Beyond Creation - The Aura

Technical death metal tends to be quite predictable these days. Ever since the invasion of Brain Drill, there has been an endless stream of bands that are obsessed with figuring out how many times they can sweep pick in a 4-minute song. While I enjoyed the initial hilarity of Brain Drill at first, it made the rest of the genre hard to listen to. Luckily, there are some bands that manage to take the best elements of modern technical death metal and mix it with their own style. This is where Beyond Creation fits in. While they definitely play standard modern tech-death, they understand how not to overdo the technical elements.

Consistently throughout this record, you’ll be hit with the staples of the genre: blasting drums, shredding guitars, loud but enjoyable bass, and plenty of tremolo picking. As mentioned, however, Beyond Creation does a few things to differentiate themselves from the crowd. Songs like “Coexistence” feature lengthy clean sections (not unlike Obscura sometimes does). The band also does time signature changes seamlessly. Some bands can make these sections feel awkward, but on “The Aura”, you never really notice they are there (in fact, I’m just assuming they are; everything sounds normal to me, but this is a tech-death record, so they've got to be there). In addition, the drums do more than simply blast. They often switch between heavy double-bass sections and blasting, while using snares or toms for accents on what the guitars are playing. The drumming is a very important element to help break the monotony, but the guitars also work to eliminate this issue. Although there are leads almost constantly, they aren’t leads just to show off. There is always a discernable melody to the leads. My favourite of these comes at the halfway mark in “Omnipresent Perception”, but in general, these leads are far too numerous to actually remember most of them. This brings me to my only issue with this record: it’s still a tech-death album. At 52 minutes, it’s difficult to really remember much of this album. Even if you put aside memorability, it’s a lot to digest in one sitting. There’s no doubt that Beyond Creation do this style much better than most of their contemporaries, but what happened to writing songs that were simple structurally, but technical from an instrumental perspective? “Individual Thought Patterns” and “Unquestionable Presence” are my main points of reference here; both of those albums are insanely technical, yet are completely memorable throughout.

For fans of the genre, I know this is going to be a favourite. It does everything well, and it is even accessible as someone who isn’t a fantatic of the style. If I go for modern tech-death, you can bet that I’ll be reaching for this record. It is impressive that a band’s first record can so accurately capture all of the high points of a genre. “The Aura” is sure to be a record that people will be talking about for years!

 Be sure to check out and like Beyond Creation on Facebook!

Highlights

"Coexistence"

"Omnipresent Perception"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott 

10 Forgotten Gems of the Last 10 Years:

Every year there are seemingly endless releases, and no matter how hard you try, you won’t get to them all. Eventually, it’s pretty easy to get around to the bigger albums, but some records get completely forgotten. Even if an artist is well-known, sometimes people assume they know what the album will sound like without listening to it. What follows are 10 great releases from the past 10 years. These are not necessarily the best releases of those years, but they are ones that your metal collection is incomplete without.

2003: Isen Torr - Mighty & Superior

This two track EP is the very definition of heavy metal. It features some of the most manly riffs in existence, and the fantastic vocals of the late Tony Taylor only add to the sheer masculinity of this release. While both songs are quite similar (especially the use of triplets in the drumming), they are both epic enough that it doesn't matter. If you have some time, read up on the history of this cult band, as they originally had some interesting plans for future releases.

2004 - Insane - Wait and Pray

Do you like Slayer (hint: the answer is yes!)? Then you will love Insane's "Wait and Pray". This isn't even a rip-off of "Show No Mercy"; it is straight-up worship. Everything from the band logo, album artwork, song titles, and sound of the record is straight from Slayer's debut record. There has never been an album that accurately captures the sound of another as well as "Wait and Pray" does. While the songwriting is obviously not as good, it is a lot stronger than you would probably expect.

2005 - Dark Illusion - Beyond The Shadows

This one is for the power metal fans. "Beyond The Shadows" is an ode to simplistic, enjoyable European melodic power metal. Similar to bands like HammerFall and Helloween, it is very riff-based, as opposed to the airy sounds of a band like Stratovarius. At 14 songs (but only 49 minutes), there are sure to be at least a few that catch your attention. Personally, the hilariously titled "Night Knight" and the ballad "Warrior" are amongst my favourite power metal tunes.

2006 - Angelus Apatrida - Evil Unleashed

Angelus Apatrida are definitely a band that have garnered more attention recently, but their humble beginnings are less known. "Evil Unleashed" is exactly what you would expect from Pantera if they played thrash 100% of the time. It even has a cover of "Domination"! The rhythm work (particularly the drums) is crushing, and there is an endless number of guitar solos. This record has a ton of standout tracks, but my favourite is "Negotiating The Clowns" simply for its stellar lead guitar work.

2007 - Iron Fire - Blade of Triumph

Iron Fire is another band that is certainly not unknown, but "Blade of Triumph" does not get recognized as the power metal masterpiece that it is. The songs are frighteningly catchy, starting with "Dragonheart" all the way to the title track. While this is another record that has solid riffing, it also uses plenty of guitar melodies to lead the songs. I haven't really kept up with the rest of the band's discography, but if you think you've heard all power metal has to offer, and haven't heard "Blade of Triumph", give this a shot.

2008 - Mortifier - Underground Noise

This is where things get really tough. Starting in 2008, bands started popping up out of nowhere and there are a crazy number of good releases. I picked Mortifier's "Underground Noise" because it's exactly the type of album I could never review. Yes, it is another thrash band that conveniently put out a record in 2008, but it's much more. The main reason I couldn't do a full review for this band is because the only thing that need's to be said is that they write far better riffs than most of their contemporaries. That's all there is to it. Nothing else is done that is outside of the box; you really just need to hear these solid riffs. Check out "Mountain Killings" for a sample of what I'm talking about.

2009 - Metalium - Chapter VIII: Grounded

The final album for Germany's Metalium would prove to be their best. Gone are the mostly speedy, yet characterless songs, and in are the pounding, powerful riffs of Metalium's later era. The attitude hits you from the opener, "Heavy Metal" and never truly lets up. If you've heard some of Metalium before, but haven't heard this power metal record, you should give this a shot.

Honourable Mention for 2009: Mutant - Laserdrome (thrash)

2010 - Instanzia - Ghosts

Hailing from the Great White North, Instanzia are a definite force to be reckoned with. "Ghosts" reminds me a lot of Wintersun in the sense that it was created by a perfectionist. There are layers upon layers of vocals and guitar melodies. Musically, however, the band sounds more like any number of Finnish or Swedish power metal bands. Each song features uniquely crafted melodies that are instantly memorable. I've pretty much only listened to this thing on YouTube (haven't tracked down a copy yet) and I can think of most of the choruses without re-listening to them. My favourites are "Ghosts of the Past" and "Power of the Mind", but any of these songs should hook you.


Honourable Mentions for 2010: Hellcannon - Infected With Violence (thrash), Icewind - Again Came the Storm (power metal)

2011 - Rocka Rollas - The War of Steel Has Begun

You may know Rocka Rollas from my review of "Conquer", but their debut album is a whole different beast. Rather than being the continuation of Running Wild, "The War of Steel Has Begun" is simply an ode to speed metal, and really just metal in particular. Expect blazing tempos, wickedly fast harmonized guitars (see "Dark Future" for a mindblowing example of this), and energetic vocals. While I prefer the new direction the band has taken, their debut needs to be heard because it is sure to be a cult classic.

Honourable Mentions for 2011: Glen Drover - Metalusion (shred), Power Quest - Blood Alliance (power metal)

2012 - Air Raid - Night of the Axe

Sweden's Air Raid join the legion of bands playing a classic style of heavy/speed metal, and they do it with more conviction than most. If you are a fan of other SFM favourites such as Enforcer and Screamer, you'll know what to expect. Air Raid's vocals differ from the crowd quite a bit, but that only helps them to stand out. The two most enjoyable songs are the title track, and "The Lost City", but there are no weak spots on this rager!

Rancor - Dark Future

While I’m sure Spain has a great thrash scene, I’ve only ever really come across two bands from the country: Angelus Apatrida, and Rancor. Based on my prior experience with Angelus Apatrida, expectations were pretty high for Rancor (especially when you consider the awesome name and killer album art!). Luckily, these guys do not disappoint at all. While the music is perhaps the most straightforward thrash in existence, Rancor has a few ways of keeping things interesting throughout the record.

The best place to start would be the vocals of Dani López. He has a unique tone to his singing. While he does use shouts often, he is definitely also has the melodic abilities needed to switch things up. One immediate comparison that came to mind is to Hyades; not because of the sound of his vocals, but just because of how much character they have. The rest of the band unfortunately doesn’t stand out as much, but they do their best to avoid making the songwriting too samey. For one thing, there is certainly a lot of thrashing, but there are also slower, heavier moments as well. The beginning of “The Last Drop of Blood” sets the stage with these brooding riffs before the high-speed thrashing kicks in for the verse.  At times, things can get quite melodic (think Iron Maiden), such as in "Deaf People". In addition, the riffs can get more technical than a simple 4/4 thrash riff (see the opening of “Addicted To Hate” for one example). Much like many new thrash bands, there are the occasional blast beats, but they are used to mix things up, rather than for simply upping the speed of the drumming. The lead guitars and bass are both unspectacular, but they get the job done. “Dark Future” is simply one of those albums that you don’t need to think too much about the performances, and can enjoy the thrashing nature of the music.

Rancor’s “Dark Future” is a slab of modern thrash that is definitely worth hearing. While it definitely sounds like a band that just wants to pay homage to their idols, they do so with more conviction than some of their contemporaries. Don’t miss out on this if you are a huge thrash fan! 

 Be sure to check out and like Rancor on Facebook!

Highlights

"The Last Drop of Blood"

"Addicted To Hate"

"There's No Love"

Final Rating

3.9/5 or 78%. 

Written by Scott 

Avantasia - The Mystery of Time

Avantasia is pretty much the greatest musical concept I have ever come across. Take one of the most brilliant singers and songwriters in power metal, and throw in a bunch of the subgenre’s best vocalists, and you get several albums that are masterpieces. On “The Mystery of Time”, Tobias has recruited quite a few singers outside the bounds of power metal, but as expected, all of them deliver a fantastic performance. The only disappointment in terms of guest singers is that nobody was able to step up and completely take over the record the way that Jorn Lande did on the previous three Avantasia albums. Michael Kiske makes a solid effort, with a fantastic performance on “Where Clock Hands Freeze” (and a couple other tracks), but Lande’s voice provided a better contrast to Sammet’s. Aside from this caveat, “The Mystery of Time” is one of the strongest records of the year.

The opening track, “Spectres”, is a classic Avantasia song. It really demonstrates the varying dynamics that this band excels at creating. In a moment’s time, it can smoothly transition from loud, heavy parts, into softer vocal driven moments. And of course, this leads into a grandiose, epic chorus. If you are familiar with the buildup to the chorus in “The Wicked Symphony”, you will definitely notice a similar technique being used in “Spectres”. Likewise, this transition is used in the adventurous pop-rock song, “Sleepwalking”.

It’s worth getting the talk of “Sleepwalking” out of the way. Much like “Lost In Space” or “What Kind of Love”, this is a song that is completely out of place on a metal record. It is a pop duet with Cloudy Yang (who gives a much better performance than she did on “Symphony of Life” from “Angel of Babylon”) that will definitely frustrate you the first time you hear it. For one thing, the song just begins with no break from the prior track. It’s an abrupt start, to an unexpected song. If it weren’t for Sammet’s decidedly metal vocals, this song could play on the radio and nobody would bat an eye. As mentioned, however, “Sleepwalking” does have one of the most satisfying choruses on “The Mystery of Time”, and after a few listens, it will likely grow on you.

Returning to the metal part of this album, there are 8 tracks that are all on par with the other two. The 10-minute “Savior In The Clockwork” has a speedy main riff, not unlike something that could have been on the first two Avantasia records. Despite being as long as it is, this track doesn’t feel like a journey at all; in fact, it fits in with the other 4-5 minute songs perfectly. The other long song, “The Great Mystery”, is much more epic. While much slower than “Savior In The Clockwork”, this last track truly feels like the culmination of over an hour of huge anthems. Other highlights include the plodding, yet catchy “Black Orchid”, the more upbeat “The Watchmaker’s Dream”, and the semi-ballad “What’s Left of Me”. You really can’t go wrong with any of these tracks. There isn’t too much experimentation on this record, so it seems unlikely that any Avantasia fans could dislike it, and it’s accessible enough that it should appeal pretty much everyone. As a complete fanatic of Avantasia, I could not have asked for anything better!

 Be sure to check out and like Avantasia on Facebook!

Highlights

"Spectres"

"Black Orchid"

"Savior In The Clockwork"

"Dwellar In A Dream"

Final Rating

4.75/5 or 95%. 

Written by Scott