Avenged Sevenfold "Black Reign" (2018)

 

Its that time of year, the shopping season is upon us, perhaps explaining why we see an increase in bands dropping EPs in the months leading up to Christmas. Avenged have scraped the barrel for a B-Side in the instrumental Jade Helm track. Its a strange track of build ups and grooves that have these awful pauses, lasting too long to keep time of the beat and anticipate its return. Maybe vocal rhythms would of tied this space over but without them the song sounds like a bunch of sub par riffs stitched together with shuffling, over involved drum patterns, things left out from other songs.

Before it three songs play that fans may be familiar with. Turns out Avenged have been collaborating with the Call Of Duty franchise for a few years and these songs are from the successive soundtracks of the Black Ops games. The first track Mad Hatter being the most recent stands out as a firm favorite. Its their only new material since the magnificent The Stage, can barely believe its been two years already! The singing style, composition and quality of riffs really reflects the maturity of that record and so we receive a well written track with a luminous mid-tempo break in the middle. It cruises from acoustic guitars into an epic guitar solo, shredding heights and erupting back into the song main riff, riding it like a wave.

I can't speak too highly of the other two tracks, they are from further back in time when Avenged where less appealing to me. A couple of moments appease but what I like of their sound is only present in fractions. If anything the one song is a good sign that they are keeping on track and capable of continuing to write on form. As for the record itself, its simply a stitching of extra songs to promote the new single.

Favorite Track: Mad Hatter

Rating: 4/10

My Top 10 Albums Of 2016

So the year has come to a close and its been loaded with impressive releases, many of which were hard to cut from the list. Its surprising how some records seem fantastic at first then tire quickly, and others can sneak up on you over time. There has been variety but certainly no classics. As much as we have been spoiled with great music nothing ground breaking or earth shaking has reached my ears but rather a lot of records that make good on whats already known. If you didn't catch my top ten musical discoveries check it out here.

(10) Metallica "Hardwired To Self-Destruct" Link

It was a hard choice to put Hardwired on the list but I think merit has to be given to Metallica for finding a part of themselves that really works and putting it to record after many years of disappointment. Nothing like the good old days but they have churned out some new classics with this one.

(9) Korn "The Serenity Of Suffering" Link

This one wins worst album cover of the year, that's for sure. There has been no doubt in my mind it would make the list, the band somehow found a return to form after fourteen years of garbage. The Nu-Metal teen within me has been having a riot with this record.

(8) Lord Lovidicus "Book Of Lore Volume II - A Vespera Ad Lucem" Link

An initially uneventful record, its character and inspiration slowly emerges with each listen and before you know it the music is transforming your imagination and taking you to exotic sands far away.

(7) Avenged Sevenfold "The Stage" Link

An unexpected source of excellence, "The Stage" has Avenged searching for new ground and finding it on a record that's before solid and experimental where the band expand their horizons.

(6) Savages "Adore Life" Link

Overall, its probably not as good as their debut but the bar is already high and with their second record they established more sublime, charismatic songs and bolstered there live set with more engaging music

 

(5) Moonsorrow "Jumalten Aika" Link

 

I had barely listened to them before, maybe not at all but their 2016 release blew me away. In its immediacy its nothing special but as the songs progress and unfold they seem to have a magical engrossing quality that sucks you into their realm and hitting you with breakout moments and captivating melodies.

(4) Regina Spektor "Remember Us To Life" Link

Regina has such a charming honesty about her with music and I was unsure what to expect. It had been a while since she last caught my attention but this one has the best of her creativity, mirrored with passion, perspective and emotions that blossomed into gems of songs, each with their own charm.

(3) Plini "Handmade Cities" Link

A bright and colorful record that takes Metal music in a creative, luminous direction. The anticipation was certainly there and boy did it deliver! Ive listened to this countless times and its melodies are still as charming each time.

(2) Devin Townsend "Transcendence" Link

You can always rely on Devin to bring the musical inspiration. Initially I didn't quite feel it but as time went by the energy and wonder that radiates from such songs as "Stormbending" just wouldn't get out of my mind! It makes his recent output feel a step behind the feels this record brings.

(1) Death Grips "Bottomless Pit" Link

With the year passing by its proven to not but a perfect record but a large bulk of this one is exactly what I wanted, that sound they create crafted to the bouncy, mosh friendly side of groove they have. As the year goes on a can't stop myself from coming back to it again and again.

Avenged Sevenfold "The Stage" (2016)

It was fifteen years ago I first heard Avenged Sevenfold, abbreviated as "A7X", the Californian rockers burst onto the scene amidst the storm of Metalcore's commercial arrival. I remember it fondly, a wild sound, slightly unhinged, with bursts of melody and harmony between a screechy onslaught of groovy goodness and boundless energetic drumming. Their following releases steered away from the heavy aspects of their sound and I lost interest. Over the years Avenged have become a huge name in Metal, Rock and Alternative music, much of it passing me by but the opening song, the title track and single caught my attention. How glad I am that I decided to tune in, "The Stage" may be one of the years best records, an epic, lengthy concept record that delivers a continual level of class across its seventy three minutes, concluding with the fifteen minute epic "Exist" featuring none other than Neil deGrasse Tyson.

So the record takes on the common theme of mankind's potential self annihilation through a plethora of lyrics that unsurprisingly amount to little for me, given my more musically oriented mind most the words are in one ear and out the other. M Shadow's clean voice doesn't particularly resonate with me and he is no annoyance through this record but there were only a handful of moments where his presence helped elevate the music, "Everyone lives on borrowed time". Fortunately the instrumental aspect of the record is so strong it does little to tarnish the theme and direction of the music.

"The Stage" is a metallic treat that stretches its might into a few unexpected crevasses, "Fermi Paradox" showcasing a brief Black Metal blast beat and shadowy riff. For the most part its a generally Progressive Metal record with moments of Thrash Metal intensity, rhythmic moments of Groove Metal with Hard Rock and Heavy Metal antics. Its pulled together with luminous guitar leads that flex melodies and energetic guitar solos seamlessly in the transitional moments. The songs don't just hammer down on the heavy, with gorgeous, bold and slightly metallic acoustic tones the instrumentation comes together flexing its muscles between intensities as songs organically move through the motions. Calming a storm in one moment and blowing up the next.

Each track makes its distinction and on some with the help of additional instruments that sneakily drift into the music, disarming us of their presence. Keyboards, strings, trumpets and the like crop up throughout the record, often to participate in just singular moments of a songs journey. "Sunny Disposition"s chorus has M Shadow softly singing over a Mexican sounding horn section, its astounding catchy. If not an additional instrument, the core music is always exciting with quality riffs and song structures that come together with a lot of fire and energy. It plays through like a true epic.

The albums conclusion "Exist" is an almighty one, starting off with gritty thrash beat downs that are brought to life by fast, colorful sweeping guitar leads, then it bursts into an unsettling tone with looming organs. Once again the gears shift and grooving riffs rhythmically slam before light horns lead the way back to the organs. It plays back and forth a charm, steadily culminating into a storm before the song blows out its steam and calms to an acoustic tone before steadily building towards its grand finale, a stunning, inspiring and deeply meaningful speech from Neil deGrasse Tyson that plays through the music and with each words takes more of the focus.

Whatever Avenged were up to before this record I think it would be a fair assumption to say they have out done themselves. "The Stage" is lengthy, yet without filler. Its production is modern, crisp, clean and balanced for it to never be a concern. The inclusion or rich instrumentation and the general ambition of the record speaks volumes in the quality of each of these tracks, there is never a dull moment.

Favorite Tracks: Paradigm, Creating God, Fermi Paradox, Exist

Rating: 9/10