18 Jul 2014

Earth To Ashes - Cursed Invoked (2014)

Earth To Ashes - Cursed Invoked (2014)

Genre: Heavy Metal / Progressive
Country: USA (Portland, OR)
Year of Publication: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 00:57:27

Tracklist:
01. Prologue 01:58
02. Blood And Water 06:16
03. Saint Longinus 05:09
04. Relic 08:47
05. Mournblade 05:56
06. I Hear Cryptic Voices 07:00
07. Basking In Bloodlight 06:34
08. The Window 02:57
09. She Sees Me 03:06
10. Chased By The Chair 03:55
11. Till Next Life 05:44

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Kylfingar - Halhatatlanok (2014)

Kylfingar - Halhatatlanok (2014)

Yes, the joys of unearthing hidden talent sometimes comes with the problem of hardly finding ANY information about the band at first. Enter the latest discovery: Kylfingar. With a name like that you would expect them to be Icelandic or Norwegian or something along these lines, but no, this quintet hails from the Jászság county in Hungary, east of the capital Budapest! When hearing their debut full-length Halhatatlanok (Hungarian for “immortals”) you would not place them there either, because their folk/viking metal sounds very Scandinavian, but once you hear the vocals, it becomes clear that this is no Nordic affair.

With bands such as Sear Bliss (at least until before their last album), Dalriada and Niburta already having left their distinct marks on the folk, viking and pagan metal inspired genres, Kylfingar are now on their way to add themselves to this illustrious group courtesy of Nail Records. The single ingredients do not look any different than with most of their colleagues, both gruff and clear vocals, flute and violin, sweeping melodies, good variation and dynamics, but it is all in how they put it all together that makes Halhatatlanok (you have to be immortal to type this all the time, lol) so special.

Admittedly, the keyboards do have their space in the Magyars’ sound, but they are woven in very well, adding to the rich and diverse tapestry of sound. Opener “Észak Népe” (“People of the North”) is surprisingly powerful, utilizing both double bass and blastbeats, with an epic atmosphere and great melodies, adding flute and violin only where they really enhance the song instead of a constant presence, resulting in a powerful, varied and dynamic first track that will inevitably draw you in! And Halhatatlanok is not short on outstanding tracks, “Helheim” is one of them, the maybe most epic track of the album, a light Amon Amarth touch in the guitars, but it is the epic atmosphere that leaves its mark on the track, together with the melody that threads through all the different passages.

Also following “Sörtánc” (“Beer-Dance”) stands out, bringing us the Hungarian equivalent to Humppa, with accordion and all, great energy after the darker “Helheim”. “Új Haza – Kölpény Vihar I.” (“New Home – Storm of Kylfings pt. 1”) combines almost all of the above, in a powerful and diverse romp through the Puszta, covering the whole spectrum between calm and reflective up to full double-bass driving the song forward.

Throughout the 49 minutes you never get the impression that this album was recorded in the band’s home studio, it has power, clarity and the right feel for the style. Kylfingar show tons of potential to make a name in the folk/viking metal world and Halhatatlanok displays power, versatility, dynamics and great melodies, combining them into a gripping and thoroughly entertaining album that will satisfy the cravings of any fan of the genre!

copas from http://www.metal-observer.com/3.o/review/kylfingar-halhatatlanok/

Genre: Folk / Viking Metal
Country: Hungary
Year of Publication: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 00:48:59

Tracklist:
01. Széllel ...
02. Észak népe
03. Kilenc Valkűr
04. Helheim
05. Sörtánc
06. Út a Valhallába
07. Új haza - Kölpeny vihar I.
08. Halhatatlanok
09. Emlékek ...
10. Sörtánc (Akusztikus verzió)

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Equilibrium - Erdentempel (2 CD) 2014

Equilibrium - Erdentempel (2 CD) 2014

Genre: Epic Folk / Viking Metal
Country: Germany (Starnberg)
Year of Publication: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 2:03:57

CD 1: 01:07:38
01. Ankunft (Instrumental) 00:51
02. Was Lange Wahrt 05:09
03. Waldschrein 05:20
04. Karawane 04:53
05. Uns'rer Floten Klang 04:21
06. Freiflug 04:59
07. Heavy Chill 06:06
08. Wirtshaus Gaudi 02:38
09. Stein Meiner Ahnen 05:43
10. Wellengang 05:09
11. Apokalypse 05:15
12. The Unknown Episode 05:49
13. Aufbruch (Instrumental) 11:20

CD 2: 00:56:18 (Instrumental)
01. Ankunft 00:51
02. Was Lange Wahrt 05:09
03. Waldschrein 05:20
04. Karawane 04:53
05. Uns'rer Floten Klang 04:21
06. Freiflug 04:59
07. Heavy Chill 06:06
08. Wirtshaus Gaudi 02:38
09. Stein Meiner Ahnen 05:43
10. Wellengang 05:09
11. Apokalypse 05:15
12. The Unknown Episode 05:49

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Astra - Broken Balance (2014)

Astra - Broken Balance (2014)

Italian band ASTRA is back with a vengeance with their 3rd CD, and this release should definitely spark some serious interest from fans of Progressive Metal served with some testosterone. I wasn’t familiar with the band until this release and it has helped to restore my faith in “old school” Progressive Metal – These days, other than SYMPHONY X and DGM (guitarist Emanuele Casali is also a member of these Italian Prog monsters), not much really grabs my attention these days. ASTRA definitely has a very similar style to the aforementioned bands, but also puts their own spin on things and come up with some serious hooks that have latched onto me and become my most played CD of the month!

From the opening track “Losing my Ego”, the listener is treated to hearing some seriously talented musicians create songs that at times have commercial appeal, but also rock with a heavy Progressive groove. Vocalist, Andrea Casali, (who apparently has taken over the reins from departed vocalist, Titta Tani), does a fantastic job here and brings to mind “The Diveine Wings Of Tragedy” era Russell Allen. The guitar solos, while technical, are not the type that can only be appreciated by musicians. I hear a lot of melody and emotion in Silvio D’onorio De Meo’s skilled playing! The solos are very well written, but the songs themselves just reached out of the speakers and grabbed my attention right from the first spin. “Risk And Dare” currently ranks as my favorite track, but to my ears, there is no filler to be found.

This disc really impressed me and I have to admit that I was skeptical going in as 2 of my current favorite bands are PROTEST THE HERO and INTERVALS - I am totally sold on this one. I could easily see this band playing ProgPower USA in Atlanta, GA next year and being the band of the night. Here’s to hoping that promoter Glenn Harveston hears this band, as it would certainly encourage me to make the trip in 2015.

copas from http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/a_2/astra-broken-balance.htm

Genre: Progressive Metal
Country: Italy
Year of Publication: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 56:15

Tracklist:
01. Losing My Ego
02. Hole In The Silence
03. Sunrise To Sunset
04. Too Late
05. Broken Balance
06. Faithless
07. Mirror Of Your Soul
08. Risk And Dare
09. Break Me Down
10. Understand
11. Ending Season
12. You Make Me Better

TKP

password : my nymph

Total Death - Ciudad Matadero (2014)

Total Death - Ciudad Matadero (2014)

Genre: Thrash Metal
Country: Spain (Valencia)
Year of Publication: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 00:38:49
Availability scans contents distribution: no

01. The Call 03:56
02. Come Back To Hell 03:58
03. Let Me Die 04:53
04. Asphyxia 03:12
05. Soul In Pain 04:56
06. My Resurrection 03:32
07. Take Much More 03:35
08. Lost In The Space And Time 03:16
09. Serial Killer 04:23
10. Requiem 03:04

TKP

password : nymph

Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun (2014)

Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun (2014)

Genre: Progressive / Groove Metal
Country: USA (Atlanta, Georgia)
Year of Publication: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 54:15

Tracklist:
01. Tread Lightly (5:13)
02. The Motherload (4:59)
03. High Road (4:15)
04. Once More 'Round The Sun (2:59)
05. Chimes At Midnight (5:31)
06. Asleep In The Deep (6:14)
07. Feast Your Eyes (3:23)
08. Aunt Lisa (4:17)
09. Ember City (4:58)
10. Halloween (4:38)
11. Diamond In The Witch House (7:47)

TKP

password : bidadariku

11 Jul 2014

Spell - The Full Moon Sessions (2014)

Spell - The Full Moon Sessions (2014)

Artist: Spell
Album: Full Moon Sessions
Released: 2014
Style: Heavy Metal
Format: MP3 320Kbps
Size: 62 Mb

Tracklist:
01 – Never EnoughSisters of the Moon
02 – Electric Witchery
03 – Possessed By Heavy Metal
04 – Shocker
05 – Too Wild To Live (Too Young To Die)
06 – Zott Lee

TKP

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Kelly Simonz's Blind Faith - The Best Of Kelly Simonz's Blind Faith (2009)

Kelly Simonz's Blind Faith - The Best Of Kelly Simonz's Blind Faith (2009)

Country: Japan
Genre: Neoclassic Melodic Metal
Year: 2009
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Tracklist:
01. Prologue
02. Destiny
03. The Rule Of Right
04. Still
05. Opus #1
06. Blind Faith
07. King Of The Castle
08. Cry For You
09. Eternal Flame
10. Rondo KSV007
11. Partita BWV826
12. Now Your Turn
13. Pain
14. Stay In My Heart

TKP

password : idfl.me

Falcon - Mensajero De Medianoche (2014)

Falcon - Mensajero De Medianoche (2014)

Genre: Heavy Metal
Country: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
Publishing year: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 00:40:46

Tracklist:
01. La Edad Oscura 04:30
02. Buscando La Verdad 03:39
03. Ya No 03:18
04. Testigo De Tu Muerte 04:04
05. Fuera De Control 04:22
06. Zona De Riesgo 03:17
07. El Mas Veloz 03:17
08. Vence 03:27
09. En Las Calles 03:54
10. La Caida De Un Titan (Instr.) 06:53

TKP

password : my nymph

Insanium - Solitary Confinement (2014)

Insanium - Solitary Confinement (2014)

What happens when a bunch of young dudes with diverse musical influences and playing styles set their minds to play heavy metal? In this case, it's Long Island's Insanium and their debut long-player Solitary Confinement. The member's influences range from pop-punk to classic rock, from prog to death and black metal.

Wrap this all up and you have some serious modern progressive metal with classic influences. Perhaps a mash up Iron Maiden to Avenged Sevenfold, Dream Theater to Between the Buried and Me. The modern nuance comes from vocalist Aaron Harris' inclination to death and black metal as he throws in some dirty vocals in almost every song. The upside is he does it well; the downside is that they're there. But considering the youth of this band, it makes perfect sense. Their friends and peers expect this, so the band is swaying between accommodation and commercialization.

But the real strength of Insanium is the music. Despite the mix of vocals, this band can create strong metal compositions with some serious playing. The band shows craftsmanship and skill beyond their years. While they can go for some straight forward style like the thrash metal of Skin Deep, the better songs are those where the mix things up. Ozymandia, Face In The Crowd, Vessels, The Temptress, and Rageblind are all songs which invoke visions of progressive metal, not so much in technicality, but in how metal styles are bent and twisted into one song.

But then Rageblind is an example of where the modern vocals are over-the-top, going from little amounts of clean singing to as overindulgence into hardcore and death vocals. Despite the strength of the music, this makes a very good song nearly intolerable because you don't know when or how much more the dirty vocals are going to assault you.

Alternatively, songs like Rain Again and Amethyst succeed on the strength of clean vocals, while also having arrangements of sublime melodic accessiblity. Finally, another chief asset of Insanium is the guitar playing, and not just in the terrific riffs. Whether it's Jon Conway or Vito Racanelli, or both, these two dudes are pulling off some killer leads. The ones within All I Need and Bending and Breaking are quite compelling. And that's only mentioning two songs. While I'm never keen on the use of dirty/death vocals, with Solitary Confinement, Insanium delivers the modern heavy metal goods with their blending of musical influences and styles. They may even be a force to reckoned with on the national stage.

copas from http://www.dangerdog.com/2014-music-reviews/insanium-solitary-confinement.php#.U79MpSg_yYQ

Genre: Heavy Metal / Rock
Country: USA (Levittown, NY)
Publishing year: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 00:56:14

Tracklist:
01. Solitary Confinement 01:22
02. Skin Deep 05:19
03. Ozymandias 06:25
04. All I Need 04:37
05. Face In The Crowd 06:36
06. Intermission 00:36
07. Vessels 05:04
08. The Temptress 04:47
09. Rain Again (Feat. Lauren DeLorenzo) 04:49
10. Bending And Breaking (Feat. Andrew Nicolae & Dave Lombardo) 05:48
11. Amethyst 04:52
12. Rageblind (Feat. Rob Garcia) 06:19

TKP

password : nymph

Harvs - Curiosities (2014)

Harvs - Curiosities (2014)

Genre: Atmospheric Progressive Metal | Technical Metal
Country: Australia
Publishing year: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Duration: 00:38:30

Tracklist:
01 - Awaken [00:07:25]
02 - Perplexity [00:05:13]
03 - Disappear [00:06:22]
04 - Seeking Solitude [00:06:15]
05 - Revelations [00:05:08]
06 - Enlightenment [00:08:05]

TKP

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Tuomas Holopainen - The Live And Times of Scrooge (2014)

Tuomas Holopainen - The Live And Times of Scrooge (2014)

When Tuomas Holopainen first announced details of his solo project, it was met with a mix of delight and scepticism. Some found the idea of an album based on the comic book story "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" simply laughable. However, Tuomas has showcased why he is so well regarded as a musician with his latest effort casting prejudices aside. A fantastic cast of vocalists/storytellers were chosen to assist in this endeavour. Johanna Kurkela as "Glittering" Goldie o'Gilt, Johanna Iivanainen as The Narrator and Downy O'Drake, Alan Reid as Scrooge McDuck and Tony Kakko as the Storyteller. The sheer beauty of this release is at times breathtaking. It sounds somewhat like a mix of Hans Zimmer and Nightwish if the metal elements were removed.

The album begins with the track Glasgow 1877 and very quickly the beauty of the Johannas' is noticed. So much emotion is conveyed that it almost feels as if the titanic is sinking all over again. Then one delves "Into The West" where a young duck radiating with energy awaits. The catchy use of the banjo and harmonica was particularly effective in capturing its wild atmosphere. While the album is often premised upon melancholy, sadness, and adventure, comic relief can be found in songs like Duel & Cloudscapes. Vivid images of a silly duck arise and will put a smile on most people's faces without any prior knowledge of the story. Tuomas even appropriately utilises the didgeridoo in the Australian based song Dreamtime. It has a very hypnotic feeling achieved through its repetition.

A special mention to Tony Kakko who provides great vocals on Cold Heart Of The Klondike. Musically this track is so Nightwish like that if metal was added no one would be the wiser. The Last Sled is a personal favourite and the Johannas' shine once again with their heart-warming vocals. The song is so emotionally fuelled that it makes you want to help find the poor ducks lost sled and end the misery. Goodbye, Papa is generally a sad song with comic relief mixed in, while To Be Rich is primarily focussed upon darkness. A Lifetime Of Adventure is the most typically structured song and probably the weakest on the album. It is still a very fitting song for the album and it slowly brings closure to the journey of an adventurous duck. The final song Go Slowly Now, Sands Of Time is a nice way to finish with Alan Reid as Scrooge McDuck uttering his last words of what he would say now. The pleasant blend of piano and acoustic guitar ensure a soothing timely exit without undue delay.

It is the atmospheres which are captured that make it so memorable. Whether it is sadness, fear, comedy, or excitement. It is an experience and form of escapism in itself without any graphical assistance. This album provides a great addition to Tuomas Holopainen's already noteworthy career. Nightwish fans may like it and should at least give it a try. If you are a fan of soundtracks in general then do not hesitate to pick this up. There is a chance, however, that some metal fans may find its often slow melodic tempo boring, or just plain unexciting. Ultimately, the passion to which it was crafted can hardly be ignored. Despite not being overly complex or ground breaking, it never delves into mediocrity. Come and enjoy the adventurous journey of a troubled filled duck. A duck which now has a tune and a melody to be remembered for many years to come.

copas from http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/61810/Tuomas-Holopainen-Music-Inspired-by-the-Life-and-Times-of-Scrooge/

Genre: Progressive Metal, Neo-Classic
Country: Finland
Publishing year: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Source: Lossless
Duration: 1:00:12

Tracklist:
Genre: Progressive Metal, Neo-Classic
Country: Finland
Publishing year: 2014
Audio Codec: MP3
Format: tracks
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Source: Lossless
Duration: 1:00:12 +0:54:00

Tracklist:
CD 1
01. Glasgow 1877 (6:27)
02. Into The West (5:01)
03. Duel & Cloudscapes (4:49)
04. Dreamtime (4:47)
05. Cold Heart Of The Klondike (6:52)
06. The Last Sled (5:40)
07. Goodbye, Papa (6:26)
08. To Be Rich (3:22)
09. A Lifetime Of Adventure (6:15)
10. Go Slowly Now, Sands Of Time (4:35)
11. A Lifetime Of Adventure (alternate version) (6:00)

TKP

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