Masterful Magazine - Death Metal and Black Metal Magazine

Sold Their Souls vol.2
Data dodania 2012-11-19Dodał Wouter Roemers

CHILDREN OF BODOM
Last good album: Follow the Reaper

Finland’s Children Of Bodom - who took their name from an unsolved child murder case at lake Bodom, located in their home region of Espoo - truly were one of the most promising additions to that country’s already considerable scene. Like no other these Finns combined neo-classical riffing, Yngwie Malmsteen/Randy Rhoads-like shredding solos and lush gothic keyboards with elements of thrash –, black - and death metal. Star of the show was frontman Alexi ‘Wildchild’ Laiho and his dramatic vocal cadences.

The first album, the aptly titled "Something Wild", was an exercise in over-the-top, energetic and wildly dynamic death/power/thrash metal with Laiho’s serpentine rasps, shouts and grunts. If the single ‘Deadnight Warrior’ was any indication, Children Of Bodom were the new standard for Finnish melodic and symfo metal. "Hatebreeder" followed in these footsteps and deviated little from the formula. The single ‘Downfall’ was a smashing success through out Europe, the band’s profile grew considerably. The third, and last truly good Bodom album, "Follow the Reaper" was the confirmation of the band’s blossoming potential and compositional promise.

"Hate Crew Death Roll" was the first sign of decline with a less frantic, more simpler approach that instated chugging riffs, grooves and elements of industrial. Laiho opted for a more lower register vocal style. This album was the last effort to feature co-founder and chief songsmith/guitarist Alexander Kuoppala, who had always shared most of the writing duties with Laiho up until that point. Laiho was now in full artistic control...

Is this reprobate the saviour or scourge of metal? Scientific evidence supports both theories.

"Are You Dead Yet?" (Coinciding in release with a similar titled album by low profile Swedish thrashers Carnal Forge, much to their chagrin) was an album of changes. The Bodom spirit was undoubtly still present, but it was less speedy, groovier, less keyboard oriented while metalcore riffs and vocal stylings were the first warning signs of impending creative decay. "Blooddrunk" went even more thrashier, but inspired it was not.

The most recent effort "Relentless Reckless Forever" sees a culmination of the newly adopted style, even bordering on Black Label Society on instances. Fans were understandably pissed, as this was not the same band they supported some 15 years earlier. The first single of this record was prophetically called ‘Was It Worth It?’ – opinions on that differ wildly, among die-hard CoB fans and more underground fans.
One thing has become painfully clear. Since Laiho took over Bodom tanked, artistically. Popularity is no excuse for lazy songwriting. Is the kind of progress you, as a fan and source of income, would want to support? Aren’t there any higher spiritual standards we, metalheads as a collective, adhere to?

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THE HAUNTED

The Haunted was the new vehicle for the Björler brothers after the demise of At the Gates, the band that established their name in the international metal scene. The band burst onto the scene and released two albums in fairly quick succession, with their 1998 self-titled debut and 2000s "Made Me Do It". These two albums were standard melodic death/half-thrash, built from the template of At the Gates’ "The Slaughter Of the Soul" (the record that launched a thousand metalcore acts in years to come) – only lacking that album’s fire, character and punch. The hardcore vocals were a turn off for many and rightly so. "One Kill Wonder" was the last of their first era that would be remotely listenable. Even though the shadow of At the Gates would always loom over this new entity, it is also evident that "The Slaughter Of the Soul" was their alma mater’s creative nadir (although, ironically, it remains the most popular of their discography). Not considering the heaps of pointless American metalcore and deathcore bands it inspired over a decade later. The Haunted was its own personal brand of awful.

"RevolveR" (probably inspired by the 1966 The Beatles album of the same name) was the album in which The Haunted claimed their musical evolution, from which the album title was culled. Needless to say this album was largely dependent on the same musical tricks as before, only with more metalcore influence, some progressive ideas, nu-metal sections and tons of lowbrow groove.

"The Dead Eye" took this even further, with less old school thrash elements. One moment this sounds like average inoffensive melodic death, the other it sounds like Soundgarden or other Seattle/grunge acts. In between these segues it attempts to ape American metalcore with emotive clean vocals, in instances the thrash spirit briefly rises again. In its entirety it is a confused, contrived and very populist sounding effort. That all song titles start with "the" is another sign of far-reaching creative decay.

"Versus" was a last ditch effort, a "return to form" (according to the PR machine, at least) for the band. Other more discerning listeners would correctly identify it as damage control. The Haunted’s supposedly "big" creative endeavour "The Dead Eye" was a flop. "Versus" would be the only logical step from there, considering the band’s livelihood was on the line now.

On the left: the record that ruined a career, on the right: a misguided stab at mainstream acceptance, after the last-minute Hail Mary that was "Versus". Despite our valiant efforts are we no better than the fabricated pop- and rock acts we so thoroughly despise?

Enter "Unseen". Ditching all pretence of even being associated with metal, or half-thrash metal, with what they’ve been making a living for the last decade or more The Haunted decide to get creative again. On all fronts this record is a stab at the mainstream and FM rock radio stations across the world. The aggressive riffing of the past is gone, so are Dolving’s hardcore barks. Alternative above all else, here the Pantera influence rears its head fully. Its heavier moments (whenever they appear, if at all) remind of Pantera, the majority of the album is soft, safe sounding alternative rock. The sound you hear on an average day on any garden variety radio station.

Didn’t all of us start listening to extreme metal to get away from this sort of thing?

Thankfully, in the interim The Haunted imploded due to interpersonal conflicts and creative differences. At least that’s one overrated act less to worry about.

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ICED EARTH
Last good album: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Iced Earth was one of the original traditional heavy metal acts from Tampa, Florida forming in 1985 by bandleader Jon Shaffer by the name Purgatory. Iced Earth combines traditional metal with thrash metal bits and more than average technical chops. By all accounts Iced Earth was poised to make it big, going toe-to-toe with established genre institutions such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

The band’s early albums (1990’s "Iced Earth" and 1991’s "Night Of the Stormrider") were fronted by Gene Adams and John Greely, respectively - it was Shaffer’s brother-in-law Matthew Barlow that would catapult them to stardom with 1995’s "Burnt Offerings" thanks to his emotive vocal abilities. In 1996 "The Dark Saga" arrived further cementing the band’s blooming potential and two years year Iced Earth reached its creative peak with "Something Wicked This Way Comes". The roll-out single ‘Melancholy (Holy Martyr)’ was built on the template of ‘I Died For You’, but even on its own merits it was the strongest song the band had written up to that point.

Another concept record followed with "Horror Show", a loving tribute to various instantly recognizable monsters from 1930’s Universal Studios and related genre stalwarts. The record was a clear shift in a power metal direction, putting the remaining thrash metal elements in the background. Buying themselves some more time Iced Earth released an entirely unnecessary cover album with "Tribute To the Gods" before crumbling entirely in a creative sense.

The first harbinger of doom was "The Glorious Burden". This was a record about military history, including events as the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War, and Waterloo. Other topics dealt with are World War I, the World Trade Center attacks and the ravages of Attila the Hun. The piece de résistance, however, was the Gettysburg trilogy. This was an overlong and overindulgent trio of songs detailing the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest and defining battle in the American Revolutionary War. Patriotism, jingoism first channelled here would later become the conceptual thematic for Shaffer’s even worse Sons Of Liberty studio-project.

In 2007 Iced Earth released "Framing Armageddon" the second instalment in a trilogy of albums, completing the story started originally on "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Entirely too long and self-indulgent it detailed a story that wasn’t worth telling in the first place. Ridden with tropes and clichés of the worst kind, even kick ass music isn’t going to redeem its horrible mediocre narrative. Alas, the damage was done.

"The Crucible Of Man" further complemented this concept and fleshed out whatever blanks there still were in the story at hand. While no doubt conceptually ambitious the musical aspect of the package was lacklustre at best. Shaffer, seemingly on autopilot, chugs his way through another collection of songs with nary a highlight in sight. For a once promising unit, it certainly hasn’t lived up to the acclaim and accolades thrown their way...

"Dystopia" is a step in the right direction, but it has hardly rekindled the flame of the early years. For what it is worth, it has at least Stu Block on vocals.

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IN FLAMES
Last good album: Whoracle

Of all the Gothenburg death metal acts In Flames were one of the more promising of its kind. Along with Arch Enemy, At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity they were the forebearers of a subgenre that is much loved and maligned at the same time. There used to be a time when melodic death metal wasn’t sugary, fruity and saccharine. Melodic death metal could still sound hateful and evil, despite the negative connotations now associated with the subgenre.

In Flames, the creative vehicle for Jesper Strömblad, was initially fronted by Dark Tranquillity singer Michael Stanne for their 1993 debut "Lunar Strain". They combined Swedish death metal with Iron Maiden riffing and more standard song construction. The debut record featured interesting astral concepts and esoteric subject matter in its lyrics. A year later the "Subterreanean" EP was released, with vocals now done by Dawn frontman Henke Forss. The EP featured guest vocal slots by members of Marduk, Ceremonial Oath and Deranged.

Further expanding and building upon the foundation set by these important early efforts In Flames released music to an ever-growing fanbase. "The Jester Race" and "Whoracle" being probably their most interesting and accessible platters to date. Not only that, they yielded two veritable melodic death metal staples with ‘Moonshield’ and ‘Jotun’, respectively. In Flames were thé gateway band for many to get into the more brutal, obscure and nether regions of the death metal genre. Two more records followed with "Colony" and "Clayman" – but the inevitable creative decay was about to set in.

The prophetically titled "Reroute to Remain" saw In Flames doing away with the last vestiges of their glorious death metal past. This is the record that introduced them a greater audience in North America. "Reroute to Remain" is the first album of In Flames attempting to pass themselves of as a modern rock band... and failing horribly on that count. With directionless chugging, cool but pointless synthetics and Anders’ newly adopted nasally and whining "emotive" vocal stylings everything about this record reeked of market-survey induced career – and artistic suicide. With integrity thrown out of the window in favor for appeasing to the ever shallow and dim-witted American audiences In Flames went for broke...

"Soundtrack To Your Escape" took the new direction to its logical conclusion. Substance having being replaced by artificial loudness, interchangeable "riffs" and chugs, bouts of electronics and industrial, big choruses, detestable lyrics full of personal angst, plus a rhythm section reduced to its bare essence - there’s truly little to like or appreciate, even from a cold technical viewpoint. No million-dollar production is able to disguise the lack of spirit, creativity and artistry on display here. At this juncture Friden adopted the "good cop, bad cop" vocal approach fully, alternating "harsh" (screamed) vocals with whining clean vocals, which supposedly meant to sound fragile and emotive.

Flashforward to a couple of years later and In Flames have dived headlong into the state of caricature and self-denial. "Come Clarity" (clarity has long seen been abandoned, thank you) and "A Sense Of Purpose" (what purpose? Lining Nuclear Blast’s pockets?) continue In Flames regression into an awfully bad alternative rock act. Surely, for some elusive reason this band continues to remain highly popular among androgenic teens, fangirls and the easily impressed and impressionable high schoolers – but how long until reality will finally catch up with them?

"Sounds Of A Playground Fading" (lovingly dubbed "Sounds Of A Career Failing" in certain circles) is their latest aural abortion of alternative rock and modern "metal" to appease the ignorant masses. Depending where you choose to look the reception has either been critical or vehemently scathing. If In Flames so long to be an alternative rock band, then why still use the metal industry and its facilities (press, tours, etc) when its clear this band doesn’t wish to be associated with it anymore?

In Flames should man up and face the consequences of their actions over the last decade and more. Let them be an alternative rock band, more power to them. But they should have the decency to sever their last links with their metal past. Go sign to a mainstream label and tour with Foo Fighters, Paramore and Kings Of Leon – it is obvious this is the true intention of this once heralded Swedish act.

That is their sole and true musical objective. We shouldn’t be force to pay for In Flames egocentric indulgences anymore. Rise up and reclaim your pride!

Logo evolution: Three Steps Into Mediocrity

In Flames’ logo is a sure signifier of where the band was in their career. From the olden, evil looking logo of the early days, to the inoffensive font logo of the mid period to the modern graffiti logo that reeks of disinterest and disdain.

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KATAKLYSM
Last good album: The Temple Of Knowledge

Kataklysm was formed in 1991 by bassist Maurizio Iacono and drummer Ariel Saied, pulling in former Voivod roadie Jean-François Dagenais and vocalist/lyricist Sylvain Houde. Originally naming themselves Cataclysmus, the band opted for the more eligible Kataklysm.

They formulated their sun-like logo, their bludgeoning death metal sound while Houde provided abstract lyrics that fused mysticism, esotericism, spirituality and astrology with Sumerian demonology, antediluvian magick and occult incantations. The bestial vocals of the otherwise soft-spoken Sylvain Houde complemented his lyrical trilogies (which formed loose stories) with panache. Even this early during the band’s existence, Houde’s return was mediated twice.

"The Mystical Gate Of Reincarnation", "Sorcery" and "The Temple Of Knowledge" all were records set within this ambitious concept. "The Temple Of Knowledge", the third and final album with Houde, was the culmination of this particular concept. The album consisted of three trilogies, while the roll-out single and video track ‘The Awakener’ was a visual representation of the album’s concept, aligning images with the lyrics, which outlined "The Temple Of Knowledge" in subject matter and Houde’s part therein.

Then, after continuing problems and citing difficulties to work with each other, Sylvain split from the band after the promo cycle for "The Temple Of Knowledge". In the booklet to the closing "Northern Hyperblast – Live" album – recorded on the last day of the world tour in support of "The Temple Of Knowledge" - the liner notes detail Houde’s desire to front another project in the late 1990’s. The prophecy alluded to in ‘The Awakener’ would sadly never transpire. Earthly existence derailed Houde’s masterplan.

Purveyors of mysticism, spirituality and chaos versus urban thugs of the metalcore kind

Once Iacono took over vocal reins Kataklysm underwent a staggering transformation. "Victims Of This Fallen World" was a hardcore/groove metal record on terms with Sepultura’s "Chaos AD" as far as artistic vacuity went. It was a transitional release on various important aspects. The transition did not went smoothly, it would function as the template of all things that arise later in the band’s post-Houde output.
In the year 2000 Kataklysm returned to German label Nuclear Blast Records, home of their classic earlier records, with "The Prophecy (Stigma Of the Immaculate)". For the first time a record started out with a movie sample. Aside from an overbearing performance of frontman Maurizio Iacono, it also lacked in the solo department. This was strange, given that Dagenais had performed solos in the band’s not too distant past with Sylvain Houde. Those solos were inspired and fiery.

We are Kataklysm. We are out of original ideas. Please buy our albums. We will tour.

"Epic: the Poetry Of War" was the first to see the adopting of a truly new lyrical concept. Themes of war, global conflict, personal struggles and a fixation with the Roman empire are first explored here. The only pundit is the song ‘What We Endured’, a somewhat autobiographical track that at one point has an entire verse dedicated to naming the band’s album titles up until that point. Original? No. Creative? Far from it.
2002 saw the release of "Shadows & Dust", another milepole for the wrong reasons, the album that catapulted the outfit to the long yearned headliner status. Following the pattern of the previous two albums it reinstated some more blast-sections, but it was far from a return to form (of any kind). Two years later "Serenity In Fire" was released, seeing Kataklysm now fully going on autopilot. Everything about it was bland. Surely, the new percussionist (Martin Maurais) could outdrum any of his predecessors, but this was a farcry from the band’s legendary past.

Was this the very same band that wrote "The Mystical Gate Of Reincarnation"?

The last three records have seen Kataklysm simplifying their music even more. "In the Arms Of Devastation", "Prevail" and "Heaven’s Venom" retain their death/groove metal groundwork, throw in the occasional Gothenburg melody, a deathcore rhythm section and regularly a guitar solo. It sounds good, certainly, but only on a superficial level. Style can get one only so far, if the substance is lacking as is the case with this band.

At this point Kataklysm is not a band. It is a veritable brand, a product with an undiscerning and massively deluded mass audience in both North America and Europe. For some obscure reason Kataklysm remain popular, despite clearly selling their souls to Nuclear Blast and the almighty dollar/euro. Horrible bands like this will only go away once people stop putting money into them. When will you and your stupid friends demand more from your metal than just "sounding good"? What about artistic growth, integrity and genre development?

Sure, the brand is popular – but because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s any good. If we were to follow that herd mentality, Rebecca Black (www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0) should be considered the saviour of sappy, Autotuned robo-pop. Popularity and artistic merit are two wholly different aspects of an artist. They are never one and the same.

And then there’s this musical abomination called Ex Deo... but that’s a musical can of worms to be dissected another time in a possible future.

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SLAYER
Last good album: Divine Intervention

Slayer is one of the classic extreme metal acts - along with Acheron, Celtic Frost, Deathstrike/Master, Nunslaughter, Possessed, Mantas (pre-Death) and Venom - that helped cement iconography now irrevocably entwined and associated with the genre, including the leather & spikes image, the shocking and gory lyrical themes plus the general delivery. In the 1980s and early 1990s Slayer were a force of nature, releasing highly acclaimed albums with "Show No Mercy", "Hell Awaits", "Reign In Blood", "Seasons In the Abyss" and the notably slower "South Of Heaven". A double live album aptly named "Decade Of Aggression" closed the original Dave Lombardo era.

Things were about to get ugly... very ugly. Age hasn’t been kind to these thrashers.

From metal guitarist to WWE contestant. Robb Flynn’s Disease (www.themetalinquisition.com/2008/03/robb-flynns-disease-pathology.html) claims another victim.

"Divine Intervention" was a turning point. While still reminiscent of their diabolic past Slayer sought to appease the groove metal crowd, so in vogue at that point. Along with Machine Head, Pantera and Sepultura the band were able to retain a modicum of respect from their early fanbase. Machine Head might have been more musically savvy, Fear Factory more conceptually ambitious, Pantera was more crowdfriendly and Sepultura had more street credibility, it was Slayer who inspired them all to begin with. Slayer still was a respectable monument. Even though they had thrown out the combat boots, leather outfits, inverted crosses, nails/spikes and bulletbelts and replaced them with a more urban look of jeans, sunglasses, hockey jerseys and skateboard shoes – they were still Slayer, the classic metal act that shunned trends and fads...

With "Diabolus In Musica" everything about Slayer changed. Their classic logo was replaced, the cover art became "modern" (Billy Corgan as a bald Christian warrior on the cover, really?) and the band dived headlong into the nu-metal/mallcore craze – with the expected result. Araya started rapping, riffs no longer guided the songs and were reduced to mere chug sections. Groove became the most prominent and important thing in their arsenal and the band’s own patented high speed songs were now mere stomping groove fests than anything else. Solo’ing became sparse, whenever it appeared it was obligatory and workmanlike.

Lombardo or Bostaph? Answering this question might taint your Metal Trueness Factor.

On their last few albums the band supposedly returned to form, musically as well conceptually. Really? On a first glance this appears to be true, yes. The old logo was reinstated and original drummer Dave Lombardo once again took place behind the drumkit. The artwork of "Christ Illusion" was done by Larry Carroll and the anti-religious, serial murder and war-themes made a welcome return. Beyond the surface things aren’t that well, though. A few changes on the surface do not a comeback make.

Despite the amped up aggression and higher velocity of the material this is still the aggro/groove Slayer of the late 1990s/2000s. "Christ Illusion" and "World Painted Blood" are mere retreads of standard ‘80s Slayer fare, delivered without an ounce of passion, gusto or fire. That, and their 90s/00s influences still haven’t been fully abandoned. Like Metallica before them Slayer is merely going through the motions. This band is no longer putting out albums, but products in a market place.Of course, a portion of the fanbase will always remain loyal, no matter what crap the band put out. The most of us, however, learned from past experience and steer clear of any modern output.

Sometimes it just better to bow out respectfully, than to burn out slowly and painfully for all to see. There are still veteran acts out there worthy of their legacy. Think of Iron Maiden, Sathanas and Judas Priest. These acts experimented to varying degrees too, but never alienated their fans or strayed from the sound that made them popular.

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Sold Their Souls vol.2