Sonata Arctica releases the "Stones Grow Her Name" album teaser

Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica released a new album teaser video on YouTube today. It is just a preview of some of the tracks that will be on the new album. Listening to some of these clips, it really is difficult to judge and critique anything right now since I only heard two and a half minutes of the actual material. It sounds like a mix of older and newer Sonata Arctica. Only time will tell how this album plays out. Like I said before, some of the song titles sound a bit odd, but the music is what really counts anyways.

So here is the video:

Sonata Arctica to release new album soon!

Looks like the Finnish metal giant Sonata Arctica is set to release their newest album entitled Stones Grow Her Name. It is set to be released on May 18th of this year. I don't know what to expect from this album. The last two Sonata albums have not been as good as their earlier material. Though good and very well thought out, it didn't strike me as much.

Also, "Shitload of Money" and "Don't Be Mean" are not good song titles. Sorry Tony.

Read more about it here

Snippets of Dream Theater's new songs

Recently, Dream Theater has been releasing 70 seconds long snippets of their new songs from the upcoming album "A Dramatic Turn of Events" on their official site.

The songs are "Breaking All Illusions", "Beneath the Surface", "This Is the Life" and "Lost Not Forgotten" which you can see below.

Opeth's new single The Devil's Orchard

The Devil's Orchard is a new single from Opeth's 10th album "Heritage". This album will be the last recording with Per Wiberg as the keyboardist because he is leaving the band as part of a mutual decision. Joakim Svalberg, new keyboardist, is already rehearsing with the band. Here you can find album artwork and track listing.

Dream Theater's new single

"On the Backs of Angels" became the first single from band's new album "A Dramatic Turn of Events".
The album feature new drummer Mike Mangini and will be released on 13th September.

A Dramatic Turn of Events track listing:

01. On The Backs Of Angels
02. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
03. Lost Not Forgotten
04. This Is The Life
05. The Shaman's Trance
06. Outcry
07. Far From Heaven
08. Breaking All Illusions
09. Beneath The Surface

CD Review: Týr's Lay of Thrym

Týr is:

Heri Joensen – vocals, guitar
Terji Skibenæs – guitar
Gunnar H. Thomsen – bass
Kári Streymoy – drums

Like Ensiferum, Týr is one of my favorite folk metal bands. Awaiting this new release has me on the edge of my seat because I have always been such a big fan of this band’s music since I first started listening to them! What separates them from other metal groups is their uniqueness in both style and flare. They do not even have a keyboarder and they still sound great without one too and of course in their genre, it is unique to not have a keyboardist. Also Heri Joensen’s vocals are great as well, so unique that no one can even come close to his abilities!

So the question remains; will this be another great release by Týr? As of late, Týr has been making their songs faster and more upbeat than what they did in their earlier releases. Of course as I always mention, every band evolves and never wants to stay the same so that bands can stay fresh sounding. Well let’s dive into this album with my traditional song by song review of The Lay of Thrym.

Here is my rating system revised for both songs and albums:
6/5 = Classic/Perfect
5/5 = Outstanding/ Near perfect
4.5/5 = Amazing/Excellent
4/5 = Great/ Worthy material
3.5/5 = Above average/ Good work
3/5 = Average/ Kind of bland
2.5/5 = Sub par/ Bland
2/5 = Poor/ Rushed
1.5/5 = Awful/ Garbage
1.0/5= Pathetic/ Worthless
0/5 = Abomination/AutoTuned crap

1. “Flames of the Free”: No question that this is a fun and catchy metal song. Fast paced and furious, this song is a great opener and is sure to impress many! This is very power metal sounding, only with that flare that Týr provides. Laying down some impressive vocals from Heri Joensen as well as catchy riffs, this is a great way to open the album! (4/5)

2. “Shadow of the Swastika”: Without a doubt, my favorite song on the album. This song, judging by what I heard and by the lyrics, is a retaliation to certain groups of people in which Heri says “kiss my Scandinavian ass”. That is amazing and this is indeed the most angry song this band has ever composed! The first verse is about the German organizations accusing Týr (and bands like them) that they are a band who promotes Nazism and racism through ancient symbols of Scandinavian mythology. The second verse is a total bashing of Nazism and racism in general! So wow, I had no idea that Týr was capable of writing something so angry! This is a great song and one of my favorites by this band! (5/5)

3. “Take Your Tyrant”: Another upbeat song with a very typical Týr riff to begin the song with some very bombastic vocals from Joensen yelling TAKE YOUR TYRANT! Indeed a fun song to get into done very well. (4/5)

4. “Evening Star”: A slower, more ballad feel than the first three songs. I really like the lyrics in this song as it adds so much emotion in this song. I really like the faster more upbeat part of the chorus as it is very catchy indeed. A very nice solo here too. Another worthy song! (4.5/5)

5. “Hall Of Freedom”: Right away we are back into another furious song again! Damn this song is catchy! Very cool hooks and lyrics once again, and is another song worth listening to. Though not the strongest song on the album, still a great song to get your fist pumping to! (4/5)

6. “Fields Of The Fallen”: Judging by the beginning of this track, I would of never guessed this was a Týr song. It starts out with some traditional power chord riffing and then it erupts into a furious intro solo. There are basically no folk elements in this song which is disappointing, but this song proves that they can expand their style. The main chorus is a little repetitive I will admit but damn the guitar solos really rock on this song. (3.5/5)

7. “Konning Hans”: Ah yes, we get a song sung in Danish! Very cool! Unlike the previous songs, this one is done more in their traditional style; slower with more progressive elements. Great vocal melodies with plenty of folk elements throughout make this a great track indeed! (4.5/5)

8. “Ellindur Bondi A Jadri”: Now that we got a song in Danish, this one is in Faroese! Very nice! That is what I like about Týr. They choose to do different things and aren’t afraid to take chances! Another fast paced song with power metal elements. The solo in this song is mind-blowing as well! Very good track again with great melodies! (4/5)

9. “Nine Worlds of Lore”: The intro reminds me of the “Flames of the Free” intro. While not one of the stronger tracks on the album, it still has that cool Týr sound we all come to like. A catchy song, but not one of the better songs. (3.5/5)

10. “The Lay of Thrym”: The title track as well as the most complex and longest song on the album! A very good intro followed by an ass-kicking lead into some serious folk metal fury! Once again the power metal elements are present and Joensen once again lays down some impressive vocal tracks. The guitar riffs and harmonies are very well put together as well! Definitely worth a listen! (4.5/5)

The next two tracks are bonus tracks, but they are also covers of two Dio sung songs (perhaps in memory of his life.. RIP Dio). So I am just going to compare both versions and give the one I liked better!

11. “I” (Black Sabbath cover): This is honestly a very good cover of this song as I know that Týr could do no doubt! Dio is a tough act to follow of course, but Joensen is a great vocalist too and he puts his heavy metal fury into this. Not as good as the original, but worth a listen for sure!

12. “Stargazers” (Rainbow cover): This is a hard song to sing and perform no doubt. When I first saw this, being that this is my favorite Rainbow song, I was skeptical if Týr could actually pull this off, but they sure as hell did. Granted, the vocals by Joensen are not as good as Dio because he is a tough act to follow as I mentioned earlier. Also, Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar work and style is hard to emulate and Cozy Powell’s drumming in the beginning of the song is tough to get down too. But damn this is as good of a cover as it could be with what Týr did to it. Standing ovation for Týr, not only for covering these two Dio songs, but for paying tribute to one of the greatest vocalists of all time! I am sure Dio would be proud to hear these versions!

So that is my song by song review of The Lay of Thrym. Here are my overall thoughts:

Pros:
-Very catchy and upbeat songs throughout! Not a single dull moment!
-Great guitar melodies/solos and awesome singing by Joensen once again!
-Very cool lyrics and themes.
-Great Dio covers!

Cons:
-The songs aren’t as complex as a normal Týr album, with shorter songs and more power metal elements.
-Less folksy sounding than their previous releases.
-A few filler songs.

If you are a big fan of the style from Eric The Red, then you would be a little disappointed with this release because it is much faster and more power metal oriented than what they usually do. In my opinion, I think that this is a worthy Týr album, and unlike their older material, I think this album is certainly easier to digest for sure. I think they definitely are masters of their style and they know how to keep material fresh to listen to. I am going to give this album a horns up no doubt! \m/ Everything this band has done is nothing short of amazing. These guys continue to rock, and I know they aren’t done making quality albums. I actually recommend their whole discography including this one because these guys are certainly on top of the folk metal genre! Very impressive and I hope to hear more from these guys in the future with more great albums!
Overall rating: 4/5

Heritage by Opeth

Couple of days ago, Swedish progressive metal band Opeth announced the track list and cover artwork of their tenth album  Heritage. The album will be released on 20 September via Roadrunner Records and also will be released as a standard version, as a special edition with extra stuff, as a box set exclusive to the Roadrunner and the band's own official Omerch webstore and as a double LP. Vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt described Heritage as  ''quite intense at times in some 'old' murky way, and quite beautiful and stark at times''. 



The track list:
 1. Heritage
 2. The Devil's Orchard
 3. I Feel The Dark
 4. Slither
 5. Nepenthe
 6. Haxprocess
 7. Famine
 8. The Lines In My Hand
 9. Folklore
10. Marrow Of The Earth

Symphony X's new single "End of Innocence"

As part of an upcoming new album, here is Symphony X's new single "End of Innocence":



Their new album Iconoclast is set to be released June 17th 2011 according to metal-archives.com. I myself am very excited about it! Rock on! \m/

Metal from Canada: The Whiteboard Project

I just got back from a trip to Vancouver, where I visited with my friend who went to see Ninjaspy in Victoria at the end of February. As I assumed, Ninjaspy was not his cup of tea, and he also did happen to mention that he was the youngest person in the crowd - and he is the same age as I am, which is 36. My friend did say, however, that he kinda of liked the opening band, a Nanaimo, BC, outfit called The Whiteboard Project. I have just listened to their MySpace offerings and I have to say that I am a little impressed! They are slightly -core-ish, but some of their elements have made me look over that little detail!

What I liked in particular was their emphasis on the bass; their sound is very bass-y and bass-centred. There are even bass solos! Marco Heitala take note! I also like their clean vocals. They also have good drumming.

I have a long history with the city of Nanaimo, so I think it's kinda cool that these guys are from there. Here is a video of them playing live, and the song is my favourite of the ones I heard on their MySpace page.

I hope they do some more promo because they have a lot of potential, I think! They don't appear to have an album out and are not on Last.fm, though they are on Facebook, here.

Legendary progressive metal drummer Mike Portnoy quits Dream Theater

Today marks the end of an era for Dream Theater and progressive metal. Drummer Mike Portnoy quit Dream Theater today Sept. 9, 2010. Mike has been with the band since their early beginnings and now the group is without a drummer for the first time in the band's history. Here is what he had to say about his decision:

"After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater," says Portnoy. "After
having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged
Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have
recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects
than I have for a while now in Dream Theater." -His Facebook page

The decision came just before the band started to record their new album in Jan. 2011 and before kicking off another world tour. You can read more about it in this article here.

Underrated Metal Bands #3: Savatage

Anyone remember this band? Or how about this: does anyone know of the “Christmas metal” band Trans-Siberian Orchestra? Well believe it or not, Savatage actually features most of the members from TSO. But before TSO came Savatage and it is astonishing how this band got so under the radar over the years!

The origin of this band goes back to when the Olivia brothers, Criss (guitar) and Jon (vocals), founded the band Avatar in 1978. This newly formed band, along with Steve Wacholz (drums) and Keith Collins (bass), played in various bars in and around the Tampa, Florida area. In 1983, due to copyright issues, the name “Avatar” was no longer allowed to be used for the band. Thus the new and current name of the band, Savatage, was born mixing the names “Avatar” and “Savage” together.



Savatage’s early music was influenced by early heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath and NWOBHM acts like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. They played a very aggressive, fast paced heavy metal style (speed/power metal) and eventually formed their own signature sound with the Olivia brothers doing what they do best. Jon Olivia’s
voice is unlike anything in metal as he just uses every moment he takes to create one of metal’s most menacing voices. He was very underrated and never got the credit he deserved. Same with his brother Criss, who in my opinion was one of metal’s finest guitar players, but never got the kind of respect he deserved either.

In 1987, four years after their stellar debut “Sirens”, the group released their zenith album “Hall of the Mountain King”. It remains their most commercially successful album and in my opinion is a classic American heavy metal album. The self titled track “Hall of the Mountain King” is the band’s best and most popular song to date. The song and music video would be played on MTV’s Headbangers Ball on a consistent basis. This was the turning point for the band and would ultimately make them go in a different direction musically.



With the release of “Gutter Ballet” in 1989, the band went from the straight forward heavy/power metal sound to being more progressive. Fans of the band had mixed reactions of the change in style at that time, but in the end, the band proved this to be a successful move and their new sound was just getting underway. In 1991, the group released “Streets: A Rock Opera”. Again, it was another experiment by the band to be even more progressive and less heavy metal. The fans had mixed reactions again, but it proved to be another move that would later influence their new group, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which plays and performs a style similar to what Savatage played at that time.

The release of their 1993 album “Edge of Thorns” brought new and different changes to Savatage. For the first time in the band’s history, Jon Olivia stepped down as the lead vocalist and was replaced by Zachary Stevens, who in my opinion is no where near as good as Jon at vocals. This change was not well accepted by the fans and many thought that the group was beginning the lose some of it’s steam. But nothing would be as devastating to Savatage as to what happened later in that year. On October 17, 1993, Criss Olivia (left picture) was killed as a drunk driver took his life on impact around 3:30 in the morning near Tampa, Florida on Highway 301. This tragedy left the band and his brother Jon in shock. Many thought that Savatage’s future was in jeopardy, but Jon kept the band going and released another album entitled “Handful of Rain” a year later. This album brought back some of the heavy/power metal elements the band had abandoned with their new progressive sound. The album was mainly a tribute to Criss, especially with the song “Alone You Breathe”.

Since 2002, the group has been primarily inactive and put on hiatus, but at the same time most of the members are focusing on their more popular project of TSO. So if you have not heard this band before, I recommend them to anyone who likes old school progressive/power metal, or just anyone who likes good metal music. Savatage is indeed one of the most underrated as well as one of the greatest American metal bands of all time. Rock on! \m/

links:

Savatage's main website , Savatage's last.fm page