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




 

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

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

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

 

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.)