HMaM Global Mod
Post by GL on Jan 1, 2010 14:27:57 GMT -5
In the world of Modern Heavy Metal, which here will be a conglomeration of Metalcore, the New Wave of American Heavy Metal and several other rather lame groupings, there really isn’t all that much which sticks out here. From those still trying to find their sound and style (the last ones on the list) to those perennial good-but-not-great ones (in the middle) to the ones that were expected to be up there (up towards the front) this one here is probably the easiest one to rank. It was actually harder to find the videos for the songs than rank them, so enjoy.
10. Kittie-In the Black
Frankly, I’ve long thought these girls were far underrated, actually producing some really good stuff along their career with ‘Funeral’ being quite exciting at times with a more mid-tempo attack and a trade-off between the furious growl (which got old) balanced with the far-more pleasing melodic croon (which worked in spades) and those lessons are rewarded quite nicely here. All of these songs work, as they get in, get to the point and get out, with insanely memorable choruses, great guitar hooks, and a go-for-the-throat energy that is welcome and surprising. A lot more mature version of a great sound, and while the second half delves into a darker, slower, more brooding moods, the simple, powerful, catchy, punishing modern metal anthems, with impressive soloing, confident vocals that stride with ease from croons to screams, and an overall sense of power and purpose that they hasn't even shown a hint of before mean they’re really close to something good here.
9. Daath-The Concealers
With such a major line-up shift as what was employed here, losing three members but gaining two utterly fantastic ones back is a great exchange, weeding out what was a weak point before (seriously, those keyboards on the first album were just so wrong for the sound the rest of the group was making) and instead, that allows what made the first one work (the highly skilled twin guitar attack that delivers a blistering tour de force of riffing and soloing meshed with modern Metal stylings) and here they really do work well on a majority of the tracks. The fact that it’s heavy but also quite evocative of what makes for some repeatable listens is a good sign, and like what was mentioned with Kittie earlier, they’re onto something good here.
8. Lamb of God-Wrath
Not having been much of a fan of their stuff for the longest time, this was a hard one to get into. Not that they’ve got a bad sound (the guitars are absolutely ripping, but frankly, their rhythm section has always sounded wonky to me and it’s no different here) but it’s just pretty hard to really get into them because of that weird and somewhat problematic area. It always seems to be a little thicker than the rest of the band and it tends to bleed together, making that part of the band just blend together into a mess while the rest was rather fun and enjoyable, and that trend seemingly continues here. It’s one ferocious, muddied slab of modern metal all day long with a few mellow, acoustic interludes, with the same gargled voice delivery, the same thing they’ve done time and again yet keep that strange rhythm section intact without fixing it. It’s what makes it so hard to get into these guys, and that continues on here. Again, nothing outwardly bad, but still really problematic.
7. Hatebreed-Hatebreed
A little different from the covers album also released this year, mainly because, for the first time ever, the highly-touted ‘soloing’ that comes from the band is showcased, and that helps a lot to give this one some real flavor amongst its catalog. With a lot of these songs that don’t feature them probably could’ve used some, it does create a sort of odd balance here as there’s moments when it just stops to include them is a little odd. Though the fact that this one sounds a lot less heavier and faster does tend to make the songs bleed together very quickly, and without as many catchy musical elements as past endeavors and that tends to make it a real struggle to make it to the end when the second half just plods along. With the catchiness now coming from the vocals, which are some of his best in years, it does make for a nice tradeoff even though the music was always good in the past. It’s a little different at times, but definitely not a bad thing.
6. Killswitch Engage-Killswitch Engage
I still don’t know why everyone likes their first albums with their original vocalist, as they guy couldn’t sing at all. They’re so much better now with their new one that it’s almost impossible for me to consider them as having any other singer but this one, and he strikes another absolutely enjoyable album again. Far more melodic in nature, but that merely allows for the rather more experimental songwriting to come into play here, which is quite nice. Rather than just being absolutely aggressive all the way out, this one decides to infuse those more melodic tendencies into their Industrial/Metalcore sound and it definitely works well, producing some really good stuff from time-to-time. The softer stuff will keep it down from their more aggressive catalog due to them actually sounding really good when they’re in that mode, but this is still a really good time, like their usual stuff.
5. Wings of Plague-The Great Stone War
Having loved their last album, it was going to be kinda hard to top it, which they did in spades and then some. This here is just a phenomenal, outstanding album which is both fresh and entertaining while still being highly talented and well-produced. Featuring a much more accessible approach to the keyboards, which here are used for atmosphere or effect rather than an integral part of the sound and instead using that with a series of spectacular riffs and a dazzling rhythm section that packs a forceful punch, the sound here, which they say is Symphonic Death/Metalcore (and is more than accurate though the Metalcore tag comes into play more with the vocals sounding way too lite to be in the Death Metal realm, but that’s just me) the fact that it’s so epic-sounding and entirely catchy, combined with a spectacular album makes for some good times.
4. Scar Symmetry-Dark Matter Dimensions
With a minor line-up shift whereas one vocalist is now replaced by two, one strictly doing clean and growling vocals, this group has now become one of the best Swedish extreme/melodic metal bands around. Far, far heavier than anything they’ve done in the past, yet still keeping those At the Gates-ish moments completely intact, there’s almost those monstrous grooves and catchiness they’ve retained from the past and the result works splendidly. Blending in some actually-not-far-offbase Meshuggah and Fear Factory feel into the sound, which sometimes work but at others reminds of the earlier Gothenburg practitioners, this one is a rather fun and immensely entertaining album. Not that bad at all.
3. Rammstein- Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da
After such a long lay-off, they manage to get perhaps one of the absolute best works in their career. One of their less metallic records, with a rather more techno, keyboard-heavy feel that really lowers this on the list, but there’s still a lot of their power in here with some of the better performances around. Crushing, yet introspective at times, and some with a more mellow feel without going for the schmaltz, and in turn that allows for a pretty good variety within. It’s just not as punishing as their last two releases, and with the more techno feel here, it won’t hold up but still makes for a fun listen.
2. Divine Heresy-Bringer of Plagues
After an utterly punishing first album, they come roaring back with much of the same only with better clean vocals, and while some might say that’s nothing to brag about, it still makes for an utterly fun listen. With a just devastating drum attack that just sounds utterly inhuman, pounding guitar lines that bridge the best gap between Fear Factory old and new in a long time while also letting loose with some more human-like feelings at times when it decides to introduce solos into the equation, it has a great feel to it. While it does get a little overlong at times due to it mostly sounding the same so much, there’s still a ton of stuff to like about this one.
1. DevilDriver-Pray for Villains
There wasn’t much of a chance for anything to top this album, at least in this category as this was a phenomenal album. Starting with the exceptional title track (offered below) on through with it’s just furious guitar-work, frantic drumming, which was also to be a highlight of the rest of the album as well coupled with utterly spectacular vocals and a rather devastating production all leading the charge, this one offers up one fantastic moment after another. When it delves into the more melodic fare, it stands out in sharp contrast to the furious howl the rest of the songs offer when it’s back to the blasting, since those dominate the album as a whole. Not as dynamic as the last one, but frankly with these last two they’ve found their sound and will enjoy a long career with it.
10. Kittie-In the Black
Frankly, I’ve long thought these girls were far underrated, actually producing some really good stuff along their career with ‘Funeral’ being quite exciting at times with a more mid-tempo attack and a trade-off between the furious growl (which got old) balanced with the far-more pleasing melodic croon (which worked in spades) and those lessons are rewarded quite nicely here. All of these songs work, as they get in, get to the point and get out, with insanely memorable choruses, great guitar hooks, and a go-for-the-throat energy that is welcome and surprising. A lot more mature version of a great sound, and while the second half delves into a darker, slower, more brooding moods, the simple, powerful, catchy, punishing modern metal anthems, with impressive soloing, confident vocals that stride with ease from croons to screams, and an overall sense of power and purpose that they hasn't even shown a hint of before mean they’re really close to something good here.
9. Daath-The Concealers
With such a major line-up shift as what was employed here, losing three members but gaining two utterly fantastic ones back is a great exchange, weeding out what was a weak point before (seriously, those keyboards on the first album were just so wrong for the sound the rest of the group was making) and instead, that allows what made the first one work (the highly skilled twin guitar attack that delivers a blistering tour de force of riffing and soloing meshed with modern Metal stylings) and here they really do work well on a majority of the tracks. The fact that it’s heavy but also quite evocative of what makes for some repeatable listens is a good sign, and like what was mentioned with Kittie earlier, they’re onto something good here.
8. Lamb of God-Wrath
Not having been much of a fan of their stuff for the longest time, this was a hard one to get into. Not that they’ve got a bad sound (the guitars are absolutely ripping, but frankly, their rhythm section has always sounded wonky to me and it’s no different here) but it’s just pretty hard to really get into them because of that weird and somewhat problematic area. It always seems to be a little thicker than the rest of the band and it tends to bleed together, making that part of the band just blend together into a mess while the rest was rather fun and enjoyable, and that trend seemingly continues here. It’s one ferocious, muddied slab of modern metal all day long with a few mellow, acoustic interludes, with the same gargled voice delivery, the same thing they’ve done time and again yet keep that strange rhythm section intact without fixing it. It’s what makes it so hard to get into these guys, and that continues on here. Again, nothing outwardly bad, but still really problematic.
7. Hatebreed-Hatebreed
A little different from the covers album also released this year, mainly because, for the first time ever, the highly-touted ‘soloing’ that comes from the band is showcased, and that helps a lot to give this one some real flavor amongst its catalog. With a lot of these songs that don’t feature them probably could’ve used some, it does create a sort of odd balance here as there’s moments when it just stops to include them is a little odd. Though the fact that this one sounds a lot less heavier and faster does tend to make the songs bleed together very quickly, and without as many catchy musical elements as past endeavors and that tends to make it a real struggle to make it to the end when the second half just plods along. With the catchiness now coming from the vocals, which are some of his best in years, it does make for a nice tradeoff even though the music was always good in the past. It’s a little different at times, but definitely not a bad thing.
6. Killswitch Engage-Killswitch Engage
I still don’t know why everyone likes their first albums with their original vocalist, as they guy couldn’t sing at all. They’re so much better now with their new one that it’s almost impossible for me to consider them as having any other singer but this one, and he strikes another absolutely enjoyable album again. Far more melodic in nature, but that merely allows for the rather more experimental songwriting to come into play here, which is quite nice. Rather than just being absolutely aggressive all the way out, this one decides to infuse those more melodic tendencies into their Industrial/Metalcore sound and it definitely works well, producing some really good stuff from time-to-time. The softer stuff will keep it down from their more aggressive catalog due to them actually sounding really good when they’re in that mode, but this is still a really good time, like their usual stuff.
5. Wings of Plague-The Great Stone War
Having loved their last album, it was going to be kinda hard to top it, which they did in spades and then some. This here is just a phenomenal, outstanding album which is both fresh and entertaining while still being highly talented and well-produced. Featuring a much more accessible approach to the keyboards, which here are used for atmosphere or effect rather than an integral part of the sound and instead using that with a series of spectacular riffs and a dazzling rhythm section that packs a forceful punch, the sound here, which they say is Symphonic Death/Metalcore (and is more than accurate though the Metalcore tag comes into play more with the vocals sounding way too lite to be in the Death Metal realm, but that’s just me) the fact that it’s so epic-sounding and entirely catchy, combined with a spectacular album makes for some good times.
4. Scar Symmetry-Dark Matter Dimensions
With a minor line-up shift whereas one vocalist is now replaced by two, one strictly doing clean and growling vocals, this group has now become one of the best Swedish extreme/melodic metal bands around. Far, far heavier than anything they’ve done in the past, yet still keeping those At the Gates-ish moments completely intact, there’s almost those monstrous grooves and catchiness they’ve retained from the past and the result works splendidly. Blending in some actually-not-far-offbase Meshuggah and Fear Factory feel into the sound, which sometimes work but at others reminds of the earlier Gothenburg practitioners, this one is a rather fun and immensely entertaining album. Not that bad at all.
3. Rammstein- Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da
After such a long lay-off, they manage to get perhaps one of the absolute best works in their career. One of their less metallic records, with a rather more techno, keyboard-heavy feel that really lowers this on the list, but there’s still a lot of their power in here with some of the better performances around. Crushing, yet introspective at times, and some with a more mellow feel without going for the schmaltz, and in turn that allows for a pretty good variety within. It’s just not as punishing as their last two releases, and with the more techno feel here, it won’t hold up but still makes for a fun listen.
2. Divine Heresy-Bringer of Plagues
After an utterly punishing first album, they come roaring back with much of the same only with better clean vocals, and while some might say that’s nothing to brag about, it still makes for an utterly fun listen. With a just devastating drum attack that just sounds utterly inhuman, pounding guitar lines that bridge the best gap between Fear Factory old and new in a long time while also letting loose with some more human-like feelings at times when it decides to introduce solos into the equation, it has a great feel to it. While it does get a little overlong at times due to it mostly sounding the same so much, there’s still a ton of stuff to like about this one.
1. DevilDriver-Pray for Villains
There wasn’t much of a chance for anything to top this album, at least in this category as this was a phenomenal album. Starting with the exceptional title track (offered below) on through with it’s just furious guitar-work, frantic drumming, which was also to be a highlight of the rest of the album as well coupled with utterly spectacular vocals and a rather devastating production all leading the charge, this one offers up one fantastic moment after another. When it delves into the more melodic fare, it stands out in sharp contrast to the furious howl the rest of the songs offer when it’s back to the blasting, since those dominate the album as a whole. Not as dynamic as the last one, but frankly with these last two they’ve found their sound and will enjoy a long career with it.
