After the dark and gripping Black Clouds & Silver Linings and the lighter and more diversified A Dramatic Turn Of Events, I was hopeful for the new self-titled Dream Theater release, and was excited to see in which new direction this output would go. I was equally curious to hear how Mike Mangini would be integrated. I was looking forward to see John Myung taking up more space than before in terms of musical presence and song writing qualities. And finally, of course, I was hoping for new musical ecstasy from guitarist and main songwriter John Petrucci, front man and singer James LaBrie, and creative keyboardist Jordan Rudess.

The new output only introduces a few new elements to the Dream Theater universe. The opening instrumental “False Awakening Suite” will take the place of other cinematic overtures the band has used as samples to start their concerts with. Their very personal overture is cinematic and concise and just sounds fine. The band decided to close the record with a laid-back and sadly unfitting and unspectacular hidden instrumental at the end of “Illumination Theory”, which somehow tries to close the circle. Let’s also mention another instrumental called “Enigma Machine”. New drummer Mike Mangini and bassist John Myung (who has been rather passive over the past few years) finally find their time and place to shine in this song, which is one of the best on the album.

The rest of the album offers nothing new, but rather a mixture of different band phases. So your appreciation will really depend upon whether or not you like the connected phases of the band. The dark and sometimes too-technical first single “The Enemy Inside” could have come from Systematic Chaos. The warmer “The Looking Glass” goes back to the Awake sound, and is clearly inspired by bands like progressive rock legends Rush. “The Bigger Picture” has symphonic elements, piano passages, soothing vocals, and a ballad-driven sound. However, it’s combated by the poor-fitting harder sections. This kind of half-ballad would have found its justified place on records like Metropolis Part Two and Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. Fans of laid-back progressive rock sounds of the seventies by Genesis or Yes should adore “Behind The Veil”, which has a darker tone close to “The Count of Tuscany” without reaching its class. The more laid-back sound could also please fans of the underestimated Falling Into Infinity. “Surrender To Reason” could also fit that release, and should appeal to fans of progressive rock bands like King’s X or Pendragon. It’s a calmer but technical piece of music with a few magic melodies and moments.

Moving on to the last couple of tracks, “Along For The Ride” is another appeasing Dream Theater half-ballad dominated by LaBrie’s soft vocals, acoustic guitars, and great bass guitar work and beautiful keyboard passages in the middle part. This kind of song has a touch of Awake, but could also have been a leftover from A Dramatic Turn Of Events. Then comes the closing “Illumination Theory”, with a running time of over twenty-two minutes, including the hidden closure I’ve already told you about. Musically, this track calls to mind Metropolis Part Two. As always, such a long song has its ups and downs. The mysterious sound collages with nature noises that appear seven and a half minutes into the track remind me of Mike Oldfield’s amazing “Music From The Balcony”, for example. What then follows are parts inspired by classic music like Muse used to do on their last two albums. These parts in the final song are cinematic, epic, and touching. The rest is technically appealing but sounds a bit directionless.

While there are a lot of positive things to point out, such as the calm arrangements, the stunning keyboards, and the strong bass guitar work, there are also a number of mentionable drawbacks to Dream Theater. In fact, I really didn’t like this record as much as the two previous ones. First of all, almost all tracks feel lengthy and stretched. Concise song writing and shorter songs would have helped. The final “Illumination Theory” would have been a gripping song around the seven or eight minute mark, but twenty-two minutes are far too long and offer too many changes and too much instrumental masturbation. That’s also the case for the faster, hectic and very technical parts in “The Enemy Inside”, “The Bigger Picture”, and even the instrumental “Enigma Machine”. Another negative aspect is that I was able to relate each track to a certain Dream Theater record. This means that the band doesn’t really offer anything new at all. There isn’t much progression going, and the band digs in its own successful past. That’s not a big problem because they have written some progressive metal masterpieces, but I was expecting more creative input. My favorite songs here are “The Looking Glass” followed by “Surrender To Reason”. The two instrumentals are quite good, and the rest is somewhere between good and a comparatively boring average. Those who already have albums such as Awake, Metropolis Part Two and Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence don’t really need this record, as it shows nothing new or better than these.

In the end, I would only recommend this album to faithful Dream Theater fans. It’s a good but not a spectacular album and some things could have been done better. After the last two records, this album is a little letdown. I’m complaining at a very high level though. Maybe the tracks are working better in concert. This being sad, the band will release a new live package from their last tour entitled “Live At Luna Park” by the end of the year. If I had to choose between the new album and the live package, I would save my money for the live package.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Earendel is a young power metal band from Skagaströnd in Iceland, which has just released its self-titled full length effort. The low budget production, the weak drum sound, the fluffy keyboard melodies, and the predictably fantasy-inspired lyrics about dragons, sorcerers, and unicorns are all minor negative elements, but overall the band delivers a debut that can convince if given the time. The sextet has a good sense for epic atmosphere and catchy melodies. The song writing is also varied enough that the album never becomes redundant for me.

“The Pioneers” is influenced by classic heavy metal guitar play in the style of Iron Maiden, and is a solid opener. Many tracks on the album have a slight NWOBHM vibe after all, which distinguishes the band, and which I like a lot. “Fall Of Gondolin” is much faster, and quite an epic-sounding track that should appeal to fans of early Helloween. The record includes a couple of similar tracks, and the vocals in these songs make me think of Stratovarius in the mid- to late-nineties.

Continuing, “Wonderlust” is a slow ballad that sounds a too mellow, and where the vocals step out of tune. The other ballad, “World Of Wonder”, almost sounds like a religious campfire track, but works a little bit better. Combined, these songs remind me a little of Epiclore, but Earendel really finds its own niche. I must admit though that the ballads are definitely not amongst the band’s strengths.

“Riders Of The Storm” is much better, as it has a more aggressive vibe (similar to Blind Guardian), and the middle part of the song even includes a few black metal shrieks. This track really diversified the album for me, and being full of energy, I would cite it as the outstanding song on this record.

Earendel’s first strike is nothing innovative or outstanding, but it’s a solid and entertaining album that shows off a lot of potential. I will be keeping Earendel’s name on my mind and look forward to its future development. The classic power metal songs and heavy metal tracks are filled with authentic enthusiasm and are quite convincing on this album. If the band came around with more experimental tracks like the bleak and powerful “Riders Of The Storm” instead of a few shallow ballads, Earendel would be even more interesting. Power metal fans should take half an hour to check this debut album out on the band’s official Bandcamp presence.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Epica is back with its seventh studio record in eleven years, and The Quantum Enigma might just be the band’s strongest output yet. Epica sounds more consistent, more thought-out, and a whole lot heavier than before, and delivers nearly seventy minutes of addicting symphonic metal.

After the short overture “Originem”, the band portrays what makes it stand out over the next two tracks. “The Second Stone” sounds heavier and tighter than one might have expected after such an epic introduction, but Simone Simons’ vocals sound quite confident. Some people might argue that the chorus is too soft, but I adore its floating and almost spiritual touch to contrast the punching verses. Simone Simone sounds truly angelic in this song. “The Essence Of Silence” opens with melancholic piano and string sounds, and Epica sounds more cinematic than ever on this album. “The Essence Of Silence” takes a similar path as its predecessor: an apocalyptic atmosphere, beefy riffs, and solid growls kick in before Simons’ contrasting vocals lead to an enlightening and spiritual chorus. Once again, the contrast between the beauty and the beast works so easily. Epica really sounds like itself and not like any other symphonic metal band on this record, and this is very important in a scene with so many exchangeable bands. Most songs follow the beauty-meets-the-beast approach, and hit hard like the destructive “Victims Of Contingency” which is one of the hardest tracks ever written by the band.

Other highlights include the epic instrumental “The Fifth Guardian – Interlude”, with its majestic Asian folk influences that remind me of The Last Successor, and the calmer, more classical and gracious symphonic metal hymn “Omen – The Ghoulish Melody”, which convinces with its powerful chorus. The two longer songs on the record, “Sense Without Sanity – The Impervious Code” and “The Quantum Enigma – Kingdom Of Heaven Part II”, have their precious moments, but are also a little bit overlong here and there, needing multiple spins to open up. I would say that the shorter and straighter tracks on the album work much better in general than the overambitious epics.

Epica might not reach the quality of Xandria’s new release, Sacrificium, due to a extra length in the second part of the album but, it comes extremely close. I would have thought better of The Quantum Enigma if the band had focused on nine or ten tracks and a total length of around fifty minutes instead of inflating the record here and there. However, the first half of the record is really excellent. The musicianship is technically stunning, the production is powerful, the songwriting finds the right balance between grace and heaviness, and even the cover artwork is a stunner. Symphonic metal fans should definitely purchase this one, as I believe Epica has delivered the best effort of its career so far.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Ewigheim is a German band composed of members from the atmospheric gothic metal outfit The Vision Bleak, the controversial, explicit, and grisly extreme metal band Eisregen, and the modern groove and industrial metal group Hämatom, among others. Ewigheim has been around since 1999 and released a convincing comeback release entitled Bereue Nichts in 2012. The album had a very morbid and nihilistic atmosphere centered on doomy riffs, a few danceable electronic elements, and sarcastic lyrics filled with tons of black humor. The band’s new release, Nachruf seems at first to hit a very similar vein with its morbid title and the explicit cover artwork, but to my positive surprise the band changed its formula quite a bit.

Of course, some songs like “Himmelfahrt” still talk about the ephemeral nature of life and the longing for death, and are not for the more sensitive minds among us. The band still introduces us to characters that are fed up with the negative sides of their lives and dream about escapism and suicide, but the new record also shows us new perspectives. Many songs bear a rebellious soul, and tell us stories filled with hope and rebellion where the protagonists stand up to fight their desperate fate, or where they remember the brighter sides of life as in “Liebes Lied”, “Glück im Unglück”, or “Wenn Es Am Schönsten Ist”. The closing epic “Sanctum Imperium” features a grisly performance by guest vocalist Michael “Blutkehle” Roth that complements main vocalist Allen B. Konstanz’ melancholic and melodic clean vocals very well in a track somewhere between black, doom, and symphonic dark metal. Even this song seems to spread the hopeful message that there might be something more and glorious after the end of our lives. Some lyrics are also very poetic, reminding me of the Neue Deutsche Todeskunst genre, and have some sort of a double sense where the interpretation could be optimistic or pessimistic. That’s what I like about this record’s lyrics. Instead of presenting us only a negative or a positive solution as on their previous records, the band offers oracular, overthought, and philosophical lyrics that deliver some real and challenging food for thought.

Musically, this record is much easier to digest than the previous effort. The songs are all rather short, the riffs are simple but atmospheric and efficient at the same time, and the bass guitar and drum play are tighter and more dynamic than before. The electronic elements are more prominent than ever and create quite a few danceable patterns that should appeal to the gothic community. More effectively used symphonic passages can be heard as well. Atmosphere, catchiness, and diversity are the winning key elements, and the band still keeps in touch with its previous material in terms of lyrics and style. The choruses include intelligent lyrics but are nevertheless catchier than ever before. Ewigheim offers some very addicting melodies in the rebellious and almost romantic “Die Augen Zu” which is maybe the best song the band has ever written. The brilliant “Falsches Herz” has more of a Type O Negative vibe, and has some hit potential as well. Fans of bands such as The 69 Eyes should also dig this track. The epic atmosphere of the gothic metal anthem and title track “Ein Nachruf” is also quite addicting, and manages to mix a faster overall buildup with a dark and dragging atmosphere in only four minutes.

In the end, Ewigheim delivers its catchiest, most diverse, and intellectually appealing record that should please anybody who cares for the gothic scene and anything between danceable dark wave, doomy gothic rock, and symphonic extreme metal. In its genre, this release is easily the highlight of the year. It only depends on your willingness to join this bleak, hypnotizing, and intellectual dark ride.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Exmortus is often labelled as a thrash or death metal band, but this description is not quite accurate from my point of view. The exceptional quartet from Whittier, California plays some really solid heavy and power metal with an epic atmosphere, gripping melodic guitar riffs, and extensive neoclassical solos and speedy buildups. Only the harsher vocals and a few crunchy riffs really call to mind thrash or melodic death metal influences. Their technically-appealing style sounds, in fact, like a mixture of Children Of Bodom, King Diamond, Megadeth, Stratovarius, and Testament. All in all, this is very intriguing and unique band in my eyes.

New album Slave To The Sword is the band’s most efficient and melodic release to date, and was already recorded and due to be released in early 2013 but for a chaotic label change that pushed the release back to early 2014. Right now, the band is touring extensively throughout North America to promote its third effort, and the Americans are a truly amazing and energizing live band – in comparison to many bands that kill it on stage but sound rather shallow on their records, or vice versa, Exmortus manages to transport their edgy live energy on this release.

The strong album kicks off with neoclassical shreds in the fast opener “Rising”. The rapid drumming, the wild bass guitar lines, and the straight guttural vocals add even more frenzy to the track before stunning twin guitar solos kick in for the bridge. I haven’t heard such a pitiless and powerful opener in quite a while. The best thing is that half of the songs on this release cut loose in just such a fashion, and the riffing throughout is absolutely merciless!

The more groove and thrash metal oriented “Slave To The Sword” shows us the band’s other face, and adds some variety to a potent album. The title song is a little bit darker, slower, and more rhythmic. Fans of bands such as Death Angel should absolutely dig this one, and the melodic side of power and thrash shown off by Exmortus is one of its real strong points. Most of the following tracks offer a balanced mixture between the two approaches in the opening duo. The band shows off its technical abilities as well in the outstanding cover of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata (Act III)”. Even Yngwie Malmsteen and Timo Tolkki would be green with envy if they heard this phenomenal instrumental track.

In the end, the band delivers us a fast paced, exhilarating ride around fifty minutes in length, with a sweating mixture of power and thrash metal. Exmortus manages to create a balanced mixture of pitiless solos and riffs that fly straight in your face, along with technically appealing structures. With lengths between three and a half and five and a half minutes, the band offers ten strong, compact tracks without any filler material, and delivers one of this year’s early highlights.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal