The Showdown: Blood In The Gears

Alright, time for one of my favorite bands that aren't Christian! Yes, that's right, The Showdown is NOT a Christian group, much to everyone's belief. The guitarist of the group, Josh Childers, has said in interviews that they are not a Christian group. But we're not here to talk about weather or not they're Christian, we're here to talk about the music! I know that I say that I don't do reviews of non Christian bands, but in this case, I'm willing to make an exception. I bought this album about a week or so ago, and I've got to say, I like it a lot. Temptation is still one of my favorite albums by them, but in my humble opinion, Blood In The Gears is their best thus far. The entire album just flows very well, and if your like me and have listen to they're past three albums, Chorus of Obliteration, Temptation Come My Way and Back Breaker, you can here the same style in this song, but its become more matured.

I'd have to say that my favorite track on the album is a tie between three different songs:

The Man Named Hell
Diggin' My Own Grave
And the bonus track, which has no title.


Now being a Christian Metalhead Biker, this album is going to be a favorite of mine. The Man Named Hell is my personal favorite out of the three I like, because it has a bike revving for an intro, that actually works as the basic drum line for the remainder of the song.


Diggin' My Own Grave is another one of my favorites because I like the sound and the feel. I didn't know that Showdown had a southern style flair to the music until I heard this song, seeing that I haven't listened to Temptation in quite some time. And I've gotta say, it sounds pretty awesome.


The bonus track on the album, which came up in my Zune software as "Untitled" is another favorite of mine, simply because of the intense feel of it. I've been a Showdown fan ever since Chorus, the first song(s) I ever heard by them being their cover of Carry On My Wayward Son, originally by Kansas, and Dagon Undone.


My personal view on this album is that it's awesome. I'm always in the mood for some good thrash, and The Showdown delivers with Blood In The Gears as a whole, and I personally cannot wait to see what they are going to do next.

As always, I'm your host, Wattako.

Demon Hunter: The World is A Thorn

Genre: Metalcore



What can be said about DH? Well, for the genre, they are one of my favs. I don't like much metalcore, but DH is one that always comes to mind when I think of it, right before Five Finger Death Punch. I first heard these guys a few years ago. Didn't know much about them at the time because I was still in a Sophomore in high school. Storm The Gates was my favorite album and still is. I like the brutality of Storm The Gates, and the combo with the title track and Lead Us Home is excellent. What I like about The World Is A Thorn is the sound.

But why the sound? Simply because, to me, it has more of a Thrashy feel to it which is an upgrade for DH. I haven't really spent the time to sit and listen to the album in its entirety, but from what I've heard its a god sound for DH with Just Breath being my fav. And no, its not just because Christian Älvestam is guest vocalizing on it, its the all around sound of the song, the structure and the complexity it brings. If you know me, you that Älvestam is my favorite vocalist. But his addition doesn't make it top for me, as awesome as he is. I've listen to all of DH's album, and I have to say that TWSAT is by far their most complex piece of work. Another one of my favorites on the album would have to be Collapsing, featuring Björn "Speed" Strid. I've taken a listen to Björn's band Soilwork, originally being called Inferior Breed, but they changed the name to Soilwork meaning "working from the ground up" according to Wikipedia. I have mixed feelings about them. Not my favorite group, but maybe I need to look into them more.

And as far as their debut goes, not many bands of this genre have a good debut like DH does. One of my favorite songs of DH is Though The Black, simply because of how raw it sounds. Most metalcore has a very raw feel to it, and most of the time in my opinion, it sucks because the band either trying too hard or not enough. A lot of people will debate between which band is better between DH and another one of my favs, Becoming The Archetype. And I have to say, the arguments that ensue from it are arbitrary and ridicules. So what if you like BTA over DH? Not one is better than the other, for their respective genre's they are both awesome.

That's my input on the whole "DH VS. BTA" crap. Both are amazing bands and they both bring their own feel to the metal community. Back to the task at hand, DH has been one of my favorite bands for a few years now, and really they are underestimated. Thorns is one of their best songs. What I like about DH is Ryan Clark, the lead vocals. The man can sing when he wants to, but at the same time can deliver powerful metalcore screams. Carry Me Down is a BEAUTIFUL song, as well as a few other songs of the style. I really apprichiate DH Because they aren't all about power and raw energy, like most bands of the genre. They have some good songs that I would consider to be ballads, just from the feel I get from them.

All in all, DH is a good Christian Metalcore band. Underestimated? Without a doubt. Good? Hands down one of the best of the genre.

As always, I'm your host Wattako. Stay Shockey and God bless.

New Band (less then three years formed) Review!

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you, The Few Against Many. They are once again a Melodic Death Metal group, led by quite possibly my favorite vocalist in the Death Metal industry, Christian Älvestam.

Now as I listen to this album, I find the distinctive traits of Christian: intense and sometime brutal vocals, good guitar work, screams etc etc etc, that one would notice in some of his current bands (i.e. Solution .45, Miseration) as well as in his past bands when he was still with them. Scar Symmetry is the only good band (in terms of past bands) that I've listened to with Christian being lead vocals. The man is extremely talented. Not only does he deliver intense growls and death vocals, but he's also an accomplished clean vocalist as well.

When you say the name Christian Älvestam in the metal community, most people immediately think old SS(look up their album Holographic Universe, it is my favorite SS album with Christian, Pitch Black Progress being second). Now that he's with bands like Miseration and TFAM, not to mention the super-group Solution .45 with another one of my favorite vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jani Stefanović who is mostly known for his work with my favorite Symphonic Power Metal group DivineFire.

The album for TFAM is titled Sot, and from what I can tell its a very good album. It's a little over a half hour long, the songs averaging at about four minutes in length, the longest of them being close to seven minutes.

As far as which song is my favorite, it's hard to tell. The entire album is good in my opinion. I can't find one song that I don't like.

And now comes the part where I rate the band:

Vocals: 8.5.
The reason I give Christian only an 8.5 is because honestly I've heard better. I like him growling, but I love when at least a song or two has some cleans. This album, unfortunately has none which is a bummer for me simply because of how good Christian can hit the notes he hits. He's no Rob Rock, but then again, who is?

Musical Structure: 9
I give this album a 9 because no album is perfect, just like no band in perfect. No matter how hard you try you will never make a "perfect" album. A prime example of that is Impellitteri's album Wicked Maiden. It took the band almost five years to complete the album, mostly due to the fact that Chris kept feeling as if he could do better. And I like it when a band or artist pushes themselves to do better. Because it tells me that they're serious about it. But I'm sure that as happy as Chris is with the album, I'm pretty sure there are some things he wishes he did, some things he wishes he did better and some things he didn't want to do at all.

Lyrical Structure: 8

An 8. Why you would ask? Because, while they stuck to the theme, the words where hard to understand even for Christian. Most of the time, I can decipher what he's saying, but for whatever reason it may be, be it production, mixing of the tracks, whatever, it was harder for me to understand.

Style: 8
Again? 8? Really? I know, a lot of 8's this time around. For the style they do, I was kind of disappointed in TFAM. I've heard better, but I've also heard worse(new SS). For whatever reason, I just wasn't as impressed with this band in terms of style. Maybe its because a good chunk of the music I listen to is Melodeath, maybe I'm starting to get bored of Melodeath, who knows? Anyway, they get an 8 for the debut album. I can't wait to see what these guys do.


Total rating: 9.5

Not bad for a band only three years young. Like I said, I've heard a lot worse...But, on the other hand, I've also heard much better.

As always, I'm your host, Wattako. Stay Shockey.

Things that piss me off....

#1: Politics

If you know me well, you know that I HATE politics...I hate talking about them, I hate HEARING about them. If you are one of those people who where on the debate team in high school, please don't talk to me about politics...ANYTHING put politics...This is how I look at politics....

"Politics is made up of two words: poli, which is the Latin word for many, and ticks, which are blood sucking leeches..." Peanut in Jeff Dunham's "Arguing With Myself".



#2: Movies

Why do I say movies? To put it simply, because most of today's movies are either pointless or so obscene that I can't put up with it...Their are exceptions, but they are few and far between...
And some movies that look good in the previews are most of the time either not what I was expecting at all and sucked, or the content pisses me off so much that I have to leave.


#3: Wanna-be-gangsters

Now these guys....Oh.....They listen to rap and all of a sudden they think they're some kind of badass that can whatever the heck they feel like doing because they listen to other people do it! Whoever says music isn't influential should be smacked in the back of the head like DiNozzo on NCIS...Don't tell me music isn't influential, because I see it everyday. Kids nowadays are out smoking pot, drinking and going to parties with no parental supervision to be seen, and its all because of MUSIC and PER-PRESSURE. For all you parents out their, I would like to challenge you: check into your kids if they listen to Rap or Hip-Hop. Check their rooms when they are away, because their is a good change that they are hiding some kind of drug paraphernalia from you.


#4:Video Games of today's time

Now this one is easy to say because, being a gamer nerd, I've play a lot of good games and A LOT of BAD games. I grew up playing games like Super Mario and Legend of Zelda, back when games where GOOD. Now a lot of games that kids are playing today and, here's the kicker, their parents DON'T CARE are games that are either very violent, splattered with sexual themes, foul language and the like...Now what really pisses me off about this is something I've already mentioned, and that's the fact that some parents just don't care.

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YOU FREAKING IDIOTS!!!!!!!!


HOW!?!?!?!? How can you sit there and watch your kids play a game that's rated "M" for MATURE!!!!!! and not do anything about it!? It's people like them who really get under my skin and just flat piss me off...Shame on you if you are one of those parents that allow that to happen! And don't try to tell me "that it's not going to effect them"....You know what I have to say to that?


Excuse my language but that's a load of bullshit! I would NEVER....NEVER Let my kids play those games until they where old enough.....



#5: High school students

Being out of high school for only a year, I know how hard H.S. can be. What really ticks me off though are some of the students in high school, mainly the younger ones. Now I went to a secondary school when I was in high school. For those of you that don't know a secondary school is grades 7-12. And I gotta tell ya, some of them younger kids thought they were all that and a bag of chips. Not so much the older ones aside from a few exceptions. "Stupid is as stupid does" I say to people who act like jerks their whole lives. But man! Some of the kids I had to deal with for my Library class were absolute A-holes!


#6: People on the road

Some drivers I have to wonder how they passes their drivers test and why their behind the wheel in the first place. Rude and idiotic come to mind for words to describe them. If your that pissed at me because I turned into your lane while I was signally properly and you are too distracted with your cell phone or radio to see me and you get mad, get off the road...



That's all I can really think about for right now. If I think of anything else, expect another post.



As always, I'm your host Wattako.

Nightwish: Once

Band: Nightwish
Album: Once
Label: Nuclear Blast/Spinfarm Records
Genre: Finnish Symphonic Metal


Track #1: Dark Chest Of Wonders

My personal favorite off the album, Dark Chest of Wonders is a remembrance of a dream. A dream where the person learns to fly after seeing a child with a clock striking twelve and seeing the child's heart for what it is. The person takes a step outside, longing to follow the moonlight without the restraints of life. The rope of doubt gets cut after a lot of faith (in what, I'm not sure...). And in this dream the person can fly, and they fly across the sea to find a chest. Only one of pure heart can open the chest, and when opened, dark wonders are seen from within. The world stole something known as The Big Blue, and on the night of the dream he returns to the person he was stolen from. All and all this is a pretty good song if you don't mind the old Gothic view of things.


Track #2: Wish I Had An Angel

"I wish I had an angel for one moment of love, I wish I had your angel tonight.." Right off the bat we can hear this is a love song in it's own right. Most would disagree with me, but that's okay, because this is a review from a fan. Much like DCOW, this song drags you in and doesn't let go. I would not recommend this to people of very strong Christian or Mormon faith, again, unless you're not bothered by this kind of stuff.


Track #3: Nemo

One of the slower songs by the band, Tarja's voice is brought out in a beautiful way. Not a whole lot of high notes, Nemo is more of a lower ranged but very beautiful song. "Oh how I wish for soothing rain, all I wish is to dream again.." Something tells me that she's lost a love in her life and has been brought down by the pain and only the rain can sooth away her pain. Hey! I'm a poet and didn't even know it! Anyway, Nemo, beautiful in its own way and is in no way meant to be taken out of context. I would recommend taking a listen to this song if your in the mood for something beautiful. Nemo most diffidently delivers.


Track #4: Planet Hell

Actually the first song I ever heard by NW was Planet Hell and I wasn't even looking for anything close to it! Starting out with a good buildup to the actual song with good symphonic vocalizing and then Marco Hietala's rough voice come booming in. A song about death, the chorus mentions the Ferryman, a being that transports people from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead, only if you have a coin for him. Again, if your not bothered by this stuff, its a good listen. But if you are, please don't, and if you do, please don't come complaining to me because all I'll say is I warned you.


Track #5: Creek Mary's Blood

Starting out with a Native American feel to it, Creek Mary's Blood tells a tale of of a warrior who's spirit will never leave the land he loves and he will forever remain with his people in spirit. It also tells the tale of how white man came and saw how prosperous the land was and wanted it for themselves(jeez, aren't we nice?), killing any and all who got in they're way. The Indians tell us how they stayed in the land since they can remember, most thinking it was theirs since the beginning of time itself. The last half of the song tells of how one Indian remembers the time before white man came to take the land, and how he was like the caribou and white man the wolves that hunt them and make them stronger. At the end we hear that the Indian speaks to the white man saying: "We never owed you anything, Our only debt is one life to our Mother(referring to the earth). It was a good day to chant this song to her."


Track #6: The Siren

Starting out with violins and going into guitars with other symphonic instruments and finally Tarja singing about The Sirens, the old Norse legend of creatures that sang a mesmerizing song that captured sailors and caused them to wreck they're ships and sink to a watery grave. The song breaks out into a vocalizing and guitar solo for the next few minutes, but over all the song has a mystic feel to it, a good listen in my opinion.


Track #7: Dead Gardens

Starting out slow and dark, Dead Gardens has the dead feel from the very beginning, and when Tarja chimes in it adds to it. To me it sounds like everything the person wanted to do has been done and they have nothing left to do but care for the dead gardens of the realm of the dead. A good listen, with a cold dead sound.


Track #8: Romanticide

Starting out hard and heavy, Romanticide brings a hard Gothic feel that is rarely felt by most bands of the genre. From what I can tell, Romanticide is about a love that had died and now the person feels as if they are being told how to live, and all they want now is for the old lover to leave them alone and die in the "Romanticide" of lost love.


Track #9: Ghost Love Score

Ten minutes in length, this is Nightwish's second longest song to date, the longest being The Poet And The Pendulum from they're 2007 album Dark Passion Play. Not really sure what to say about this song, other then it's a beautifully written and performed song and I would recommend this to anyone looking for something that's beautiful in the since of the Gothic.


Track #10: Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
English Translation: Death Makes an Artist

In case you where wondering, the song is sung in the bands spoken language, Finnish. All that I can really say about this song is that it is also beautifully made and performed. I've read the English translation of the song, and here's what it says: "Only once I got to see my dream
I didn't feel the smallness under the stars
Once I got bars to my cradle
From there I'm writing a letter as a prisoner
My God, to you let me (be)come what my child takes me for*
In you, the beauty of the world
From which the death made me an artist
My God, to you let me (be)come what my child takes me for
Created my own heaven here
Let me get away..."
As I said before, a beautifully written song and diffidently one their best songs.


Track #11: Higher Than Hope

From what I can tell about this song, is that someone is trapped inside some kind of mental trap and they see no way of getting out, and when they're mother holds them all they can feel is the joy of her heart. I'm guess that the person has died and now the memory lives on though a friend...I don't really know what this song is about, so instead of typing pointless nonsense that looks like I do, I'll end it with a good song that is also beautifully done.


Song Rating:
Musical Structure: 10
Lyrical Structure: 9.5
Style: 9
Vocals: 8.5

Overall Rating: 9.5

Why did I rate vocals with the lowest? Because even though Tarja's voice is beautiful, a lot of the time she's hard to understand unless you have the lyrics in front of you.

From: http://lyricstranslate.com

Sletchvalk: A Forlorn Throne

Band: Sletchvalk
Album: A Forlorn Throne
Label: Whirlwind Records
Genre: Unblack/Extreme



Track #1: Tamers Of The Seas

Right off the bat I can tell this album could be another one of those "viking journey" album, with the harsh, raspy vocals of Shamgar and Ohtar screaming into my ears with that blistering but joyous pain.The last album I listen to by Slechtvalk was...well, this will be the first one that I've listen to all the way through, with the only song that I know by these guys being Thunder of War off the album At The Dawn of War. "Tamers of The Seas" is indeed about a group of sailors (weather they are vikings or not, I can only assume..) who take control of the sea and use it to they're advantage. Confident in themselves they fear nothing. Any and all who get in between these guys and they're goal are going to find that this is just not a good idea, and death is now inevitable.


Track #2: Forsaken

Looking at these lyrics to make sure I know what they're saying, it sounds to me like this guy is a bit lost. He fled the battlefield at the first sign of defeat, leaving his comrades to face the army and ultimately, die. Even though death on the battlefield was considered the only honorable death, for whatever reason, this guy chickened out and left. Now he roams the lands with this burden on his heart and mind, and now he feels guilty for leaving his fellow warriors behind to die. Along with leaving his comrades, he in turn leaves his homeland and now is in wonder if he will ever see his home again. "I wonder if I will ever find my way back home? Will I live to see my children become better men?" This alone tells us of the sorrow he feels and the regret he had for leaving the battlefield. I know that I would rather die in the battlefield then leave everything behind with the chance of never seeing it again.


Track #3: Desolate

Okay, so maybe I was a bit off when I said "viking journey". What I should have said was "viking depression" because now we're going deeper into this guys madness and sorrow. Now he's saying that his heart feels desolate and he's "trapped in a maze of horror, forsaken by God, I cannot escape...This time I don't see a way out, except for Death." This is basically a sad song with an Unblack style to it. So this is what someone felt like when all hell was happening all around them...Interesting. Let's dive in deeper into this adventure and see if the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" appears.


Track #4: Divided By Malice

Well, that's kinda nice. Having a little violin opening as well as good vocalizing from Shamgar and the rest of Slechtvalk. Now we're getting more into the pain and seeing the darkness of this pain that our warrior friend holds in his heart, as well as burning hate. He feels like he has no reason left to live and that he's been "left for dead". He is also determined now to take back what is his and seek his vengeance against "The Beast" as he says. So to me "Divided By Malice" is a duel-meaning song: pain and vengeance.


Track #5: Allegiance

Interesting....Reading these lyrics it seems that our warrior has found a new troop to control and he is forcing them to swear they're allegiance to him and he promises them that he will bring them victory in battle. It appears to me that he has found his enemy and is now seeking to extract his horrible vengeance on him and is "rallying the troops" so to say. He's even asking them if they want to be slaves to the power he's fighting, wondering just who will swear to fight along side him, a test of wits. Now he's having the weary and broken come to him saying that they will find rest in "my golden halls". Interesting...Now he's making himself out to be a powerful warrior...A little too much if you ask me...Looks like the tide is turning from "Viking Depression" to "Viking Vengeance". This is one interesting and bloodthirsty adventure.


Track #6: Enthroned

It appears that our warrior friend here has found a long lost temple with a long forgotten throne in it. He makes his way though the overgrow of bushes and thorns. Black marble veins surround the throne, but this doesn't stop this warrior from sitting down in it. As soon as he does, however, he feels the cold of the marble swallow him whole and he is seemingly transported back to a time when the temple was alive and full of people, the courts full of dancers and jesters and all sorts of peoples yearning for his impression. The legend of the forlorn throne is made clear to him as he is overcome with passion, joy, peace and desire. After being crowned and worshiped by the ghost of the past, he cannot turn away. But when he does, he is taken back to his time and he realizes that he his chained to the throne, the old king appearing and looking at him like he's dinner. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to sit in the old throne after all.


Track #7: Bewailed

Now it seems that theirs a love connection here as we find out the a woman has been captured and she hopes that the "love of her youth" will come to save her, but after several years he never shows up and she is now hopeless and accepts death as her fate. A dream then comes to her at night and she sees him standing their, but for whatever reason she holds out her hand to stop him from rescuing her. Then she hears the horns of war and she become fearful of having the same fate as her captor that she's grown to know and worry for. Fearing the judgment of her old love, she doesn't want to see him. Now she walks over to the window and thinks about jumping so she would never have to explain to him what happened. She continues to think that he's abandoned her and wants nothing to do with her. But soon, she hears a familiar falcon call and she knows that her old lover has at last come to save her, and she runs to him while he opens his arms and they're love continues.


Track #8: Towards The Dawn

Now it appears that the battle is about to begin, with the opposing force assembling an army. But our hero won't stand for it, and he sees the army going to war with false hope and they're fate of death being brought upon them. Waiting for this day to come, the warrior vows that his enemy will be dead before the day is over and victory will be his. Saying everything that he's dealt with and showing no fear of whats to come, his speech is meant to bring his army into high spirits and ready for war. Now he starts smack-talking his opponent saying that he's not the man he should be, his disgrace is eternal and he has a thumbless fist. Ouch. Now the battle begins...Lets see who come out on top!


Track# 9: Vengeance Of A Scorned King

So now we find our hero at the battlefield awaiting the arrival of his enemy, giving his army the last little bit of verbal strength. With swords drawn and shields at the ready, they wait until the army comes into view. Waiting amongst the trees the opposing army passes through them until our hero calls for a false retreat, making the enemy army think they've got the upper hand. They resort back to the trees and wait for the army to fall for it, only to have they're retreat blocked by our boys. The reform a battle line as the opposing enemy comes towards them, crashing against they're shields multiple times but never breaking the formation. After our hero fights his enemy the first time, he manages to get away but our hero slaughters his ranks until he finds him again, finally killing his enemy and bringing an end to the misery




Song Rating:
Musical Structure: 9
Lyrical Structure: 9
Style: 8.5
Performance: 9
Vocals: 8.5

Overall Rating: 9.5

Alice Cooper: Along Came A Spider

This was requested by a friend of mine. Noods, this is for you buddy!

Artist: Alice Cooper
Album: Along Came A Spider
Label: Steamhammer/SPV(German) Records
Genre: Shock Rock


The Master of Shock Rock himself, Mr. Vincent Furnier, AKA Alice Cooper.

Originally planned to be a band name, Alice Cooper turned out to be the designer of what is known now simply as Shock Rock, with other artist being labeled as such with names like Marylin Manson (don't get me started), Dir En Grey, Mushroomhead, Twisted Sister and so on. The song I heard from Cooper is the same as many, all thanks to Guitar Hero 1, School's Out. Later, once I was introduced to metal, my friend DarkFireDragoon got me hooked on his album Welcome To My Nightmare, and from that point on I began looking more into him. My favorite album thus far is pictured above, Along Came A Spider. "But why this one?" some may ask. "Why not Trash? Or Billion Dollar Babies? What about Welcome to My Nightmare, the one that got you hooked in the first place?"

I can't really describe why I like this album more the others. Trash is by far one of his best in my opinion, Nightmare is an amazing story and I can't wait for Nightmare II, but this album just speaks to the inner psychopath the most. The title track is one of my favorites off the album, but the second track, Vengeance is Mine, is my personal favorite.

The man is just the essence of creepy. The first time I saw this guy it scared the tar out of me. He has perfected the super-villain look and everything that is tied into it. Moreover, Alice Cooper is a completely different person from Vincent. Once Vince get's on stage, he becomes the sick and sadistic Alice Cooper.

And Vince is a Christian! I love that! Most people think that Christian's are good people that don't do anything creepy. And for the most part, that is true, but what a lot of people don't know is that most Christian's come from a bad background. I love what Vince does with Cooper: "I try to keep him out of my personal life. He can't imagine having a family, and the thought makes him sick to his stomach. But once I go onstage, that's when Alice has his time to shine." Paraphrased of course.

All around, Cooper sticks to his guns. He knows what he's good at and works with it, which is something that a lot of new bands coming out don't know yet. Which is fine, their new, they don't know what works for them yet. But for bands that aren't so new and know what doesn't work for them but instead do whatever they like and it sounds horrible, those are the one's I don't really care much for.

Cooper gets a 9 for this album. There are some things I don't like, as there is every album, but overall the whole thing is pretty good, expect when he switches gears from insane killer to a love song, which doesn't bother me that much, I would just like to see a better transition then just all of a sudden.


As always, I'm your host Wattako. Stay Shockey.

Divinefire: Into A New Dimension

First off, I want to say that this is my first time EVER attempting a blog, so please be considerate when commenting...

Allow me to tell you how I will rate my reviews:
Over all musical structure
Lyrical structure
Style
Performance
Vocals (big thing for me. If I can't understand the singer, they're going to lose points)

All reviews are given a rating scale of one to ten, ten being best.

Alright, onto the review!

Band: Divinefire
Album: Into A New Dimension
Label: Rivel Records
Genre: Extreme Symphonic Power Metal


DivineFire...What can I say about DivineFire, other then the fact that they are my favorite band of the genre. I list to A LOT of power metal, but these guys have everything I look for in a band: good, clean vocals, awesome riffs and music that I cannot help but to head-bang, I don't head-bang much! Most of what I do is more like a head-bob then a head-bang. That's what happens when you throw your neck out by head-banging as hard as you can to bands like Tourniquet, Amon Amarth and the like.

I was first introduced to this band by my good friend ShadowFrostJavelin while we where still going through the hellhole that is high school...So glad to be in college now...

At first, I wasn't really all that much into metal when I heard these guys. Before I listened to a lot of Mortification, Tourniquet, Evanescence, Drowning Pool and so on and so forth.

A little side note! Before I was even introduced to metal(and I mean real metal), I used to think that Drowning Pool was the heaviest thing on the planet. Bodies used to be one of my favorite songs, and was my theme for a while. Now, I barely listen to them and when people tell me their the best thing ever, I can't help but chuckle.

After hearing the title track for the album, I was hooked right away. And thus began my search into metal and the lifestyle that followed it. Someone had this to say about metal: "Metal isn't just music, it's a lifestyle, and one that will stick with you until you die." Now I can't remember who it was that said that, but they are spot on. Ever since I became a metalhead, it has become my life. Music is a huge part of it. Without it, I would go crazy. But God is first and foremost, because He made music \m/.

I remember the first two metal songs I was ever introduced to by my other good friend, DarkFireDragoon. He let me listen to Mortification's Terminate Damnation, and Tourniquet's A Dog's Breakfast. Both helped me into the world of metal, and ever since then DFD and I have been showing each other bands that we like, a few of our favs being Judas Priest, Stryper, Tourniquet, Mortification and so on.


Divinefire all around is an amazing band, and when they disbanded because the lead singer, Christian Liljegren, was with too many bands at the time, it made me a little sad. But now I hear that they're reforming the band, and their new album "The Eye of The Storm" is set to come out sometime in 2011




Overall, the band is amazing. Not perfect, but amazing. I would have to give these guys an overall rating of 9.5, because there are some things I don't like about the band. For example, some of the instrumental pieces of the symphonists bore me after a few seconds, which is why the opening track, Vision of A New Dawn, just bores me. Some of the stuff in the songs bug me, like structure and how things come across. 


Other then that, they get a 9.5.


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