocracy set its competition ablaze with holy fire and created what is not only one of the best power metal albums of the 00’s, but the best Christian music album I have EVER heard. Now personally, when I think of Christian power metal, I think of bands that are heavy on pretty melodies yet are lacking any sort of heaviness or aggression. The case is not so here. Though the melodies and choruses carry some of the most beautiful and grandiose moments in all of power metal, the rhythm guitar has a very nice, loud crunch to it, and the drums (especially the snare) are always very crisp and punchy. And Theocracy uses this heavy sound to their advantage; Laying the Demon to Rest almost leans more toward a speedy, galloping thrash track while simultaneously taking rests to showcase a slower, wonderful chorus that would put most Christian hymns to shame. Also, the massive Mirror of Souls is chock full of riffs that are just plain heavy, as is needed for some portions of the song’s story… but more on that later. But fans of the highly melodic styles of bands like Stratovarius and Gamma Ray will find enough songs that follow in the particular vein that they prefer to warrant a listen, as well. A Tower of Ashes, On Eagles Wings, and Absolution Day all follow a more traditional, melodic path. Though these kinds of songs have all been done before, the way Theocracy writes and executes them is superb, and some of the melodies are truly unconventional. The chorus of Absolution Day, for example, has a rather poppy quality to it, though the choirs in the background combined with Matt Smiths amazing voice make for a melody that’s spine chilling and entirely uplifting at the same time. There’s also a very nice “Ballad” here, Bethlehem, that I believe deserves to be brought into the mainstream as a Christmas classic to challenge Silent Night and the like. Before Mirror of Souls' culminating title track arrives, two more songs are presented to us, The Writing in the Sand and Martyr. The former is a slower paced track that’s still plenty heavy and has some really neat vocal melodies; the latter is more of a traditional heavy metal song with progressive riffing that is instantly memorable. There’s even some acoustic, latin riffing towards the end that somehow doesn’t come across as silly. MoS is an album that grabs you and refuses to let go; not only because of the impeccable music, but also because of the lyrics. Though this has been mentioned in MR’s review of Theocracy’s debut, the lyrics are in no way preachy or designed to make you feel inferior because you don’t share the band’s beliefs. Rather, the songs tell stories about overcoming the impossible odds the world faces you with through the help of God. Even if you aren’t a Christian, these words are wholly inspiring and make you hope and look forward to a better world and a better future. And now we come to Mirror of Souls’s perfect, stunning title track which deserves an entire review, let alone just a paragraph about it. This twenty two minute, twenty six second epic represents every aspect of Theocracy’s sound, introduces more progressive elements than the band has ever used, and also tells a story that perfectly tells the message Theocracy wants you to receive. It tells the story of a man’s dream where he takes a journey through a hall of mirrors, a dark, rainy landscape, and arrives at one final mirror where his true soul to revealed to him in the glass. It’s a really clever set-up; the hall of mirrors at the beginning represents the eyes of the man’s peers and how each of them view him by his behavior around him. The dreadful, seemingly endless plain of darkness is stands for a journey through life that’s lived without God. And the mirror at the end, where the man discovers a horrible, deformed figure in the reflection, is how God sees the man when his life is infected with sin. The story is far more emotional and skillfully told than I make it out to be here, but the music itself is simply perfect for the tale. The music is constantly swelling between soft and aggressive, triumphant and horrible, and some of the shifts are so seamless that you may not even realize what happened at first. I’ll leave the major details of this masterpiece for the listener to discover; I simply can’t justify just how seamless and powerful Mirror of Souls is. And really, I feel a bit ashamed because I know that I’m not nearly doing this album justice. But no matter what your beliefs may be, if you’re a fan of any kind of power metal, then you need to find some way to get a hold of this and listen to what is easily my favorite PM album of 2008. I simply can’t recommend this masterpiece enough." - Metal Reviews

"Nightmare managed to release just two studio albums in the eighties before falling victim to "musical differences" and the band tore themselves apart at the tail end of the decade. The story could have ended there and the name of Nightmare might have vanished without trace but in 1999 the band resurfaced with original drummer Jo Amore emerging from the shadows of obscurity to front a new version of the old dream.Recruiting his brother David to takeover his vacated stool Jo set about rebuilding Nightmare's reputation brick by brick. Fifteen years on from that rebirth Nightmare are the pride of the French metal scene and 'The Aftermath' is a riveting fifty minutes of tricolour thunder!Combining elements from their traditional eighties roots with a modern drive and something of a theatrical stance they create some seriously epic soundscapes. 'Bringer Of A No Man's Land' and 'Forbidden Tribe' are first to shatter the peace with a brace of hammer blows that feel like Avantasia collided headfirst with some 'Painkiller' Priest. Vocally Jo negotiates a line between the snarling insanity of Dee Snider and a Jorn-esque genius. Their ambitious brand of power metal is grand and striking, 'Invoking Demons' a standout piece. Atmospheric build ups, electrically charged at every turn the tunes they've compiled for 'The Aftermath' are sharp and precise, each underpinned by David's hard hitting style, his beats exploding with the ferocity of Napoleonic cannons. Regimented rhythms march steadily throughout and provide a solid backbone to each metal moment.With 'Alone In The Distance' bringing a close to ten well crafted and skillfully executed songs I find myself wishing more bands would take a page out of Nightmare's book of dreams because 'The Aftermath' is exactly how a contemporary metal album should sound. It's clear and powerful but not once is it over polished with unnecessary production. Nightmare manage to retain a sharp cutting edge to their classic yet current metal sound and keep some fierce serrations perfectly placed along the way so that each track rips into your psyche leaving you bloodthirsty for more.As a new addition to Nightmare's long history 'The Aftermath' will surely be welcomed by old fans with open arms and I can imagine a few new fans being drawn in by this album and its charms too. It's stuff like this that ignites my passion about metal. Impressive stuff indeed." - Uber Rock

Great disc with Richard Sinclair and Mel Collins in the lineup. "Echoes" is an all time classic.

"Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were remarkable craftsmen from the start, as Steely Dan's debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, illustrates. Each song is tightly constructed, with interlocking chords and gracefully interwoven melodies, buoyed by clever, cryptic lyrics. All of these are hallmarks of Steely Dan's signature sound, but what is most remarkable about the record is the way it differs from their later albums. Of course, one of the most notable differences is the presence of vocalist David Palmer, a professional blue-eyed soul vocalist who oversings the handful of tracks where he takes the lead. Palmer's very presence signals the one major flaw with the album -- in an attempt to appeal to a wide audience, Becker and Fagen tempered their wildest impulses with mainstream pop techniques. Consequently, there are very few of the jazz flourishes that came to distinguish their albums -- the breakthrough single, "Do It Again," does work an impressively tight Latin jazz beat, and "Reelin' in the Years" has jazzy guitar solos and harmonies -- and the production is overly polished, conforming to all the conventions of early-'70s radio. Of course, that gives these decidedly twisted songs a subversive edge, but compositionally, these aren't as innovative as their later work. Even so, the best moments ("Dirty Work," "Kings," "Midnight Cruiser," "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again") are wonderful pop songs that subvert traditional conventions and more than foreshadow the paths Steely Dan would later take." - All Music Guide

The much anticipated second album from Delain is here and it does not disappoint! Its interesting to see how the band has evolved. Originally conceived by Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt as a studio project, Delain has evolved into a full blown active band. The success of the debut Lucidity tipped Westerholt's hand and Delain became a REAL band. With Charlotte Wessels on vocals, Ronald Landa on guitar and grunt vocals, Sun Caged bassist Rob Vander Loo, and Sander Zoer on drums, Delain took the Netherlands by storm. Delain toured extensively, opening for many bands including sister band Within Temptation, and appeared at many festivals. Ultimately they became a headlining band. With that behind them they headed into the studio to create their sophomore work.April Rain is cut from similar cloth from Lucidity but different enough to hear the evolution mentioned above. Instead of the multiple guests that were featured on Lucidity, April Rain does benefit from the return of Nightwish bassist Marco Hietala who sings male vocals on two tracks, as well as world renowned cellist Maria Ahn.Martijin Westholt is clearly at the helm - the big symphonic sound is still in place. Those elements that he brought to Within Temptation are clearly evident. There is a difference though...perhaps because of Jacob Hansen's mix the sound is more focused and even grittier, crunchier (thank you Mr. Landa). Songs tend to be on the shorter side but they slam harder. Having been familar with Rob Van Der Loo's intense basswork with Sun Caged its great to see him bring that progressive element to the rhythm section. Charlotte Wessels is young but has developed into the perfect voice and face for Delain.The comparisons to Within Temptation will continue but its obvious that Delain has come up with their own sound that stands on its on.This is THE symphonic gothic metal album of 2009. Nothing will touch it. This is the North American digipak edition of April Rain - with the exclusive bonus track "Come Closer". BUY OR DIE.

Remastered edition in a digipak. Comes with two bonus tracks - "America" (rendering Yesterdays superfluous) and a previously unreleased rough mix of "Roundabout".