Anathema Discography: #2 Serenades (1993)

"Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh
In bleak misery, the lifeless lie in squander"

Anathema's first full-length album Serenades picks up where The Crestfallen EP (1992) left off, but the album format also leaves more room for experimenting and deviation from the standard death/doom of the latter release. Serenades was released a few years after Paradise Lost had already laid the foundation for the subgenre with its first two albums, but is nevertheless considered a classic.

"Lovelorn Rhapsody" opens the album with oppressive tritonus chords - I'd love to see the face of a casual Anathema fan who has only listened to Weather Systems (2012) and starts listening to this CD with no idea of the band's musical roots! The song title is slightly ironic for such a crushingly heavy song and it's funny to hear Darren White growling at the top of his lungs: "I hear your voice, it sings so softly"! The song quickly takes a more melodic turn, and I could see non-metal fans enjoying the beautiful chorus. However, after a few minutes the tritonus chords return, except this time in a fast, slightly punky tempo accentuated by double bass drumming. There's some solid riffing to top things off, and overall the song is a great opener and mood-setter for the record.

"Sweet Tears" was the video track of the album and got plenty of airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball in Europe. Danny Cavanagh is the star of the song with his sad leads - at the end of the chorus there are harmonized leads AND a solo on top of the rhythm guitars, which must've made this song a pain in the ass to pull off live! Unfortunately the rhythm guitar work is rather monotonous and White's attempts at melodic singing don't work.

"J'ai Fait Une Promesse" is the obligatory acoustic ballad - Ruth Wilson once again appears on female vocals, this time singing in French. However, according to Darren White the French lyrics, which were translated by a school friend of the band's, are grammatically incorrect and hence weren't printed in the booklet. Luckily I don't understand French, as the melodies are beautiful, and even the major key ending doesn't feel out-of-place.

"They (Will Always) Die" is identical to the version on The Crestfallen EP, the only difference being the orchestral keyboard outro. As I said in my review of the EP, this song is a highlight of Anathema's early days and their whole career. "Sleepless" is undoubtedly the most popular song on the album and the only one that remained in Anathema's live set after The Silent Enigma (1995) era; it still gets played occasionally. Out of the proper full-band songs on the album it's an anomaly, with clean guitar verses reminiscent of post-punk like The Cure. The chorus relies on pinch harmonics and there's an explosive guitar solo by Danny. I can see why "Sleepless" became a live hit, although it's not among the very best of the album.

Danny Cavanagh has said that in the early days he basically "wrote instrumentals for Darren to growl over", and "Sleep in Sanity" has clearly been written with this method. The song is based on sweet guitar harmonies, while the vocals are scarce and White repeats variations of "It is not I who sleeps / It is you who sleeps" over and over again. While I like the song, I think it would've worked better as an instrumental, but I guess they wanted their vocalist to have something to do on stage during it. "Scars of the Old Stream" is an ambient instrumental with reversed guitars and spoken word bits. I have only one word to describe it: filler.

"Under a Veil (of Black Lace) brings the doom back. I enjoy the first half of the song, but towards the end it starts to get a little tedious, although Darren White's lyrics are beautiful, as is the acoustic interlude in the middle. "Where Shadows Dance" is another filler instrumental, although this time including the full band. The ambient track "Dreaming: The Romance" closes the album, but to be honest I pretend it doesn't exist, as I've never been able to sit through its entire 20-minute length - boooriiing...

The bonus tracks on the digipak reissue come from the We Are the Bible 7" single, which was released exclusively to members of Peaceville's Collectors Club. Both of them were improvised live in the studio during the recording of Pentecost III in 1994. "Eternal Rise of the Sun" is based on a Eastern-flavored theme by Duncan Patterson, while "Nailed to the Cross" ends with "666", which became a part of Anathema's live set and was played even many years later on certain occasions. Both of the tracks are rather repetitive and hypnotic, and ultimately not very interesting.

Serenades has its fair share of highlights, but the biggest problem with the album is that there are way too many filler interludes - they prove that Anathema wasn't a standard metal band, and it may have been cool to experiment in the studio, but they make the record feel unfocused and fragmented, and only "J'ai fait une promesse" is worth listening to. Darren White's "clean" vocals are another weakness and it's no wonder he didn't stay in the band for too long when their music started to change. Despite these shortcomings, I think Serenades is the best classic death/doom debut from the early 90s I've heard. However, it's clear that while Anathema were pretty good at what they were doing, they were still finding their feet and looking for ways to expand their sound.

Rating: 3.5/5

In Memoriam: Petri Walli (1969-1995)

On this day 20 years ago Petri Walli of Kingston Wall committed suicide by jumping off a church tower in Helsinki. Although he lived a short life and released only three albums with his band, his legacy lives on.
Kingston Wall was a Finnish psychedelic prog trio that was active from 1987 to 1994. They were known as an energetic and unpredictable live band, whose shows were largely based on improvisation and jamming, and the album versions only served as skeletons for new arrangements. They also held special Freak-Out Club events in Helsinki, which featured guest musicians and special cover songs. Kingston Wall had a huge following in Helsinki, but in smaller towns their audiences were less enthusiastic, although since the break-up they've found a lot of new fans who appreciate their work.

Kingston Wall's albums got released in Japan and they played one show in Estonia, but Finnish music exporting was very minimal at the time, so the band's dreams of getting to tour the world and becoming huge never came to fruition. In fact, some foreign record labels started showing interest just weeks before Walli's death, but the band had been put on ice due to inner conflicts in December 1994.

Walli's life and the circumstances that led to his suicide were largely veiled in mystery until last year, when a biography by Finnish rock journalist Viljami Puustinen was published. The book paints a picture of Walli as a positive and determined, yet cocky person. Before Kingston Wall's third album Tri-Logy (1994) he delved into Ior Bock's mystic stories, which also influenced the lyrical content of the record. Later on the band's break-up and his disappointment with Bock led him to become depressed, and this combined with his use of drugs shook his mental health, finally pushing him over the edge.

Walli was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, tuning his guitar a half step down just like his hero and covering "Fire" on the first Kingston Wall album. Led Zeppelin also had an impact on him - a few lines of lyrics in some KW songs have been directly lifted from Zep. However, Walli also enjoyed more danceable music, as evidenced by the Donna Summer cover "I Feel Love" on the second KW album. He also had a techno phase after that, the influence of which can be heard on the final record.

I bought the whole Kingston Wall trilogy four years ago. These three albums are classics of Finnish progressive rock and have influenced bands like Amorphis and Von Hertzen Brothers. My personal favorite is the second album, which is the most melodic and progressive of their works. I have to admit that Walli's vocals were always the weakness of the band's music (hence it's not surprising that their music is largely instrumental), but he was a very talented guitar player who had a knack for playing awesome solos. According to some acquaintances Walli had sworn he'd only release three albums and die before reaching the age of 30, but I can't help thinking that if he had got some help for his mental condition and the band had carried on, some great things might've happened.

However, instead of speculating we should enjoy the music that did come out: the three Kingston Wall albums have finally been released on vinyl and there's also a new DVD called Kingtime. I haven't watched the DVD (or KW live videos in general), but I hope to get my hands on it at some point. I'll review all the three KW albums sometime soon, but until then I'll let the music speak for itself:

"Look out world it's time to die
No more crying with my mind"

 

Barren Earth - On Lonely Towers (2015)

"Love is the hand that wrecks my flesh
Love is the eye that stares silent upon my aching wounds"

Finnish progressive death/doom group Barren Earth has released its third album, which is the first to feature Faroese singer Jón Aldará, who replaced Swallow the Sun frontman Mikko Kotamäki last year. On Lonely Towers sees the band stepping in a more progressive and complex direction.

The band's musical ingredients haven't changed drastically, but the effects of the line-up change can be heard, obviously the most in the vocals: Aldará is a great growler with a voice reminiscent of Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt in the late 90s and early 00s, but his clean vocals have an operatic and dramatic quality, and his range is much wider than Kotamäki's.

After the beautiful intro "From the Depths of Spring" the proper opener "Howl" kicks in; mostly a mid-tempo song, it gets doomy in the middle, yet also includes a cool wah-wah solo by Sami Yli-Sirniö and blastbeats, which are a new element in the band's sound. "Frozen Processions" is the most typical Barren Earth song on the album and also the most accessible. "A Shapeless Derelict" includes a haunting cello intro and is rather doomy, but also enters pure death metal territory towards the end. Video track "Set Alight" is the most memorable song on the album despite its 7½-minute length and tricky instrumental section, as it includes a catchy chorus and great melodies. Unfortunately On Lonely Towers is brought down by the unnecessarily long title-track and the forgettable "Chaos, the Songs Within". I wish they would've included the interesting bonus track "Sirens of Oblivion" - which includes a sax solo! - on the album instead of those two. Luckily the album ends on a high note with the epic "The Vault".

On Lonely Towers is a decent album, but only "Set Alight" and "The Vault" match the melodic greatness of its precedessors. Almost all the songs on the album are over 7 minutes long, and the shortest tracks are at the beginning of the album, which makes the rest of the record feel unbalanced and homogenous. However, Aldará is a great addition to the band and On Lonely Towers shows a lot of potential. I can see the next Barren Earth album being a great release if they finetune and refine the sound of this record.

Rating: 3/5




 

Anathema Discography: #1 The Crestfallen EP (1992)

"All emotion is consumed by an inner silence
All grief is unassuaged by disconsulate tears
I want for nothing, I live for nothing
I am waiting to die but I am afraid of dying"

Over the course of the next couple of months I'm going to review every Anathema studio release in this blog. The band has been around for 25 years, so this year they've played special "Resonance" shows with a setlist spanning their entire career and released a box set documenting their middle era. I'm also seeing Anathema live for the second time this August, with Dream Theater, so could the timing be any better? Anathema's style has changed a lot over its 25-year career, from death/doom to atmospheric and progressive rock with orchestrations and electronics, and I'll go through every step of that evolution.

Anathema is one of the pioneers of the genre of death/doom, and the band's first release, The Crestfallen EP, represents that sound: heavy guitars, growling and slow tempos. "...and I Lust" is a decent opener with wailing leads by Danny Cavanagh and cool harmonized guitar riffs by him and his brother Vincent. Vocalist Darren White's poetic and dark lyrics make it clear that this isn't the right album for you if you're in the mood for something cheerful: "Pain is a far away land / Misery, a lifetime's journey".

"The Sweet Suffering" may be the least melodic Anathema song ever, and therefore not very memorable or nice to listen to. It includes oppressive riffs and call-and-response vocals; White even uses some high screams in this song besides his standard death growl. "Everwake" is a total departure, a sweet acoustic folk track sung by Ruth Wilson. This song also started the tradition of having an acoustic ballad with female vocals as track #3, which would continue for a few more releases.

According to Danny Cavanagh "Crestfallen" is the first song he wrote for Anathema. This, along with the mournful guitar harmonies and the fact that it's the slowest song on the EP makes it a true classic of death/doom - Danny has even claimed that My Dying Bride ripped off the song's main riff on its first album. Despite this classic status "Crestfallen" isn't one of my favorites, as it starts to drag on towards the end and keeps its plodding tempo for 10 minutes. "They Die", on the other hand, is one of my all-time favorites from Anathema, managing to keep the sluggish pace more interesting and ending with one of the saddest melodies I've ever heard.

For some reason the CD I own (Pentecost III/Crestfallen) includes earlier recordings of "Crestfallen" and "They Die" from a 7" single, instead of the versions from the original EP. Whoever was the genius that came up with this idea gets no understanding from me, as the sound of these recordings is horrendous, Darren White's growls are so indecipherable that it sounds like they're coming from under water, and the playing is pretty sloppy - even some mistakes have been caught on tape. It would've been ok if the tracks had been included as bonus material, but having them replace the EP versions makes no sense to me. Well, at least there's the novelty of hearing faster versions of both songs that are closer to standard death metal - "Crestfallen" is three minutes shorter than on the actual EP!

The Crestfallen EP was recorded at the same sessions as Anathema's first full-length album Serenades (1993), which is the reason for the very similar (if not identical) production. It's glaringly obvious that the band decided to save the best songs for the album and only give the EP as a little taste of what was to come. Even the two highlights of the EP can be found as similar versions on later releases - "Everwake" on Falling Deeper (2011) with added orchestrations and Anneke van Giersbergen's vocals, and "They Die" on Serenades with a different ending. In other words, The Crestfallen EP can only be recommended to completists, but the reissue combines it with Pentecost III (1995), so the good news is you won't have to buy it specifically.

Rating: 2/5

Somewhere Else

Hey guys,

as you may have noticed, there are links to my FB and Twitter at the top of the page. Please show your support and spread the word by liking/following me over there! :) In addition to sharing my reviews I'm posting other music-related stuff as well, such as interesting articles, funny videos and other stuff I come across in the wonderful world of the Internet.

-Ville

Classic Album Anniversary: Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight (1995)

"Heaven only knows we live in a world
Where what we call beautiful is just something on sale
People laughing behind their hands
As the fragile and the sensitive are given no chance"

Afraid of Sunlight is Marillion's 8th studio album and was released exactly 20 years ago. I can give a little bit of background for those who read my review of Misplaced Childhood but aren't familiar with Marillion's history: in the time between these two albums frontman and lyricist Fish quit the band due to disagreements with the other members and being under too much pressure from outside the band. He was replaced by Steve Hogarth, who came from a pop/new wave background and had a very different voice and writing style. As a result the fanbase was divided into those who only like the Fish era and those who enjoy both new and old Marillion (such as myself).

Afraid of Sunlight isn't a concept album like its precedessor Brave (1994), but a lot of the lyrics on the album deal with the pitfalls of fame and were inspired by real famous people, such as Mike Tyson and Elvis Presley. My personal favorite song on the album, the poignant "Out of This World", is about the case of Donald Campbell, and it inspired a diver to look for Campbell's remains and the wreck of his boat, and they were finally discovered in 2001. The power of music can be influential in very concrete ways sometimes! Opener "Gazpacho" mixes upbeat music with dark lyrics in an ironic way. The single and video track "Beautiful is... well, beautiful. Other highlights include the title-track with its emotionally charged vocal performance from Hogarth and the album closer "King" with its rocking vibe and powerful crescendo at the end.

Unfortunately the album is a mixed bag with some misses besides the hits. "Cannibal Surf Babe" is a lighthearted, fun track in vein of The Beach Boys, but it also feels totally out of place on the album, both lyrically and musically - it's a little bit like Marillion's equivalent of Rush's "I Think I'm Going Bald". "Afraid of Sunrise" is connected to the title-track, but it feels kind of redundant on the album. "Beyond You" isn't a very exciting song and it's been mixed in mono, which sounds kind of wrong to me, as I'm used to stereo.

The filler tracks prevent me from placing Afraid of Sunlight in the upper echelon of the Marillion discography, but it also includes some of the band's greatest songs ever, and the lyrics by Hogarth and co-lyricist John Helmer are brilliantly crafted and possibly the best on any of the post-Fish releases.

Rating: 3.5/5

Gavin Harrison - Cheating the Polygraph (2015)

Rearranging classic songs from a different genre is often a recipe for disaster. When metal bands cover pop songs, they usually get lazy, just adding heavy guitars, plus maybe some screaming and a guitar solo. Then there are the half-assed acoustic/unplugged versions that rock bands often make of their songs that were ballads already.

When Gavin Harrison announced that he would release a collection of reworked big band versions of Porcupine Tree songs, I had a good reason to be slightly skeptical. However, as someone who has never really listened to jazz I was also curious to hear a new take on songs I love. Furthermore, my doubts faded when I read a press release where Harrison said he'd worked on the album for 5 years with "some of the world's best contemporary jazz players", so I knew this isn't just a quick cash grab, but a project he had put a lot of effort into.

On Cheating the Polygraph several Porcupine Tree classics have experienced a makeover: the guitars, keyboards and vocals have been replaced with big bang instruments, such as trumpet, saxophone, trombone, etc. However, the only thing these versions have in common with the original songs are the structures and themes, as some songs have been combined into medleys, the tempos are more varied and the songs get a totally different feel because of the rich details of the instrumentation. The songs may seem unrecognizable at first, but you'll notice familiar themes, such as the guitar solo to "Sound of Muzak", if you listen attentively enough.

Harrison and bassist/arranging partner Laurence Cottle have done a great job with the arrangements, and the songs are never parodies or funny in any way like some remakes of rock and metal songs on YouTube (check out the reggae version of Symphony of Destruction, for example). The dynamics of Porcupine Tree's songwriting have also been retained: the parts that were heavy in the original songs still sound loud, while the quiet moments have less things going on. The way the horns replicate the guitar riffs in "The Pills I'm Taking" is just perfect, and the aggressive breakdown before the final chorus is still there. There are also extra instruments adding color, such as the marimba on "Hatesong/Halo", played by Harrison himself.

My only tiny gripe with Cheating the Polygraph is that a few of the transitions in the medleys sound a little awkward to my ears, but maybe that's just me. It also remains to be seen how often I'm going to be in the mood for jazz/big band music and listen to these versions instead of Porcupine Tree's originals. However, this is a great release that can be recommended to anyone who likes either Porcupine Tree or jazz, or is an open-minded music listener in general.

Rating: 4/5

Classic Album Anniversary: IQ - The Wake (1985)

"And it's such a lonely ride to tomorrow
Through the corners where the light never shows
When it seems impossible to imagine
How the world could be so cold to itself"

Time for a neo-prog classic from the 1980s: The Wake is the second album by the British band IQ. I couldn't find the exact release date for the record, but Wikipedia says it entered the UK album chart at #72 on June 22, 1985, so this day is fitting for this post.

Like their peers Marillion, IQ were compared to Genesis in the early days, probably due to vocalist Peter Nicholls' nasal delivery and theatrical stage presence, which were undoubtedly influenced by Peter Gabriel. However, IQ's music also had contemporary influences, so they weren't merely a pastische 70s prog band.

"Outer Limits" kicks off the album with a hypnotic bassline and eerie keyboards before the whole band joins in, but even after that it's keyboardist Martin Orford's diverse use of organ, harpsichord and synths, as well as Tim Esau's basswork and use of bass pedals that makes this song remarkable. "Outer Limits" sets a rather dark mood for the whole record, which is a concept album about death.

The progressive elements are also present in "The Magic Roundabout", which starts off fast-paced before settling on a slow and steady tempo. Mike Holmes plays an impressive guitar solo at the end, but despite that the song isn't especially remarkable compared to the rest of the album. "Widow's Peak" is the record's peak (pun intended), opening with gorgeous clean guitars and flutes. After that the song goes through various time signature and mood changes, from slow to fast, mellow to restless and major to minor, without sounding incoherent, and the song ends where it began. Holmes uses the delay effect to great effect (as you may have figured out by now, I love puns) in the middle section. "Headlong" reprises "Outer Limits" and closes the album on a high note, although the melancholy beginning might lead you to think otherwise.

The remaining songs exhibit IQ's more accessible side. The title-track is a hard-hitting rock song with intense vocals by Nicholls and impressive drumming by Paul Cook. "Corners" is a rather exotic tune with sitar and programmed percussion, while "The Thousand Days" is a melodic sing-along driven by Holmes' clean guitars.

The Wake did relatively well for a prog album in the 80s, selling 10,000 copies in the UK, but the "Corners" single failed to make an impact on the radio, and frontman Nicholls left the band due to communication problems later in 1985. IQ had built a solid following, but they couldn't reach the status Marillion had, probably because they weren't backed by a major label. However, after a couple of more commercial albums with another singer IQ were rejoined by Nicholls, and they continue to record new music and play live to their small yet faithful fanbase.

The Wake may not have been a groundbreaking album, but it's a hidden gem that's stood the test of time and possibly IQ's greatest achievement after all these years.

Rating: 4/5

(Unfortunately the album isn't on Spotify and there are no tracks from it on IQ's official YouTube channel, so I'll leave it up to you to look for the songs online.)

Paradise Lost - The Plague Within

"Cold embrace is the saviour in disguise
Through old age, only danger never dies"

When gothic metal trailblazers Paradise Lost released Tragic Idol three years ago, who would've thought their next album would bring them even closer to their roots? Even though Greg Mackintosh was already playing death metal with his other band Vallenfyre, hardly anyone seriously expected Paradise Lost to bring back the extreme elements of their early albums. However, once the band had re-recorded a couple of old songs for the Tragic Illusion 25 (2013) compilation and Nick Holmes had been announced as the new vocalist of Bloodbath, the idea didn't feel too far-fetched anymore. On The Plague Within Paradise Lost embrace their death/doom past without making it sound forced or abandoning what they've learned over the years.

The strength of The Plague Within lies in its diversity: it includes songs in different tempos with a variety of vocals and moods. On top of that, the production sounds very organic, which is a great thing in the modern world of overprocessed and plastic-sounding metal records. According to Mackintosh, the video track "Beneath Broken Earth" is the slowest PL song ever, while the death metal explosion "Flesh from Bone" is the fastest. The rest of the material ranges between these two extremes, but the doomy elements prevail.

Nick Holmes unleashes his guttural death growl for the first time since 1991's genre-defining Gothic. In fact, there are three(!) songs without melodic vocals and only one without growls, and even that one ("Punishment Through Time") is far from a ballad, relying on sludge metal riffing and Holmes' trademark rasp instead. The rest of the songs combine singing with growling. Ironically Paradise Lost never did this before, although they were an influence on numerous bands that employed both vocal styles.

"No Hope in Sight" is a strong and catchy opener, showcasing the album well. "Terminal" includes some fierce drum fills from Adrian Erlandsson, who is at home playing this kind of music, having been a member of bands like At the Gates and Cradle of Filth. My personal favorite song "An Eternity of Lies" brings female vocals and piano back into the mix. There are also string arrangements in this song, as well as "Victim of the Past" and "Sacrifice the Flame", which reminds me of the classic Draconian Times (1995) track "Forever Failure". "Cry Out" is a stoner rock song in vein of "Cardinal Zero", and "Return to the Sun" is a climactic closer, just like "The Glorious End" was on the last album.

The deluxe box set looks gorgeous and includes the album on vinyl, an art book with Nick Holmes' explanations of each song's lyrics, as well as a bonus CD with three bonus tracks. Out of these three, "Fear of Silence" is a mellow, somber song that would probably have been a little too soft for the actual album. "Never Look Away", on the other hand, is full of fantastic guitarwork, and I wish it would've been included onto the album. The live version of "Victim of the Past" from last year's orchestral show in Bulgaria is a cool addition, although it will also appear on the upcoming live DVD. All in all, this set is definitely worth your money - the only little complaint I can think of are the various typos in the artbook ("a slave of lasting cry's" - really?), but I guess they appear in the standard CD booklet too.

I'm not crazy about Paradise Lost's first two albums, as I prefer their later stuff, and even the controversial synth pop records from the late 90s are great to my ears. For that reason I wish this album had a little bit more of their melodic side - for example "Cry Out" would work even better without the grunts. However, The Plague Within is a more than worthy addition to the Paradise Lost discography, and very few bands manage to release albums as fresh as this over 25 years into their careers. The band shows that an old dog can feel young again and learn a few new tricks at the same time.

Rating: 4/5

Classic Album Anniversary: Marillion - Misplaced Childhood (1985)

"Two hundred francs for sanctuary and she led me by the hand
To a room of dancing shadows where all the heartache disappears
And from glowing tongues of candles I heard her whisper in my ear
"'J'entend ton coeur"
I can hear your heart"

 I'll start this review with a funny story: I got into Marillion last fall, and after listening to Misplaced Childhood and enjoying it I ordered the album earlier this year from a webstore that shall not be named. One day a package arrived at my apartment, and you can only imagine my confusion and disappointment when I opened it to find a copy of a CD including hymns in Norwegian. Luckily I got the Marillion CD after an email exchange with the customer service, and now I can look back on the incident with amusement.

Misplaced Childhood is another legendary concept album from the 1980s, but compared to Operation: Mindcrime, this album's plot is much more abstract, which may have something to do with the fact that frontman Fish got the inspiration for the concept during an acid trip. Some of the themes dealt with in the lyrics include the loss of innocence and love, but there is also a happy ending.

The synth-driven atmospheric intro track "Pseudo Silk Kimono" leads into Marillion's biggest hit, "Kayleigh", whose success was so massive that it inspired countless parents in the UK to name their girl babies after the song in the 80s. Luckily I've never heard this song on the radio here in Finland, so I haven't had a chance to get tired of it - Steve Rothery's chorus-laden riff and melodic guitar solo are awesome, and the chorus is catchy. "Lavender" is another hit, and it's a short but sweet piano ballad - this must be the only song I know that was extended instead of being edited when it was released as a single! My favorite song on the album is the multipart epic "Bitter Suite" - I'm not sure whether my love for puns has something to do with that. This song shifts seamlessly from one feel to another and showcases Fish's talents as a lyricist: the way he paints pictures with words is stunning. "Heart of Lothian" provides a great ending for the first half of the album with its progginess.

Unfortunately Side B doesn't match the greatness of the first five songs. "Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)" is an uptempo track that ends before it's properly begun, and the transition to "Lords of the Backstage" is rather awkward, as acknowledged by keyboardist Mark Kelly in the reissue's liner notes. The 9½-minute "Blind Curve" brings the album back on track after the two interludes with its sad tone and beautiful clean guitars. "Childhood's End?" is a poppy piece that would've served as a good closer, but it's followed by "White Feather", which was the last track written for the album and fails to add anything to it in my opinion.

The musicianship on Misplaced Childhood is great, as is always the case with Marillion. The production is typically 80s with a big drum sound and lush synths, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the music. Kelly's keyboards are all over the album and Rothery plays brilliant solos. Fish's unique vocal style and colorful lyrics may not be for everyone and he goes over the top sometimes (both vocally and lyrically), but he has a lot of personality.

Personally I think Marillion have made a lot of better albums than Misplaced Childhood, but the fact that it managed to be so successful at a time when progressive rock was a curse word in the mainstream is very impressive. The legacy of the album also lives on, as Fish is performing the album live this year in its entirety. Misplaced Childhood isn't without its flaws in my eyes, but I can see why so many fans consider it a masterpiece.

Rating: 3.5/5

CMX - Mesmeria (2015)

If you're not a Finnish reader, then I'm 99% sure you haven't heard of CMX, as their lyrics are in Finnish and they're not really known outside of Finland. CMX is a prog/art rock band that's been around since 1985, exploring various different styles and influences over the years, such as hardcore, 70s prog, metal, pop, folk, industrial and alternative rock (you can read more on Wikipedia). Mesmeria, released in January, is the 15th full-length CMX album, so how does it compare to their previous work?

First of all, this is the first album to feature drummer Olli-Matti Wahlström as a full-time member, as well as the first album in over 10 years not produced by the band's longtime working partner Rauli "Rake" Eskolin. Instead the band hired Arto Tuunela of the band Pariisin Kevät to handle the production duties. The difference can be heard immediately, as the sound of the album is a lot more organic and warm compared to the cold and clinical production of Seitsentahokas (2013).

In the new millennium CMX has typically followed up a complex and progressive album with a more accessible and straightforward record. This tradition continues with Mesmeria, as its songs are more melodic and radio friendly than those on Seitsentahokas. As a fan of CMX's prog side I'm glad the album isn't as safe and boring as Iäti (2010): there are some time signature changes in "Valles Marineris", and the album closer "Eksopaleoklimatologi" (what a monster of a song title!) is over seven minutes long.

The material on Mesmeria sees the band trying new things and going beyond its comfort zone. The best example of this is the song "Teräs", which is a piano ballad with personal lyrics about bassist/vocalist A.W. Yrjänä's youth in the northern town of Tornio. The man - who is best known for his complex and mystic lyrics - has rarely, if ever, written anything this straightforward and simple. Opening track and lead single "Rakkaudessa ja sodassa" brings in The Who influences with its keyboard arpeggios, and "Kauneuden pitkä varjo" is another synth-driven song. Then there's also the atmospheric and hypnotic "Tulisaarna", which is probably the closest CMX has ever got to post-rock.

However, there's also plenty of traditional CMX on the album: Yrjänä was actually hesitant about the inclusion of "Laavaa", saying it "sounds too much like CMX", but since then it's been released as a single and has gained plenty of radio airplay in Finland, so the decision was not a bad one. The aggressive "Mestarirakentaja" revisits CMX's roots, and the acoustic ballad "Ojai" is an old song, having been written in 1992 together with a couple of classic CMX songs. My favorite is the riff-driven hard rock song "Hyperborea", which has been the opener for most of the band's shows this year (including the one I attended in Tampere back in March).

Mesmeria is one of the most even albums in the CMX discography, for better or worse. None of the songs are filler per se, but few of them stick out as potential classics, which is why I consider it a middle of the pack album. However, it's a step up from the previous two records, and I can see the band doing some very interesting things on their next prog album if they continue working with Tuunela.

Rating: 3.5/5

 

Classic Album Anniversary: In Flames - Subterranean (1995)

"My spine shivers with the touch of your lips...
My pale skin turns red when we kiss...
Piercing your nails deep into my back...
As I slowly kiss your ivory neck..."

Subterranean is an EP Swedish melodeath pioneers In Flames released 20 years ago. As numerous EPs by other bands, this release has faded into obscurity and is mostly remembered by die-hard fans of the band's early works. Is this lack of attention justified or is Subterranean a hidden gem in the In Flames catalog?

Subterranean was recorded at a time when In Flames was still just a project and lacked a stable line-up, having to hire session members in order to record and perform live. This release features founding members Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Glenn Ljungström (guitar) and Johan Larsson (bass), along with session vocalist Henke Forss and session drummers Daniel Erlandsson, who would later join Arch Enemy, and Anders Jivarp of Dark Tranquillity. Henke Forss' vocals are more black metal-sounding than future frontman Anders Fridén's, and his lyrics include a lot of romantic imagery (as seen in the quote from the title-track above), which would be more at home on a gothic metal album. In other words, his style wasn't a good fit for In Flames, so it's not surprising that the band didn't keep him.

The songs are typical mid-90s Gothenburg metal with guitar harmonies, harsh vocals and double bass drumming, as well as folky acoustic sections. Opener "Stand Ablaze" is arguably one of the greatest In Flames songs ever, as the guitar melodies in the last 1½ minutes are pure ear candy. It's also the only song on the EP that is known to have been played live, although it hasn't been resurrected since 1999. "Stand Ablaze" sets the bar so high that the remaining four tracks can't live up to it, although the title-track is pretty good. "Everdying" ends with a nice acoustic outro, but it also feels slightly tacked-on. "Timeless" is an instrumental filler track and "Biosphere" isn't particularly memorable.

The reissue comes with four bonus tracks: two of them are demo versions of songs that would be recorded for The Jester Race, but with different vocalists, and the other two are cover songs. "Dead Eternity" sounds fairly close to the album version, with the exception of Jocke Göthberg's voice, which sounds fairly black metalish like Henke Forss'. I actually prefer his performance to Anders Fridén's strained vocals on the final version. "The Inborn Lifeless" features Per Gyllenbäck on vocals, and it's an early version of "Dead God in Me" with different lyrics and a shorter ending - not as good as the album version, but it's interesting to hear a different take on a familiar classic song. The cover of Metallica's "Eye of the Beholder" is almost identical to the original song, with the exception of the faster tempo and some additional screams in the chorus. Guest vocalist Robert Dahne tries to sound like James Hetfield, but the results are horrendous. In Flames manages to inject more of its own sound into Iron Maiden's "Murders in the Rue Morgue", but this cover isn't amazing, either.

The problem with Subterranean is a lack of focus: if In Flames had been a proper band at the time the EP was recorded, they could've refined the songs more. However, as the bonus demo tracks show, In Flames was taking steps towards the sound that made them famous on The Jester Race. Subterranean isn't an essential release by any means, but "Stand Ablaze" is definitely worth listening to, and the EP can be recommended to those who love The Jester Race and want to hear what came before it.

Rating: 3/5

Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

"I used to trust the media
To tell me the truth, tell us the truth
But now I've seen the payoffs
Everywhere I look
Who do you trust when everyone's a crook?"

I got the inspiration for this review after seeing discussion on this album on a forum and having listened to it just a couple of days ago. Operation: Mindcrime is progressive metal pioneer Queensrÿche's third full-length studio album and one of the most iconic rock operas of all time.

Without giving too much of the plot away I can give a brief summary: the story revolves around a junkie called Nikki, who gets brainwashed by a revolutionary organization led by Dr. X and becomes an assassin who murders political figures. However, things get more complicated after he falls in love with a hooker-turned-nun named Mary, and he starts to question his mission.

In addition to the story running throughout the album, all the songs on Mindcrime are linked together by segues, and there are a few interlude tracks filling in the gaps. Although the album is considered a progressive metal classic, the songs on it may not fit everyone's definition of the genre nowadays, as they're musically closer to traditional heavy metal and fairly straightforward compared to the music of, say, Dream Theater. However, the 10-minute-long "Suite Sister Mary" is an anomaly: this duet between Geoff Tate and Pamela Moore (playing the role of Mary) is a very dramatic and theatrical song. For that reason it's not a favorite of mine, but you can't deny the passion in the singers' performances.

The highlight of the album for me is "The Mission" with its eerie acoustic guitars and haunting orchestrations. Guitarist Chris DeGarmo had a great ear for melodies and brought in strong Pink Floyd and Rush influences, as evidenced by this song, as well as "Breaking the Silence" and album closer "Eyes of a Stranger", which includes impressive vocals by Tate. DeGarmo forms a great guitar tandem with Michael Wilton, who contributed some heavier anthemic songs, such as "Revolution Calling" and "Speak". Eddie Jackson's rumbling bass sound and playing are a crucial part of the title-track and "I Don't Believe in Love", while drummer Scott Rockenfield shows his chops on "Spreading the Disease" and the furious "The Needle Lies".

While Operation: Mindcrime is a great album, it isn't my favorite Queensrÿche record - that honor goes to its precedessor Rage for Order (1986). The only weaknesses that keep Mindcrime from the throne are its cold production and that some of the tracks just don't work outside of the album on their own. However, the concept of Mindcrime isn't dated even after 27 years, and the impact of the album remains strong despite the watered-down sequel released in 2006 and all the lawsuit drama that has surrounded Queensrÿche in recent years.

 Rating: 4.5/5

 

Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase. (2015)

"When the world doesn't want you

It will never tell you why

You can shut the door but you can't ignore

The crawl of your decline"

I know this album came out over three months ago, but I plan on reviewing all the new releases I've heard this year and this is one of them. Hand. Cannot. Erase. is Steven Wilson's fourth studio album. While Wilson is best known for his work with the popular modern prog band Porcupine Tree, in the past five years he has concentrated on his solo career and put his former main band on ice.

In true progressive rock fashion, Hand. Cannot. Erase. is a concept album. Wilson was inspired by the story of Joyce Vincent, who isolated herself from her friends and family, and her remains weren't found until over two years after her death in her London apartment. It's disturbing to think your death could go unnoticed for such a long time! Disappearing in a big city is a lot easier than it may seem, even in the age of social media.

The album itself isn't specifically about Vincent, but there are certain parallels to her life, mixed with Steven Wilson's personal memories and experiences, along with pure fiction. The lyrics leave a lot of things open, but visiting the protagonist's blog may either be of help or leave you even more confused. Reportedly the deluxe box edition of the album includes more clues as well.

Musically Hand. Cannot. Erase. is more modern-sounding than Wilson's previous solo efforts. There are electronic drum loops and effects in numerous songs, most notably in "Perfect Life", which is an almost completely electronic song and includes spoken word narration by Katherine Jenkins. To be honest I wasn't very impressed by the song when it was released as a video ahead of the album back in February, but hearing it in the album context makes it work much better.

The album offers a little bit of something for everyone and works as a sort of cross section of Wilson's musical history, as besides electronic music it includes pop rock (title track, "Happy Returns"), metal ("Home Invasion", "Ancestral"), ambient ("First Regret"), psychedelic folk ("Transience") and of course prog. While the album is not as band-oriented as its precedessor, The Raven that Refused to Sing (2013), Wilson's backing musicians get to shine throughout the album. My personal favorite song, the melancholy "Routine" features a memorable guitar solo by Guthrie Govan and beautiful female vocals by Ninet Tayeb. "Home Invasion" begins with rhythmic riffing, and Marco Minnemann gets to show how off his groovy drumming in the funky part of the song. "Regret #9" is devoted to soloing by Govan and keyboardist Adam Holzman, whose Moog playing is fantastic. Nick Beggs is a multi-talent, playing both bass and Chapman Stick, as well as contributing backing vocals - his melodic bassline in the title track (which would be a massive radio hit in a perfect world) is especially brilliant.

While Steven Wilson's previous solo albums had their moments, and I thought The Raven that Refused to Sing was a fairly solid record, none of them had the same magic as Porcupine Tree's best releases. However, Hand. Cannot. Erase. has absolutely blown me away, and I consider it the best release Wilson has contributed to since my favorite Porcupine Tree record, Fear of a Blank Planet (2007). I also saw the Helsinki show of the current world tour in April, and it was probably the best concert I've ever attended. The amount of detail and effort put into the music, the concept and the visual representation of the songs on the tour just makes this more than an album - Hand. Cannot. Erase. is a world in itself, and I seriously believe that in ten years it will be remembered as a milestone of Steven Wilson's career. A future classic for sure!

Rating: 5/5

(I realize that both of the albums I've reviewed so far have received 5 stars, but I swear that won't be the case with every review, haha! Also, Steven Wilson's music is not - and most likely never will be, considering his stance on the consumption of music nowadays - on Spotify, so you'll have to settle for the music video of Perfect Life instead of the full album.)

Classic Album Anniversary: Paradise Lost - Draconian Times (1995)

"Time may heal all troubles, is that what I've found?
Joy entices all until death's lonely shroud

But I know it's forever..."

The first album to receive the honor of being reviewed by me is one of my all-time favorite releases and one of the greatest classics of gothic metal; Draconian Times by Paradise Lost. This album was released on June 12, 1995, so today marks its 20th anniversary. Prepare for a lot of album anniversary posts in this blog!

Paradise Lost was an innovative and unique band right from the beginning, when their music was still death/doom metal with slow tempos and growled vocals. However, with each album their music got more melodic and accessible, and album #5, Draconian Times, was the peak of that development. After that Paradise Lost would move completely away from metal in a more poppy and synth-driven direction, only to return to their heavy roots some ten years later. Their latest album The Plague Within was released two weeks ago, but I'll tell you my thoughts on that record later on in a separate post.

Opener "Enchantment" could be considered the key track of the album: it starts with a beautiful piano intro before the heavy guitars and drums kick in. Structurally the song is a little different compared to the rest of the album, being 6 minutes long and not having a proper chorus, but it's one of the definitive Paradise Lost classics with its gloomy vibe and has been played live more often than any other song on the album. When I saw PL live two years ago, they opened with "Enchantment" - it's a great moodsetter, both in concert and on the album. Frontman and lyricist Nick Holmes has joked that the lyrics are about masturbation: "Reverse the frown and let the power surge / But when alone you cannot resist the urge" Whether that's the song's actual topic depends on your interpretation, but I'm more inclined to believe it's about something way more depressive like the rest of the album.

The songs on Draconian Times vary between catchy rockers like "Hallowed Land" and "The Last Time", and more atmospheric and moody pieces, such as "Elusive Cure" and the ballad "Forever Failure", which includes samples of notorious serial killer Charles Manson speaking about how he "do[es]n't really know what sorry means". Depressive stuff, but perfect for haunting music like this! "Once Solemn" is an atypically fast, perhaps even slightly punky song. Slow songs like "Jaded" on the other hand revisit Paradise Lost's doom metal roots, despite being very melodic and including no growls.

Speaking of vocals, Nick Holmes sings most of the album in a raspy tone reminiscent of James Hetfield, which was probably the main reason why Paradise Lost was called "the next Metallica" around the time the record came out. Holmes also uses his gothic crooning voice for the less aggressive sections, and overall his vocals are more diverse than on the earlier albums. The only complaint I have about his singing is that while he had learned to stay in tune better since the previous album Icon (1993), he still sings slightly off-key in the verses of "The Last Time", which is a little distracting. Nevertheless, his performance on the album is great, considering that Autotune and other helpful studio programs weren't around back then and he sings a lot of the album in a higher register than usually on PL's releases.

Main songwriter Greg Mackintosh's wailing lead guitar is one of the most recognizable elements of the Paradise Lost sound, and he is firing on all cylinders on Draconian Times, playing infectious melodies and tasteful solos all over the album, perhaps most notably on my favorite song "Yearn for Change". However, the rest of the band isn't sloppy either, and funnily enough this is the only PL album to include musical contributions from other members than Holmes and Mackintosh. Aaron Aedy is one of the tightest rhythm guitarists in the business, and the rhythm section of bassist Steve Edmondson and drummer Lee Morris lays a solid foundation for the songs. Morris was the newbie of the band at the time, having joined just before the recording sessions, and his playing was a massive improvement over original skinsman Matthew Archer. He plays impressive fills and patterns, but never once reaching the point where his playing is flashy for the sake of it and doesn't serve the song.

Greg Mackintosh has said he considers Draconian Times merely "a polished version of Icon". While the albums are similar and I love both of them, I find the former an improvement in every way: the songwriting is more solid and diverse, the performances are tighter and the crystal clear production sounds great to this day. The album's legacy also speaks for itself, as it remains Paradise Lost's best-selling and most acclaimed release. It was also played in full live in 2011, and the DVD filmed on that tour, Draconian Times MMXI, is one of the greatest live videos I've ever seen. Draconian Times paved the way for numerous new bands, including HIM and Lacuna Coil. It's a timeless release that came out at the right time and has had a huge impact even on listeners like me who only discovered the band within the past five years.

Rating: 5/5

EDIT: I think I'll add some official YouTube videos to the end of each review to give you some idea of what the music sounds like. However, single/video tracks are rarely among my absolute favorite songs, and some of you may even want to hear the whole album, so I'm also adding a Spotify Play Button:

 

An introduction

This is my first blog and I'm still in the process of figuring out how to use Blogger, so please excuse me I never meant to break your heart if it looks amateurish. I'm not visually talented, so I can't make big promises regarding the layout, but it doesn't matter that much as long as the writing doesn't suck. Right?

Before I get started properly, I'll answer a bunch of basic questions you may or may not have in your head upon entering this page:

Who writes this blog?

I'm Ville (aka the Echo Tester), a 20-year-old guy from Finland who studies English language and literature at the University of Tampere. I'm also an amateur guitar and keyboard player and an avid music listener.

What is this blog about?

Echo Tester is dedicated to music: I'll post my thoughts on albums in my collection upon their anniversaries, but also new releases, discography runthroughs, my latest musical discoveries and the concerts I've attended. I'm an open-minded listener, but metal and progressive rock are my favorite kinds of music, so expect a heavy dose of those two genres.

Why did I start this blog?

I've planned on starting a blog for a while already: I want to share my love for music with the world, have something creative to do in my spare time and practice my writing skills, and this is a neat way to combine those three things. Music is my life - I buy dozens of albums and attend plenty of shows every year. I'm not a professional writer or journalist, and as Frank Zappa once said, "writing about music is like dancing about architeture", but if I manage to convince at least one reader to check out an album I've written about, I feel I've succeeded.

Where does the blog name come from?

My #1 favorite band in the world is Rush, whose 16th album is called Test for Echo. This is how drummer and lyricist Neil Peart explained the title in a tourbook:

"HALLO-O-o-o!
Is there anybody out there?

That's what the title is all about. Everybody needs an "echo," some affirmation, to know they're not alone. Sometimes that can be life's most precious discovery -- somebody out there who feels the way you do. You ask yourself "Am I crazy?", "Am I weird?", and you need some affirmation: the echo. While the answer to those questions may still be "Yes!," it's good to know that you're not the only one. You are not alone.."

I like this concept, because in a way it ties in to what I'm doing with this blog: although I'm writing this blog for the fun of it, I'm also sending my thoughts for all of you to read, hoping for an "echo" to show me there are others who like the same things and feel the same way as I do. There were various blogs with names similar to the album title already, but it was a blessing in disguise, as now I had to come up with a slightly different and more original name.

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy reading this blog as much as I do writing it! Here we go, vertigo...