Unearth-The March
(Metal Blade Records, 2008)

Unearth could definitely be considered one of the founding bands in the current metalcore sound. So this basically means that not only does the band always have to stay one step ahead of the bands that take influence from them, they also have to try and keep things fresh from themselves with each album.

The March is indeed an Unearth album through and through and it really doesn't take the band to any new places unfortunately. What the band definitely has working for them this time is effective songwriting and a better understanding of what works for the band. Lead guitar has become a bit more of a focal point with this album and the sweep picking the band has utilized in the past is used to much greater lengths. The band is certainly adept at adding the shred elements but with it becoming so common in this genre recently it doesn't have the overall impact that it once would have had. That said these are definitely the catchiest songs the band has ever written so despite the album lacking in the surprises department it still makes an impact.

Unearth definitely do not disappoint with The March yet it isn't an album that seems to show the amount of energy you would expect from the band. The songwriting it top notch and the lead guitar works is among the best the band has ever had yet it still fails to feel like more than just another Unearth record. This is a solid albeit safe album from Unearth that is sure to please long time fans of the band but might make you crave something a bit different from the band with the next album.

Mirror of Dead Faces-Lamentation
(Creator Destructor Records, 2008)

It takes a lot for a young band to stand out these days and thankfully Mirror of Dead Faces manage to impress through barbaric energy and songwriting that in many ways is much better than the bands they draw influences from. The easiest way to describe the band would be a cross between The Black Dahlia Murder and The Red Chord but with a more intimate and memorable sound. While not lacking in extremity, the songs just hit with a lot of power and really stand out as being memorable in a time when music of this nature if forgettable at best.

Right out of the gate the band comes out charging with razor sharp riffing, extremely tight drumming and vocals that sound like a demon unleashed. It might not throw you any curve balls but the band plays with a vigor that is instantly infectious. This isn't a band that is just going through the motions, they enjoy what they are playing and it really translates well. Riffwise the band tends to keep things on the melodic side of the spectrum having an almost blackened death metal meets thrash feel for the most part. Guitar leads are quite common and handled extremely well. There is definitely a lot of shred on display but the band manages to craft memorable solos rather than just using the leads as a way to showcase how fast the guitarists are.

The band also manages to keep the songs at a reasonable length with the exception of one longer song the songs tend to be just over 3 minutes. This makes the energy level remain high throughout and the songs never outstay their welcome. Music of this nature for the most part doesn't need six minute songs and this is a perfect example of a band keeping things moving and the end result is much stronger as a result.

I mentioned earlier that the drumming is extremely tight and I just wanted to reiterate that point. It's not just the fact that the drumming is extremely tight that stands out it's the fact that it is tasteful as well. It shows a level of professionalism rarely seen in younger bands and the blasting sections are on par with the best of the best.

Mirror of Dead Faces are a young band with a promising future. Metal albums are seemingly a dime a dozen these days yet this album still manages to reach out and grab you by the throat to squeeze every last breath out of your beaten body. The amazing part is once the beating it over your finger will always reach for the play button once again.

Meshuggah-Chaosphere
(Nuclear Blast Records, 2008)

When Chaossphere was first released it was an album that really took my perception of metal and turned it right on its head. Sure Meshuggah were always a band that took metal and took it to bizarre and rhythmic intense places, but Chasosphere took that style to completely new heights. To this day the album still makes my head spin and this is easily Meshuggah at their most jarring.

While in a number of ways Obzen has left this album somewhat obsolete, it still has its place as one of the best albums from the long running madmen. This album in particular can really be heard influencing a number of current bands. The riffing style in Corridor of Chameleons was completely ahead of its time and in a lot of ways seems to have laid the ground work for what a lot of bands are doing with breakdowns in their music. The fact that the album is ten years old and is still causing inspiration in younger bands is quite phenomenal.

Included as bonus tracks is the True Human Design EP, which in all honesty was never really a mandatory piece of music from the band. You have a demo version of Sane which appears on the album and four different versions of Future Breed Machine. Sure it's interesting to hear four completely different versions of the song but it is really necessary? Thankfully the EP is now included as bonus tracks as I'm sure anyone that bought the original version was slightly letdown.

From the opening cacophony of Concatenation to the ending mindfuck of Elastic, this was an album that showed bulldozing ferocity clashing with odd time signatures in a fresh and extreme way. If you missed out on Chaosphere when it was originally unleashed ten years ago, time to catch up.

Meshuggah-Contradictions Collapse
(Nuclear Blast Records, 2008)

Meshuggah are a band that likes to push musical conventions but would it surprise you if I told you that their debut album sounds quite a lot like Metallica? Destroy Erase Improve is an album you hear people talk about quite a bit but Contradictions Collapse seems to be overlooked. Originally released in 1991 the album takes the thrash genre and begins to interject elements that would later become what sets the band apart from the pack.

The album essentially takes thrash, adds in hints of death metal and much more experimentation rhythm wise than the genre is known for. It was quite clear from the early days that this band was not content just playing by the rules of the metal genre. Just listen to the whacked out lead work on Erroneous Manipulation and many of the other songs as well. Saying that Meshuggah was ahead of its time from pretty much the beginning definitely would have a lot of truth behind it. It I had of been older than 11 at the time of this being released it definitely would have turned my perception of thrash metal right on its head.

Included as bonus tracks is the None EP which followed three years after Contradictions Collapse. The thrash elements are still present, but the rhythmic side of the band was beginning to be explored even further and the groundwork for Destroy Erase Improve was starting to be set.

If you haven't heard Contradictions Collapse before you'll probably be surprised at how the band sounds on this album. Despite the fact that the album clearly doesn't get the recognition it deserves, it still stands as one of the best metal albums released in the early 90's.

Abigail Williams-In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns
(Candlelight Records, 2008)

Apparently not happy with the black metalcore tag that was associated with their debut EP, Abigail Williams have delivered a symphonic black metal album of monstrous proportions. I was certainly not expecting this and I'm sure this is an album that will take many people by surprise. Not only because it shows the band taking a huge leap forward but also because in all honesty this is one of the best symphonic black metal albums to be released in quite sometime.

The first thing you'll notice is that this is an extremely fast paced album. The blasting is frequent and for long stretches. The band manages to keep things interesting riffing wise though matching the cold atmosphere with impeccable precision. The keyboards manage to reach a perfect balance between background atmosphere and punctuating melody lines. Unlike a band like Dimmu Borgir where the keyboards tend to become the focal point, here they manage to be more of an extra layer to fatten up the sound. The style of the band on this album in particular is definitely somewhere in between Dimmu Borgir and Emperor but a bit more streamlined than either which somewhat makes this easier to latch onto.

Albums of this nature have a tendency to be long winding but Abigail Williams keeps things succinct with a 45 minute running time. The songs are far from being short yet the album never feels like it is dragging which is largely due to the rapid fire nature of the album. If you enjoy fast black metal with a symphonic edge, this is likely to be one of the biggest surprises of the year.