Funeral-From These Wounds
(Candlelight Records, 2007)

The doom genre manages to encompass many different styles. You have the usually Sabbath like approach, the style My Dying Bride helped to create, and then you have the style Katatonia helped breathe life into among many other styles and niches. Funeral comes across like a cross between My Dying Bride and Katatonia, but isnt a band without original ideas.

If you are looking for an incredibly heavy doom album you will definitely be disappointed here. This does indeed have heavy guitars, but this is a largely melodic album that never becomes as suffocatingly heavy as some similar bands in the genre. The band also manages to keep things energetic, which is always welcome in the doom genre. This is indeed slow, but it never becomes boring and never feels slow just for the sake as being as slow as possible. I have nothing against plodding music, but sometimes you just feel like yelling get to the point already. You wont have that problem with this album.

Hardly common in doom of this nature, but guitar leads are quite prevalent on this album. Obviously the solos arent incredibly flashy, but they do have a feel that makes them uncommon for this genre. These arent just Iommi inspired pentatonic runs, they are a bit flashier and almost power metal in nature. They fit the music perfectly though and add a surprising layer of depth to the album that I wasnt expecting.

Due to the band name Im sure people will expect the bleakest of the bleak funeral doom from this band, but that couldnt be further from the truth. This album is a melodic and refreshing take of the doom genre that is sure to please all fans of My Dying Bride and Katatonia.

Masterplan-MK II
(Candlelight Records, 2007)

It really shows how much of a dork I am when I read the album title and the first thing I thought of was Mortal Kombat 2. Although when you get right down to it Masterplan plays the sort of power metal that wouldnt seem out of place in a video game. It has that upbeat melodic vibe that just doesnt have to try very hard to make an impact.

The surprising part of the album is that the band has a lot of depth. Sure they have the fast double bass, higher register vocals, melodic riffs and ridiculously catchy choruses the genre is known for, but they also have some surprises up their sleeves. The vocals have a slight rock feel to them at times, and come across more like good old fashion heavy metal vocals then the standard power metal vocal approach.

The band also has a slight progressive feel at times, and throws in some unique rhythmic ideas from time to time. There really isnt anything overly technical for the sake of being technical. They do show off their chops from time to time, but rarely does this album ever sound like a technical exercise. It also sounds very natural, which is rare in this genre of music.

This isnt really an album that makes you think holy shit finally an original power metal band. The band does have interesting ideas but this isnt exactly what you would call original. That isnt always a bad thing though. This is power metal after all and I guess there are some unwritten rules that bands tend to follow. If you enjoy Helloween and Symphony X then this one is for you.

Winters-Black Clouds in Twin Galaxies
(Candlelight Records, 2007)

Wow, this one really took me by surprise. Imagine a cross between old British rock and doom if you can and have Winters. I probably would never think Id have to write this, but the band almost sounds like a cross between The Who and Black Sabbath.

The band is quite good at writing extremely catchy yet heavy riffs that bridge the gap between pop sensibility and doom dirges. The odd noisy freak out is quite common and the band is definitely not lacking in the energy department. That said they also arent afraid to strip off the distortion and play something surprisingly melodic. Curveballs are thrown at you for most of the album and this is a band that certainly isnt content just rehashing the same ideas.

Not only does the music reek of the 60s and the 70s, the production also has a vintage feel to it. In all honesty for the style of the band you would need a rough yet melodic production and the sound matches the band perfectly. The drums have a lot of power behind them and the guitars are heavy but not to the point of being ridiculous. The vocals are high in the mix and really let the vocal performance get the credit it deserves. This is a unique vocal approach in this day and age and being able to hear it with little trouble is definitely a bonus.

If you always wondered what it would sound like is Pete Townsend and Tony Iommi decided to jam then this disc will at least partially show you what it might indeed sound like. This album is such a welcome change of pace that I honestly think everyone who enjoys music should pick up this album. It might come from a genre that is an acquired taste but the quality of the music speaks for itself and is sure to appeal to music fans from genres outside the doom genre.

Widow-Nightlife
(Cruz Del Sur Music, 2007)

With an energetic and melodic approach, Widow has more then enough presence to make you look past the fact that the band really isnt doing anything new. Widow draw from a classic style of metal and sound quite a bit like Iron Maiden, albeit with more energy and the odd dose of harsh vocals.

If you enjoy your metal anthemic and full of dual lead guitars then this one is definitely for you. The band has the Maiden stomp down perfectly and seems to have really cut their teeth on the first few albums from the influential British band. One difference is that Widows are a much faster band and arent afraid to kick things up to a thrash styled tempo. The riffing stays quite melodic even during the fast moments. The faster parts almost give the band a punk edge although the riffing is pretty well pure metal through and through.

I was a little bit let down with the production here. It is indeed heavy, but the overall mix is a bit raw and it almost sounds just a touch sloppy at times. The guitar could have benefited from having just a bit more bite and the drum sound could have used just a bit more punch in my opinion. It is far from being a bad sounding album, but it also might not be the ideal sound for the band.

The only real misstep here is the inclusion of two covers at the end of the disc. The cover of Aint Talkin Bout Love just doesnt seem as together as it should be. Same goes for the cover of I Stole Your Love, which is actually the better of the two covers. The two covers just seem sort of out of place at the end of this disc, but the Kiss cover is definitely the better of the two.

For fans of early Iron Maiden this one is a no brainer. If you enjoy your metal upbeat and melodic this is definitely a band you will want to look into more. This album isnt without a few stumbles, but Ill take this over another metalcore album any day of the week.

Hemlock-Bleed the Dream
(Candlelight Records, 2007)

This is one of those meat and potatoes albums that really isnt anything new but is hard not to enjoy. While I really hate to lump this into the metalcore genre, it really seems to be the genre that sticks. The band has a rhythmic style that seems like a combination of Machine Head, Lamb of God and Pro-Pain.

The riffing tends to be rather straight forward with tremolo picked riffs and power chord chunks. Dissonance is used throughout the disc in a rather typical way, but it does add a bit of color in a rather straight ahead riffing style. The band throws in a few surprises like some cool melodic bass guitar lines and the odd use of clean vocals. As a whole though this really isnt anything you havent heard before, but the band manages to keep your interest throughout. It may not be original, but it certainly isnt boring either.

I think the production could have used to bit more clarity especially during the heavier moments but that is pretty much being overly anal. I wont lie; this definitely is a heavy album that does use quite a few clichs along the way. The band manages to make it work though and despite the album being a bit all over the place at times, this is an excellent debut album.

Whitechapel-The Somatic Defilement
(Candlelight Records, 2007)

Pardon me while I grab a spatula to unstuck my self from the wall this album just splattered me against. Where the hell has this band hiding and why the hell isnt every death metal fan in the world talking about this album? This is a ripping and guttural exercise in death metal that simply put, kicks a whole lot of ass.

The most impressive thing about this album is just how much the band manages to fit into one song. You have guttural roars and chunky US death metal riffs, speedy tremolo picked riffs ala Deicide, breakdown riffs ala metalcore, melodic sections and even grindcore influenced parts reminiscent of Carcass. This is a band that draws from a wide cross section of metal sounds and blends them together seamlessly. Everything just seems to fit perfectly and no matter how different each part may be they make it work.

The only aspect that might make this a bit hard to death metal purists to swallow are the breakdown riffs and some of the more rhythmic parts that bring to mind Machine Head. But if you listen to the riffs in the context of the entire song, its amazing how well they fit and the fact that the band is trying to reach outside the safety zone of the death metal genre is commendable.

Instead of trying to string as many clever adjectives together like a lot of writers do, Ill sum this album up like this, it fucking rules. This is an energetic and devastating metal album that takes from a lot of different styles and isnt afraid to take chances. Fans of everything from Deicide to The Red Chord, to Carcass will be able to get into this amazing band. This is one that all fans of extreme music do not want to miss out on.

Bewitched-Spiritual Warfare
(Regain Records, 2007)

I couldnt help but crack a smile when I found this gem waiting in my mailbox. Ive been a gigantic Bewitched fan for a long time now, and Im quite happy to report that this is the best album yet from the band. If you are new to Bewitched I guess the best way to describe the band is pure metallic awesomeness. Seriously though, the band plays raging thrash mixed with classic black metal and heavy metal influences. Think Destruction meets Venom with some Bathory and Motorhead thrown in for good measure.

From beginning to end this album is one memorable riff after another. The band keeps things simplistic but that only helps the band really nail the riffs into your skull. German thrash intensity meets Venoms simplicity and the result is pretty much what you could call the perfect metal album. There is no pretension, just one kick ass song after another.

I do enjoy the band when they are playing incredibly fast, but with this album the band is experimenting with slower tempos and it really works. It allows the band to play around more with different riffs and makes the fast songs stand out all the more. The slower parts have an almost creepy Mercyful Fate meets black metal feel to them. Even if you dont like your metal slow, when the riffs are this catchy it really doesnt matter what the tempo is, youll enjoy it.

This album is basically 10 examples of metal done right. This is energetic, simplistic and a big middle finger to the newer bands that are trying to play as fast and complicated as humanly possible. Sure those bands do have their place within the genre, but for what its worth a band like this is just more enjoyable to my ears. Grab some leather, crack a beer and prepare to head bang.