Favorite Metal Albums of 2015 - Part 2

I’m actually finishing my top 5 before New Year’s Eve. Santa must have given me some inspiration for Christmas. That and it’s raining (instead of snowing) so there’s not much else to do other than stare at the tree and watch the Grinch steal Christmas again.

My top five for 2015 is decidedly heavier and a bit more doomy than the rest of my top 10. Bonus points for some nice vinyl options and Swallow The Sun’s box might get its own shelf, if only to support the weight of 5 LPs.

#5 Shape Of Despair - Monotony Fields

One of the best of the genre-defining Finnish doom bands returns after 10 long, cold years to plumb the darkest depths of the human experience. With their latest, Shape of Despair chills the bones of the listener, burying them in the sonic landscape of darkness and ice. At times suffocating and at others wildly freeing, it's wonderful to get lost, knowing that you cannot return unchanged.

#4 Myrkur - M

I think Myrkur was in my top 5 last year, too. This year's full-length release was highly anticipated and has been well-received by fans and critics alike. Amalie Bruun's 'black metal project' breathes unique life into black metal forms. In doing so, she creates a fascinating blending styles and cultures- from ethereal choral passages to bleak blast-beat ferocity - all in the blink of an eye.

#3 Paradise Lost - The Plague Within

It's always nice when you find a new band that isn't new. UK's Paradise Lost have been around for some time now. On this one, everything comes together and the band delivers a clinic in melodic death metal. With diverse songs- from slow burners to thrashy riffing to catchy clean/growl interplay - there's always a reason to come back to listen to some more.

#2 Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud

Amorphis. Ambassadors of Finnish mythology, heavy metal icons for over two decades, and the most metal microphone in music. When I say I will travel for music - this is the band that I have traveled the furthest to see (and in doing so I've been introduced to the land and people of Finland and Scandinavia). So it should be no surprise that their new album is one of my favorites this year. Under The Red Cloud contains all the epic poetry, heavy riffs, soaring vocals, death growls, and folk instrumentation needed for the perfect exemplar of Finnish death metal.

#1 Swallow The Sun - Songs From The North: Parts I, II, & III

Sometimes a single album isn't enough. Or even a double album. Swallow the Sun goes all-in on a three-disc album, with each disc dedicated to a particular aspect of death metal, attempting to match the depth and complexity of their native Finland. Songs From The North Part I is an album showcasing STS's signature sound - a blend of emotional highs and lows accompanied by slow, brooding beats with both elegant and guttural vocals. Part II is an acoustic affair, stripping the wall of sound back to its foundation. Part III is true funeral doom. With the speed and power of tectonic forces, the despair is real and reverberates through your bones. There's a lot to listen to and it will probably take a full year to make it all the way through this one. But that's ok because the rewards are as epic and vast as the scope of this record, even at the price of all your emotions and maybe your soul.

GreenChamber's Favorites of 2013

I know, I know, when the temperature drops and the Christmas decorations go up, every writes up a list of the “best” music from past 12 months. But hey, it’s fun to look back on the year (or the parts you remember) and reflect on the joyous tunes that got you through the dark winter, sweltering summer, and holidays with your family. This year, as I read through the multitude of other lists posted out there, I also notice how much music I’ve missed. Evidently, my theme for 2013 was to latch onto just handful of albums. I admit that I still have plenty of music from last year in heavy rotation. Even so, I decided throw together a little list of my own for your enjoyment while you’re finishing last-minute Christmas shopping (I wear a medium t-shirt, anything black). So here goes: a random list of five albums that I picked up this year and haven’t put down yet.

Katatonia - Dethroned and Uncrowned. Brooding with the dark elegance that Katatonia is renowned for, Dethroned embarks on a journey to reimagine the entire Dead End Kings album, stripping each track its gothic bones and building layers back up, gently guided by Jonas Renske sweet croon. The softer and more delicate that Katatonia’s sounds become the heavier they feel. Here’s hoping they bring their Dethroned tour to the US in 2014.

Soilwork - The Living Infinite. It’s hard to deny the ambition of Soilwork’s latest - a 20-song effort that showcases their driving, hard Swedish metal sound, tinged with subtle nods to some of the black and doom sounds that surely have served to influence them over the years. No, they didn’t need to put out such a lengthy record and certainly took a risk by doing so. Over the span of 20 songs, you could forgive (and probably expect) things to go soft somewhere around the middle. Hell, plenty of bands do it over of the course of 12 songs. Fortunately, Soilwork churn through each and every song with intent and passion, ensuring enough hooks and aggression to keep you battered track after track.

Amorphis - Circle. Departing from the epic Finnish folklore that served at the basis for past album, Amorphis choose to create their story with this year’s Circle. Blast beats, folk-tinged flourishes, and Tomi’s brutal growl make this a complete Amorphis album. The Finnish group continues to demonstrate the prowess and energy that years of crafting death metal can produce. The album is dense and rich, as the guitars are pushed forward, leaving the vocal to tear through the curtains - which Tomi achieves through guttural growls and distinctive harmonies.

DevilDriver - Winter Kills. I will be forever drawn to DevilDriver’s music. There’s something about the swagger and blistering rage that erupts throughout each song. Every album offers hints of different influences or directions that they could take, while swerving down the line of pummeling American death metal. Their relentless touring schedule means there’s always an opportunity to see how they do it all live and how songs, both new and old, consistently swirl into an inevitable circle pit.

Windhand - Soma. I read the reviews when this album was released and was intrigued enough to pick it up for myself. Soma is dark, dirty, and immensely isolating. The sound is gritty and scratches deeper with each passage. The repeated riff structures batter against you like a relentless wave, picking up the debris and sand from the ocean floor and showering it against your cold, bare skin. And while there is little daylight in this place, there is beauty buried beneath the noise. Just let it wash over you, to cleanse the ache away and start over again.

Will Travel for Music: Part I: Tuska Open Air 2013 - Finland

I'm doing something a little bit different - telling a story of my recent adventure through Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland through the music the influenced and guided the journey.

I've always been willing to make a drive to see a good show. An hour or two or even six doesn't stand in my way. Sometimes (especially depending the state of the metal scene where you live) you have to go to extra lengths to see your favorite bands play. Using this idea as inspiration, we (me and my metalhead partner in crime) decided to embark on a two week trek across Scandinavia to see the sights, visit the landscapes, and to see the places where metal lives.

Helsinki waterfront, vacation has begun

A photo posted by GreenChamber (@greenchamber) on Jun 6, 2013 at 11:55am PDT

The first stop was Helsinki, Finland for the Tuska Open Air Metal Festival. Even on our first night, we learned the value of following the music. After getting some pastries and caffeine (not the wisest dinner choice) we followed the sounds of outdoor music. Stepping into a crowded courtyard, flanked by outdoor bars, a glamed-up cover band faithfully cranked out some classic 80’s eighties tunes into the infinite Helsinki sunset. This detour was not in any of the guidebooks we read while researching the trip. We were all the better for that. It feels like most tour advice assumes that you’re most interested in churches and museums and whatever things deemed ‘quintessential’ to the places you visit. Many pages are dedicated to giving you the most authentic experience in the shortest amount of time. I’ll admit that were occasionally victims to this kind of rapid tourism, but fortunately had enough other activities planned that forced us off the well-beaten path.

And so we continued to follow the path of music. Like mountain streams gathering into a mighty river, the legions of metal fans cascaded into Tuska in the waning hours of Friday afternoon. We were there to see Amorphis in particular, but the preceding bands were also worth the trip. Fellow Fins, Wintersun played an inspired set, full of their characteristic virtuosic playing and vocalist Jari Maenpaa’s dynamic howl and screams. The Norwegian metal band, Ihsahn, played some headbanging metal, tinged with black and doom themes. As the crowd cleared from the stage after Ihsahn, I dodged the seagulls to score some food and then settled in at the front of the Amorphis stage, watching from a slight distance as Bolt Thrower hammered home an energetic set on the opposite facing stage.

As Bolt Thrower closed their set, anticipation mounted for Amorphis. Soon the band took the stage for the opening of “Shades Of Gray.” Frontman Tomi Joutsen charged the stage, grabbed his microphone with both hands, and bellowed a death growl to the cheering crowd. The set included eleven songs, spanning past albums Eclipse, Skyforger, Elegy, and Tales From the Thousand Lakes and drawing heavily from their recently released epic story, Circle.

I figured if you’re going to travel thousands of miles to see a band, you might as well stand in the front row. I think this is true of many aspects of being on vacation, whether you’ve travel a long distance or just down the road. It is your time to experience your surroundings however you would like. In this age of information, everyone will offer their must-see opinions. Granted, much this advice is probably well intentioned, but it is far more rewarding to work at doing what you want and being satisfied that your personal checklist was fulfilled.

Amorphis at Tuska

A photo posted by GreenChamber (@greenchamber) on Jun 6, 2013 at 3:15pm PDT

Our stay in Helsinki was short. The next day we caught a train to Savonnlina, in Eastern Finland to see a castle. We left the vibrant city for some peaceful days overlooking Olavinlinna. This was my first experience with European trains. Despite living on the overpopulated US eastern seaboard for my entire life, I do not have much experience with trains. But everything we read about traveling suggested that taking the train was best way to go. Public transportation has some inherit problems – first, the public: other people. I would normally prefer to walk 20 minutes than take a 4 minute ride on a crowded subway or bus. Second, there is the matter of schedules. Trains come and go at specific times whether or not you’re prepared to depart. The added stress of planning to be in a certain place at a certain time (or face the consequences) diminishes the value of public transit’s efficiency in my mind. If you are going to take the train, I recommend early morning (not for this metalhead) or late/sleeper trains. I found train travel to be somewhat dull. As the scenery whisked by and with my Scandinavian metal playlist on shuffle, sleep was never too far away. It may not be the thing to do, but please just give me a car. I’d rather be lost in a foreign land than asleep on a train. At the end of the (literally) we made our destinations and settled into a few relaxing days eastern Finland, punctuated by sounds of birds and some Amorphis tunes blasting from our phones, just to keep the concert playing.

Spent a few days by a lake

A photo posted by GreenChamber (@greenchamber) on Jul 7, 2013 at 9:25am PDT

Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

This past week, Finnish metal icons, Amorhpis released their 10^th studio album, The Beginning Of Times. This new record follows success of 2009’s Skyforger and marks more than 20 years of their brand of progressive heavy metal. Following the tradition of storytelling in their previous releases, this album takes the listener on the journey of Väinämöinen, an important and powerful God in Finnish mythology. It’s believed that Väinämöinen was a shaman and creator of the world.

“Battle For Light” opens the albums with a graceful piano and orchestra background, soon followed by singer Tomi Joutsen’s grand vocal style. The theatrical styling continues, punctuated with heavy riffs and intense growls. This song sets the stage for the entire record, showing that Amorphis is comfortable drawing from all the musical styles that they’ve amassed over the years. Lending backing vocals on several songs, is Netta Dahlberg, who elegantly accompanies Joutsen’s clean and growling styles. You can hear her on “Mermaid,” a song that tears along, bristling with energy supplied by tight riffs and plenty of synth runs. This song reminds me of “The Sky Is Mine,” from Skyforger.

The first single and video was “You I Need.” Released just prior to the rest of the album, this track gave us all a taste of what to expect from Amorphis. Heavily rooted in their Joutsen-era material and set in apocalyptic scenery, this demonstrates Amorphis pushing forward while delivering the epic prog-tinged metal that we’ve come to enjoy over the years.

The middle of the album continues through incredible storytelling. This is also the kind of record that requires the listener to sit down with the lyrics to absorb the story. Songs like “Three Words” and “Soothsayer” are standout tracks. The latter tune also features vocalist Netta Dahlberg more prominently. The duet with Joutsen is perfect as the song ends.

The Beginning Of Times finishes as strong as it started. The complex and varied “Crack In A Stone” is one of my favorites on the album. It begins subtly enough, blooming into a dense, powerful song until charging full bore in sheer chaos. “The Beginning Of Time” and “Heart’s Song” (bonus track) build on the musical themes established throughout. The use of flutes and keyboards alongside double-bass and death growls keeps each song interesting. There’s something new to find with every listen. This is clearly a band at the top of their game. Amorphis continues to write elaborately heavy and technical metal and The Beginning Of Times stand outs as another amazing chapter.

Have you heard the new Amorphis? Let me know what you think. Check out my last post about Amorhphis: http://greenchamberstudio.blogspot.com/2011/04/amorphis-forging-land.html

30 Days Song Challenge: Week 1

I saw the page 30 Days Song Challenge on Facebook and decided to try it. The rules appear simple enough, but I didn’t want to try to remember to post something every day so I decided to write a blog for each week. I promise to only use songs from my own iTunes library.

So here goes – the first 7 days:

day 01 - your favorite song

“End Of The Line” – DevilDriver. This song, off of their second album, starts very assumingly before exploding into an all-out earth-shattering, hang-banging, thrash fest. From singer Dez Farfara’s guttural screams to the sick guitar breakdowns, I knew that DevilDriver had found their sound and that this was really the beginning of something epic. After 8 years they’re still going and getting strong with each song.

day 02 - your least favorite song

“Disasterpiece” – Slipknot. Honestly, it’s not this song in particular, but I just couldn’t get into Slipknot’s second album, Iowa. I still go back, listen to their first CD, and am blown away by how far they pushed the boundaries. The influence of that album can still be felt more than a decade later (and rightfully so). But for me, Iowa falls a bit flat.

day 03 - a song that makes you happy

“Sky Is Mine” – Amorphis. With punchy riffs, sick keyboards, and epic vocals this song gets me going and make me smile. The energy and emotion is incredible. There’s something about Amorphis’ style that makes the sun shine brighter and the world challenges seem attainable. “This is sky is mine, this sun is mine, this fate is mine.”

day 04 - a song that makes you sad

“Angel’s Son” – Sevendust. This is a tribute to Lynn Strait, singer of the band Snot, who was killed in a car accident along with his dog in 1998. The music video includes members of Strait’s band and his mother. There’s a great scene where they start a bon fire and are joined by a parade of members of the rock community like Dez Farfara (Coal Chamber), Brandon Boyd (Incubus), and Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down).

day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone

“Ballad Of A Thin Man” – Bob Dylan. This song reminds me of everyone who just doesn’t get it. Those who fail to realize the life around them and the life outside of familiarity and reason.

day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere

“Live Your Life (Down)” – Tantric. This always reminds me of driving back and forth from college to home on I-80 in Pennsylvania. I’d put on this CD, among others, and sing along to pass the time. Now whenever this song comes up I can picture the long stretch of highway with trees and cows flying by the side of the road.

day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event

“Surprise Valley” – Widespread Panic. This was one of the songs that we had played at our wedding, during the part when you’re formally introduced to everyone at the reception. I think we covered 50 years of music and half a dozen genres for our wedding. That’s the way music should be.

Amorphis: Forging the Land

The Finnish death metal band, Amorphis, owns a complex and storied history. In a career that spans two decades, the early years show a band intent on exploration and stretching the boundaries of the metal genre. Known for complex stories from their native mythology (drawing on epic Finnish poetry) and combining death metal, synth elements, and folk influences, Amorphis has produced some of the best progressive heavy metal over the last twenty years.

Over the last six years, they have continued churning out expansive compositions set to elaborate themes of native mythology, demonstrating that these titans of progressive heavy metal are not letting up. After vocalist Pasi Koskinen departed in 2004, the band hired Tomi Joutsen to take the reins. This is the Amorphis that I’m familiar with, specifically from 2006’s Eclipse and 2009’s Skyforger.

Singer Jousten delivers soaring vocals mixed with bellowing screams and deathly growls. Snake-like keyboard runs enhance the raging guitar work, driving percussion and synth flourishes. Touches of delicate piano with muted distorted guitar, like in “House of Sleep” from Eclipse, provide the foundation for Jousten’s dense vocals before tearing into scorching choruses. The result is an immensely lush and full sound. Continually changing textures and ambient effects shape Eclipse into a powerful album. There is something different to discover with each listen.

Skyforger begins with bright piano and heavy guitars on the 6-minute “Sampo.” “Silver Bride” rocks just as hard with both guitars and keyboards backing Jousten’s theatrical vocals. Death growls returns with a grand synth accompaniment on “Majestic Beast.” The unlikely pairing is complimented with tight, arpeggiated guitars, double-bass drumming and clean vocals. The title track follows the grand lyrical themes forged on the preceding tracks: “This here is my place, it my work/ I was made the maker of the sky.” Elaborate compositions are distilled down to digestible song lengths. There are no 10 or 15-minute suites as you find in some progressive metal. Instead, Amorphis uses the entire album as the canvas for their stories, providing the casual listener with enough hooks to draw them into the grander vision.

Amorphis is preparing to release their 10^th studio album, The Beginning of Times, in May. The first single, You I Need, can be heard on their Facebook page. They released a compilation of material from their earlier albums in 2010, making this the first new album since Skyforger. Judging by the new song and the track-by-track preview (also on Facebook and Youtube), this new one will be just has heavy, technical, and epic as everything we have come to expect and desire from Amorphis. This is rock. This is life. What are you listening to?

Sky Is Mine (Live)

House Of Sleep

Looking for more? http://amorphis.net/ ; www.facebook.com/amorphis

Let me know what you think and what else you want to hear. Thanks!