Silent Line - Shattered Shores Review

               Concept albums are always something special to talk about, instead of just being song after song generally with no rhyme or reason for the lyrics from one song to the next, concept albums tell a story with each song being a new chapter. Silent Line have written what is possibly the most Canadian concept album ever with their new album “Shattered Shores” being about isolation in the cold. This is an album that shows inspiration and how unique an album can easily be, all you need to do is find the edge of your comfort zone and push past it.

                                                  

                A small mention of the story, it’s about dissertation. Our character is stranded on an island, alone, freezing. The constant reoccurrence of the cold, of frost, of night, is enough the freeze the soul of even the more warm hearted person.

                “Shattered Shores” is Silent Line’s first attempt at a concept album, although it doesn’t exactly sound it. The album starts off strong with “Frost of the Night” but it’s the second song “Erosion” that really shines and draws the listener it. “Erosion” is a more fast pace song filled with melodic riffs and a surprisingly catchy chorus, even if you don’t understand what front man Mike Burton is saying without reading the lyrics off a page. Speaking of Mr. Burton, what’s the closest you’ve ever heard to a band sounding like Children Of Bodom? I’m only asking because “Black and White” sounds like a Bodom song and some of the vocals even sound like Alexi Laiho himself! It’s quite eerie.

                Skip a couple songs down and you’ll find “Summersong” which opens with an acoustic guitar and choral singing before kicking into the heavy. “Summersong” takes complete 180s constantly, after some insanely harsh Death Metal vocals and instrumentals, clean singing and acoustic guitars come back and show the contrast this band can take to effect the emotion of the listener, you can almost hear desperation in the vocals with the changes, and the character knows the end is coming. “Shattered Shores II: A New Beginning” take us on another journey, a journey through the night, a journey to who knows where but its somewhere in the freezing darkness. This song features one of my favourite riffs in it, the moment the song speeds up you’ll hear it, I don’t know what it is but it’s an incredibly attractive riff. Any fans of The Faceless here? They might not do their clean vocals too often but the chorus section of this song sounds a lot like The Faceless cleans, although the melodic riffs in the background make make “Shattered Shores II” far better.

                I personally am a huge fan of concept albums, Wintersun, King Diamond, Rhapsody, all bands that have written some outstanding concept albums. Although King can make the hair on the back of my neck stand tall, sitting here with the lyrics and the music Silent Line are chilling me right to the bone. This is an album of sheer magnitude, a concept album with a story to tell and one that does it well, they say if a story is written well you can see it in your head, well this story even comes with a soundtrack to accompany the mental movie.

4.5/5

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Buy "Shattered Shores" on Bandcamp

Dearly Beloved "Enduro!" Album Review

     Canadian band Dearly Beloved's new album "Enduro!" is a solid 10 song good old fashion Rock and Roll experience! The album is set to be released on May 13th, 2014 through eOne Music Canada, but the title track can be found HERE for download through Soundcloud. To mark the release of "Enduro!" Dearly Beloved will embark on a tour through UK, Ireland and Germany.

     "Enduro" The title track kicks off the album and right out of the geat you can tell this is gonna be a thrill ride of a rock album. With a vocal style sounding very much like Jane's Addiction and instrumentally sounding like The Offspring, any rock fan will already be enjoying this album. This track is very high energy and fast paced keeping you on your toes constantly. The song starts and finishes faster then you'll even realize, giving props to each instrument fairly, even the bass guitar, the title and lead track is bound to grab your attention and peak your interest in whats up to come.

     "Olympics of No Regard" starts off very bass heavy with an incredibly cool riff, after a short amount of time the song goes drums and vocals only with very little guitar. After repeating "Reap what you sow," a few times with all the instruments present again, the song drops back into the verse of vocal and drum only, but this time replacing the small guitar parts with small interesting bass lines inbetween vocals. Once again the song repeats the "reap what you sow," before going back into the bass riff that was present at the beginning. The guitar then slowly gets higher and higher before "reap what you sow," comes back and bam songs over already? That it is.

     "Astor DuPont Payne" starts off with a creepy guitar riff, no matter how slow this song may seem the drums keep going crazy through out the song. Again, with very promenent bass through out the song and hyperactive drums. The song changes up multiple times keeping you wondering whats coming up next and constantly switches tempo, you'll never understand what emotions you're supposed to have through the song except you end up leaving feeling all of them.

     "Not My Pig" is a slower song with very heavy instrumentals that dominate over the vocals and at the same time you never find yourself unable to hear the lyrics. There's really not to much to say this song is your typical slow but heavy rock and roll song.

     "Seven Plagues" get ready for bass guitar, this song feels like the lead guitar and the bass guitar switched places. the bass dominates the majority of the song, but the guitar still gets the spot light during the chorus. This song feels like it will be a live anthum for the band, getting a worked up crowd screaming "SEVEN PLAGUES!!" Not much else to tell you every band ever has a live anthum and this may just be Dearly Beloveds.

     "The Guile of Pricks" with the bass doing who knows what under the guitar (hey look a trend, this band is really bass heavy) and you being yelled at to "do whatever it takes" its a song that'll start and finish before you know it. No instrument seems to outrule any other even with Dearly Beloved being bass heavy just as much in this song as any other the bass doesnt outshine anything and nothing outshines anything else. This song is another one of your typical Rock and Roll songs. Which is never a bad thing, its a song any rock fan will enjoy.

     "Between Finger and Thumb" this song alternates between either pure instrumental or pure drum and vocal. Unless im wrong this song feels like its about being a musician, but thats the lovely thing about music, it's all up to you and how you interprite it. It's up to you to decide what it's about. Nonetheless this song being one of the longest song on the album doesnt feel like it drags on at all. Its fast paced but not overwhelming, and the vocals are audible but dont dominate over anything else and take away from the amazing musicianship the entire band has.

     "All Sins Are Forgiven" all bands need a true slow song, this is the slow song. Although normally i'm not a big fan of slow songs this one is an exception. This song is gonna end up being another live staple for the band, when the blast of all the instruments come in during the chorus you can tell its a true rock ballad but it doesnt feel like the song is no longer a slower song like a lot of slow songs do. With a screaming crowd singing along "All Sins Are Forgiven" or just enjoying the musicianship the band presents this is a slow song that doesnt feel like it lasts forever even if it is the longest song on the album!

     "Run For Your Life" seriously do it, last two songs one fast paced short song and one slow short song that are done on over but never forgotten. With a very fun main riff from both the guitar and bass plus the constant hyperactiveness of the drums this song comes and goes so quick but you'll end up wanting to listen to it over and over again and just go run a marathon. this song is a lot of fun and i imagine a lot of musicians themselves trying to learn it.

     "Ether Binge" the song will start and i'm sure i won't be the only one thinking wait... "Black Hole Sun?" All i can picture is a tired crowd who enjoyed a concert and are watching the band close the show. This song being just over a minute and being slow doesn't drag on at all it reminds me of Megadeth's "Dawn Patrol" its a weird song to put on an album and its something you don't really picture listening to very much and yet its a song you put on repeat for an hour and really want to see live. Just like the album, i imagine the band will use this song to close out their live shows as well and i can't imagine a better way to do so then with this song.

    All together "Enduro!" is starting and over with before you know it and you'll turn it on and listen to it over and over again and love it every time. all around great rock and roll album 9.5/10 i suggest you pick it up when its released May 13th, 2014 through eOne Canada either physically or digitally at Dearly Beloved's Bandcamp

P.S. thank you to Dearly Beloved and Eric Alper from eOne Canada for giving me access to an early copy of "Enduro!" Also sorry for any and all spelling mistakes!

Beware The Light's "The Light, The Hope, The Very End" EP Review

     5 Piece German Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore band Beware the Light have released their new EP "The Light, The Hope, The Very End" through Bandcamp on April 21st, 2014. The EP consists of 5 incredibly writen songs (4 new and one remastered) that keep you glued to the music from front to back. With different sounds from different bands all the way through the album like The Black Dahlia Murder, Job For A Cowboy and Cannibal Corpse it is near impossible for any Death Metal fan not to enjoy at least part of this album!

     "The Reaping" kicks off the album with a very "out at sea" sounding intro (seriously listen to the song to understand what the hell im talking about). Not to mention the incredible bas during the intro. As soon as the vocals and instrumentals begin you cant help but headbang after a perfectly timed "LET THE REAPING BEGIN." After vocal changes from low to high growls almost as often as Trevor from The Black Dahlia Muder, the band goes into an incredibly heavy "breakdown" part (I know what people thing of breakdowns but trust me, this is some Sepultura shit right here). After some incredibly heavy instrumentals and a bit of vocals the song finishs, fastest 3:30 minutes you'll sit through. Not a whole lot to say about this besides the fact that it's perfect for fronting this album.

     "Psychosis" jumps right into it, with blistering dual guitars that gradually get slower and heavier as the vocals kick in, just to jump back into the blistering part they started with. after about 40 seconds of the song the guitars jump into a sweet guitar part not many bands use, just to be followed by a soft melodic section with more cool bass (props for giving the bass attention). The bridge comes just soon enough for you to not get bored with the slow part followed by a "uhhaa" that many death metal bands use. The vocals go to a higher deathcore vocal style and drop back into a low growl, very Job For A Cowboy-ish. The song outs with a 5 second "breakdown" section that lead to a squeeling guitar and jump right into the next song.

     "Misanthropic Traits" prepare, Dying Fetus have entered the building with this awesome heavy squeely into, that surprisingly ends with a sweet 2 second bass solo before jumping back into the chaos. With incredible (incredible to someone who likes death metal) vocals over blistering guitar parts leading to a slower galopping part with more killer vocals then blends in one of the guitars doing alternatting high notes that are audioble but not the centre of attention really helps keep you glued to this song. The song leads to an insanely heavy breakdown section, but not before to long before jumping in and out from breakdown to their main riff of the song and back into breakdown thats just gonna make you wanna punch shit its so heavy! and with this the song closes out. I must add I love the title of the song.

     "Regret Nothing" is the remastered song of the album that was released originally back in July of 2013 through Bandcamp. the intro vocals show a very deathcore side to the vocalist while the instrumentals sound like their own version of Cannibal Corpse's "Evisceration Plague." This section slows down for the majority of the song but makes the riff itself feel so much heavier. At about 1:30 the band guitars go into a tapping "Death In Fire" riff before going into a small clean vocal section and jumping back into the earsplitting death metal vocals. With the vocals clear intention that you SHOULD BE MOSHING NOW by yelling "GO!" and some incredibly killer instrumentals that make you want to mosh anyways before jumping back into the tapping riff this song is clear it would be a killer song to be in the pit for! After some more clean vocals there is a "this is how we do.." and queue the Chris Barnes style pig squeel "...IIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!" to close out the song.

     "The Light, The Hope, The Very End" the title track is set to close out the album and with another slow introduction you start to question whats coming. With a clean tapping riff over a distorted rythem section the song gradually gets more and more heavy before the vocals kick in and both guitars end up being distorded again. If the album has held your attention this far you're gonna be here until the end because this song jumps around enough to keep you guessing but not so much that it gets annoying like some bands tend to do. Being a deathcore band this track clearly will have breakdowns still but they are so short that by the time they bug you (if you don't like them that is) they're over. jumping back into a standerd riff for a few bars prepare yourself for the killer drumming you may have been waiting for with vocals over top, followed by the vocalist growling "REPENT!" that drops into a section that i have no idea what to classify it as, is it a breakdown? Or is it just a normal section? I have no idea but it closes out the album pretty damn well nonetheless!

     overall 20 minues of pure death metal/deathcore ecstasy any true melo death or deathcore fan can benefit from listening to this. Absolutely killer overall 9/10 and i cant wait to see what else comes from this band!

P.S. Sorry for any mistake!! Plus i know i normall post on Thursdays but there has been so much this week with a new album that im reviewing tomorrow (Saturday April 26th) and brand new Slayer FINALLY! this is late but still its done so i hope you enjoyed it!

Acolytes "Benighted" EP Review

Acolytes, an American Melodic Death Metal band have released their new EP "Benighted" on March 31, 2014 through bandcamp (acolytes.bandcamp.com) and if you've never heard of Acolytes here's what you're in for. Imagine "Miasma" era The Black Dahlia Murder. That's it, this band sounds a ton like TBDM but its incredible because they still sound like something brand new. "Benighted" consists of 5 tracks and costs whatever you want to pay. From start to finish this album is a full on assault that'll break your neck and still have you come back for seconds. Lets get on with this.

"Madness From The Sea" opens this album with just over 3minutes of smash your head against a wall headbanging. With incredible riffs, crushing drums, face melting bass and the alternation between high and low vocals you'd expect from a band that sounds like they idolize The Black Dahlia Murder you're gonna go through this song a thousand times before you even realize it. Nothing left to say besides the fact that this is a killer opening track!

"A Morbid Rebirth" jumps back into the assault with a guitar only opening that comes back over and over through the song, that strangely (not really) reminds me of "What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse" by The Black Dahlia Murder. With more killer riffs and an absolute face melting solo as well as some very strong vocals prepare yourself for a song that'll knock you off your feet and kick you in the jaw.

"Prophetic Conquest" starting off my mentioning "the will of the gods" you know this can only go well from a death metal band. This song has one of the coolest guitar riffs you'll probably hear from any band this year. Insane riffs as well as a perfect tempo to headbang and not have it kill half way through the song is an incredible feat for any band, leading into an incredible dual onslaught guitar solo. Now what comes after all this? Think it through.. Yeah wicked bass solo that's right why not? Do a couple more verses then BAM bass solo to close out the song!

"Like Lambs" all about your stupidity in believing in religion. Now we are getting back into normal metal lyrics right? With the incredible dual guitars although the entire song not being quite as fast paced as the rest of the album for the most part is a nice breather right near the end of the album, but also shows some incredible skill from every member of the band on many occasions which is why I believe that this may be the strongest track on the album.

"Blinded By Fear" does this name sound familiar? If not you're missing out on the incredible band At The Gates or you're just missing out on their incredible 1995 album "Slaughter of the Soul" either way you fucked up. The band brings a great new feel to the song, showing they can really play their own style of music. Really there's nothing else to add besides the fact that this is a great cover and is an incredible way to close out the album.

All around "Benighted" is one tough son of a bitch and really shows that metal is far from death whether its the old bands that are still going strong or these new bands like Acolytes. If you enjoy Melodic Death Metal as a whole or if you just enjoy The Black Dahlia Murder it is required that you pick this up now! (acolytes.bandcamp.com) in my own opinion "Benighted" deserves a strong 9/10 and Acolytes deserve to be discovered! That's all, rock on \m/