Review: Before The Dawn; Rise of the Phoenix

So, I’ve got a new album from one of my favorite artists, Before The Dawn. I reviewed their album “Deathstar Rising” in the summer (Hey! Listen!) and it has become one of my albums for Summer 2011, and is still regularly played when I’m driving the tractor.

(This is pretty clever, new little widget from Spotify)

My overall feelings about this album are mixed, I love Before The Dawn, they’re up there at #2 favourite band, but this album was a bit of a let down. I love harsh vocals as much as the next man, but the reason I like Melodic Death Metal is the blend of harsh and clean vocals, that’s one of the reasons I loved Deathstar Rising so much, it had that blend of clean and harsh vocals that just made it epic and listenable. This album has some decent tracks, but overall the lack of any clean singing really just means this is gonna be on my shelf for listening to only when there is nothing else.
So, I’m only going to review those tracks I really liked,
first up is Exordium:



This is just an intro track, but I still rather like it. Some rather nice little riffs in there from the lead guitar.

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The second track, Pitch Black Universe continues with the same musical riffs, but with a distorted guitar, and some harsh vocals:

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The 3rd track, Phoenix Rising, was one of the pre released tracks, and I did listen to it quite a bit. It got me very excited for the album, and while the rest of the album has a similar epic music style, there is no clean vocals….Something I didn’t really notice in this track though:

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Skipping on to track 5, (Track 4, Cross To Bear is an okay, track but it’s not really one that sticks out) Throne of Ice, another one they pre-released, so I’ve got a fair listen of this one, and again, it is an epic track, but no clean vocals!

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Track 8, Eclipse, another pretty nice track, but again, not one that sticks out.

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Track 9, Closure, I quite liked this track, it’s pretty mellow and relaxed at the beginning, then gets a decent slow heavy and epic part later on, too much harsh vocals though…

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Bonus Track 10, Unbreakable. This is a remake of one of the tracks off one of their old albums, My Darkness from 2003. Loved that album, and this is a nice remake, definitely one of my favourites off the new album

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Last bonus track, (On my copy anyways), Track 11, Deliverance. Another pretty nice mellow track, no harsh guitar, it’s just a nice melodic track, nice!

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So, to conclude, I’ve got mixed feelings about this album, it is a nice album, and there are some decent songs on it, but it’s not really what i was hoping for. I was hoping for another one like Deathstar Rising, but this is a much harsher album. I like harsh sometimes too, but I was really in the mood for another Deathstar Rising. So, I do like the tracks and the album, its much more like the old Before The Dawn material, which I love too by the way…
So I do quite like the album, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the old BTD material, to anyone who isn’t quite into the fully harsh MDM, maybe go buy Deathstar Rising instead…. but I do like it… I’m gonna go listen to Deathstar Rising now though…


On another note, I'm liking this new thing from Spotify! It's pretty nifty, just right click on the track or playlist and go "Copy Embed Code" then paste, for the little ones change the dimension to 80 instead of 380. Shweet!

Review: Phillips inear Virtual Surround Headphones

So, in my everlasting quest to find the perfect sound I've got some new headphones. It was also to try and see if the ipod issue I've been having, with the ipod pausing randomly, was due to the ipod its self, or if it was the headphones.
So, I got the Phillips Virtual Surround headphones from HMV (£19.99). Apparently they've got some sort of outside resonance speaker... No idea.
Anyways, this little speaker thing on the edge looks a bit naff, looks like you've got the headphones the wrong way in your ear....
To be honest the review is overall quite negative... The headphones were bought to be a replacement for my Sennheisers, as I thought that's where the problem lies, but the sound quality is terrible, no where near the Sennheisers. The ipod pausing issue still remains as well, so overall not a good pair of headphones! Don't buy them, get the cheaper and better sound quality Sennheisers.
Piece of junk.

Sennheiser Cx150 In Ear Headphones from HMV

|| Product being looked at here! ||
Righty, a few months back I broke my headphones, I think they must’ve got wet or something while I was doing Marine Biology, but they stopped working is the key point. I headed into Bangor, North Wales in search of some new headphones and found a HMV.

I found some pretty cheap headphones. They were just £15 when i found them in October 2011. I figured they’d be okay, maybe nothing special, but better than a dull and quiet bus ride home, so I bought them.
The only way I can fully express my feelings towards these headphones is to describe what happened next.
After I left the shop I tried them on, and plugged in my Ipod…. I’ve never had this before but I could not stop the massive grin forming on my face whilst listning with them, the sound quality is amazing, I was hearing instruments and riffs I didn’t even know existed in some songs.
I have tried expensive headphones, cheap headphones and a load of others in between, but I can honestly say these Sennheiser Cx150 headphones are the best I have ever tried. I strongly recommend!
Only downside I’ve found is that they’re a little fragile, am slightly concerned I’ll break them… Downside of being a farmer…..

:UPDATE: 19/03/2012
Okay, I had a bit of a fear that I'd break these headphones, and I may have actually managed that...
Though I'm not sure yet...
When I'm using these headphones my ipod keeps pausing, like when you pull the headphones out... Only the headphones are still very much plugged in. I tried turning the headphone plug around in the socket a few times and it doesn't seem to pause it by doing that... so I'm not sure how it's doing it...
I tried my old SkullCandy headphones again, and the problem was reduced, but still occasionally there, though instead of every 20 seconds it was every couple of songs... Which isn't quite as bad, but when you're milking, or doing something with your hands it is pretty annoying...
But still, I love these headphones, the audio quality is unmatched, but the annoying pausing issue is meaning I can't really use them in my ipod anymore :(

Songs I can’t currently get enough of: Freelancer by Sonic Syndicate

Thought I’d start something new on here. Songs I can’t get enough of. Time changes ones taste in music, and you can find songs that you really enjoy, then forget about them, so I thought I’d write them down somewhere so as never to forget, and to share them with anyone who is interested… That’s you by the way.

So, to start off with, Freelancer by Sonic Syndicate. Not entirely sure why I like this song so much at the moment, I think it’s probably the chorus…

“If you gave me the power to turn back time, [random screaming]

I would shape it the way it was meant to be”

It’s just singable… And since I’m heading back up to Yorkshire in a couple of days, this is definitely going to be on the CD player, and I’m definitely going to be singing loudly, safe in the knowledge that no one can hear me, or at least if they can they have no idea who I am and will never see me again.

ROCK ON!

-Skipper

Sounds of a Playground Fading

I’m not the kind of guy to accuse a band of selling out and changing. When Blinded Colony changed to The Blinded a lot of fans were really angry, and felt let down. The new Sonic Syndicate album had a very different sound, and a lot of fans were really up in arms against it. I’ve always been one to embrace a new direction of a band. I love the old Sonic Syndicate stuff, but I’ve got that now, so I’m open to whatever they feel they want to play.

In Flames…. I think they’re my favourite band… With Before the Dawn coming in a close 2nd…. But in 2010 or so the guitarist, Jesper Stromblad left the band on good terms. Big disappointment for me as it meant they pulled out of their UK tour…And I missed seeing them in Cardiff…. But I digress. I was thinking we’d heard the last of In Flames when they did their collaborative track with Pendulum (Self Vs. Self), but I was pleasantly surprised when I learned of the impending new album “Sounds of a Playground Fading.”  I eagerly preordered my copy and awaited the delivery…. It still hasn’t arrived… And Spotify beat me to it. So, it is in Spotify now!

(This has been sitting in my drafts folder for a very long time.. I really need to finish and publish it)

So, on the 22nd of June (Dispite me writing this on the 27th of October, 2011 I still remember the date, it was the same date that I got my degree results) the CD finally arrived. And as it turned out, to my luck, I was working alone in the Inner Garden, so I could slam on the iPod and listen to the album profusely. The Album stuck, and I really enjoyed it, so it was my soundtrack of my summer (*fading):

^ Kept me company during hay making… Yarrr in the tractor!

^ Driving down to Wales…. A very depressing journey leaving behind a very good summer… But made bearable by Sounds of A Playground Fading (Or just 01 Sounds Of A as the dashboard seems to think)

After a lot of listening, I came to some conclusions.  Like much of In Flames there are tracks I love, and others that I just skip…

So, here’s the listing:

1. Sounds of a Playground Fading
2. Deliver Us
3. All For Me
4. The Puzzle
5. Fear Is The Weakness
6. Where The Dead Ships Dwell
7. The Attic
8. Darker Times
9. Ropes
10. Enter Tragedy
11. Jester’s Door
12. A New Dawn
13. Liberation

 

Sounds Of A Playground Fading, Track 1, a very good introduction, and while this isn’t one of my top rated tracks, it is certainly one I will listen to and not skip over. The chorus is very singable, though the theme is a little dark.

Deliver Us, Track 2. This was released as a single before the album was released, and I listened to it a lot… It’s still a good track, and one I’m not likely to skip over in a hurry. Nothing stands out particularly, but it’s still a good track.

All For Me, Track 3. This is one of those tracks that doesn’t really make an impression on me… It’s a skipable one… There is nothing really.. wrong with it, it’s just not one I really want to listen to that much…

The Puzzle, Track 4. At first this was one of those tracks that I skipped… The introduction is a little too chaotic, and I never really heard it out properly. But, when I did… This has become one of my favourites. The chorus…..Oh it’s one of those awesome epic ones… And the instrumental section at 1:40 or so is awesome…. And the section from 3:10, though very simple, is very epic… And lead to some erratic driving while I was listening to it. It’s just a shame the song ends….

Fear Is The Weakness, Track 5. This was an instant hit with e. Love love love it. Very epic.. Not much more I can say on that.. Just love singing loudly and badly along

Where The Dead Ships Dwell, Track 6. Similar to The Puzzle, not an instant hit with me, but it’s one without too much screaming and therefore I can sort of sing along with it in the car/tractor/shower. Very nice guitar solos, good all round track

The Attic, Track 7. This is one I nearly always skip over….The lyrics are just too dark and weird…. Don’t really have anything more to say on the matter……

Darker Times, Track 8. Like the Puzzle it was was one I skipped over initially, too chaotic, but when the chorus kicks in at 1:00, I decided I liked the song. It is one of those epic ones…. Though I usually just hum the bass….

Ropes, Track 9. I think this is my favourite song on the album. The intro is awesome, and it remains that way throughout.

“If this would be your last breath, would you change a thing?”

Oh I do like this track

Enter Tragedy, Track 10. Kind of neutral on this one… There are parts I like, the instrumental I do quite like…. But it’s not really one of my top songs on the album….

Jester’s Door, Track 11. This seems to be a goodbye to Jesper. So goodbye Jesper!

A New Dawn, Track 12. Locates straight after Jester’s Door, this does seem to be a look to the future. And the future looks good! Good song, not a skipable one.

“ And I can’t wait to see the sunrise again”

Was listening to it as I drove through these mountains in North Wales:

It seemed very apt.

Liberation, Track 13. The last track on the album! It is quite a slow moving song, but with some epic moments. Overall, a good track.. Definitely worth a listen.

 

 

Yea, so my overall impressions of the CD…. Very good. Well worth a listen! Go out and buy it! Available in HMV!

-Skip

Before the Dawn–Deathstar Rising

The playlist is available here, or by searching Deathstar Rising or Before the Dawn in Spotify.. or you know.. buying the CD! I think it’s on Itunes…

Okie dokie, another little review. This s a music review of what is probably my current favourite Melodic Death Metal album.

The first 2 tracks, The First Snow and Winter Within really give a feel to the rest of the album. Very epic guitar, nice mix of clean vocals and growling, (I got stuck there.. what’s the opposite of clean vocals? I was going to say filthy vocals! but that suggests inappropriate language) Unlike a lot of the Death Metal out there, the singer can actually sing clean vocals well.

Deathstar, the 3rd album on the track has a very catchy guitar part, which I often find myself humming along to, and the chorus I’ll often burst out into growls “ONE BY ONE!” ..then forget the rest of the chorus and wonder why everyone is staring at me.

Another of my favourite tracks on this album is Butterfly Effect, another great example of very catchy melodies, and an awesome mix of harsh (AHA! that’s the term for it!) vocals and clean. I think the whole album has an interesting change to the usual Before the Dawn format. Most other songs have quite harsh choruses, and clean vocals in between, like one of my other favourites by Before the Dawn: End of Day from the album “Decade of Darkness.”

Overall, Butterfly Effect is an awesome song, I’ve no idea what the harsh vocals are saying but the chorus is awesome: “Can’t define, what has caused this chain reaction. Wings of a butterfly, brought the storm to my direction”  - It’s an awesome chorus!

The bonus tracks, available on the later commercial release of the CD include an acoustic version of “My Room,” which is another one of my favourites by this band. I’m not sure about the live bonus tracks…. I prefer the studio recorded ones, they’re more… polished.

I ordered the CD on preorder, and got it a couple days before it was released with a rather nice T-shirt.

Overall impressions of this album are very good, I do love it, and it has helped me get through writing my dissertation, so that’s always a bonus! So yea, check it out, link is ^^^ Up there for Spotify.

A couple of their songs are on their facebook page:

BOOK OF FACES!

Enjoy!

Skippy, signing out 1216 Zulu.

Blinded Colony: New Release

I’m not sure what kind of music your into, but Blinded Colony is one of my favourite bands at the moment. They recently released an MP3 of their newest, preview song, called “Out Of Line”. Its a lot cleaner than their usual work, vocals wise, there is much less “ROAAAAAAAR!” and more actual singing, giving a rather nice sound.

Available Here!

Really loving it. I was going though their videos on their facebook page (:cough:) and was inspired to once again try and play the guitar.. it ended very badly with my realising I need professional lessons rather than looking at tabs and going “Uhh, wait… what?” Anyways! Loving the new sound from Blinded Colony, cant wait for the CD release!

On CD release related topic, Sonic Syndicate’s new album “We Rule The Night” is due to be released on the 1st. Bring on my Pre-Order!

Music!

“If music be the food of love, play on”
Ah, music, a wonderful thing isn't it? One of the great masteries that we humans have… mastered.. Okay, before I continue, i should point out a couple of things. First, its 1:19am in the morning, and secondly, I’m very much not an “Owl,” the only reason I’m doing this now is because i can’t sleep.
So, the reason for this was me thinking about music. I was listening to my I-pod (other MP3 players are available…) to Lacuna Coil (Other artists are available) and an image burned into my mind, or more, a scene came to mind. The scene was from, April or so I guess, and was from the game Garry’s Mod. For those of you who don't know, Garry’s Mod, or Gmod for short, is a Halflife 2 modification, that allows you to construct just about anything. I’d been using it to build space ships, complete with life support, weapon systems control systems etc, and the music I’d been listening to was Lacuna Coil.
So this got me thinking about other songs and what they reminded me of, and so it lead me back to my little blog.
Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, an album released in 2008 was the first one that crossed my mind. I got this album in mid summer of 2008. I resisted listening to the album until I went to Marsa Alam, Egypt, with Calypso Diving. However, while there i was so busy with actual diving that I didn't get a chance to listen to it until I was back in the UK. After we’d arrived back on UK soil, said our goodbyes etc, it was about 10pm at night, and i had to be in South Wales by 12 the following day, so I decided I’d just sit it out at Manchester airport and catch the first train the next morning. Cue a 5h wait at Manchester Airport…. I had actually totally forgotten about Viva La Vida at this point, and it wasn't until 4 in the morning that I remembered, and was about to begin my first leg of the return train journey. So from Manchester airport back to Cardiff (took me about another 5h as trains at 4 in the morning suck) I was listening to Viva La Vida. Now, when I go past the stations again on my way back to Yorkshire, I remember sitting on such and such a station in the misty morning on my suitcase full of dive gear, listening to the album.
I’m going to have to draw part one of my little music post to a close as it is 2 in the morning… and I’m starting to feel tired! Skipper out!