Sodom-The Final Sign of Evil
(SPV, 2007)

It seems to be a bit of a trend lately for thrash bands to revisit old material. Im not sure if it comes down to a lack of creativity or just a need or want to give fans something a bit different. With this album Sodom have gone the extra mile and recorded something that fans of the early material will enjoy endlessly.

Basically the band re-recorded their debut EP In the Sign of Evil. But what makes this different is that Tom Angelripper got the original line-up back together and recorded 7 songs from the early days of the band that were never released. It basically makes the EP into a more complete album.

What really surprises me about this album is just how old school the damn thing sounds. They didnt go into the studio and make the songs sound modern and polished. This is raw and rough around the edges, just like the original recordings. The drumming in particular is a bit hit or miss and while metal fans today are probably used to ridiculously precise drum performances, the older albums sometimes had a bit of a train wreck waiting to happen feel to the drums. The performance here definitely has that feel and it definitely adds to the old school feel of the album.

If you are a Sodom fan this is an essential purchase, not so much for the re-recorded songs, but for the unreleased songs that are seeing the light of day for the first time with this album.

Axel Rudi Pell-Diamonds Unlocked
(SPV, 2007)

The first thing that went through my mind when I put this on was great another cover album. I dont understand what the need for cover albums are, but still I went into the album with an open mind because the cover choices were pretty unique and quite varied. You dont see many albums that cover Kiss and Michael Bolton do you?

The main problem that I have with this album is really the whole bar band feel that the album has. There is no questioning the musicality here is perfect, but really is a heavier version of Beautiful Day by U2 really something that we needed to hear? The acoustic version of Love Gun is interesting but I would have liked to hear it done closer to the original.

I think maybe one of the reasons Im having a hard time really digging into this album is that Im not really familiar with the songs they chose to cover. Im not really familiar with Free, Montrose, or The Mission. The songs I am familiar with Im not really a big fan of, the exception being Love Gun. If youve followed Axel Rudi Pells career Im sure you may want to pick this up. To my ears it seems far from essential though.

Vried-I Krig
(Candlelight Records, 2007)

Vried is one of my favorite black metal acts around right now. They are creating music that is very cold, yet catchy and never falls into the clichs of the genre. It is indeed black metal music, but to say the band sounds like a typical black metal band would be a very false statement.

One big different with Vried is that the band isnt afraid to play around with different rhythms and speeds. Adding in pauses and a lot of starts and stops gives the band an almost rock feel at times, but the riffing always remains dark and melodic. Hell they even break out a cowbell a few times throughout the album. When was the last time you heard a cowbell on a black metal album?

The speed present on previous albums is still present here, but it has a fairly distinct feel this time around. The fast riffing is much more melodic and layered. It seems like with this album in particular the band is coming more into their own with their sound. Sure there are still some parts that borrow heavily from Celtic Frost, but overall this has an original sound. The band is putting a lot of thought into the songs which makes this much more interesting and dynamic then what people might expect from black metal.

With their third album Vried have really progressed into one of the best black metal bands around right now. They have taken the genre in new directions without sacrificing the integrity of the genre. If you havent checked out Vreid and you are a black metal fan, I strongly urge you to not only pick up this album, but the bands first two albums as well. You wont be disappointed.

The Devil Wears Prada-Plagues
(Rise Records, 2007)

The debut album from this band was an interesting yet still somewhat flawed slab of discordant metalcore. The follow up follows down a similar path but shows the band refining their sound and creating an album that hits the listener much harder.

If you took the dissonant rhythmic churning of Norma Jean, mixed in melodic Swedish style riffing, keyboard quirkiness and a strong rock feel youd have The Devil Wears Prada. The individual pieces of the band are somewhat typical, but the way the overall songs take shape are quite unique to my ears. They arent a band that is worried about being catchy and easy to digest. The songs are littered with caustic riffs and some extremely vicious screaming. The speedy melodic riffs are catchier, but this is definitely a band that likes to keep things harsh and moving quickly. Rarely does the band stay on the same riff for long and they also dont seem to repeat the riffs often without the course of the song.

Clean vocals are used sparingly throughout the album and what I like is that they dont seem to be added just for the sake of having something to latch onto. They dont come across as being melodic fluff just added to make the songs a bit easier on the ears. They definitely do stand as a nice contrast to the usual noisy nature of the band though.

There are bands that try to play in a style similar to this but just come across as unlistenable. These guys manage to keep things musical and interesting throughout the entire album and while there are some clich moments, the band really manages to rise above a genre that has become quite stagnant.

Project: Failing Flesh-The Conjoined
(Burning Star Records, 2007)

The debut album from Project: Failing Flesh seemed to come out of nowhere with its heavy yet quirky approach to metal. The Conjoined had a lot to live up to and the band has really crafted a gem here.

Its hard to put into words what this band indeed sounds like. On one hand the band is very metallic with rhythmic and noisy riffs, yet on the other hand the band is very electronic in nature. Not to the point that you could call this an industrial band, but the influence is definitely there. If I had to stretch Id say cross Meshuggah, Voivod, and Mike Patton. You never know what to expect next from the band and the album is littered with some of the most interesting and head scratching noises you have ever heard.

One of the main aspects that really helps the band nail the point across is the vocal performance of Eric Forrest. His vocals are powerful and with this album quite varied. It would seem obvious that hearing Voivod in Project: Failing Flesh would be due to the band sharing vocalists, but when you get right down to it musically the band does remind me quite a bit of Voivod at times, more so when the band was in their prime though.

If the debut album had the band on the cusp of being spacey, this new album takes them right out of the stratosphere. This is a strange and beautiful album that challenges what people expect from a metal album. If you like your music creative this is definitely for you.

Aiden-Conviction
(Victory Records, 2007)

I was a big fan of Nightmare Anatomy and the bands dark take on a genre that can usually be quite melodic and annoyingly sappy. With the follow up album the band has gone a rather surprising route. This is a much more rock based album that loses some of the dark tone, but more then makes up for it with the quality of the songwriting and the extremely memorable nature of the album.

The band was honestly a bit rough around the edges with the last album, but they definitely seem to be a much stronger band this time around. The songwriting is a bit mellower but the overall impact is stronger. The songs have a good flow and the overall feel of the album sounds like Aiden mixed with Straylight Run and possibly hints of The Smiths or The Cure. Its a melancholy album that is sure to take the band farther then Nightmare Anatomy did surprising a lot of people along the way. If you were expecting Nightmare Anatomy the sequel you will definitely be disappointed, at least initially. Once you give the album a change though I think youll be blown away by how much the band has grown.

What really makes this album work is the fact that the band has managed to become a much more original band. There is no denying that AFI was a big influence on the band in the past, but this latest album pretty much sheds that influence completely. When you get right down to it this sounds like Aiden. You can still trace certain influences but as a whole the band is really taking shape into a rock band that has a lot to offer with this album.