Starting off with the month of April, we saw the release of an album from Anathema titled “Weather Systems”. This is the ninth studio album of the atmospheric rock band; the band describes the album as “not background music for parties. The music is written to deeply move the listener”. Upon hearing it myself, I found the music to be deeply captivating, each song named after each event of the climate. The first track -Untouchable Part 1- is quite the gripping track and I loved its soft but fast paced melody, Vincent Cavanagh’s vocal as usual has that same innate, ambient tone to it which morphs beautifully to the high notes and pitch of the song. Throughout the whole album, you’ll find melody and soft songs soothing your ears. Not all the songs are that captivating but the album is a very good attempt. To me, the previous album “We’re Here Because We’re Here” was a better record and I loved the whole album, 80% of the songs to be honest. I’d rate the new album a 7.5 out of 10. You can drop in to buy the album on Amazon if you are long fan of Anathema and the styled ‘art-rock’ genre.
April also saw the release of well-known guitarist Buckethead’s 36th studio album “Balloon Cement”. It is the sixth installment of the BucketheadPikes series. A wholly instrumental album, the melodies are under the genres of “Avant-Garde; Dark Ambient; Experimental rock. As with the previous Pikes releases, “Underground Chamber”; it runs as one continuous “track”, though this album is divided into separate songs. If you are into guitars and love harmonization and experimentation then do get it.
June saw the release of a 20th studio album by Canadian rock band “Rush”. They say, “Old is Gold” and that statement is nothing but true. Rush is considered one of those classic rock bands which comprise of the Beatles, Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd and many others. “Clockwork Angels” consists of 12 songs. The songs are musically diverse and show great musicianship, something that is a constant for a band of Rush’s caliber. Clockwork Angels has received universally positive acclaim from critics and fans alike. British magazine Classic Rock scored the album a 9/10 and called it Rush’s best release in 30 years. Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles editor-in-chief Martin Popoff gave the album a perfect 10/10 and said of it, “one can’t deny that there’s more purpose and focus here than on any Rush album ever”.
So if you are into old styled rock then this album is surely for you.
June saw the release of a studio album by Dying Fetus. Considered as one of the influences for the new era of death metal, the release of Reign Supreme, the seventh studio album, is a great effort I should say. The album comprises of 9 songs, each having the usual Dying Fetus’s styled complex structure, with fast tempo and breakdowns and mind-boggling guitar riffs. The usual blast beats and rolls are intense and is sure to make you bang your head. The album is tagged as “Technical Death Metal”, but I have a different opinion to it. The sound is nearly the same as the Grindcore, and Raw-Death Metal styled albums that Dying Fetus have released previously. The most gripping song for me is the second track also released as a single called “Subjected To A Beating”. I really, really loved the song and can’t explain how powerfully it struck me!
June also saw the release of the 3rd studio album “We Are The Others” by the Dutch Symphonic Metal band Delain. The album comprises of 12 songs in the normal version and 4 more songs that come with the the deluxe version. The early response to “We Are The Others” was positive. Indulge Sound considerated the time that the album took to be released and stated that “for fans of Delain, this is worth the wait. For the those who are really not into this genre of Symphonic Metal but want to give it a shot, this is an ideal chance for you to do so. You’ll surely be mesmerized and captivated, I hope.
The Edition 1 of my Review Gist series ends here, the next few months will see the release of some good quality albums from some quality artists! Do keep your eye on the Music section of UNaB and keep listening to symphonies that soothe your ear.
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