''失竊千年 / Timeless Sentence'' is a very unusual release for Taiwanese melodic black metal band Chthonic. The band re-recorded its greatest hits from the past two decades as acoustic versions that are quite different from the original tunes. Harmonious acoustic bass and guitars, smooth and percussive drum patterns and almost exclusively male clean vocals meet Eastern Asian folk instruments such as erhu, occasional symphonic samples and many backing vocals in harmonious choruses. The eleven songs are very appeasing, harmonious and inspired. They prove that the band has a very detailed, intellectual and rich song writing. In addition to the emotionally and intellectually appeasing music, the band's lyrics are also very inspiring and deal with both historic and contemporary issues related to their country. While almost all lyrics are sung in Chinese on this release, there is one short part in the longing yet optimistic ''Supreme Pain for the Tyrant'' that is sung in English that represents the spirit and message of the band very well: ''Let me stand up like a Taiwanese, only justice will bring you peace!''

As if this charming transformation and reinvention wasn't enough, several songs include a multitude of clever ideas. One example is the surprising use of English lyrics towards the end of ''Supreme Pain for the Tyrant''. The epic ''Broken Jade'' convinces with a great combination of lower and appeasing vocals on one side and higher and uplifting vocals on the other side. Another excellent idea is the use of haunting piano sounds and multiple vocal efforts in the epic conclusion of the profound ''Takao'' which is maybe this record's masterpiece among exclusively outstanding songs.The melancholic ''Kaoru'' is the second best song on this output and almost sounds like a country ballad featuring harmonica sounds and female guest vocals. The combination of harmonious male lead and passionate female back vocals works extremely well in this record's longest tune ''Defenders of Bú-Tik Palace''. The short transitional tune ''Between Silence and Death'' almost sounds like an Asian version of a Mike Oldfield song thanks to an inspired acoustic guitar play. The other short short tune and closing track ''Sail into the Sunset's Fire'' sounds like a drinking song around a campfire with atmospheric sound samples of a crowd that is laughing and singing along. This song could come straight from a scene in a tavern taken from a charming wuxia movie of the eighties.

In my opinion, this album is the greatest record Chthonic has ever done because it's so different, emotional and exotic. It's absolutely worth to pay a higher import price for this gem that even comes along with an additional DVD. If you like dynamic Eastern Asian folk music with inspired lyrics, then this is one of the very best folk albums ever released. You might also admire this album if you like bands that are able to completely transform or even reinvent their songs or if you are just curious to know what Chthonic might sound like in a completely different context than usually. If you are however expecting an extreme metal album or anything related to heavier music, this record is definitely not made for you.

Final rating: 99%

Now that was unexpected! Chinese progressive metal band Mirage pulls off quite a stunt six years after its extraordinary debut release that recalled Dream Theater's early years. The opening track ''山 Mask'' focuses on electronic samples including an overlong coda and is mostly based upon chugging nu metal riffs. This record features two keyboard players and sound effects and piano melodies are indeed much more prominent than anything else. As if that wasn't surprising enough, instead of the crystal clear vocals of their former male singer of Korean origin, we get to hear the soft and soulful vocals of a new female singer from Taiwan. Instead of getting exclusively lyrics in Mandarin Chinese, some tracks feature both Mandarin Chinese and English lyrics. But I must admit that this band truly understood what progressive music should always be like. The band is trying out new experiments instead of repeating itself and is steadily breaking new ground on this release. After an initial shock, the opener turns out to be quite diversified, entertaining and epic. It actually reminds me of a more experimental James Bond theme due to the distinctive vocal performance. After the absolutely mind-blowing last record of Tang Dynasty and now this unexpected change of style of Mirage, maybe it's a trend for contemporary Chinese bands to constantly shift and change their song writing approaches. Maybe Screaming Savior will release a darkwave record next and The Last Successor a thrash metal album.

What else does this EP have to offer? The majestic and menacing ''十面埋伏' mixes cinematic and symphonic sounds with complex drum patterns between tribal elements and progressive rock passages. As if that wasn't enough, let's add some raw spoken word passages in the middle part that contrast the charming high vocals in the chorus and calmer parts that recall beautiful traditional Chinese music. Uplifting choirs towards the end of the tune recall indeed a Chinese musical I have recently attended. Some people might call this weird and it is but I adore it because it's courageous, exciting and completely unique. ''接龙'' is a calm and numbing tune with appeasing guitar sounds and dominant electronic lounge elements. New singer Joyce can really show her unique vocal skills in this song and she convinces from start to finish. ''光之翼'' goes back to the style of the opener with vivid electronic soundscapes and simplistic modern metal riffs leading to a harmonious chorus filled with symphonic samples and uplifting vocals. The middle section of the fourth song is the first time we actually get to hear some authentic metal music but this genre has become only one element among many others. The melodic progressive metal guitar solo kicks in before an electronic keyboard solo takes the lead again. It only last for twenty seconds or so but it sounds quite well so enjoy it while it lasts. The last new tune ''To the End'' hits a similar vein but the keyboard work is clearly more challenging and progressive while melodic guitar solos add a more gripping note to the tune. Elegant female lead vocals and appeasing male choirs performing in English in the epic chorus make this track the catchiest tune on a stunning record and end this release on a satisfactory note. The remaining four tunes are instrumental versions of the first four tracks of this release. 

It's a challenge to appropriately rate this output because it's completely different from the magic debut album that was one of the best progressive metal releases in the past decade. While I'm slightly disappointed that the band didn't continue to play this type of music where it had immediately achieved a stunning level of sonic excellence, this new output is definitely something experimental, fresh and completely unpredictable. Even if the five new tracks sound quite diversified and even random at first contact, this record actually has a clear concept. This genre-transcending release is hold together by its soulful female vocals, its consistent progressive spirit and its numerous appeasing melodies. The band's reorientation was risky but worked successfully in my opinion. I would wholeheartedly recommend this release to fans of melodic progressive rock, harmonious electronic music and epic movie soundtracks.

Final rating: 80%

Abitabyss is a death metal trio from a village in North Western Quebec that mocks the stereotypes of their rural surroundings on the entertaining ''Rural Métal''. Topics such as hunting trips, mining work and farm life are portrayed in an amusing and entertaining way. Especially the numerous radio play passages with dialogues between some stereotypical characters based upon the names of the band members in French are very funny. Sound samples of moose or sheep among others add some more authentic diversity. The lyrics are mostly performed in English but also revolve around rural stereotypes.

Musically, the band mostly offers straightforward death metal but the trio occasionally proves that it has some solid musicianship and can also cover other genres. The opener ''Swompe Apokalypse'' has faster passages as well as breakdowns with discordant guitar sounds, more melodic riffs and short bridges with a more dominant bass sound. In combination with samples of swamp sounds, the opener is one of the best songs on this output. ''Trou Blak'' is one of the most memorable tunes and opens with an amusing dialogue between the three stereotypical characters. The song then becomes surprisingly melodic before it slowly evolves to an atmospheric and bleak black metal track. ''Frozen Souche'' is another more complex track based upon desperate black metal with occasional death metal influences. 

There are also a few shorter tunes that work really well like the fast ''Chassassination'' that varies between brutal death metal but which also incorporates some dominant bass guitar parts and distorted guitar sounds. ''La Chaise du Barbier'' is much slower but just as brutal with its thunderous riffs and low vocals. 

The album also offers two rather unusual bonus songs. ''Les Légumes'' is based upon a famous, catchy and somewhat ridiculous folk song from the children's television program Passe-Partout. The band managed to keep the catchy melodies of the original and to add their own signature sound somewhere between death and black metal. ''Ma Cheuve'' is a French-Canadian folk song performed by a main singer in front of a crowd that repeats the lyrics. Musically, this track only features percussive elements and could also come from one of the numerous neo-traditional folk bands from Quebec like Mes Aïeux.

Even though I'm not a death metal aficionado, Abitabyss' ''Rural Métal'' is amusing, diversified, energizing, entertaining and memorable all at once. It's a welcome alternative to all the serious French-Canadian folk bands that talk nostalgically about mildly amusing rural traditions and that try to make propaganda for a slowly declining independence movement that will probably never be successful. Abitabyss don't take themselves seriously and still deliver high-quality musicianship and songwriting which makes them very sympathetic. If I travel to the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region one day, I will try to pass by the small community of Sainte-Germaine-Boulé.

Final verdict: 85%

''Clean Your Clock'' was probably released to honor late rock ' roll legend and Motörhead bassist and singer Lemmy. This last live album covers one of the band's last concerts recorded in Munich a little bit more than a month before Lemmy's death. It's already clearly audible that Lemmy is struggling here and very sick. It's admirable that he was still able to tour at this time. He gives his very best to play bass and perform vocals accurately on this release but he is sometimes lacking energy. His vocals have always been a little bit hoarse and mumbling but certain parts of the lyrics are nearly impossible to hear and to understand. It's simply saddening to hear and see this legendary artist that way and it would have been much better not to release this record to keep the memory of a juvenile and tight rock star instead of a sick old man who just wasn't able to stop performing when his health issues seriously impacted his abilities. If you want to see a more recent concert of the band where Lemmy was still in acceptable form, you should go for the two volumes of ''The Wörld Is Ours'' released five and four years prior to this output, respectively. If you simply want to listen to more recent material instead of watching one single show, the bonus live disc of the tour edition of ''Aftershock'' is also quite satisfactory. 

Lemmy's declining health that becomes obvious in performances of songs like ''Orgasmatron'' isn't the only problem with this release. The crowd is rarely audible and an authentic live atmosphere is absent. In my opinion, the lengthy introduction, guitar solo and drum solo prove that the band already intended to give Lemmy longer breaks than usually during the last tours and while this makes perfect sense in the context, I must admit that these parts aren't particularly interesting to watch or listen to.

On a positive note, Lemmy really delivers an outstanding job if one considers how sick he really was. His bass play is solid, he doesn't forget any lyrics as far as they're audible to me and his interactions with the crowd are very sympathetic. The fact that he dedicates the song ''Doctor Rock'' to the band's deceased ex-drummer Philthy Animal is also a nice touch. The authentic and unpolished sound of this release fits the band. Especially the guitar play is really solid throughout the entire show concerning both the riffs and the solos. The set list is also quite good and includes both some of the band's greatest hits plus a few more recent tunes. Obviously, some people might argue that some classics are missing but at that point one shouldn't forget that it was already a miracle that the band was able to pull off this show. Let's also add that some of the stage decorations as during the opening tune ''Bomber'' look truly awesome.

Despite several positive points that make the final result tolerable, it would have been better to cancel this last live record and to release an older and more energizing show or a greatest hits compilation with a few bonus tracks instead. Only die-hard Motörhead fans should purchase this record. For anyone else, it's rather depressing to hear and see Lemmy in such a bad condition.

Final verdict: 60%

Anthem is one of Japan's pioneering heavy metal bands but if compared to Loudness and the likes, the band never had any significant international success despite its longevity apart of a longer break in the nineties when this type of music was declining in popularity anyway. The reasons have always been the same and this issue is still present on the band's sixteenth full length release. Anthem is a diversified and energizing band that plays with conviction and passion but the band fails to have its own style or any truly memorable compositions. ''Absolute World'' is an entertaining fun ride and incredibly addicting while it lasts but as soon as you put the record aside, you won't remember one single song.

Still, the band's most recent output is actually one of its stronger releases. The uplifting and catchy opener ''Shine On'' kicks the record off in a surprising way. This is not your expected conservative heavy metal opener but a vivid power metal anthem that invites the listener to sing along and raise his fists in the air. It's a positive signal that the band has chosen such a refreshing song not only as opener but also as single from this album. There are many other moments on this record where the band proves its new creativity, diversity and energy. The suitably entitled ''Destroy the Boredom'' is one of the band's heavier tunes with a few minimal hints at thrash metal that recall Judas Priest of the late eighties and early nineties. ''Love of Hell' is a harmonious power ballad that isn't cheesy for one second but honest to the core and therefor quite convincing. It's definitely a song that sticks out immediately. ''Sailing'' has a slightly darker vibe with vibrant bass sounds, lower vocals and a series of outstanding guitar solos. The more I listen to this tune, the better it gets. The album even includes an instrumental tune called ''Absolute Figure'' and while I'm usually not a big fan of instrumental tracks, this one is really outstanding because the great musicians really have the chance to shine here without neglecting a logical structure and series of events. This song even includes some additional keyboard sounds that give this song a slightly mysterious atmosphere.

Even though the last few tunes at the end of the record are less spectacular, Anthem overall delivers one of its most inspired studio records ever. The sympathetic quartet convinces with a high degree of diversity, some juvenile energy and a technically appealing musicianship where especially Akio Shimizu's guitar play really stands out. Fans of traditional heavy metal with some newfound creativity and oomph should definitely check this record out. For those who want to get to know more about the origins of these underrated Japanese legends, I can recommend the stunning ''30th Anniversary Of Nexus Years Limited Collector's Box'' featuring seven studio records, one disc with bonus material, a live disc and an additional DVD bundled in a box set limited to two thousand copies in the world that might be slightly expensive but which is something like the holy grail of Japanese heavy metal.

Final verdict: 79%