Symphorce-Become Death
(Metal Blade, 2007)

This is one hell of a roller coaster of an album. Elements of power metal, thrash , and gothic tinged metal are thrown together and what comes out in a style of metal that reminds you equally of Nevermore as it does Type O Negative.

The opening song starts out blistering with an incredibly heavy and fast riff that sounds quite similar to Nevermore with a slightly heavier vocal approach. The chorus is of course extremely memorable and what I really like about the band is that the singer never really reaches a high register. He has a powerful voice and never sounds like he is reaching outside of his grasp.

The rest of the album is quite diverse and the speed of the first song isnt really repeated again later on in the album. The rest of the songs are quite melodic and a bit straighter forward. A few songs have an almost Megadeth like feel with more involved riffing while one song even reminded me quite a bit of HIM. There is definitely a strong Zakk Wylde feel to some of the riffs as well giving them a sound that wouldnt have sounded out of place on the Ozzmosis album.

There is a slight progressive feel to some of the music but very rarely would I call this a flashy album. Even the guitar solos are rather short and to the point. They dont fool around with excess, they keep things to the point and very memorable. In the end it isnt hard to hear who the band draws inspiration from, but the way the influences come together makes for an interesting listen none the less.

Graveworm-Collateral Defect
(Nuclear Blast, 2007)

This is one of those bands that I know I have heard a few albums from and I really dont remember much about them. The band plays a tight and melodic style of metal that sounds like a more aggressive version of Cradle of Filth mixed with Children of Bodom.

The style of the band I suppose would be a more modern style of black metal mixed with hints of thrash and death metal. There are many layers at work within the songs and despite me usually being very annoyed by keyboards, they are used to great effect here. They arent incredibly loud n the mix, but they do help by adding a bit of atmosphere and some very strange noises in a few of the songs.

My one qualm with the album is that it seems a bit by the books. They arent taking any chances with the genre musically and arent really expanded past what people would expect from a band like this. The cover of I Need a Hero is a surprise, especially since the lyrics are about a woman trying to find her knight in shining amour. Take that however you will, but I still found the cover to be a bit pointless. They should have kept the song sounding a bit similar because it really just sounds like a Graveworm song with the original lyrics and vocal patterns.

This isnt a bad album, yet it doesnt really make the cut as being exceptional either. Youll enjoy it while it is on, but Im not sure how many times you would come back to listen to it again.

Watain-Sworn to the Dark
(The Anja Offensive, 2007)

Where the hell did this come from? This is easily the best black/death metal album that Ive heard since the mid 90s. Beginning to end this is filled with classic riffs, cold melodies and some of the best songwriting the genre has ever seen.

While it isnt easy to trace exactly who the band sounds like a cross between Mayhem and Dissection with hints of Blasphemy and Mercyful Fate might be a good start. The majestic yet cold guitar lines plaint a bleak picture while the vocals snarl and snap like wild dogs. The music has an aggressive charging feel to it yet the band isnt concerned with overusing the blast beat. Many of the drum beats have a simple old school feel to them, which might be where I hear the Blasphemy feel creeping in from time to time.

What I really like about the songs is that they have a lot of atmosphere and even though it is aggressive it sounds natural. They dont sound like they are trying to be violent, it just happens to come out sounding fierce. The songs have a lot of feeling and the writing really flows from riff to riff. There is definitely a lot of digest as well because the band definitely doesnt stick to conventional song structures. You wont have choruses to latch on to, although the songs definitely do have memorable moments.

This came out of nowhere and completely took me by surprise. Not since The Somberlain has a black metal album been this majestic and violent. All fans of black metal should consider this an essential purchase. This is destined to become a classic.