Heavy Metal

Anticipated Albums: High Command- Eclipse Of The Dual Moons

One of the things I love most about bands that craft actual albums is the detail they put into it. Not just the music but also the subject matter and how it relates to certain topics and imagery. A few weeks back a band was brought to my attention and I’ve really been digging what they are cooking up. Allow me to introduce you to High Command. This band is more than just your regular metal band, they take it to another level. Taking their metal cues from the likes of Dio, Mercyful Fate, with a bit of Obituarty, a tinge of Bathory and a dash of Discharge, High Command have crafted a sound that feels fresh with a throwback sense. It’s something I like to call, “Epic Metal.” I know, just what we need, another sub-genre but, it fits. The bands latest and upcoming second album, Eclipse Of The Dual Moons, the band have upped their storytelling game and expanded upon where their first album left off. The band place themselves as omniscient narrators of the world they have created making for a very intriguing and visceral listening experience. It’s refreshing to hear a band like High Command take such time and pride to craft something on a deeper level than the atypical topics. I look forward to hearing where the band continues to go with this and evolve. Cheers to High Command on a well chosen path!

PRE-ORDER: High Command- Eclipse Of The Dual Moons:

https://highcommandsl.bandcamp.com/album/eclipse-of-the-dual-moons

Siege Warfare:

Imposing Hammers Of Cold Sorcery:

Fortified By Bloodshed:

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: Godsmack- Awake
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There are a lot of bands out there that catch a lot of flack. Sometimes it is justified and others well it’s just unwarranted. Recently,while putting together some topic ideas for an upcoming podcast and radio show (stay tuned for that!!!), a thought crossed my mind. Why do people hate on Godsmack so much? I will admit that their name isn’t the most original and at times the lyrics are a bit juvenile but, Godsmack are a band that is absolutely necessary. Think of them more as a gateway band into heavy music. Godsmack are a really solid hard/heavy rock band, mixing bit of Alice In Chains and “Black Album” era Metallica. They emit a sense of accessibility and melody, that sometimes gets lost in translation as you delve into heavier genres. For someone that is young and is starting to get into “rock” music, a band like Godsmack is a great place to start.

The reason I mention all this and single out Godsmack, is because of how good their second album Awake is. They really stepped up their game from their debut. The sound of the album kept a “raw” edge to it, without sounding too polished. The songs were riff heavy but with a ton of groove to them. For a second record, the band shows a sense of maturity throughout the music written. You can tell on the first single “Awake” that they were trying to separate themselves from being lumped into the “nu-metal” tag, by adding guitar solos, and the song being 5 minutes long. “Sick of Life” and “Greed” are solid rock songs, minus the lyrics. Other tracks on the album like “Mistakes,” “Trippin,” “Forgive Me,” “Vampires,” “The Journey,” and “Spiral” really make this album as good as it is. The production on this album was top notch as well.

Godsmack delivered a solid heavy rock album, and continue to do so. Over the years, the juvenile lyrics have subsided and matured. Awake showed a range of songwriting. Songs that weren’t all about depression and hopelessness. Instead themes of reincarnation, and rebirth were very prevalent. The band also has a secret weapon in bassist Robbie Merrill. He has a feel to the way he plays that stands out. Guitarist Tony Rombola, is a student of the 70’s and early 90’s. He’s able to blend those two together just as Jerry Cantrell, but on a simpler level. Sully Erna, on this album started to come into his own. It wasn’t until their fourth album though, that he really found his own voice. The drums on this album are something else to be intrigued by. Tommy Stewart laid down some really great grooves. Though I will say, Shannon Larkin has really taken the songs from the first two albums and made them his own. He’s a true underrated drummer, that should get a ton more credit.

Say what you want about them but, know this, without bands like Godsmack, generations of kids wouldn’t get into heavier music. Take a listen to Godsmack’s Awake and just appreciate the music if anything.

 
Godsmack- Awake:

 

Unsung Masterpieces: Rammstein- Mutter
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In 2001 Rammstein released a masterpiece of an album called Mutter (Mother in English).  The eleven songs on this album stretch beyond their normal hard pounding industrial metal sound. The band used the incorporation of strings in certain songs and added more melody throughout. There is also an underlying concept to the album as well. Rammstein has also been a band that has always come with a bit of controversy. For example the album’s cover image is a photograph of a dead fetus. One other fun fact before I delve into the album. During this time Rammstein appeared in the ever forgettable Vin Diesel film XXX. The band is seen in the opening scene, performing their song  “Feuer Frei!”

The album kicks off with “Mein Herz Brennt (My Heart Burns).” Beginning with a delicate string section and Till Lindemann quietly and hauntingly speaking then the heavy comes crashing down. There is also a huge melodic swing that starts in this song and expands throughout the entire album. “Links 2-3-4 (Left 2,3,4)” is the typical type of song that Rammstein is known for. The guitar tone that is found throughout their albums shines big and bright on this album. Paul Landers and Richard Kruspe have a knack for heavy distorted guitars all the while playing with a steady hand that helps the clarity shine. “Sonne (Sun)” The churning guitar guides this song perfectly into a deeply melodic chorus. Also the keyboards by Christian “Flake” Florenz are very prominent on this song. “Sonne” is one of my favorite songs on the album. “Ich Will (I Want)” has a little bit of a dance vibe to it. Christian Schneider’s drums and Oliver Riedel’s bass balance each other out tremendously on this song. Showing the power of their rhythm section. “Feuer Frei (Fire At Will)” is another of the classic signature Rammstein songs. “Mutter (Mother)” is my favorite track on this album. It’s such an intriguing song. You can hear the passion in the voice and the way it’s written and played. “Spieluhr (Music Box)” is a very strange song and almost doesn’t fit, but musically it has some interesting parts. “Zwitter (Hermaphrodite)” has a very pulsating guitar riff, thrusting the song into familiar territory. “Rein Raus (In/Out)” has a similar feel to Du Hast but with more melody. “Adios (Goodbye)” is a gem of melodic goodness. Closing the album is “Nebel (Fog)” is one of the slowest, delicate songs Rammstein has ever created. There are moments that harken back to the textures of the song “Mutter.”

This album is one of those that you should play all the way through to fully grasp. There is something really intriguing and exciting about this album.

 Mutter:

 

 

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces Part 1: Tool- Undertow

Tool is one of the most artistic, innovative and creative bands to come out in the past 25 years. Each of their albums have left a mark with rabid fans eating up everything that they do. Tool’s catalog though short is very deep. The subject matter of lyrics and the depths that the music creates is not for the weak. You can tell the amount of time they band spent working on the songs is worth every second. Maynard’s vocal approach is undeniable his own. Many have tried to copy him but don’t come close. Adam Jones has one of the more intriguing guitar tones and styles. Danny Carey’s drumming is said to be created by seances and summoning sprits, to which is very believable especially with the odd time signatures. Originally on bass Paul D’amour created a bass tone that ripped through the songs with such ferocity that it became the driving force of quite a few songs. Now Justin Chancellor has taken that sound and progressed it to an etherial place. A lot can be said for what their masterpiece is. Some will debate that it is Aenima or Lateralus, Undertow is an unsung Masterpiece. Songs like Intolerance, Crawl Away, Bottom, Flood, and of course Sober all have such a well of emotion and insight into the inner workings of Tool. A bit of history about the album, Undertow was recorded between October and December 1992 at Sound City Studios, and at Grandmaster Recorders, Hollywood, California, by Sylvia Massy. Some of the songs featured on the album are songs that the band decided to not release on Opiate. Henry Rollins makes a guest vocal appearance on the song “Bottom.”

Take a listen again and see what you’ve missed out the first few times you listened to Undertow.

Undertow:

By: Brian Lacy