Avante garde : an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts.
– Merriam Webster Dictionary – 2016
I have always looked at avant garde arts, sciences and music as deliberate conceptual ideas that are presented to the desired audience as concepts of purpose. Various elements and portions of avant garde are placed there within the arts, science and music they are intended for. The respective artists within the avant garde community have always applied there ideas to either obtain a desired effect or to innovate a change in the conventional wisdom of what is or is not acceptable.
All the above mentioned narrative applies to Italy’s MindAhead. It has certainly been quite a while since I heard a band so organic with its elements. According to the Official MindAhead Facebook page they explain themselves this way,
“The idea is to merge different aspects, sometimes opposite ones, of the human feeling, gathering them in a variegated personal music proposal, that plunge its roots in musical influences that go from seventies progressive rock to the death metal.”
This is the total truth and nothing but. I would like to think they are a cross between Opeth meets Epica meets Between The Buried And Me meets Delain. The ‘Beauty/Beast Metal’ element of clean sweet ethereal female vocals married to the more abrasive male death metal grunts is probably the most contemporary element to this album. The rest is a organic innovation. The true innovative element is the classical chamber like musical elements laced throughout the album from the first track Reflection to the last track Memories.
The more I have listened to it the better the journey. It is definitely for an acquired audio pallet. This is also not one of those over the top productions that seems compressed nor forced. As I mentioned above every chord progression and passage is there deliberately and has a purpose compared to certain passages and chord progressions other bands use just as a filler which there is many. In MindAhead’s Reflections we also have very vintage progressive elements that hearkened towards the 1970’s with some Pink Floyd to Yes style time signatures.
Now I will proceed to go into depth on MindAhead’s Reflections. This will be a track by track analysis
Reflection is a instrumental track to open the album. It is as if the music is playing in a chamber or open concert hall. It contains elements from both chamber music and early to middle 1970’s Pink Floyd in its atmospheric nature.
Remain Intact picks up with where Reflection left off. Marching to the backbone of double blast beats in the rhythm section and strong male grunts married with a sweet clean female vocal it is more progressive than symphonic. That is something rarely found with the Beauty & Beast elements of metal. Think later more progressive After Forever with more metalcore vocal elements in the grunts. There is a very intricate outro loaded with various time signature progressions.
Mind Control starts off with some dark ambient like atmosphere with a dark piano passage. Soon this track explodes with heavy rhythmic based double blast beats and the female male vocal dynamic. This is a track where the male vocal is not always rest in the grunt or growl narrative but also takes on a cleaner vocal as well. The track drops off at the end and sets up for a seamless transition to On The Dead Snow.
Video Courtesy of ( Revalve Records Official YouTube Channel )
On The Dead Snow fades in with a smooth seamless transition from where Mind Control leaves off. It soon explodes in a full sonic blast. It is a all out audio assault throughout this track. The rhythm section is like a full military assault of blast beats and tuned down bass. The guitar is not always a rhythmic instrument but also a lead stringed instrument. The middle of the track takes on layers and layers of melody and vocal harmony. This is a rare time where the male grunts are very understandable. The middle also serves as a breed ground of various progressive time signatures and off guitar solos. Towards the end the track has some elements of a ballad before the track picks up once again.
Video Courtesy of ( Revalve Records Official YouTube Channel )
Amigdala is the true epic on the album. It opens up with a very Pink Floyd atmospheric passage of great expanse and minimal elements. The bass and drum rhythmic sections kicks in to carry the atmosphere into towards the vocal narrative. This is a true 1970’s inspired progressive track that it continues to build layer upon layer of atmospheres. The vocal work of Kyo Calati has a soulful quality about it. The male grunts are more of a instrumental compliment for the cleaner more ethereal female vocal. The grunts span from death metal, to light grindcore and even have elements of black metal screams. There is such a heavy atmospheric aesthetic that the band allows for the track to breathe and not to lean some much on compression. The guitar solo’s are almost like that of David Gilmore meets Steve Howe of Yes. This track shows the mature depths that MindAhead have as a young band.
Emerald Green Eyes picks up where Amigdala left off with a heavy atmospheric opener before the track takes on a full assault once again with heavy blast beats and male death growls that serve the two fold purpose of a instrument and a harmonic vocal along with the female vocal. This track also takes on light industrial elements with the guitar and bass. At the 3:15 mark the track takes on a very prog rock vibe in the solo.
The Mask Through The Looking Glass (Part 1) starts out with almost a 16th century acoustical element. Soon it is layer with violins and keyboards to form a beautiful instrumental track. The Mask Through The Looking Glass (Part 1) serves as the perfect instrumental intro for The Mask Through The Looking Glass (Part 2).
The Mask Through The Looking Glass (Part 2) opens up with a surprising yet, blistering intro due to how The Mask Through The Looking Glass (Part 1) left off. This track also reminds me a lot of the NWOBHM or New Wave Of British Heavy Metal with the galloping guitar and bass rhythms. The female vocal really lights this one up very well. The entire rhythm section is some of the best I have heard in 10 years on this track. For a track that is only 6:31 this is full of time signatures and insane guitar solos.
Farewell opens up with a very clean and beautiful acoustic guitar intro. It continues to build layers upon layers in the stringed section with the percussive elements of drum and bass subtly coming into the track. The band allows much breathing room for the listener to become immersed in this track. If there had to be a ballad on the album, Farewell would fall into that category. Although it has a heavy ballad element about it, Farewell still maintains the progressive objective and integrity the band has displayed throughout the album.
Three Sides Of A Dangerous Mind opens up with a beautiful acoustic track before taking on a heavy charging assault with brutal double blast beats, the bass serving a two fold purpose of both a stringed and percussive element towards the rhythm section. This track is bound together with a beautiful atmosphere from start to finish. The atmospheric element helps the guitar solos, rhythm section and vocals stand out in a way that every member of the band can be fully heard and understood. This track also bring the album together as a great avant garde metal concept.
Memories is the third instrumental track on the album that closes the album just as cohesive as the opening track Reflection did. It helps the listeners audio senses digest the entire album they just heard as well.
MindAhead are a band of innovation in metal. They are on the vanguard of where avant garde and progressive metal is going into the future. I believe Reflections is opening up another door of true ideas and standards for this kind of experimental metal. They continue Italy’s rich under rated progressive rock and metal tradition. They have a very distinctive and unique sound that will stand out among the current metal landscape. MindAhead’s Reflections is one of the absolute strongest debut albums over the last 25 years. I am giving MindAhead’s Reflections a perfect 5/5.
Label : AMF Records/Germany Release Year: 2016 Country: Germany Genre: Progressive Melodic Death Metal
Band Members
Alexander Otto – Vocals & Lyrics Erik Gaßmus – Lead & Rhythm Guitar Robin Dirks – Lead & Rhythm Guitar Konstantin Voßhoff – Bass Tristan Wegner – Drums Leo Wichmann – Keyboards & Ambient
My first gateway into Melodic Death Metal came in 1995 at the expense of a damn good band called Dark Tranquility. They had been at the head of a new pioneering metal movement out of Sweden called Swedish Extreme Thrash Metal or Swedish Melodic Death Metal depending on who in this industry you ask. Anyway I remember the reoccurring power metal almost doom metal aesthetic it had going through it on the instrumental portion of the music. That would be met with a wall of almost blackened death folk metal vocal that ran side by side with the expert musicianship in the instrumental narrative.
Bands from Sweden such as Dark Tranqulity, Amon Amarth, At The Gates, Children Of Bodom, In Flames, etc… were all part of that Gothenburg Sweden sound that was taking the world in the first half of the decade of the 1990’s . Meanwhile you had the old guard of Grindcore metal in the United Kingdom in the form of Carcass, and later Norwegian Black Metal pioneers Enslaved starting to get more and more progressive in later years on later releases. It just seemed that once the Florida Death Metal scene with bands such as DEATH, Obituary, Morbid Angel, etc … gave birth to the genre as a whole many other parts of the world were placing their flavour and unique individual sounds on it thus making more melodic journeys with the sub genre.
The same can be said for Germany. Many of us who have been listened to progressive rock and progressive heavy metal along with death metal know that once it gets to Germany that it takes on a whole other sound and dichotomy that makes it uniquely German. Bands like the Scorpions, Accept, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, etc … all have had one of the strongholds on metal particularly in power metal. Now marry the progressive, power and melodic death metal all into a well even balance with a German sound and it gives you a band like Words Of Farewell.
Taking every element from the Swedish Melodic Death Metal, the American Death Metal, the Power Metal of Germany with a taste American Progressive Metal of Dream Theater, Symphony X , Fates Warning, etc.. sound that is Words Of Farewell. In just about 10 years time Words Of Farewell have been able to take many forms of metal and blend them to a sound so distinct and unique you can tell it is Words Of Farewell and not another band out there. The music itself may be an acquired audio pallet however with the proper objectivity a traditional metal listener could absorb the beautiful audio assault provided by Words of Farewell.
Their most recent release from AFM Records titled A Quiet World, is a true tour de force and adventure into more and more melodic layers of melodic death metal. This is also one of the more progressive albums I have heard out of this particular genre or lot of music. With A Quiet World, Words Of Farewell also go into the realms of symphonic metal as well. In doing my research to prepare for this review I wen out and got a lot of the band’s earlier albums to listen in contrast to the current album A Quiet World. Where some bands may change their sound and call it ‘evolving’ Words of Farewell have truly evolved in their unique sound without losing any of the quality of the sound from album to album. The band has maintained and even improved on their sound to produce the best possible product possible to their fan base and future fan bases to come.
Let us look at some highlights off the individual tracks of Words Of Farewell A Quiet World.
My Share Of Loneliness explodes right away with a progressive frenzy of various time signatures and chord progressions that seem more rooted in progressive metal. The chord progression also resemble a light industrial passage that has been very popular in Germany for the last 30+ years. The vocal tracking takes a spoken word element about to enhance the narrative of the lyrical content. The vocals are also tracked with such fullness and brilliance that it gives the illusion of many vocalists involved in reality there is only one.
Gaia Demise begins with a balanced keyboard and heavily drum induced rhythmic section. Soon the vocals begin to play off the drum backbone and follow the rhythmic progressions. The vocal also carries the the track in its initial minute and is as much a instrument as it is a vocal telling a story. There is a wicked hesitation in the rhythm guitar narrative.
Gallows Frame begins with a very eerie atmospheric passage before changing gears into a heavily rhythm based chord progression. The vocals once again play a wonderful part in serving both as a narrative vocal and instrumental. The keyboard is also tuned to play a piano style synth giving the stringed section as much atmosphere as the guitar plays to the drum/bass rhythmic section. This track has a very brooding rhythmic section that generates a further heaviness to the song.
Limit Cycle starts out as a semi film soundtrack style in the guitar passage. Soon the drums come in with subtle beats. There is a steady progression towards a heavier chord progressive passage. The keyboards once again serve a a technical instrument and a piano passage. The vocal is more spoken word until about the 2:00 mark. Then the track takes a wicked step steady progression using both the drum and keyboard narratives as a backbone to the rest of the track. The band really establishes the vocal narrative both as a melodic and a spoken word narrative on this track. The vocal almost leans towards a alight black metal echo as well.
Zero Temperance begins with atmospheric synths combined with grity distorted rhythm sections joined by the stringed portion of the guitar playing as a rhythmic instrument. The vocals remain brutal. The drums have many signatures and time progressions. The band thoroughly maintains the vocal order playing more off the explosive rhythm sections over the stringed sections.
Momentary Life begins with a very on off time signature almost dabbling into Djent. The time signatures are all over the place on this while still remaining on point to the bands primary sound aesthetic. The band clearly has a cohesive vision throughout A Quiet World and this particular track serves as a affirmation to that main objective. There is even some clean vocals serving as echoes off the main grunts.
Oversoul starts with a thick synth atmosphere. That is soon met with a explosive rhythm section that remains a anchor for the atmosphere. The vocals on this one really assault the listeners senses almost in a surround sound register. Although they are grunts and growls the vocals are really thick in harmony. About the 2:35 mark the drums go into a insane blast beat with the vocals playing into a brief spoken word narrative. Much like the rest of the album the guitar solos are very front and center on this as well.
The Farthest Reach begins with a almost Symphonic metal progression with heavy multi stringed guitars and basses. This track is also very heavily industrial in its nature, almost in the vein of a progressive Rammstein. This track also has a heavy oriental middle eastern element within it as well.
This Shadow My Likeness is the epic on the album clocking in at 10:45. It begins with a actual rare piano passage. It is borderline baroque meets progressive metal. The guitar solos rest heavily more on the progressive metal side to enhance the melodic experience. This is one of those typical epics that have a lengthy build up throughout the track. At the 2:55 mark the track is finally joined with vocals. The frame up of this track does not depend on a solid full 10:45 assault. There are some nice breaks for the listener to digest what the audio pallet is being delivered. There is a heavy spoken word element throughout this track as well. The guitar solos show hints of a classical influence as well. There is a nice conclusion to this epic as well. There is a spoken word element that concludes the story at the end.
I believe Words Of Farewell have taken all their influences and forged their own distinct metal sound. They have clearly placed Germany on the map for Progressive Melodic Death Metal. They have not really replaced all the Melodic Death Metal that was pioneered in Scandinavian countries they have enhanced it and taken it into another direction of posterity and evolution. I do not do this lightly but I am giving Words Of Farewell’s A Quiet World a strong 5/5.
I can still remember my first introduction to Triumph. It was at the US Festival at Devore California in 1983. My main listening at that time was the NWOBHMbands like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon, Diamond Head and even some Ozzy Osbourne. So when I discovered I was going out to the US Festival with my parents to the Rock & Metal Day I had this preconceived idea that was going to watch and even listen to old geezer music. To my shock and surprise it was one of the very best concerts I have been to.
This was Day #2 and the following played on the bill that day. Judas Priest , Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne , Quiet Riot, Scorpions, Triumph, Van Halen. The one thing all this bands and artists had in common was in the vocals. The vocals on all this acts were up in the high rent district with towering soprano like styles. Besides Rob Halford in Judas Priest which was obvious of his insane range at the time, another one really stuck out at me. That being Triumph’s Rik Emmett. It was almost mandatory to have a vocal style like that in those days with this music.
Coming out of the same area about the same time as their contemporaries RUSH, Triumph would forge another path for Toronto, Ontario Canadian AOR/Arena Rock. What RUSH did to the progressive hard rock, Triumph would do for a new upcoming sub genre called Melodic Metal/AOR. Rik Emmett’s towering vocal style would also become both a mainstay on FM radio and the new medium of the day MTV. Like RUSH, Zebra and ZZ Top who were all three men outfits, Triumph would also find some satisfactory success on MTV. Songs like Lay It On The Line, Magic Power, Follow Your Heart and Fight The Good guaranteed that Triumph was much more than just the flavour of the month at the time. They were mainstays throughout the majority of the latter 1970’s through to the middle to latter part of the 1980’s.
Fast forward now to 2016. I am still discovering new depths and different sides to Rik Emmett. He returns with a powerful, knity grity style of stripped down almost blues hard rock AOR with Rik Emmett & RESolution9 – RES9. If you think for a moment this is just another Triumph style big arena rock/AOR/Melodic Metal sound you are in for somewhat of a shock, but a good shock nevertheless. Rik Emmett explores many sounds and depths of guitar oriented rock with this new album. Rik Emmett has also tapped into the rich Canadian rock pedigree to enlist the likes of Dream Theater’s James Labrie, RUSH’s Alex Lifeson, Dave Dunlop , etc … for Rik Emmett & RESolution9 – RES9.
On Rik Emmett & RESolution9 – RES9, we see Rik Emmett really strip down to bare bones straight up bluesy AOR rock. It is also amazing to see how he employed two people more known for their prog rock prowess in Alex Lifeson and James Labrie on a very fundamental straight away blues rock and how their individual talents totally fall in line with great precision on both time and range. Now a little breakdown of Rik Emmett & RESolution9 – RES9.
Stand Still begins with a very straight forward stripped down blues chord progression. It is almost that Texas southern fried rock made better known by ZZ Top. Lyrically it tells the story of all sorts of characters. The rhythm section is partially blues with light jazz elements you would find in a Zydeco joint in New Orleans. The guitar solo’s are nasty in nostalgia yet with a wonderful modern elemental sound. This track is the perfect setup for the bluesy buffet ahead.
Human Race (feat. Alex Lifeson) begins with a very familiar opening passage on guitar by Alex Lifeson. This is the very sound a riff playing we have come to know Alex in RUSH. This time it is acclimated more towards a bluesy passage more than a progressive one. Rik has totally built a Toronto Ontario, bloodline throughout this album and it starts on this track.
I Sing (feat: James Labrie) Lyrically this is a classic tale of the life of a working musician going in and out of the trials and tribulations of life. James Labrie comes in quite subtly on vocals and takes over in certain parts. Both Rik and James do a great job playing of the rhythm section. Particularly the drum/bass rhythm section. This track also features another side to James Labrie many do not see in Dream Theater, that being a ‘Classic Rock Vocalist’.
My Cathedral is a very introspective track of people making proclamations of what faith and life mean. Is it God, music, whatever people find peace of mind and spirit in. This is really has some American southern fried roots in the chord progressions. Rik allows both the lyrical and instrumental narrative to carry this track into the middle and more experimental tracks of the album.
The Ghost Of Shadow Town starts off with thunderous drums to set the rhythmic tone with a almost steel guitar vibe. The guitar solos throughout this track add more of a accent to the rhythm section narrative. Rik also employs more of a semi spoken word semi melodic vocal to tell the story.
When You Were My Baby starts out much in a Southern Texas Stevie Ray Vaughn style guitar passage. There are some nice isolated elements throughout to showcase both the instrumental and lyrical portions of the song. This is almost sounds like he and his band did this one live in studio and went back and did vocals later. The guitar solos are organically nasty and fluently blues.
Sweet Tooth is a little love ballad that is done in a 2:12 time frame. Kind of short and sweet , no pun intended. It is almost has a later 1960’s blues soul vibe about it. The lyrical content is how the individual listener receives it.
Heads Up starts out with with a straight away rock passage. This track is probably the closest the traditional Triumph fan will enjoy. This is probably the most AOR track on the album in its anthemic nature.
Rest Of My Life begins with a smooth acoustic guitar passage along with a very harmonic vocal melody. Rik cuts in with a solo vocal isolation in the middle of the beautiful vocal harmony. This track has very rolling guitar oriented rock chord progressions. A lot of Rik Emmett’s vocal register over the last 40 years really flourishes in this one.
End Of The Line (feat: Alex Lifeson & James Labrie) displays the full Canadian rock element over the last half a century. Rik has written towards the strengths of both Alex Lifeson & James Labrie while maintaining the original blues objective he has for the album. This track is very heavy on the Classic Rock and AOR elements. This is the essential song that is very appropriate for both sub genres. There is a beautiful nastiness in the guitar passages throughout the track. The solos are big and so are the rhythmic elements. The solo’s are huge and you can hear both Rik Emmett’s signature style and Alex Lifeson’s signature style within the context of the main narrative.
Grand Parade (feat: Gil Moore & Mike Levine) {Bonus Track} sees Rik Emmett reunited with his Triumph band mates. This is a very subtle track. The guitars and vocal harmonies progress towards an apex where the the track takes some subtle drops and begins to build in between passages. It also does not depend on the verse/bridge/chorus format in the lyrical narrative.
I will say this about Rik Emmett & RESolution9 RES9, this was a very unexpected gift to music in 2016. In a year plagued by many losses in the music world this is one of those albums that brings home what traditional ‘classic rock’ and AOR are about. It also continues to solidify Rik Emmett’s legacy as one of the best Canadian songwriters and musicians of our time.This album also has confirmed in me the maturity and appreciation for music outside my heavy metal and folk rock and progressive rock/metal roots. Rik Emmett & RESolution9 RES9 gets a 4.75/5.
Florida has had a very rich musical lineage over the last 50 years or so. First in the later 1960’s to early 1970’s the band that really put Florida on the map originally was Lynyrd Skynyrd out of Jacksonville. They would later go on to influence something called ‘Southern Rock’. Soon bands such as Allman Brothers Band and .38 Special would follow road Lynyrd Skynyrd laid. Although ‘Southern Rock’ would be plagued with great loss and grief that did not stop the metamorphosis of the Florida music scene.
Meanwhile in the world of jazz and fusion another well developed jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius better known for his legendary work in Weather Report, Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell.Jaco is still considered by many to this date the ‘Godfather Of Jazz Bass’ and that merit really can not be disputed. Jaco would later influence the likes of Flea, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Carlos Santana and even Metallica bassist Robert Trujillowho produced a film documenting the life of Jaco.
In the 1980’s the musical history of Florida would become a little richer in its heritage. This time in the realms of heavy metal music. While the United Kingdom and Los Angeles California were able to boast about their respective metal scenes, so would Florida on two metal fronts progressive power metal with bands such as Crimson Glory and Savatage. However Florida’s biggest metal export would be the late 1980’s to early 1990’s ‘First Wave Of Death Metal’. In the ‘First Wave Of Death Metal’, bands like Brutality, Obituary, Deicide, Morbid Angel and Chuck Shuldiner’s DEATH would all give birth to the modern global death metal movement still going today. But there always seems to be newer artists and music movements in Florida.
One such band at the forefront of what I call Melodic Post Alternative Hard Rock is Sunshine & Bullets. In as much as the previous mentioned bands I spoke about within Florida’s rich musical history, I feel Sunshine & Bullets have an approach and unique distinctive sound that we will look back on 20 to 50 years from now and place them at the top of some rock family tree maybe not as much pioneers as they will be seen as innovators of music.
Florida seems to produce quality original bands in style, genre, approach and presentation. They never produce watered down clones that exist for the case of just existing. Sunshine & Bullets are a true originals in style, genre, approach, sound and presentation. With only three members in the band Rich Keane Jr – Vocals/Guitar , Amanda Hamers – Vocals/Bass, Kyle Wolfram – Drums, the band has seemed to carve their own way instead of following and produced their own unique and distinct sound that really can not compare to any of their modern day contemporaries.
Formed in 2010 the band has certainly seen its share of growing pains however have always had a way of falling right back on their feet and continue with growth and maturity for such a young band. The band’s official 2014 debut release Triangulum Mechanism proves that very fact. In a musical climate where the industry has a handful of producers creating cookie cutter crap and in a industry way too dependent on useless algorithm’s, Sunshine & Bullets really worked hard to form their own unique sound. Triangulum Mechanism is one of the most powerful yet professional modern debuts I have heard in the last 15 years.
On their 2014 debut Triangulum Mechanism the band truly has this less is much more post rock style atmosphere. They have removed most of the overdubbed tracks that some people think are needed with a band their size. I get this impression that they play live in studio during the recording process and later going back to do the vocals separately. This approach is also brilliant meaning that it provides the band with the confidence needed to perform what they do in studio out on a live setting on the stage. Amanda and Rich’s vocals not only play off the stringed narrative but also hit in the necessary places on the rhythm half of the music as a whole.
The band seems to put out the sound of a seven piece band with only three members. Although stripped down in size, Sunshine & Bullets manage to produce a huge and powerful fury within their chord progressions. A lot of this has to do with the seven string guitar played by Rich with the thunderous fury and grace on the bass from Amanda. Time and time again on the 20 tracks on Triangulum Mechanismthe band manages to go outside the typical three chord progression 4/4 time signature and play and produce forth much fuller chord progressions that carefully ride the line between modern prog rock and modern post rock/metal.
Triangulum Mechanism is a conceptual/thematic album meaning their is not a central plot or conceptual story going on, it is more a common topic and theme of science fiction throughout the 20 tracks on the album. With 20 tracks it is a clear indicator of the great detail and care given to the album. This album is more crafted and recorded instead of just written and recorded. There are some wonderful segues between some tracks that are usually missing in the modern alternative post rock/metal circuits. The band totally displays a clear vision and carefully carries the vision to its final fruition. None of the tracks sound like the same thing over and over again. This album guarantees that the listener gets absolutely no time to get bored. There is something always changing up on a sonic level.
Triangulum Mechanism also is an open window into the band’s potential to not only write songs to appeal to the modern rock audience but also appeal to those who like their music heavier and extreme. This will be far more discussed in the other half of this band feature of the month when I go in and review their new full conceptual story EP titled “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1”.- (The Awakening ) . The EP “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1” – (The Awakening)is far more heavy and brutal. You can go to “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1”- (The Awakening). As for Triangulum Mechanism I give this a 4.5/5 for careful attention to detail.
When I last left off with my review to Sunshine & Bullets Triangulum Mechanism, I gave a detailed history into the musical heritage in Florida and how it had a influence on Sunshine & Bullets. It seems that Florida is a area of musical pioneers or innovators that pride themselves into maintaining a uniqueness about themselves. Sunshine & Bullets are certainly every definition to this and by no means an exception to this rule.
This time they go full on with Part 1 of a two part conceptual (EP) series titled “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1“ (The Awakening).Part 2 of this series will see a release sometime in 2017 along with the full album of both parts on one offering. “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1“ (The Awakening) is far more heavy and brutal than Triangulum Mechanism. This offering sees the band really tapping more into their alternative metal side along with all the brilliant post rock elements they employed on their debut Triangulum Mechanism.
The style, sound, delivery and presentation of “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1“ (The Awakening) also is continual proof that Melodic Revolution Records refuses to be pigeonholed into the genre or selection of talent they scout. While appealing to the older progressive rock/metal purists they also go into the area of modern rock and metal. IF I had to compare Sunshine & Bullets to any band I would say think Disturbed meets Shinedown with a twist of Flyleaf and The Letter Black without the grunts or growls.
However that comparison there does not tarnish the utter brutality that “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1“ (The Awakening) contains therein. Although this only has six songs it is the perfect set up for the full concept that will be released in 2017. The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1 – (The Awakening) is a passionate album inspired by the propaganda imposed on us by the media and leadership. As usual, we hope to enlighten and help you get through turmoil but see through the distractions. Now without any further delay I would like to point out some highlights to “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1“ (The Awakening)with a track to track analysis.
Everyone’s Watching opens up with a sequence of sound and effects giving the listener the illusion that a television set is auto tuning. The band really does a creative job depicting this very effect with the instrumental tools at their call. The instrumental narrative really hooks the listener at the first not preparing them for a lyrical narrative that is truth meets sarcasm. I think whoever listens to this one will be able to identify with this track as a collective.
You Wanted A War stays on point with the conceptual narrative of the world being so interconnected yet with all the technological advances and communication their is still a present ignorance. The extremely tuned down rhythm section will appeal to Generation X and Millennials under the spell of its sonic discourse. The vocal harmonies are both beautiful and creative. The vocals give the illusion of Amanda and Rich delivering them through a megaphone from time to time like a call to action. Heads In The Sand opens up with a blistering rhythm section compounded by some , at times, almost prog rock time signatures. The harmony between male and female vocals both allow for the listener to experience this track both from a masculine side and a feminine side. The vocal harmonies are tight. The lyrical narrative explores mankind’s complacency in the face of enlightenment.
Divided We Stand begins with a heavily psychedelic element before the blistering rhythm section kicks in. Amanda has this uncanny ability to use her bass both as a melodic instrument or percussive instrument to perfectly compliment Kyle’s wicked drum work. There is almost a NWOAHM or New Wave Of American Heavy Metal vibe about this one. The sweetener to the track is the spoken word narrative in the middle.
Paralyzed is probably the most nostalgia driven track. It sounds like a 1980’s alternative or a heavier New Wave chord progression in the vein of INXS and U2 meets modern hard rock. The band does a great job bringing all the older rock elements and putting a more relevant and modern flavor to it so it appeals to a younger listener.
Let The Giants Sleep opens up with a brooding tuned down rhythm section. Kyle – Drums and Amanda – Bass really do a great job interchanging between melodic rhythm progression to a all out assault with a more percussive rhythm narrative. At times chord progressions remind me of later Lacuna Coil.
After listening to Sunshine & Bullets“The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1“ (The Awakening) and after experiencing Triangulum Mechanism the first half of this feature, I am convinced that Sunshine & Bullets are at the forefront of another significant musical movement coming out of Florida. I believe that they are perhaps a tour or a festival away from placing Florida again on the ‘Musical Map‘. With such youth within the band they display such a veteran presence both in the delivery of the instrumental and painting the picture lyrically within the senses of the listener. Sunshine & Bullets “The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1“ (The Awakening) does not get a rating yet. In the interest of fairness I will reserve a rating until the entire album and other Part 2 is released.
Back in 2005 I had discovered one of the absolute best documentaries called Metal : A Headbangers Journey. It was done by a new Canadian anthropologist and filmmaker Sam Dunn. Throughout the course of this documentary Sam Dunnwent into very great detail on the history of heavy metal by creating a heavy metal family tree. This family tree not only spoke of the origins to heavy metal music but also the evolution of metal. The family tree was fractured into 26 sub genre’s of heavy metal. He would soon create a docu-series on 12 of those 26 sub genres and call it Metal Evolution.
As I was watching this docu-series I noticed a few artists made the list within this family more than once. Some were credited with be a pioneer in one or more genres. I totally agree with Sam Dunn’s assessment. One artist that really stood out more then some that were featured on multiple branches of the family tree was none other than the subject to this retrospective, Mercyful Fate’s ownKing Diamond.
King Diamond would make the list under the sub genres of ‘First Wave Of Black Metal’ in Mercyful Fate and ‘Shock Rock/Metal’as King Diamond. Back in those days to even be considered as a pioneer in a only one sub genre was a huge deal but to actually make two sub genres looking back on it is a outstanding accomplishment all its own. Not even the forefathers of heavy metal such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Judas Priest members can boast of this in the way King Diamond now can. However not to bore anyone with further history, I am here in hopes many will join me in celebrating the 30th Anniversary of King Diamond’s first ever solo effort away from Mercyful Fate titled Fatal Portrait.
Coming with King Diamond on Fatal Portrait were Mercyful Fate original’s Michael Denner – Lead/Rhythm Guitars and Timi Hansen – Bass. To round out the lineup were Andy Larocque – Lead Guitars and Mikkey Dee – Drums. It was released on February, 17th 1986. Ever since its release there have been reissued and remastered versions of this album across various formats. My focus however is the classic 9 tracks from the original pressing issue. See above in track listing.
When I first heard King Diamond it was in fact Fatal Portrait. I was attracted to the animated Cleopatra female face on the album. In those days album art sometimes made the album or broke it. The cover of the vinyl jacket caught my attention and I looked on the back of the jacket and tripped a bit in horror. The face paint on King Diamond totally was Sir Arthur Brown, Alice Cooper andKiss taken to a whole other dimension. I knew I was about to have my ass handed to me when I placed this on the turntable platter.
King Diamond’s voice was like none had even heard till that time. He took what Rob Halford, Robert Plant, Ian Gillan up to a level of falsetto soprano to the ionosphere. It would also help inspire either directly or indirectly singers like John Arch – Fates Warningor Midnight – Crimson Glory in progressive metal or even black metal contemporaries such as Kronos of Venom,Tom Warrior – Hellhammer/Celtic Frost or Quorthon of Bathoryto name a few. This sounded like going to a opera house to see a horror opera on stage and King Diamond the main character. For 1986 this was pretty scary for the time and at times controversial due to the lyrical content.
Fatal Portrait also set another standard especially within the ‘First Wave Of Black Metal’and later on with ‘Norwegian Black Metal’and that being Black Metal’s first thematic or concept album depending on how the audience and listener received it. Unlike the bands that would come after Mercyful Fate/King Diamond whose vocal styles were practically screams, shrieks and more acquire audio pallet, King Diamond would maintain a clean operatic vocal style. King Diamond also set a monumental higher standard on the stage than most artists to come before or after him.
Before Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth made a high quality visual video of the listener for black metal, King Diamond was doing this in the theater of the mind of the listener on Fatal Portrait and his other conceptual works to follow such as Them, and Abigail’s 1&2. King Diamond had incredible vision for the conceptual side of metal and music in general. His vision was like a soundtrack to horror and suspense films that have not been made or filmed yet. Now we can explore a few highlights of Fatal Portraitby song/track.
The Candle opens up with a very eerie atmosphere with a slight touch of a hand bell. The intro is very haunting almost like the opening to a sheer horror film set to metal music. It is very intense from the first note and passage. Soon you hear a coven like gathering for a possible seance. The chant narrative is very wicked and haunting. It sounds like it is possibly being held in a church as you hear this thunderous atmospheric Hammond Organ sound painting the very walls of the mind of the listener. It is like a wicked invitation from some apparition. The title The Candle is very appropriate title for the first track as well. It is somewhat a metaphor for a person lighting a candle to see where he or she is going within the album itself. It soon takes off in a more thrashy speed metal direction. This is the one of the first times you hear a sort of double blast beat that would become commonplace in future black metal in general. This is also the early stages of voice transitioning from a scream style shrieks to a clean vocal .
The Jonah also starts with the chant effect of a coven or seance happening before it goes into something metal had very little with at that time and that is the use of a choir style of vocal. King Diamond keeps his enigmatic and sinister allure about him by ensnaring the listener more into the story. This is where reading the lyric sheet obviously comes into play. The incredible overdubbed vocals expanded the sound full of majestic atmospheres. The bad also is actually playing real guitar solo’s, something that would be partially lost in future in some black metal bands.
The Portrait begins with a seriously deep down tone effect before it enters into a almost NWOBHMstyle of galloping guitar and rhythm section of bass/drum. Once again King Diamond displays more and more possibilities with how to execute vocals in this fairly new format of metal. In this you also here a stringed section acting like a stringed section instead of the tuned down guitars that you would had with black metal’s rival death metal. Some of King Diamond’s vocals were not just a vocal but were also used as an instrument, always have and always will. He was pushing the proverbial vocal envelop further out of its comfort zone.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDs-N1YV8Ls]
Dressed In White on the instrumental side is a completely total shredfest , still a new element to this new sub genre called black metal.You also see King Diamond really becoming a serious force vocally to be reckoned with as this has at this time never been done as a solo act with help.
Charon is a brutal rhythm laden thrash over toned track with King Diamond still executing the vocals both as an instrument and a narrative. The vocal even emulates the illusion of a full choir going on about it that would later be heard in bands like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, Enslaved, Agalloch and Summoning. The wicked little giggle serves as something of melodic horror legend. The twin guitars pull off one of the very best guitar solo’s I have heard not only in just black metal but metal in general.
Lurking In The Dark has a brutal wolf style call effect as if this part of the story were taking place off in the woods. The beautiful vocal overdub sounds like something of a classical musical hall legend with an acoustic choir carrying it. The guitar solo’s are nothing but a thing of beauty and perfection in a format still very young.
Halloween continues to see King Diamond really coming into his own wicked persona. Even more so than when he was in his first band Mercyful Fate. The character is evil, wicked, diabolical and will stop at nothing to produce the most amount of fear in a person’s soul and blister the listeners ears with some serious guitar riffs. He is really wanting to rip somebody’s heart and soul out with melodic malice.
Voices From The Past is a brilliant instrumental as if somebody is running for their very lives through a set of woods or down a lonely street. This simulates much of how the human psyche can real take fear with very little.
Haunted lyrically lives up to its name. After running for your melodic life in Voices From The Past King Diamond really lays sheer horror within you. The guitars are offset to create a echo and bone chilling effect throughout this track. The solos are just as detailed as the rest of the recent eight tracks are. This album places the whole project into the perspective of being haunted, looking over your shoulder and in fear. King Diamond and band serve as instruments fear a melodic sticks and rods to further provoke that fear.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
