Dope - Life

Dope have got attitude, that much can be said. It's also the reason that they're SO DAMN LISTENABLE even after cumulative hours of hard, ass-kicking industrial metal. Life is the first album of theirs that I heard, and it blew me away so to speak, no sexual pun intended.

Seeing as I have mainly good things to say about this album, I may as well start off with the things I don't particularly like. May seem weird but it's getting them out of the way. The first song, 'Take Your Best Shot', despite being rhythmic and sufficiently heavy, is somewhat repetitive and quite boring. The entire song is effectively repeating the chorus which isn't even that good. There is also, like so many other albums I have listened to, an irritating lapse in awesomeness near the end, with songs made to be skipped like 'Crazy', 'Jenny's Cryin'' (AWFUL song) and 'Slipping Away'. They tend to be extremely boring and become background noise.

Then, of course, are the good things about the album. The riffs, whilst not technically impressive, sound so damn good on high volume, as in the exact sorta stuff you would wanna see at a gig. They incorporate electronic whines and effects to seriously pick up the pace until you're so into it you would blow your own brains out if they told you to. Their choruses are another great feature, listen to 'Nothing', 'Now Or Never' and 'What About' and you should see what I mean. Despite them being a bad-ass, constantly pissed off band these choruses do actually portray emotion pretty damn well. Last and definitely not least (seeing as it's what I think is THE best bit about Dope) is their attitude that rings out like being kicked in the bollocks in all of their best songs. 'Die Motherfucker Die', 'Thanks For Nothing', 'March of Hope' and my favourite of the album 'You're Full of Shit' are undoubtedly the killer examples. Listen and be absorbed. Seriously the album is worth your dough even if only for those four songs I reckon.

But yeah, I think this is actually listenable for fans of Nu and Industrial Metal, and maybe even general rock listeners. They're not overly heavy, they just enjoy swearing and partying. Though I do get the feeling that Dope might not be so well enjoyed by Death, Black or Thrash metal devotees, I think they're worth a shot.

Bloodbath - Resurrection Through Carnage

This is Bloodbath's first album, and so as i usually do with a bands first album, is have a little sympathy on it. However, this really doesn't need sympathy. At all. It's a GREAT album. Bloodbath are a Death metal ( Although I think they sound more Old School Death Metal....but apparently no...just new school) band from Sweden, and as I found out quite recently...they're a SUPERGROUP. They have guys from Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, Katatonia, Diabolical Masquerade, October Tide, Hypocrisy, Witchery and Satanic Slaughter. Pretty epic, eh? Anyway, the review. Bloodbath are...not exactly what you would call a "typical" metal band. They use a weird unique guitar effect throughout all of their songs, which REALLY works. They have a good consistent rhythm throughout, epic choruses in most songs, and sick as shit guitar solos like EVERYHWERE. The vocals are also unique...they're sort of rasping low vocals, which I have yet to hear in another band. They have a good mix of songs, from the funky ones like “Mass Strangulation” and “Buried By The Dead” to the rather creepy evil ones like “Death Delirium”. I won't bother talking about the lyrics as I'm pretty sure you can guess form the song titles and the band name.

I'm giving this album 4/5 for being awesome, however there is certainly room for improvement in the band. I think this would definitely be a good buy for death metal fans, however for other people it might probably be a bit of a no-no, generally, I would advise checking them out first anyway, just in case they aren't your thing.

Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star Volume IV: Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness

Ok, the name of the album isn't exactly practical for saying in one go, and they're not that heavy, but honestly, I think C&C's epic album at least deserves a mention from the thousands of times I have been able to listen to this album without getting bored. And by the way, when I say C&C I DO NOT mean Command and Conquer. On with the review...

Surprisingly enough, I got into this band through my sister. This is unusual because not only is her music somewhat.... softer than my taste allows but also because I usually get irritated by her music being played at 10 million decibels in the next room. But Coheed and Cambria was always something good to be heard because even though the voice is almost timid and the guitars never grind like steel on pavement I would always find myself air guitaring madly. The album is, like all of their records, a concept one, based on the storyline of the man and woman called Coheed and Cambria (shockingly). This is the turning point which is meant to be the demise of the characters, hence the violent lyrics in most of songs; 'a selfish little whore, if I had my way I'd crush your face in the door', and 'you burn in hell while they're digging you out' are good examples. These lyrics may be harsh, yet they fit creepily well with the backing music. I imagine the approval of the vocals will be like Marmite and Avenged Sevenfold: love or hate, because they do not scream, barely shout and even whisper some of the time. The guitar parts are fantastic, in particular the third track 'Welcome Home', where the guitarist shreds it out to a pinch harmonic almost every bar at one point, and has a 2 minute solo near the end.

I realise this review is getting long, so to cut it short, this is an impressive piece of work, and ANY prog metal fans should be quick to buy this. However, for any thrash, death or black metal fans this is a big no-no. I give it 4/5 for its brilliant guitars and bass parts, but although I enjoy the vocals, I don't love them. Have a listen and decide I think is the only answer.

Lordi - Arockalypse

Lordi....can you get ANY cooler?! I think we all know the answer to that. NO. For those weird people out there who don't know who Lordi are, they're a hard rock band (if you make me explain to you what hard rock is, say goodbye to your head) from Finland. They've released 2 horror movies (which I have yet to see) and are just FUCKING AWESOME. They dress as like monsters to increase awesomeness too. Well this is their newest album which the hit song which won Eurovision 2006, Hard rock Hallelujah, was included. And thus why this album gets even MORE lovin' from me, because they're Christians. Anyway. The vocals are pretty unique form what I know, and they have backing singing vocals, which are sort of weird but work very well. They use a keyboard in all of their songs, which is cool. With Lordi, you know its all cool, seeing as the songs are either AMAZING or a joke. Luckily, they're ALL amazing. Lordi just have the best lyrics known to man, the best verses and the DAM CATCHIEST choruses. Its all just very anthemic and catchy it just might blow you're head off. I'm being very, very serious when I say your head might actually fall off and explode. And so that's probably why the album is liked so much. Still, looking forward to getting some motherfucking LORDI COLA.

Giving this album a 4.5/5 because its just amazing, however on the down side its not the most skilled thing in the world and some of the songs are a bit boring sometimes (I know I should of mentioned that earlier but heck, I WAS ON A ROLL). Should you buy this album? Well....it's not a hugely metal album really, but if you're wanting a bit of a joke, then HELLYEAH

Grailknights - Return to Castle Grailskull

Yes, I know. 'Oh dear, it's another one of those lame, sad old bands that find it arousing to dress up in homoerotic superhero costumes and sing cheesy metal'. You're damn right. And they're fucking amazing.

I was slightly doubtful when I first borrowed this album off Ryan. They're a nearly unheard of German underground battle metal band which sing about glorious death on the battlefield for the sake of their holy grail. I was also kinda creeped out when I heard the strange, croaky old man shouting 'Ohh, my grandmother' in the second track. But if you look past this, you got some really catchy and technical stuff.

To start with, the guitarists are awesome. Instead of basic chord patterns they follow the styles of classic heavy metal bands, but also that of some country/folksy stuff, which sound surprisingly good, like in 'Home At Last', despite its repetitiveness. They also have two anthemic grail-related tracks which keep up the cheesy viking-type theme, 'Hail To The Grail' and 'Return To Castle Grailskull'. They released one single from this album, 'Moonlit Masquerade', and even though the video has the worst CGI in history it is a great track. The 'knights show their prowess in dual guitar riffs with Prevail and good fast paced instrumental breaks in 'Raving Storms'. I think the only slight letdown was 'Fight Until You Die', solely for the reason it isn't very long.

I give this album a 4/5 rating. It would have my 5/5 approval if ALL the songs were as epic as 'Return to Castle Grailskull' and if there just a few more songs. Nonetheless, a good buy, if you can find it, but if you do manage to people will probably call you a weirdo.

Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot have FINALLY returned after about 3 or 4 years of miscombobulations and arguments and side projects (namedly Stone Sour and The Muderdolls) between the famous 9. And i should hope they were dearly missed, becuase i certainly wanted them back! You can only go for so long without the kind of anger Slipknot gives to the listener that no other band can quite provide.

Their new album grimly titled "All Hope Is Gone" is an exeedingly brilliant album that the fans deserve after their prolonged abscence. It lives up to the hype and popularity that it has gained, and then some. The anger is still there, the verses are as brutal as ever, and the choruses are more anthemic and catchy than they have ever been. AND YET they still retained the slow and epic and slightly distorted side that we saw in Vol.3 with songs like Vermillion pt 2. clearly reflected in the occasional song like snuff or the disturbingly evil Gehenna. But whatever you do, DO NOT think that these few slow songs makes this album seem like a complete pussy compared to previous albums. The main songs on the album for me would have to be Vendetta and the incredibly popular Psychosocial. Both blastingout riffs and angry vocals like it was the riff and vocals summer sale. Not to mention the INCREDIBLE choruses thatafter listening to for the 30th time im still not bored of. Not to mention the fast pased title track All Hope Is Gone blasting out right at the end. 

This aside the quality of the music itself is still very impressive. With Joey Jordison giving a strong, solid and complex performance with the drums. Corey, with his vocals at a greater level than ever before, the shouting as angry as ever and the singing as complex and epic as i think he will ever be able to get it. and then the other 7 doing whatever the hell they happen to be doing extremely well!

Overall i give this album 4.5 although i would have loved to give it a 5 (but SOME people here believe that it doesnt deserve to be on the best albums ever list). How wrong they are..

Children of Bodom - Hatebreeder

Ryan is possibly the biggest Bodom fan this world has ever known so you would expect him to be writing this review, but I've seen them and he hasn't so I'm going to no matter what he says.

I give this album a BIG kudos. Not for the usual things: skill in vocals, guitars, drums etc. (though that is indeed present here!). No, this album has something else. Something that few other metal bands have, and fewer still that I would admit bands to having. Genius. This is an album like no other.

Metal, despite the hundreds of sub-genres, is all based on a similar style. Hard n' heavy chords, harsh, angry or epic vocals, drums like an M249 drilling bullets into Nazi skulls. But this is written like it is nothing less than a piece of classical, here comes the word again, genius. Constant melodies overlap background rhythms to the point where your mind seems to reach musical nirvana as you realise that Bodom don't just have a mind of metal, they can think seriously, seriously, clever stuff. A good listen to songs like 'Towards Dead End' and 'Silent Night, Bodom Night' shows this clearly. While they left behind the direct classical reference by using a harpsichord in 'Something Wild', they maintain this image in such a good way.

I can't say more really. Just buy it. I'm giving this album a whole 4 stars, only lacking because Bodom go on to show only more of their genius in their later albums. I'm only half recommending this album, because the other half is just congratulating Children of Bodom.