All Roads Lead Here - Chimp Spanner (2012)

EP REVIEW

The Chimp is back with a heavy as fuck EP! All Roads Lead Here is the brand new EP from UK based prog-metal/tech/djent band Chimp Spanner, due to be released on February 6^th via Basick Records. This EP is actually quite phenomenal. The technical degree has risen to a brand new level and the heaviness is just colossal! The EP starts with a couple of “relaxed” songs (relaxed in a chimpy way) but it really doesn’t take long for it to grasp you by the balls and force you to head bang violently against your desk. The atmospheres are nicely present and create a very haunting surround which is topped by the amazing guitar and drums work. With some extremely catchy riffs and melodies this is the best piece of music I’ve stumbled upon since the beginning of the year and god, it’s going to be hard to top that! Additionally, the passages from absolute calmness to killer heaviness are just face-melting!! With some great solos and majestic riffs this has become an instant favourite! The EP is consisted of 6 tracks which, in combination with a very good production, makes it really easy to listen to again, and again, and again…..and again!

  
Favourite track out of this EP is probably Mӧbius Pt III. Although the whole Mӧbius collection is quite amazing, this song is just too damn good! The riffs are superb and the alternations between passages are executed perfectly while the ending riff is so powerful my grandma would probably start rocking out to it if she heard it! Another really enjoyable song, is the last track: Cloud City. For some reason this song reminds of my youth and in particular a video game I used to play. Sonic the Hedgehog Mr Ortiz?? I don't know, but how awesome would it be to play Sonic with this in the background??? Anyhow, to end up this review I just need to say: voila! New Chimp Spanner EP is a must! Go get it!

All Roads Lead Here: 5/5

Posted by Nick 

The Black Dahlia Murder - 11 Jan 2012 (The Underworld)

First gig of 2012, for the majority of the metal community in London, with a very interesting line-up. Headlining the show and 21 dates UK tour, the American death-metalers: The Black Dahlia Murder supported by Skeletonwitch and Fleshgod Apocalypse. The now familiar to the UK scene Fleshgod Apocalypse were first on stage and delivered a very entertaining show which definitely gave out a very spooky and horror-like atmosphere, which was very enjoyable. The band was very, very tight and it’s not surprising considering the genre they play. On the other hand however, I’ve constantly moaned about the sound of the Underworld and I will do so again! Fleshgod Apocalypse had a sound which was equally “terrifying” as was their show. I never blame the bands who play the at the Underworld for their sound and I will not do so this time, but the fact that the band uses many backing tracks with strings and other orchestral instruments definitely didn’t help to make things better. On a positive note though, the tuxedo touch was really, really good and it definitely added to the whole image that the band wants to create. Up next were Skeletonwitch, who came on stage with a better sound than Fleshgod Apocalypse and with a very good energy which warmed up the crowd really nicely. Combining the aggressiveness and  bulkiness of their sound, Skeletonwitch are really a great band to watch live and their songs have the exact amount of heaviness which is needed to bring down a venue. But the real heaviness was just about to start with The Black Dahlia Murder. The Americans had an impressive sound, for the Underworld, and really blasted the roof off from song number one. They managed to create an awesome atmosphere and the stage-divers started to flow real quick while “decapitating” more than a few in the front rows. Trevor Strnad (Vocals) gave out a really good show and has proven that he knows how to be a frontman, which is a breed of people that we are starting to miss in the metal scene.  Overall an interesting gig which will hopefully mean that there are many more of those to come in 2012. Happy new year!

The Black Dahlia Murder: 19/20

Sound: 4/5

Ambience: 5/5

Presentation: 5/5

Performance: 5/5

Skeletonwitch: 18/20

Sound: 4/5

Ambience: 5/5

Presentation: 4/5

Performance: 5/5

Fleshgod Apocalypse: 16/20

Sound: 2/5

Ambience: 4/5

Presentation: 5/5

Performance: 5/5

Posted by Nick 

Iced Earth - 15 Dec 2011 (Pavilion, CY)

Iced Earth and Greece has always been a well-known duet in the world of heavy metal. But what about Iced Earth and Cyprus? Well, it was finally time to find out. The American heavy metal legends, were in Cyprus for the first time of their careers for the final gig of the European leg of the Dystopia tour. However, in the fully packed Pavilion, first on stage were Cypriots death/thrash metalers Sonik Death Monkey. The Cypriots came on stage with a good energy and seemed slightly overwhelmed by the size of the crowd which definitely surpassed the crowds from any previous metal gigs held in Cyprus. Nevertheless, Sonik Death Monkey managed to overcome the situation and get on top of it by delivering a set composed from original tracks. Additionally, by being well known within the Cypriot scene, the crowd seemed to enjoy the set and really got warmed up for what was to become a memorable show. Iced Earth came on stage, with an outstanding energy despite the tiredness that follows a tour. This was not only the first time that most of the Cypriots in the crowd witnessed Iced Earth, but it was also the first time for many of those who did witness the band in the past, to hear Stu Block(Vocals) live for the first time. And what a great impression he left. With an amazing sound and the amazing range of Stu, Iced Earth drove the Cypriot crowd to be one of the loudest the band had witnessed in a while, and tracks such as Watching Over Me were sang so loudly by the public, that Stu’s voice was almost unhearable. The band performed a variety of tracks from the majority of their albums and surprised everyone when they came back for a second encore at the end of the show. The other nice surprise for the crowd, was when Stu came out holding a big Cypriot flag and started waving it around towards the end. Jon Schaffer(Guitar) was so impressed by the Cypriots that he stated the possibility that the next Iced Earth live album, could possibly be recorded in Cyprus which made the crowd go wild. All of this however isn’t planned to happen for another couple of years, so Cyprus will just have to wait and see if they get this massive honour. Until then, however, I believe that the sweet memory of the gig will reign in the minds of many.

Iced Earth: 19/20

Sound: 5/5

Ambience: 5/5

Presentation: 4/5

Performance: 5/5

Sonik Death Monkey: 17/20

Sound: 4/5

Ambience: 4/5

Presentation: 4/5

Performance: 5/5

Posted by Nick

Erevos Aenaon - Meden Agan (2011)

ALBUM REVIEW

Meden Agan, and their new album Erevos Aenaon released in September 2011, are the new symphonic progressive metal band to come out of Greece. Well known for its extreme metal bands such as Septicflesh and Rotting Christ as well as power metalers Firewind, this new addition to the roster of Greek metal bands is one that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Meden Agan is a band which combines the beauty and passion of female operatic vocals with a musical virtuosity which expands the sound of the band to new limits. Erevos Aenaon, as an album, combines many different elements from different metal genres which makes it suprisingly unique. If we try to quantify the sound of the album we could say that it is a crossbreed between early Nightwish or Epica and for some reason musically it gives me a feeling of early Lacrimas Profundere (in better quality obviously). Production wise the album is very good. However, there are some points where the sound lacks the bulkiness that it needs to really give out the epicness desired. It also seems that the album gets better as it progresses, since the first tracks are not generating any particular good or bad impressions, but once the listener gets into the mood of the album the situation changes drastically by engaging the listener in the journey. On a general note a very good first album from Meden Agan, which makes their future looking promising!
Our favourite track out of the album is Dissolve Into Grey. This track has a very Amorphis-like intro which then erupts in a combination of heaviness and melody. It also features some good guitar and drum work proving once again that the Greeks know how to play!

Erevos Aenaon: 8/10 

Posted by Nick 

Solaris - Midnight Realm (2011)

SINGLE REVIEW

Solaris by Midnight Realm is an impressive demonstration of how metal has to sound in the future! The mix of melody and imposing heaviness will force you to engage in some ruthless headbanging. A great teaser for the album which we're really looking forward to hear now!

Posted by Nick

Textures - 25 Nov 2011 (The Garage)

It was a highly anticipated gig for us, since witnessing Textures, with their new members, for the first time at the Euroblast festival in Cologne, Germany back in October. This time they were accompanied by the Swiss-German quintet The Ocean and Manchester’s Aliases. Aliases were up on stage first, but due to our interview with Robin Staps(Guitar) from The Ocean we didn’t catch their set. We got in the venue just in time for The Ocean for which we were very looking forward to. The post-metal band delivered a stunning set which really grasped the predominant Textures crowd. It was actually amazing to see how the energy was flowing from the band to the crowd. The Ocean is a band which can be enigmatic and aggressive at the same time, creating a very mysterious atmosphere which travels the listener. An almost perfect set from them. And right after that, it was time for Textures to headline their show. The band seems to be at its best shape, with their catchy melodies and heavy riffs, which makes them an instant crowd pleaser. They just have this ability to create an immense sound which makes every single song to be heavy as fuck! Of course the highlights were songs such as Awake and Laments of an Icarus which defined the sound of Textures and sent the crowd into some intensive moshing. On the overall, an amazing gig which deserved a bigger audience, so next time Textures or The Ocean are in town, make sure you are there too.

Textures: 20/20 
Sound: 5/5
Ambience: 5/5
Presentation: 5/5
Performance: 5/5

The Ocean: 19/20

Sound: 5/5

Ambience: 5/5

Presentation: 5/5

Performance: 4/5

Aliases: N/A

Sound: N/A

Ambience: N/A

Presentation: N/A

Performance: N/A

Posted by Nick

Dimmu Borgir - 23 Nov 2011 (Islington Academy)

It has been a while since the lords of symphonic black metal had visited the UK for a full tour. And what a better way to come back than performing, in its entirety, an album which has been a milestone for a whole genre: Enthrone Darkness Triumphant. EDT is the 3^rd album of black metal legends Dimmu Borgir, which was released in 1997 via Nuclear Blast Records, and it was finally time for the London crowd to witness this historic album at a virtually sold out Islington Academy. Dimmu Borgir performed two sets on the night with the first one being the album. With an exquisite sound, which is rarely heard in the Islington Academy, Dimmu Borgir performed the album with an amazing precision which was definitely impressive. Black metal classics such as Mourning Palace and Spellbound were welcomed very warmly by the fans which moved the academy from left to right. The second set was introduced with a drum solo by Daray (Drums), who proved once again why he is behind the kit for Dimmu Borgir, before presenting some of Dimmu’s hits such as Kings of the Carnival Creation, Puritania, as well as some tracks from their latest album: Abrahadabra. However, there was a slight disappointment, on my part, by the atmosphere which reigned over the academy. I was expecting a bit more of atmospheric "darkness" from Dimmu Borgir, especially with the vast arsenal of atmospheric sounds that they use in their songs. Anyhow, on a general note the gig was the absolute gig for any Dimmu Borgir fan and even if Dimmu is not your cup of tea, when it comes down to black or symphonic black metal, it was still a gig which you shouldn’t had missed. On the other hand, if you don’t like black metal, then I really don’t know why you are reading this review, but I guess that's the magic of the Dark Castle (Dimmu Borgir)!

Dimmu Borgir: 19/20

Sound: 5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Presentation: 5/5
Performance: 5/5

Posted by Nick