The Devin Townsend Band - Hyperdrive (off the Addicted album, with Anneke Van Giesbergen on vocals)
I like her voice a lot. It's extremely clean in tone. I get the feeling she could be successful singing in a variety of genres.
The lyrics are so so. But the song itself is entertaining to listen to and the synthesized, techno-ish elements to it make it fun to get into. I don't feel tired of listening to it, like I do most metal (and techno for that matter), in which I feel like it's just an incessant driving explosive sound that isn't really going anywhere. This song has more dynamics, and I appreciate that.
Kalmah - Holy Symphony of War
I like the lead/solo guitarist on this. There's some decently tricky picking and syncopated rhythm work going on there.
The lead singer is terrible. His growling doesn't really scare me so much as make me want to give him Theraflu...and if it's possible to be "off pitch" while death growling, I think that's how I'd describe him. His voice is very inconsistent, without seeming versatile. Worst of both worlds. :( And the chorus line behind him isn't that great either.
"I sing, you sing, we all sing Holy Symphony War!" Really? I didn't hear any singing. A lot of loud talking, though.
Killswitch Engage: My Curse
I really enjoy the lead voice, but something about it makes him sound like Rick Astley doing metal. But not in a corny way. It's just the rounded, spoon-like quality of his voice and the way in which he projects it. It's hard to explain what I mean by spoon-like, but it's like his mouth and throat are a ladle, slowly and steadily pouring out the sound, rather than a trumpet, or a dynamite blast, etc. So there's something calming about the music, even if it's metal, and emotional, and frustrated.
I love the slow, wistful refrain at the beginning. There's something poetic in the music, simple as it is. And the sudden pick up in beat isn't awkward or explosively jolting like some metal I've heard. The transition between the two tempos is somewhat abrupt, but clean at the same time. Definitely not like every song out there. It seems to pull from classical and even jazz music that switches meter over and over throughout the song, making it more of a ride than just a listening experience.
This was a ride I'd go on again, for sure.
Bleeding Through: Anti-Hero & Love Lost in a Hale of Gunfire
I'm sorry, but literally nothing stuck out to me about this band, except for perhaps their showmanship in their videos. Which makes me think they'd be great showmen live. They are obviously passionate and high energy. Other redeeming qualities of this band include a good looking lead singer, and a chick on keyboard. But I didn't find them very musically unique.
Sorry, Bleeding Through, but to quote your song: "I've heard enough of you."
Volbeat: Sad Man's Tongue
I wasn't sure I was listening to the right song at first. But I was. This song makes me happy. It's extremely high energy without being deafening or exhausting. If you enjoy Johnny Cash's music, but like me, sometimes find it drags, this is the perfect cure for that. The lead singer's higher notes are alright, but his bass notes are gorgeous. And the accent makes it extra fun. I think this song's definitely worth a listen, even for those who aren't really into metal.
More Danish metal tributes to Johnny Cash are in order, I think. :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment