Best of January 2020
First month of the year means first new music of the year. I love new music! So I'll get right into it. Here are my picks for best albums of January.
Haunt - Mind Freeze
Mind Freeze feels like an old school heavy metal album. Partially due to production, but mostly because that's exactly what it is. Dueling guitars, driving bass and drums, and perfectly timed synths along with the old school approach to vocals, all come together to make a great work of art.
There isn't any wasted space in the album. There are no weak tracks, it's a pleasure to listen to front to back. If anything the run time of 37 minutes leaves me wanting more. Which is probably why, as a write this, I am on my 3rd play through today.
Given their old school approach, I don't think drawing comparisons to NWoBHM is unfair. But I don't think that's doing them, or the album justice. The album has an oddly unique, yet familiar sound and feeling.
The album starts with Light the Beacon. Beginning with a haunting synth that gets abruptly pummeled by the band coming in with a simple yet crushing riff, the tone for the entire album is set. I need to talk about the synth! They utilize it to perfection. It never takes over the song, it rarely takes center stage over the rest of the instruments or vocals. Instead it adds depth and layers to the music, at times creating a mood, almost creating the environment the song exists in.
The guitar solos are fucking sick throughout the entire album too.
If there is one complaint I have it would be that the drums are mixed a little to loudly as compared to the rest of the instruments.
Overall though its a good album with incredible atmosphere. It's still early but I may have to revisit it closer to the end of the year.
Victorius - Space Ninjas From Hell
Look at that album art... Hideous! Google the album art for Extreme Power Metal by Dragonforce if you're wondering why it looks so familiar.
Speaking of Dragonforce, Victorius also plays the ultra fast, video game sounding style of power metal. It gets old fast. But if i haven't listened to any in a while I can get back into for a little while. It's just so hard to fit anything into a song when you're trying to fit everything into it.
But Zac, you say. Why is this here if you're only going to talk shit about it. First of all dear reader I am making fun of it, not talking shit.
Basically we have ultra fast power metal, and a story about Space Ninjas From Hell. It's wildly entertaining at points. Don't get me wrong it's awful, cheesy, to blown out. But it's one of those so ridiculous it's funny things. In turn it means it's a lot of fun to listen to. Lets be real, if you're going to play music that sounds like video games, you may as well write songs that would be best used as the plot of a video game.
Just listen to some of these song titles, Evil Wizard WuShu Master, Wasabi Warmachine, Cosmic Space Commando Base, Shinobi Strike 3000. All great video game or anime ideas. Basically what I am saying is they are really leaning into the more absurd portions of the power metal fantasy crowd. They aren't taking themselves too seriously which I can respect.
Bottom line I had a lot of fun listening to this album. It's easy to make fun of and some of the songs really could be pretty awesome short films. There is a samurai with what amounts to a lightsaber katana at one point. Objectively cooler than a regular lightsaber.
Hazzerd - Delirium
What's more thrash metal than misspelling a word and making it your band name? Nothing that's what!
While I won't argue that Delirium is a thrash metal album, it needs to be made clear this is more in the vein of And Justice For All than Reign in Blood. That's not a bad thing, it's a solid listen. It is on this list after all. But not really what I love most about thrash. But once I let myself forget the thrash label and just listen I found the style more pleasing than disappointing.
The melodies are catchy, and the guitars solos all rip and are all over the album. As in multiple in a single song all over. As long as they are done right and placed in the right places that's never a bad thing. Hazzerd nails them.
I have one major issue with the album. The lyrics are juvenile. The themes are fine, I'm as anti religious and anti drug as anyone. But these sound like they had a high school freshman write them. See the opening track Sacrifice Them (In the Name of God) and mid album banger Dead in a Shed for the most egregious examples.
Bonus: Waldgefluster - Stimmen im Wind
As is customary here is the link to my playlist for your listening pleasure
Haunt - Mind Freeze
Mind Freeze feels like an old school heavy metal album. Partially due to production, but mostly because that's exactly what it is. Dueling guitars, driving bass and drums, and perfectly timed synths along with the old school approach to vocals, all come together to make a great work of art.
There isn't any wasted space in the album. There are no weak tracks, it's a pleasure to listen to front to back. If anything the run time of 37 minutes leaves me wanting more. Which is probably why, as a write this, I am on my 3rd play through today.
Given their old school approach, I don't think drawing comparisons to NWoBHM is unfair. But I don't think that's doing them, or the album justice. The album has an oddly unique, yet familiar sound and feeling.
The album starts with Light the Beacon. Beginning with a haunting synth that gets abruptly pummeled by the band coming in with a simple yet crushing riff, the tone for the entire album is set. I need to talk about the synth! They utilize it to perfection. It never takes over the song, it rarely takes center stage over the rest of the instruments or vocals. Instead it adds depth and layers to the music, at times creating a mood, almost creating the environment the song exists in.
The guitar solos are fucking sick throughout the entire album too.
If there is one complaint I have it would be that the drums are mixed a little to loudly as compared to the rest of the instruments.
Overall though its a good album with incredible atmosphere. It's still early but I may have to revisit it closer to the end of the year.
Victorius - Space Ninjas From Hell
Look at that album art... Hideous! Google the album art for Extreme Power Metal by Dragonforce if you're wondering why it looks so familiar.
Speaking of Dragonforce, Victorius also plays the ultra fast, video game sounding style of power metal. It gets old fast. But if i haven't listened to any in a while I can get back into for a little while. It's just so hard to fit anything into a song when you're trying to fit everything into it.
But Zac, you say. Why is this here if you're only going to talk shit about it. First of all dear reader I am making fun of it, not talking shit.
Basically we have ultra fast power metal, and a story about Space Ninjas From Hell. It's wildly entertaining at points. Don't get me wrong it's awful, cheesy, to blown out. But it's one of those so ridiculous it's funny things. In turn it means it's a lot of fun to listen to. Lets be real, if you're going to play music that sounds like video games, you may as well write songs that would be best used as the plot of a video game.
Just listen to some of these song titles, Evil Wizard WuShu Master, Wasabi Warmachine, Cosmic Space Commando Base, Shinobi Strike 3000. All great video game or anime ideas. Basically what I am saying is they are really leaning into the more absurd portions of the power metal fantasy crowd. They aren't taking themselves too seriously which I can respect.
Bottom line I had a lot of fun listening to this album. It's easy to make fun of and some of the songs really could be pretty awesome short films. There is a samurai with what amounts to a lightsaber katana at one point. Objectively cooler than a regular lightsaber.
Hazzerd - Delirium
What's more thrash metal than misspelling a word and making it your band name? Nothing that's what!
While I won't argue that Delirium is a thrash metal album, it needs to be made clear this is more in the vein of And Justice For All than Reign in Blood. That's not a bad thing, it's a solid listen. It is on this list after all. But not really what I love most about thrash. But once I let myself forget the thrash label and just listen I found the style more pleasing than disappointing.
The melodies are catchy, and the guitars solos all rip and are all over the album. As in multiple in a single song all over. As long as they are done right and placed in the right places that's never a bad thing. Hazzerd nails them.
I have one major issue with the album. The lyrics are juvenile. The themes are fine, I'm as anti religious and anti drug as anyone. But these sound like they had a high school freshman write them. See the opening track Sacrifice Them (In the Name of God) and mid album banger Dead in a Shed for the most egregious examples.
Bonus: Waldgefluster - Stimmen im Wind
As is customary here is the link to my playlist for your listening pleasure
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