Archive for July, 2022

Album of the Week 30-2022: Arakain – Schizofrenie


Someone thankfully came to their senses and reissued Arakain’s sophomore album ‘Schizofrenie’ last month. The cd version of the album went for ridiculous prices at online marketplaces, but it is worth seeking out, as it is the best pure thrash metal album Arakain ever released – possibly their only, depending on where your tolerance for influences from other metal subgenres lies. Those who followed the band since their demo days may have been disappointed by the relative lack of the traditional heavy metal influences that were apparent on their early songs, but for a thrash metal album released in 1991, ‘Schizofrenie’ is simply excellent.

Another big plus about ‘Schizofrenie’ is that it sounds less like early Metallica with Czech lyrics. The Metallica influences are still fairly prominent especially in the midtempo riffs, but the faster riffs sometimes have a viciousness reminiscent of the likes of Dark Angel or Demolition Hammer. ‘Schizofrenie’ is also a great deal darker than its predecessor ‘Thrash The Trash’ (1990) in atmosphere, especially during its first half. It also is a bit more intricate, although Arakain definitely still is the type of band that wants its listeners to bang their heads rather than to dazzle them with displays of complexity and technicality.

The ever so slight changes in riff writing are apparent immediately when opener ‘Strážci Čazu’ kicks in. Its opening riff has a crushing, almost hardcore-like vibe and the start-stop feel gives the verses a more violent character than they would have had otherwise. ‘Teror’ is probably the darkest of all songs here, especially in how it moves from a creepy, almost doomy grind to some of the most vicious thrash riffing on the album. The closing title track also has an above average degree of aggression, as well as a surprising shift in time feel that comes and goes during its chorus and delightfully creepy final minutes.

Variation is what separates the better thrash albums from the lesser ones and ‘Schizofrenie’ has it in spades. ‘Kamennej Anděl’ is a power ballad in structure, with its clean riff making way for a heavier chorus, but not in atmosphere, which is dark and menacing. At times, it is reminiscent of the brilliant ‘Šerezád’ of the previous album, though not quite as heavy. ‘Gilotina’ is classic Arakain thrash in its uptempo riffs and open, surpisingly catchy chorus, while the instrumental ‘Sedmá Pečeť’ is the most traditional heavy metal track melodically, sounding somewhat like a thrashy version of Iron Maiden’s early instrumentals.

If you want to hear good nineties thrash metal, it is recommended to look outside of the United States and Germany. Arakain might have never found an international audience, because their lyrics are all in their native language and they did not tour worldwide. One doesn’t need to understand Czech to feel the impact of Arakain’s riffing, however. ‘Schizofrenie’ is the peak of early Arakain, right before their sound got bogged down by the groove metal virus. The band is still around and currently experiencing a bit of a second peak with a more contemporary metal sound, but it is easy to hear why Czech metal crowds were so enthusiastic about this stuff in the late eighties and early nineties.

Recommended tracks: ‘Gilotina’, ‘Strážci Čazu’, ‘Schizofrenie’

2022
07/31
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Album of the Week 29-2022: Megadeth – Rust In Peace


With a very promising new Megadeth album on the horizon, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at the yardstick by which I tend to measure every other Megadeth album. At the time, ‘Rust In Peace’ was the album that finally delivered on the promise Dave Mustaine and his fellow musicians occasionally hinted at on their first three albums. While most of the material is still quite fast, the focus of the album is on clever songwriting, with a surprisingly large number of crunchy speed metal riffs as the means to that end. I still think it is the best Megadeth album to date.

Having said that, ‘Rust In Peace’ is not necessarily Megadeth’s most consistent release. That title would probably go to 2004’s comeback album ‘The System Has Failed’. ‘Rust In Peace’ just happens to have a few highlights that are such landmarks in heavy metal songwriting to this day that some of the lesser songs don’t quite manage to make the same impact. The likes of ‘Lucretia’ are a pleasant enough listen, but when measured against the tight, precise riffing and the accessible, yet surprisingly complex and mature songwriting of some of the other tracks, they do tend to fall a bit short.

One of those tracks that hog the spotlight, so to speak, is the monumental opener ‘Holy Wars…The Punishment Due’. Quite a daring move to open the album with what is arguably the most complex song. It starts out recognizable enough with an uptempo thrash riff until it is suddenly broken up by a short, almost Egyptian-sounding classical guitar interlude and the track spends quite some time moving through different atmospheres in mid-tempo territory. With that one and the somewhat more traditional-sounding ‘Hangar 18’ culminating in long, intense guitar solo trade-offs between Mustaine and (at the time) new kid Marty Friedman, the stage is set for an album full of incredible guitar work.

Friedman’s proper introduction comes in the surprisingly melodic ‘Tornado Of Souls’. There is a minute-long guitar solo with such a strong, almost narrative build-up that it is probably my favorite solo ever recorded. The rest of the song is incredible as well, though it could have been lifted into the stratosphere even more with a better singer than Mustaine, who is pushing the edge of his range here. Those who prefer Megadeth as a full-speed thrash metal band are served by ‘Poison Was The Cure’ and the incredible, annihilating ‘Take No Prisoners’. The deceptively complex ‘Five Magics’ needs some time to grow and ‘Rust In Peace…Polaris’ is nothing special, but a fun closer.

Some heavy metal from the eighties has aged about as well as a pack of butter in direct sunlight, but ‘Rust In Peace’ still sounds as fresh and inspired today. It is also the last album released before a combination of label pressure and commercial ambitions pushed Megadeth towards a bit of an identity crisis, though to Mustaine’s credit: even if he is forced to write an accessible rock album, he’ll try and make the best out of it he possibly can. Despite the band’s recent output mostly being very good – except, and I cannot emphasize this enough, ‘Super Collider’ – there is a reason why people keep comparing Megadeth albums to ‘Rust In Peace’. It has some of the best metal ever written.

As a small postscriptum: if you have not heard ‘Rust In Peace’ yet, make sure to listen to the 2004 remaster. With the bass and backing vocals being much more audible, it is truly the best way to experience the album.

Recommended tracks: ‘Tornado Of Souls’, ‘Holy Wars…The Punishment Due’, ‘Hangar 18’, ‘Take No Prisoners’

2022
07/24
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Album of the Week 28-2022: Onmyo-za – Hoyoku Rindo


Occasionally it happens that a band with a somewhat lengthy career has one album in their discography of which it keeps surprising me how good it is. An album that is not necessarily one of their highlights, but every time I put it on, there is a realization that there is a surprising amount of excellent songs on it. Onmyo-za’s fourth full-length ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ is probably the most obvious example of this. It is somewhat lighter in approach than its predecessors, which is probably why I tend to play it less, but there is simply too much good material on ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ to dismiss it.

To some extent, ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ has some similarities with Onmyo-za’s 2009 release ‘Kongo Kyubi’. The production on the album is a bit brighter than usual and because the compositions aren’t quite as dense, it comes across as a bit softer than what is common for the band. Yet, when you zoom in on the individual songs, there is an incredible amount of excellent traditional heavy metal and hardrock to be found here. Overall, ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ is a bit more accessible than its direct predecessor ‘Kojin Rasetsu’ – not to mention the folk elements being less pronounced – but it is an Onmyo-za album through and through.

Consistency rules the day on ‘Hoyoku Rindo’, but if there is anything it excels at, it would be its simple rockers. It does not surprise me one bit that the vaguely Maiden-ish opener ‘Hoyoku-Tensho’ would become a live staple for the band, as it is catchy, well-structured and vocally, Kuroneko is simply a fish in the water on the track. Or a phoenix in the sky, if we’re splitting hairs about the title. ‘Sogenbi’ is another strong uptempo, but not too fast hardrocker in a similar vein, while the speed metal monster ‘Kirin’ proves that ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ may not be as lightweight as it initially comes across.

However, Onmyo-za has not completely forgotten how to write an epic, mildly proggy song. The ten-minute ‘Nue’ is reminiscent of ‘Ayako’ in that it starts almost unequivocally as a ballad – one with a chord progression similar to the one in The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ this time – but has a cool middle section that successfully portrays insanity. The interaction between Maneki’s bright, clean rhythm guitars and Karukan’s dancing lead guitar melody on ‘Yoka Ninpocho’ is fairly unique and very engaging. And if you want pure Iron Maiden worship enhanced by the voices of Kuroneko and her husband, band leader Matatabi, look no further than ‘Omokage’.

Sure, ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ ends a bit predictably, with the beautifully sparse ballad ‘Hoshi No Yadori’ and ‘Mai Agaru’, which is probably my least favorite of the lightweight rockers that usually close their albums. But until it gets there, ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ has something fresh it has not lost after all those years of listening to it. I’m not quite sure where it sits in the general perception of Onmyo-za albums, but I have a tendency to underrate it horribly. Please don’t make the same mistake as I did. While I would recommend other albums to start with if you’re not familiar with Onmyo-za, ‘Hoyoku Rindo’ is simply excellent.

Recommended tracks: ‘Omokage’, ‘Kirin’, ‘Hoyoku-Tensho’, ‘Nue’

2022
07/17
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Album of the Week 27-2022: Chun Qiu – Spring And Autumn


Folk metal theoretically is an interesting genre. Being European, however, the folk metal I am exposed to often consists of the lowest common denominators of both styles. For truly interesting folk metal, I have to look a little further from home. Chun Qiu hails from China and sadly only released a single album, but it is a really good one. A bit of a slow burner that needs more than a handful of spins to reveal all its secrets, but that only contributes to the longevity of the album. For an interesting, but not too ham-fisted blend of heavy metal and traditional Chinese music, look no further.

Chun Qiu is a supergroup of sorts, their members having been involved with the likes of Tang Dynasty (guitarist Kaiser Kuo), Overload (drummer Diao Lei) and Suffocated (guitarist Kou Zhengyu). They don’t really sound like any of those bands though. ‘Spring And Autumn’ consists of largely mid-tempo heavy metal – though with frequent pronounced gallops – and highly creative clean guitar parts. The latter might warrant the prog moniker, though the songwriting is not particularly complex. Instead, ample space is given to the folky melodies and the excellent vocal performance of Yang Meng, which finds the middle ground between resigned melancholy and an almost yearning feel.

Melodically, ‘Spring And Autumn’ should not sound too alien for Europeans and Americans. While the sonic tapestry here is quite uniquely Chinese, the traditional and classical music of the country has a surprising amount of overlap with traditional heavy metal melodically and especially rhythmically. Ultimately, that might be why the album is as good as it is. It feels like the folky melodies and the distorted guitar riffs have been written in conjunction with each other rather than trying to force the traditional elements into a heavier context. In addition, the music is highly dynamic, with almost every track featuring contrasting sections that go together surprisingly well.

After hearing ‘Spring And Autumn’ for the first time, the longer tracks impressed me most. ‘The Last Page’ has some incredible rhythmic delay work over a subdued riff, ‘Born Of The Storm’ manages to squeeze a surprisingly large number of different atmospheres out of only a handful of riffs and the incredible ‘The Subcelestial’ is a dynamic masterclass in contrasts. Out of the more concise tracks, ‘Legend’ and ‘The Huntsman’ are probably closest to what a westerner would expect from folk metal. Opener ‘A New Day’ has an amazing chorus melody, while the acoustic ‘Between The Mountains And The Sea’ closes the album in a shoothing fashion.

‘Spring And Autumn’ is a fantastic introduction to the fusion of Chinese folk and heavy metal. It is quite impressive how natural the arrangements feel, while none of the musicians ever gets in somebody else’s way. If anything, they leave as much room as they can for the vocals, which is rare enough in contemporary heavy metal. Circumstances prevented Chun Qiu from releasing any other albums, save for a live recording ten years after the release of ‘Spring And Autumn’. But as it stands, their only album is more than enough evidence for the skill in their compositions and arrangements. Also, it is surprisingly accessible for non-Chinese listeners.

Recommended tracks: ‘The Subcelestial’, ‘A New Day’, ‘The Last Page’

2022
07/10
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Album of the Week 26-2022: The Gazette – Division


‘Division’ has been poorly represented on The Gazette’s live sets for nearly every tour after its tour cycle ended. Personally, I don’t really understand why. When it was released, it was their best release by a significant margin. And though it has since been surpassed – and then some – by ‘Dogma’, ‘Division’ still contains some of the best songs the visual kei giants have released to date. There is a slightly bigger emphasis on melodies than on every album since they discovered nu-metal, allowing their biggest asset – the warm, clear baritone of Ruki – more space than before in an abundance of excellent melodies.

The Gazette’s status in Japan is comparable to that of a boyband, except their music is a blend of modern metal, J-rock and alternative rock. Their early work never really appealed to me, but they suddenly turned into a surprisingly adventurous modern hardrock band with ‘Dim’ (2009). On follow-up ‘Toxic’ (2011), the band started experimenting with electronics, but often it felt like the heavy riffs and the electronics were trying to push each other off the album. ‘Division’ creates a much better balance between the two extremes, feeling like the songs were conceived as rock songs first, only to have other elements added later if necessary.

What really pulled me into ‘Division’ was its opening track ‘Gabriel On The Gallows’ – if you have JPU’s international version, at least. While the downtuned riffs on that song aren’t necessarily anything special, their off-kilter rhythmic placement is really cool and the open chorus is fantastic. Opening the original Japanese release is another highlight in the shape of ‘Ibitsu’. The track appears to translate the lighter J-rock melodies of the band’s earlier work to the thicker, heavier modern production style of their later releases. A similar approach can be heard on ‘Hedoro’, of which the rhythms and the teasing guitar line bring Buck-Tick to mind.

One area in which The Gazette always outshines their peers is their ballads. Having an incredible singer like Ruki helps, but where many Japanese rock ballads quickly devolve into schmaltzy territory, The Gazette often manages to combine their dark melancholy with a slighty different take on structuring them. The particularly dark ‘Yoin’ paints an oppressive atmosphere brilliantly, whereas ‘Kagefumi’ has the vibe of a ballad, though not necessarily the sonic approach. The same can be said about the fantastic ‘Dripping Insanity’, which has some fairly heavy guitar riffs, but also the melancholic grandeur that characterizes most of The Gazette’s ballads. Also, its chorus is incredible.

How The Gazette did it is beyond me, but they managed to combine elements which are usually turn-offs for me into an irresistible cocktail here. They often go overboard with modern elements themselves, but everything is in near-perfect balance on ‘Division’. Even a song that would otherwise be too noisy for me like ‘Attitude’ is made listenable by their keen ear for melodies. ‘Dogma’ will always be my favorite The Gazette album due to its strong gothic vibe, but if you want to get acquainted with the band through the best representation of themselves possible, you really cannot go wrong with ‘Division’.

Recommended tracks: ‘Gabriel On The Gallows’, ‘Dripping Insanity’, ‘Ibitsu’, ‘Yoin’

2022
07/03
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