Worst To Best - All Linkin Park Albums Ranked

Those of you who knew me in lower secondary will know that I loved Linkin Park to death. Linkin Park was my first major favourite band; it was the most refreshing thing to listen to on the radio then, especially with the heavy airplay of "In The End" on the local radios. I followed down the nu-metal path, listening to Korn, Slipknot and eventually my first real metal band, Slayer. Linkin Park is in shambles today and I thought it would be fun to arrange the albums according to my own preferences. Here you go:

7. Minutes To Midnight (2007, DR6 on CD/mp3, DR9 on vinyl)

The worst LP album, Minutes completely abandons the band's signature sound from it's first three albums for a completely uninspired, derivative work with songs going all over the place in terms of style- which isn't the issue. The problem is that the songs were so poorly written and executed; "Given Up" has nothing other than a 17 second long scream which isn't even properly sustained, "Leave Out All The Rest" is one of the few hints of the band's later direction and features Chester Bennington at his most nasal (especially with the extra autotune). Mike Shinoda is barely present and when he does rap, it sounds ridiculously stale on "Bleed It Out" and "Hands Held High" (what were they even thinking when they recorded that song). "Shadow Of The Day" sounds like a U2 B-side, and that's not even a good thing. "No More Sorrow" is a joke of a song, revealing how out of touch the band was with the heavy metal community. In their older songs, the duality of Bennington's child-like vocals and his harsh screams were a huge factor in the band's success. Here, the band thinks he can handle manly, baritone choruses on top of a psuedo-metal anthem. "In Between" is another completely uncharacteristic song, with such little crescendo in the chorus that the song barely peaks and sounds like a lullaby all the way. On top of that, it's sung by Shinoda, who sounds like he hasn't slept in years. "In Pieces" is somehow even worse than its predecessor, with Bennington thinking emotions are more intensified over a simplistic, pop tune.

With so much wrong with the album, it might be easy to overlook a couple of gems. "What I've Done" stands out as one of the band's best works, I might be alone in this, but "Valentine's Day" is actually quite effective in its execution, with a quiet, intimate first half that ultimately comes out to a generic rock ballad sound at the end, but it's not a bad song. "The Little Things Gives You Away" has a decent first half, before some generic and weak guitar solo. "No Roads Left" is a good song that actually uses Shinoda's sleepy vocals well. I have no idea why it's a bonus song.

Rick Rubin is on production on this album and his characteristic overcompression is prevalent in the songs. If you can find an uncompressed version floating around somewhere it would be slightly better for your ears, though you honestly aren't missing out on a lot of details in the sound if you stick to a CD or mp3 rip.

A massive disappointment following the release of  the stand-alone single, "QWERTY", which was actually one of their best songs.

6. The Hunting Party (2014, DR5 on CD/mp3, DR14 on BrickwallHater Remaster)

The latest Linkin Park album is a complete slap in the face to older fans, who were promised a return to roots by Linkin Park, only to be presented with a poorly written, garage rock album with hideous production, tired riffs and even more whiny vocals. The band has toured with so many rock bands that they probably assume they are part of the hard rock scene, and they completely miss the point. This album is devoid of any keyboards or electronic sounds, sounds that made they first two albums edgy and refreshing from the rest of the crowd.

After overcompensating on the electronic front in the albums prior to this, it probably seems symmetrical for Linkin Park to do the same with their "rock" sound. On top of that, guests on the album sound completely out of place. Tom Morello's contribution on "Drawbar" is the biggest waste of 3 minutes in the band's entire discography. I am not even kidding.

I put this album before Minutes only because drummer Rob Bourdon seems to be putting a little effort this time, and songs like "Keys To The Kingdom" and "War" aren't bad, but otherwise I am quite indifferent to the bottom three albums on this list.

5. Living Things (2012, DR5 on CD/mp3, DR8 on vinyl)

The band's sixth album is marginally better than Minutes and The Hunting Party, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good album. This album has only gotten worse with age, as the band seems comfortable with their new semi-pop genre tag. "Burn It Down", "I'll Be Gone", "Skin To Bone" and "Until It Breaks" feature so much electronica and autotune that they actually sound the same at many points. That last song features such a strange progression that it could be mistaken for two seperate songs.

However, not all is lost. While still being poppy and full of synthetic sounds, "Lost In The Echo" and "In My Remains" are pretty decent songs because they really follow the Hybrid Theory formula, with angry rapped verses and catchy hooks in the chorus. Furthermore, the nice, piercing screams are back in "Lies Greed Misery" (a song that caught me off guard, in a good way) and "Victimized", possibly the heaviest song the band has ever done. There's even a slight country influence in "Castle Of Glass" and "Roads Untraveled". The latter isn't a good song but "Castle Of Glass" actually shows some growth in the band's musical direction, albeit a limited one.

The final song, "Powerless" features all the trademarks of a good Linkin Park song- wailing vocals, acapella in a well-built crescendo. It's not even their best effort, but it did make me think Linkin Park was off in the right direction, until they put out the piece of shit The Hunting Party.

4. Meteora (2003, DR6 on CD/mp3, DR8 on vinyl)

Meteora is a carbon copy of Hybrid Theory- well, almost. Repeating everything that make them successful isn't necessarily a bad thing, as fans would learn the hard way when they completely change their style, but the songs on Meteora sound fresh even today. On top of the basic rap-scream formula, Meteora showcases a degree of confidence by a band that shot to fame overnight, a confidence that allowed them to put out a song as retarded as "Nobody's Listening" without anyone losing their minds.

Still, every other song here is worth checking out, and have incredible staying power. Beyond the usual nu-metal fare, the band even dabbles in dance music with "Breaking The Habit", which is one of the best songs that group has ever done. "From The Inside", "Somewhere I Belong" and "Numb" have moments of tenderness and vulnerability, a very important part of the band that they seem to have forgotten as they earn their millions today. The band also seems to understand that they aren't metal, but flirt with the genre quite nicely on "Don't Stay", "Hit The Floor" and "Faint", which are upbeat but not overbearingly loud. "Figure .09" and "Lying From You" otherwise continue the traditions from the band's debut album, while "Session" is probably the only thing worthwhile written by the band's DJ, Mr Hahn.

It's a great album, with outstanding vocals, great guitar tone that really mask the incompetence of the musicians and anthemic choruses that sound just as good today as they did 12 years ago. It's the fourth best album because it doesn;t really change anything from the band's signature sound.

3. Reanimation (2002, DR7 on CD/mp3, DR11 on vinyl)

Haha, why the hell is a remix album counted as a normal album? It's one of their longest albums so I'm sure that counts. But more importantly, Reanimation is one of the few remix albums that actually really build on the original.

Sure, there are countless duds like "P5hng Me A*wy", "Plc.4 Mie Hæd" and "Wth>You" which sound almost exactly the same as the originals plus more reverb, but every other song reinterprets Hybrid Theory in really interesting ways.

"Pts. OF. Athrty" and "Enth E ND" are very rap-heavy or electronic versions of the originals, and they don't sound bad. Songs like "Frgt/10", "Ppr:Kut", "Rnw@y" and especially "My<Dsmbr" have a great degree of intimacy and, I daresay, sound a lot darker than their originals. "1Stp Klosr" and "Krwlng" sound very different from their originals, and use a lot of atmosphere to give the album a really, grand, epic ending.

2. Hybrid Theory (2000, DR5 on CD/mp3, DR10 on vinyl)

You don't need to read anything about this album. If you haven't heard this album, please educate yourself. You are probably just wondering why this album is number 2. So just scroll down.

Seriously though, if you haven't heard a single song off this album, where have you been? Every song is a classic. It's the  highest selling album of the 21st century. Seriously, why haven't you heard it?

1. A Thousand Suns (2010, DR7 on CD/mp3, DR10 on vinyl)

Now, this album isn't here simply for the sake of generating controversy, though I might already be too late to prevent that. This album is honestly the best Linkin Park album, and often overlooked because it came right after Minutes To Midnight. The band made the mistake of releasing a shortened version of "The Catalyst" as the first single, so people immediately dismissed the album. It's a pity because not only is the song good, it's also a lot better when heard in context of the album.

This album has a really good flow, and listening to the songs in chronology actually makes a lot of the songs sound better than when heard alone. It's a concept album with a post-apocalyptic setting, the only time the band has ever strayed away from their typical angsty teenager themes. There's maturity not just in the sound, but also in the lyrics. The band reinvents its own rap-rock style, not once, but thrice in "When They Come For Me", "Waiting For The End" and "Wretches & Kings", with tribal drums, reggae and gangsta rap respectively. This is the only time you will ever hear variety from Shinoda. "Burning In The Skies" actually manages to sound upbeat despite its solemn lyrics. There's fantastic screaming on "Blackout", which ends off in an unusually melodic part with great synthetic effects and harmonizing vocals from both Shinoda and Bennington. "Iridescent" could have been a Coldplay song, but I will forgive the band for playing melodramatic pop this once. "Robot Boy" is a criminally underrated song that displays Bennington at his smoothest, and album closer "The Messenger" comes as a complete shock with its simplicity, and is another highlight of Bennington's vocals. Yet, it is the single, "The Catalyst", that remains the best track of the album. With a brief intro in "Fallout", the extended version on the album shows Linkin Park in a rare angle- commanding, confident and visceral. There's a sense of urgency in the verses, and the song collapses in the second half, a great progression from the first half that feels natural and logical. It's the climax of a great, varied album.

The entire album drips with a bittersweet atmosphere (really great production by Shinoda), something that seems to have flown over the heads of both fans and critics. Most people saw a band that betrayed their older fans, but I saw a group of young men finally making mature, creative music. It's honestly a real shame that the band took the backlash to this album to heart and never came back to this style, going for a safer, radio-friendly approach these days.

An Idiot's Guide To Becoming Half An Audiophile

If you have been here over the course of the few months, you would have noticed me harping on dynamic range; or the loudness / compression on songs. I realised that not many people understood what I was getting at on production, so I decided to do a post on production itself and I hope this helps you understand the situation.

Note: For the post, I will not be showing or using spectograms simply because I don't have the app Audacity on my laptop and am honestly too busy with other stuff to learn this and post on it. Perhaps in the future.

Loudness War- Why you should be concerned.

There it is, the loudness war. For beginners, the loudness war is a phenomenon where music producers start to over-compress music in the recording studio itself. This phenomenon was pioneered by once revered producer Rick Rubin. The bearded vegetarian behind Slayer's earlier material started overcompressing (the correct term is 'brickwall') music so that it sounds louder and more impactful to the average listener with average earphones and average listening skills. The measurement unit for this compression is dynamic range, or abbreviated as 'DR'. DR is measured on a scale of 1 to 20, where DR1 is the most compressed and DR20 is the least compressed. For example, a quiet, ambient wind sound would be DR20, and putting a metal spoon in a blender and turning it on would probably be DR4 (which is actually less compressed than some of the songs I have reviewed on this blog). Why should you be concerned? For starters, overcompressed music is bad for your ears. Do you ever hear (or feel) a sharp static noise whenever you increase the volume on your song? That is a result of poor audio practice, not just on your part, but the musicians and producers. This is the reason you cannot enjoy your music loud, and that IS a problem for certain genres, chiefly, metal. When using cheap earphones with low power ratings, your earphones tend to lack the impact that a hard hitting song should have- which is why producers have beefed up compression on their end, so that you would get that 'bass' effect on your earphones. This would have been around the 90s, where the CD started to overtake vinyls and cassettes. I will explain the compression on CDs in a while,but the gist is this: CDs have more compression than vinyls, obviously because of the differences in size of either medium. This has snowballed towards the 2000s and its effects are being seen today. Ask your parents, dig up any older songs of bands from the 70s and 80s, you will hear a very big difference in the sound. Older music is often considered 'warmer', which is the layman way of acknowledging its higher dynamic range. Don't believe me? Which of the two songs below is louder?








Of course, if you picked Justin Bieber because you know I am trying to prove a point, then you are right. Metallica's Master Of Puppets is DR13, while Bieber's Baby is DR6. That's right guys, Justin fucking Bieber is louder than the most famous heavy metal song.

This is why you should be concerned, the difference between brickwalled music and dynamic music is huge. In Metallica's MoP, you can hear the separate instruments, you can hear/feel the reverb from the bass and the drums, and it actually sounds monstrous on a proper sound system. On the other hand, Justin Bieber is hollow, cold and too dull on a pair of good earphones, though it sounds 'loud'. Especially so in heavy metal, where instrumental prowess is a prized asset to musicians, you need to hear every separate instrument. This also applies to jazz and classical music, or any genre that actually requires some intelligence.

Still not impressed? I have uploaded some high dynamic ranged songs on my Dropbox folder here, and if you have a decent pair of speakers or earphones, you can actually listen and see for yourself. Bass guitar is audible, drums sound tighter and more powerful when all the reverb is brought back and the song sounds pleasant no matter how loud you play the music. It doesn't hurt your ears.

Note: The loudness inherent in the song (compression) is not the same as the loudness on your speakers or headphones (volume). Playing the song loudly is not the same as playing a loud song.

The Details:

You will need to understand some jargon here before I move on.

DR - Dynamic range. As mentioned earlier, this is the measure of how compressed a song is.

Bitrate - This one is tricky because people who listen to MP3 pretend this decides how great the quality is. The bitrate is the amount of bits, or information, per second on the song. In other words, the level of 'detail', so to speak. The problem is that a higher bitrate doesn't necessarily entail a better sounding song, something I will show later. In any case, this term isn't as important as I thought it was.

Sample Rate - This is simply the amount of frequency you pack into the song file. For most MP3 and CD formats, the sample rate is 44.1kHz. The next increment is 48kHz, which you will probably see on higher quality lossless formats. The jump from 44.1kHz to 48kHz isn't drastic, but it does result in a better dynamic range, so it does sound better. the next level is 96kHz, which is what you commonly find on vinyls and super-audio CDs. At this frequency, it's usually at a very high dynamic range- until recently. In the past, artistes used to have separate mixes for vinyls and CDs, but nowadays, people apply the same mix to save time. This wouldn't be a problem if it were mixed for vinyl and applied to CDs, but the reverse is done. In other words, most modern day vinyls are no better than your CDs, so fuck all the hipsters out there. The last level is 192kHz, this is the frequency at which the musicians record and mix in the studio. The irony is that this technology wasn't prevalent up till the 90s, which is when overcompression started to take its initial form. Higher level vinyls still contain this sample rate.

MP3 - the most common music format. It's often called lossy. Why? Recall that the musicians record at 192kHz from the above paragraph, To form mp3, the higher and lower end of the frequencies are cut off, leaving the middle 44.1kHz of frequencies. The people who do this argue that you don't need the tail ends of the recorded frequencies. Of course, in isolation, they sound negligible. But on better earphones, you realise that this takes away a lot of the natural reverb. This is why the bass sounds non-existent, the drums sound thin, the cymbals sound dull and lifeless. That's the entire rhythm section affected. For metal, this is why your blastbeats sound like a blur. That's not what they should sound like. Yes, the main song is untouched, the vocals are still there since humans can only sing within that frequency range, but the song itself sounds like its covered in dust.

Flac - Free Lossless Audio Codec. Remember again that audio is recorded in 192kHz? For lossless music, the sound is compressed from 192kHz to 44.1 (this is the most common ones, you can still find it in 48kHz). This is the same sample rate as on mp3, BUT nothing is lost (hence the name). This leads to the problem I explained on my introduction, though - the compression. This is also why a lot of people say there is no difference between mp3 and Flac, since the only difference is the bitrate (usually around 700-1000+ on flac). I highly disagree- with better audio codecs (I use an iPod), you can actually hear a pretty big difference between the two formats. Some of the biggest jumps in audio quality occur in black metal and progressive rock, at least in personal experience. Again, with  badly produced songs and bad earphones, the average listener is not going to be able to pick up the significant changes in sound.

Recently, I have started to compare flac derived from vinyl with flac derived from CDs. There are devices that 'read' your vinyls and convert them to digital information at 192kHz, so nothing is lost. For this post, I decided to compare with Cannibal Corpse's album, Kill.

How the CD files look on my iTunes

How the vinyl files look on my iTunes

As you can see, despite having the same sample rate, the vinyl rips are FAR more dynamic in the dynamic range. I usually keep my files at 44.1kHz, because one album at 192kHz can be around 2GB, and I don't have the luxury of that much space on my laptop. Regardless, the vinyl derived music is a lot clearer, despite sounding softer. The songs sound warm and clear despite... well, despite it being death metal. That isn't to say it sounds a lot less impactful- the reverse is true. The bass drums pound harder than ever and you can actually hear the tightness of the strings, be it guitars or bass, in the music. In other words, it sounds like the music has been dusted; thicker bass, tighter drums and piercing symbols and guitar solos. The payoffs to good audio practices are tremendous.

I might talk about the process of converting these files, and my own audio equipment in another post.

Ghost - Meliora Review

Ghost - Meliora [Occult Rock]

Ghost have returned with their third album. Having followed them since their debut Opus Eponymous, I'm happy to say that this third album is a great mix of the more metal-tinged debut and their ABBA-influenced sophomore record, Infestissumam. In fact, I will go on a limp and say that this is the best album from Ghost yet.

Getting production out of the way first, the sound is overly compressed as usual, but the mix is actually pretty good. Bass is super thick and punchy, synth is subtle and layered without being too overly cheesy (as was in Infestissumam), the drums are actually pretty loud and thunderous without being too overly aggressive. The band is still incredibly accessible, this is metal / rock that even the radio-listening layman would find himself humming along too.

There is almost no bad song on the album. Some tracks do feel weak, especially when coming up after relatively stronger tracks like "He Is" and "Absolution", but this is subjective since my favourite tracks on this album seems to differ greatly from what the fans seem to love. The track "Mummy Dust" for example, is commonly cited as one of the best songs on the album, along with closer "Deus In Absentia". However I found the preceding tracks, "He Is" and "Absolution" to be the better tracks on this album. There isn't much to break down here, because Ghost's biggest draw is their simplicity. True, the costumes and theatrics are the gimmicks that draw people to their music in the first place. but their songs are truly no-bullshit anthems. Thumpy bass, gigantic choruses with great hooks on the aforementioned two tracks and many more; "From The Pinnacle To The Pit", "Cirice" and "Majesty" contain great sing-along choruses. The album has two short instrumentals, "Spoksonat" and "Devil Church". These two instrumentals aren't filler at all, and actually do create some depth and atmosphere for their succeeding tracks.

I want to draw further attention to the track "He Is". The acoustic guitars and piano aren't exactly new additions to the band's arsenal, but the song is quite possibly the best song on the album. It's a passionately written hymn to Dīs Pater, the Roman God of the underworld (more than likely an allusion to Lucifer). It's similar to the track "Monstrance Clock" off Infestissumam, it's tender and deeply melodic, and parodies Christian gospel songs. What makes Ghost different from the other metal bands is their earnestness in these odes, without trying to mock Christians. This sort of genuine adoration for Luciferianism has been missing from the scene, with most bands interpreting Luciferianism as a direct confrontation of Christianity. I was personally blown away by the track, there is nothing technical in the instruments or the writing. It's just a love letter to Lucifer, and that's why I have always found this band refreshing.





That's rare, a widely hyped band releasing a widely hyped album that actually lives up. Hail Satan.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat Review

Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat [Grindcore / Death Metal]

That's an idiotic album title.

Napalm Death's last three albums have been remarkably relevant to metal, no easy feat when you consider the fact that Napalm Death is pretty much still one of the best bands of the genre it helped to create. This album continues in that route; well-crafted deathgrind from veterans who have mastered the art of songwriting.

The one unexpected thing about this album is just how much of a riff-fest it is. Napalm Death has never been that band with the best riffs, but guitarist Mitch Harris is on fire on this album. More than half the songs have memorable riffs that really stick in your head.

A track by track analysis, you may one to take a shot every time I mention how good the riff is:

1. Apex Predator - Easy Meat - It's an interesting way to start your album, with tribal drums and some really strange, layered vocals,... Could have been a little shorter.
2. Smash A Single Digit - The first minute's standard Napalm Death, but the riff in the last 26 seconds is so fucking good
3. Metaphorically Screw You - You see this is what I like about these guys, they really don't waste any part of the song for some filler verse. The song stays at a steady tempo and then goes on to this really groovy syncopated part; "Triple, triple, triple triple speak, triple triple triple triple triple triple speak!". I've been singing that in my head so many times these last few months.
4. How The Years Condemn - Again, the main riff here is really catchy, and the chorus tend to the more melodic side.
5. Stubborn Stains - Another riff fest. Every subsequent builds on the previous riff and the song progresses so nicely. Another thing to note; the riff on the breakdown.
6. Timeless Flogging - Lol, try getting the introductory riff out of your head for this one.
7. Dear Slum Landlord - Things get a little weird when Napalm Death slows down because Barney isn't the most gifted singer, but thankfully the song is pretty short.
8. Cesspits - This is another one with a fantastic riff. The song is relatively sludgy, but not as weird as the previous song. Mitch Harris' backing vocals are sparse but really complement Barney's low-pitched growls well, though this has been part of Napalm Death's sound for quite a while already. Newer bands, this is how often you should compliment your death growls with high pitched screams, not all the fucking time. Also: goddamit that riff at the breakdown!
9. Bloodless Coup - Ok, this one is an average song.
10. Beyond The Pale - Riffs in the middle and at the end. Yes.
11. Stunt Your Growth - Main riff is an absolute scorcher and the song itself is really enjoyable.
12. Hierarchies - Slower and strangely melodic at the chorus.
13. Caste The Waste - Another strange. slow. sludgy song.
14. One-Eyed - Wellllll, that riff in the breakdown.
15. What Is Past Is Prologue - Fantastic riffage again.
16. Oh So Pseudo - Song's pretty average but really good breakdown.
17. Adversarial / Copulating Snakes - This one is a really good song. The verse are in the question and answer format which make them kinda groovy, while the chorus is just Mitch Harris screaming "ADVERSARIAL!". The second half isn't as exciting, but seems to be focusing and ominous atmosphere.
18. Paracide - It's a cover and it's fun. Haven't heard of the original band, Gepøpel.

So it wouldn't be a surprise that I like this album a lot, though it could do with a few more tweaks.

The audio production is standard overcompressed shit at DR5, but the clarity of the instruments is still decipherable, though this might be because there's only one guitarist.

Rating: 4/5

Cradle Of Filth - Hammer Of The Witches; A Personal Review

Cradle Of Filth - Hammer Of The Witches [Goth Metal / Black Metal]

My feelings for Cradle of Filth are all over the place. My first exposure to the band was very early in my metal listening experience, coming in right after Slayer and Slipknot (do not judge my gateway to metal). I listened to Midian first, then Cruelty and finally Dusk and Vempires. Even though I had access to most of their Paul Allender era, I never cared much for the band's ex guitarist's contributions to the band. His best album with them was Midian. Hell, I even awarded their last album one out of five stars right here on this blog. Most of their albums in the last decade had at most one or two listenable songs, and even those couldn't hold a candle to their weakest tracks on their 90s albums.

Cradle Of Filth were once scheduled to perform right here in Singapore, and my friends Shiva and Ananth shared the price of one ticket for me as a birthday present (eh, thanks a lot guys!). I was still reluctant, as Dani Filth's vocals had declined tremendously over time, and the band would most probably stick to their newer songs. Imagine the shock when the gig was cancelled just days before they landed, as the suits at the venue (St. James Power Station) revoked their permission to play. The people who set up the gig could not find a suitable venue. In the end, all we were allowed to do was a small meet and greet with the band. I took a photo with the man who inspired my love for English poetry (I am not even kidding).

It was at this pivotal moment that I was compelled to go back to my roots in metal, to search the band's older songs and listen to them once more with better earphones, and to relive my youth with songs like "Funeral In Carpathia", "Bathory Aria" and "Queen Of Winter, Throned". These songs, are to this day, examples of how cathartic and majestic black metal can be when executed with passion and sharp songwriting. The twin guitar harmonics were glorious, the bass was tight and angular, the vocals were vehement and the lyrics are unrivaled even today.

The good news? Cradle Of Filth have definitely come one step back towards their prime. When guitarist Paul Allender left, Marek Šmerda and Rich Shaw stepped up to fill his position- yes, the twin guitar melodies are back. Together with new bassist Daniel Firth and Linday Schoolcraft, this is the debut for majority of the band as Cradle Of Filth. The drums are more or less serviceable, and Dani sounds a little more invigorated. Again, Dani Filth is Cradle of Filth. He shepherds the band with lyrical themes and songwriting approaches, as revealed by Schoolcraft in the band's behind the scenes video. If you never liked his vocals, you never will. His vocals are the litmus test on whether you will like this band or not.

Onto the album, sound production isn't particularly spectacular. I much prefer the band's spacey, lo-fi approach on their heyday. It isn't especially bad, it's the normal mastering and compression that is applied to most bands today. The songs are around DR6 or DR7, save for the instrumentals. The mix is standard Cradle of Filth, with vocals in the forefront. The balance between guitars, keyboards and synthetic orchestra (there are times where it works and times where it doesn't). Drums are pretty loud on this album.

As for the songs, oh boy. This is without a doubt Cradle's best album in a decade. No, it isn't better than Midian, the album that started their downfall, but it is very comparable. The songs are written in the style of Dusk... And Her Embrace, though not as perfect and with over-compressed production. The album's lowest moments are on tracks "Enshrined Crematoria" and "Blackest Magick In Practice", but even these songs aren't as bad as their last couple of albums. I usually do not bother with the segue instrumental songs like "Walpurgis Eve", "The Monstrous Sabbat (Summoning The Coven)" and "Blooding The Hounds Of Hell". As to why Cradle continues with these pointless instruments, only Dani knows.

The album's 'average' songs are the title track, "The Vampyre At My Side" and "Onward Christian Soldiers". These songs are have numerous enjoyable moments, but are marred by meandering song writing, and could be improved significantly with tighter structure, weeding out unnecessary verses. Dani tends to place his vocals on too many portions of the songs, and should practise a little more restraint.

The remaining songs are fantastic. "Your Immortality" is the first song and shows off the twin guitar harmony to maximum effect. Guitarists Marek Šmerda and Rich Shaw have excellent chemistry with one another. As mentioned, the guitars really hark back to the old days. "Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych" is the first single of the album and shows off the band's excellent use of atmosphere and tight song structures. Schoolcraft contributes a lot to this song, with memorable keyboard melodies and backing vocals that contrast nicely with Dani (though noone can replace Sarah Jezebel Deva). "Deflowering The Maidenhead, Displeasuring The Goddess" is one of the band's strongest tracks in their catalogue, which is really saying something. Tackling the unusual topic of environmental protection, the song shows Cradle in their finest, with great riffs, keyboards and a fantastic bridge. This is the Cradle of Filth I grew up with.

The two bonus songs.... why are they bonus again? "King Of The Woods" is one of my favourite songs off the record, starting off with some psychedelic effects and moving on to its main violin (or synth? Sounds off, but perfect) melody. It's very reminiscent of "Cradle To Enslave" and boasts one of the catchier choruses in the album."Misericord" is definitely a B-side though. Slower paced with sparse interesting moments (is that a sitar somewhere near the end?). This one sounds like one of the better songs off Nymphetamine. These two songs do exhibit some great basslines by Daniel Firth, who is no slouch on his instrument. Shame that the mix doesn't flesh him out as well as his fellow members.

All in all, I am very pleased with this record. This isn't going to replace any of the 90s records, but goddammit am I glad that Cradle of Filth is back from the grave.

Rating: 3.5/5

Arcturus - Arcturian Review

Arcturus - Arcturian [Avant-Garde Metal/ Progressive Rock]

Amazing artwork

This is the first full album I've heard from this guys. Arcturus has been in my consciousness for a long time due to its stellar roster of members (namely I.C.S Vortex and Hellhammer in this current line-up). I remember trying to listen to one of their albums when Garm was still on vocals and remember being turned off by how odd they sounded. So I walked into this album expecting an equally weird album and am pleasantly surprised by how much I love it, hell, it might even go on to become one of my favourite releases of the year.

My files were downscaled to 16/44.1 from a set of 24/96 flac files, so for some reason my copies of the songs are a hell lot more dynamic than the CD master going around. The latter averages at DR7 while mine registers at around DR11 per song. Could be an error on my part (and would warmly welcome anyone to correct me in our cbox if my procedure was wrong) but in any case, the mastering and mixing of the album is fantastic. I still do not enjoy Hellhammer's hollow, triggered drums, but his drumming is very well portrayed by the mix because his speed is not compromised. There is some reverb in the drumming so you hear the force of his drumming. The orchestral elements are very well mixed too, sharp and atmospheric but never overtaking the guitars and bass. The band combines elements of symphony, electronics, long heartfelt guitar solos and extremely fast drumming without half assing any of the components; no laughing matter at all.

In terms of songwriting, the album is all over the place. There are some very by-the-numbers rock songs. Not exactly straight forward, but immediately accessible nonetheless (stuff like 'Crashland'). For me however, the album excels immensely when it rides out to strange song structures and instruments. Opener 'The Arcturian Sign' is one such example, with the insane double pedal that accentuates the tense moments of an otherwise operatic song. Another example is the Eastern influences on the heartfelt 'The Journey', or the Krautrock inspired keyboards on 'Warp'. Strange and left field, but well integrated without being too jarring. The songs are inconsistent tho, and I didn't like a few tracks, but then again, judging by most reviews online, the songs I preferred aren't well-liked by the majority either. Yes, it's a weird album, and this is where its strength also becomes its weakness.

In terms of vocals, I.C.S Vortex is still going to be a hard act for many to swallow. He has his strengths, but he sounds very limitted and forced in many of the songs. As I have said before, I am not a fan of perfect, polished vocals, so this doesn't bother me one bit. He conveys emotions, be it deranged, unhinged or even in the meditative 'The Jouney' (my favourite takeaway from this album if you haven't realised). The other instruments are really good, hard to judge on a technical level because that isn't the point of this band.




I am leaning in very favourably on this album, and this surprises me too.


Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5

The Raven Autarchy - The Obscene Deliverance Review

The Raven Autarchy - The Obscene Deliverance [Technical Deathcore]

Found this band while I was on Youtube looking for random death metal, for which I have developed an insatiable hunger for lately. The Raven Autarchy is a pleasant find even though I was initially put off by the deathcore tag. The music is equal parts technial, deathcore and neoclassical (especially those leads). Without delaying further:

Audio: Well, it's the same overcompressed overprocessed clean audio at DR4 or DR5. Sterile production is good when done right but overcompressed music has no excuses. I have never heard an album that was 'enchanced' by being more compressed. Drumming is serviceable but too clean, bass is very hard to hear.

Instruments: Oh man. The technicality is nothing special by technical death metal standards but the leads are a complete breath of fresh air, which is what attracted me to this album in the first place. It's really just classical music. Not in the dark sounding solos by Jeff Loomis kind of classical, it's pretty standard classical. It sounds positive and a bit out of place at first but they do work well in the context of the songs.

Songwriting: Here's the thing though, the songs might sound the same if you are not used to the classical sound. I like that none of the songs necessarily stand out and that the songs are tastefully short. The album is barely thirty minutes, so the songs fly by really quickly and have a large replay value. However, melodic or not, the album barely rises above the typical deathcore standard. Verse chorus verse chorus breakdown, it's in almost every song.


Overall: This isn't going to be an album of the year contender for me, but I had a lot of fun listening to this record, A lot. The leads are not typical metal, no pretentious 'progressive' indulgences (something many bands abuse today). Its not just great for working out, but even for casual listens when in commute. I do however wish there was a little bit more wankery with the guitar, most of the time the leads serve as a melodic backdrop behind the chugging deathcore riffs and there aren't many traditional long guitar solos. A bit more variety in songcraft would go a long way, too. I haven't heard this band's back catalog, but I am really intrigued to see where this band will take us in the future. A lot of potential.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Perdition Temple - The Tempter's Victorious Review

Perdition Temple - The Tempter's Victorious [Death Metal]

Audio: Most songs around DR6, which is poor mastering. However, the mix is excellent. Bass is clearly audible and guitar notes are crisp. Drums have high treble, a bit unusual for this genre.

Songs: Here's the thing, every song is the same. This makes it more of a 'whole album at a time' listening experience. The album is perfect for working out or if you just need an extra kick in the mornings. Music is heavily influenced by Morbid Angel (especially the guitar solos). Having said that, 'Extinction Synagogue' is an outstanding song.

Instruments: The album is a total riff fest. The riffs are highly technical and might be too fast for some people (NOT ME).Special mention to vocals by Impurath, they draw more from black metal but sound completely in place with the music. The drums are surprisingly intricate, matching the guitars note for note with cymbals, snares, insane high-hat combos. The treble helps to make the drum work livid and pulsating, on a microscopic level.


Overall: This isn't an album that necessarily pushes boundaries or even create something unique, most of what you hear here is not original, but there is an insane amount of energy. At 37 minutes, there is little room for fat an almost every second goes by unwasted on filler riffs or fills.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell Review

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell [Folk / Pop]

This is very easily one of the best albums, if not the best album, of the year.

Sound: Very dynamic mastering, with each track averaging DR10. This is a given, though, as the album barely features drums and it's mostly ethereal vocals and banjo or fingerpicked guitar. Still, it's pure audio gold in its simplicity.

Songwriting: Every song is MELODIC AS FUCK. While it's hard to pick a single track, every song flows beautifully into the next, with just enough experimentation with electronic sounds, ambient notes and respective instruments like piano or bass guitars weaving in and out. Despite the relative accessibility of every song, the song structures aren't the same. Every song is distinct, but never takes away from the overall melancholy of the album, so the songs are beautiful on their own and as a part of the album. Very rare to see in music these days.

Instruments: Again, very varied and all very tastefully implemented. The vocals are double-tracked for the most part and really sound private and comfortable.


Overall: The greatest strength of the album is its earnestness. Everything sounds raw and intimate, and none of the songs overstay their welcome. The songs are very tight and fat-free and the album doesn't feel like its 44 minutes long. Album is perfect for introspection on those long bus rides. I award this album 5 stars, because it's really the one of the most outstanding record I have heard this year.

★★★★★

Blind Guardian - Beyond The Red Mirror Review

Blind Guardian - Beyond The Red Mirror [Power Metal]

This album's been sitting on my iTunes for a very long time, and I still do not know what to feel about it. Some immediate thoughts when I first listened:

1) Strange production. It's relatively dynamic at DR8, but the mix seems hollow and dull on my headphones, even with my speakers (which act as an amplifier for my headphones) set at the highest treble. Bass drums sound good, but the drumming itself isn't very inspired.

2) Melody has been on the forefront of songwriting. This album is relatively simple by Blind Guardian standards, closer to their earlier years. A lot of the choruses here are very catchy, but the same can't be said for the verses.

3) Hansi Kürsch sounds fantastic at 48 years old. He has been avoiding the high notes on live performances to protect his voice (although this must be disappointing to the fans), but he still uses them tastefully throughout the album. However, he opts for a more theatrical approach, and his visceral roars are sparse. Hell, I loved his backing vocals on Iced Earth's Plagues better.

4) The songs are far too slow. The drums plod tiredly and the guitars sounds like they are dying. This doesn't necessarily have to do with tempo, it could just be production, but the band seems to pack far too many unnecessary portions to each song, which could have benefited from tighter song structures.

5) Orchestra sounds too over the top. This is probably also why the album has been forced to be it bit more dynamically mastered, but at what cost? The guitars sound thin but the orchestra is in your face. As mentioned in first point, mix is very strange, but the orchestral music itself sounds out of place.



Unsurprisingly, the songs that minimize orchestral arrangements are the songs that I have enjoyed here (Ashes Of Eternity and The Holy Grail). This songs are uptempo and sound more focused, without compromising melody. However, every other song could do with major trimming, especially when most of the verses are blatant filler to bloat the record.

★★☆☆☆

The 10 Best Death Metal Vocalists (In My Opinion)

10. George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher (Cannibal Corpse)

Perhaps the most popular of the bunch, Corpsegrinder has been unfairly ridiculed for being monotonous and boring. The thing is, Corpsegrinder still has one of the most powerful screams in the business. He has speed, (relatively more) clarity and a tone of voice that highly complements the band regardless of tempo. More impressively, Corpsegrinder can conjure up ridiculously long screams, such as this 13 second long scream at around the two minute mark in the following video:





9. Jeffrey Walker (Carcass)

Some may complain that he doesn't exactly fit the bill of pure death metal, since Carcass has gone on to play melodic death metal. However, Jeff Walker's vocals are clear, sharp and vicious. He brings in as much energy as his bandmates, and as shown on their latest comeback album, age has not stopped this madman on the mic.




8. Chris Reifert (Autopsy)

An unorthodox choice, Reifert is more popularly known for his drumming, either from his main band or on the first Death album. Unlike most vocalists in this genre, Reifert's vocals almost feel more like spoken word than actual screaming, which he rarely does. His approach has been an integral part of the hybrid doom / death metal that Autopsy does, and he matches the atmosphere of terror and ominousness quite faithfully with his restraint. Also, his band is such a breath of fresh air in this genre. Reifert even overshadowed Nick Holmes in his guest performance on the last Bloodbath album.




7. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)

It's hard to make any death metal list without its godfather. Chuck Schuldiner's vocals may not always have been the focal point of his band's ambitious musical direction, but he always screamed / singed with a passion that is rare in this genre. He also has one of the bigger vocal ranges, with energetic, high-pitched shrieks in the band's first album, gradually turning to mid-pitch on the band's groundbreaking albums since Human, and returning back to high screams on their final album, with an unforgettable performance with their cover of Judas Priest's Painkiller.




6. Julien Truchan (Benighted)

Another unorthodox choice, this Frenchman's band may be regarded as deathcore or even nu-metal by some of the elitists of the genre, but Truchan's vocals are highly impressive. He runs the gamut with high pitched shrieks, death growls, pig squeals and demonic low-pitched screams, all while matching the intensity of his band mates.




5. Paul Kuhr (Novembers Doom)

Paul Kuhr's band is also known as the 'American Opeth', but he is still a different beast from Mikael Åkerfeldt. Paul Kuhr has one of the best growls in the business, that somehow retain their intensity even with the band's arguably slow tempos. Besides that, he also has a competent low baritone voice, that serve as a break between his vicious growls.




4. Jason Netherton (Misery Index)

Another band that seems to fly over most people's heads. Jason Netherton has the unusual ability to pronounce his words with so much clarity even at his intensity level, a skill that many forget in this genre. O top of that, he brings in punk shouts and pacing to his vocals that distinguish him well apart from the crowd.




3. Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation)

Travis Ryan is a mad man. He uses a ton of variety in his vocals, even coming up with his own brand of clean vocals that make him sound like he is being strangled. His one shortfall is his total lack of clarity, but he makes up for it with the sheer variety of styles he incorporates in his music.




2. Mikael Åkerfeldt (old-Opeth, old-Bloodbath)

How far the mighty have fallen...  Åkerfeldt might be more well-known now for his clean vocals, which are fantastic in their own right, if it weren't for the fact that Åkerfeldt has one of the best death metal growls of all time. From the length of his screams (especially in the band's first three albums), to his pitching and tone and his absolute clarity, Åkerfeldt is the whole package.





1. Dan Swanö (Witherscape, Moontower, Edge Of Sanity, backing on Bloodbath and a million other bands)

Well, he is the best. No question about it. He is perhaps even the greatest musician in the metal world, having played guitars, drums and bass and being one of the best metal producers in the industry, his knowledge of everything on stage and off is perhaps why he understands how to make his vocals stand out. His screams are an art in itself, and no one matches his ferocity in death metal screaming.

Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase Review

Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. [Progressive Rock]

Steven Wilson should by now be well-renowned for being an accomplished composer and an even better producer (one of the best out there, check out his King Crimson remasters if you haven't). His last album, 'The Raven...' was well-received by many though I personally found it hard to connect with his music on an emotional level. However, Steven Wilson has compensated for that quite handsomely on this album, which I have been listening to for about a month. While not as strong as his previous efforts on the instrument side of things, Wilson has crafted 8 (or 11 if you count the segues?) memorable songs. A quick rundown on individual songs:

1. First Regret - 3 Years Older (DR11): Album starts off with a great classic prog number. It's surprisingly heartfelt from the get-go. Metal purists will be turned off from hearing a ballad as the introduction, though, as I was. However the song, as most songs on this album, work much better in the  context of the whole album. The latter track is a bit more upbeat and a better showcase of MArco Minneman's drumming.

2. Hand Cannot Erase (DR12): A pop song with a memorable, sweet chorus. Surprisingly accessible for Steven Wilson.

3. Perfect Life (DR11): Continues from the happiness that drove the previous song. The first half features some narration, but that slowly leads to a blissful and calm section where Wilson simply croons "We have got the perfect life" repeatedly. It's simple but gets the job done.

4. Routine (DR11): A very Pink Floyd-ish song (Ninet Tayeb's vocals remind of 'Great Big Gig In The Sky' from Dark Side Of The Moon). The song reminds us that the album is from the viewpoint of a woman. There's a very nice use of silence closer to the midpoint of the song that creates some tension before the song slowly comes back with a solo from Guthrie Govan (Opeth fans will like this). Despite the bright, polished sound, the song has a deep sense of melancholy. One of my favourite songs on the album.

5. Home Invasion - Regret #9 (DR11): the first track starts off with some staccato drumming from Marco Minneman and then a full jam from the rest of the band. This song is a little more rock influenced. 'Regret #9' is a full on progressive rock instrumental, ending with a decent guitar solo.

6. Transience (DR12): Melancholic at first, it turns out to be pretty positive in the end. The album is full of laid back, emotional tunes.

7. Ancestral (DR10): The big one. Clocking in at 13 minutes. The length might be grading to some, but the instruments are all on fire here (particularly the guitars). I love the heavier second half, a lot of great riffs and guitar licks.

8. Happy Returns - Ascendant Here On (DR10): Stars off with fading rain (perhaps as the link to the previous track). Beautiful, sad melody. Chad Wackerman does the drums here, so it's a lot more reserved than the previous songs but that lends itself quite well to this song. 'Ascendant Here On' is the same melody as 'Perfect Life' albeit in an angelic, quite tone, a beautiful way to end the album

The average dynamic range on the album is DR11, which is almost unmastered. It also allows for every instrument to be heard with clarity, and not a single band member goes to waste with the production, though one expects nothing less than excellence in this field from Steven Wilson. Some use of synth effects throughout that hearken back to Wilson's days in No-Man.

As a whole, the album can be a little too slow-paced for my liking, but that seems to be a trivial problem. This is one of the best progressive rock records I have heard, hands down.

Rating: 4.5/5

Death Grips - The Powers That B Review

Death Grips - The Powers That B [Hip Hop / Experimental]

Never thought I would kick off the reviews this year in April, but the team has been swamped with school work on other projects. Thought I would like to jot down some thoughts on the "final" Death Grips album:

niggas on the moon

The first half of the double album technically "leaked" last year, but I will review it here because (i)it's part of a double album and (ii) it has only been physically released this month. The album uses samples of Björk for background, with barely any actual drums from drum lord Zach Hill. The album isn't as aggressive as Death Grips' earlier work, and barely shows any semblance to the second half of The Powers That B. The eight songs flow together as one large song with barely any segue moments between the tracks. As far as the songs go, some manage to stick in your mind, eg. Up My Sleeves and Black Quarterback, but for the most part, the album plays more like background music. It isn't actually chill background music either because MC Ride's vocals are anything but chill. Björk's vocals are employed as trippy atmospherics, so the album has a bit of a trance like feel, wildly punctuated by manic shouts. Overall, not one the Grips' strongest albums, perhaps even their worst.

★★☆☆☆

Jenny Death

The much better half of the album, almost every song on the album is gold. The soundscape has changed quite a bit with distorted guitars, live drums and more manic vocals (almost like punk rock). The lyrics are also absolutely quotable ("I like my iPod more than fucking!!"). Jenny Death is surprisingly not only accessible in terms of sound, it is also probably the first time I have been able to emotionally connect with the band. The album's final actual song is 'On GP', quite possibly my favourite Death Grips song of all time. It has elements of shoegaze and sticks out sorely from the rest of the album, almost coming off like a ballad. It's a grand swansong for the band, with its foreboding lyrics "It's been a pleasure, Stefan (the vocalist's real name)" or "All these nights I don't die for you". Zach Hill is also on fire on this album when he finally lets loose with his neo-jazz-metal assault on the drums. Seriously, check out his solo work, his drumming is on par with the best in the world.

The album ends on a rather bizarre note, with 'Death Grips 2.0'. Is their break up just a PR stunt? Are they hinting of another return? Or is their way of saying goodbye? It's a mostly instrumental, futuristic sounding piece that does break new ground for the artistes' direction, but only time will tell if we will ever get more from this talented duo.

★★★★★