Pacmusic

Posts Tagged ‘Metalcore’

Trivium – Shogun

Posted by PacMusic on September 30, 2008

Shogun cover

An unhappy medium.

Their first (major) album, full of screamcore and shoutmax. They tour with Machine head.
Their next album, full of thrash and Metallica copies. They tour with Metallica
This album, a mix of the 2 styles, with the singing less Metallica. They’re touring with All That Remains and 36 Crazyfists.

This band really is an skeleton key to the many metal boxes.

The thing is, that it doesn’t fit together properly. The styles are dumped on top of each other and overlap in a horrible way that confuses you as to what this band actually are. It’s not like they’ve cleverly found a way to incorporate the different styles into a format that flows nicely between the two in a really nice way. No, they just slap them one on top of the other, like three different jigsaws that have been put in the box, but nobody knows what the pictures are supposed to look like.

This causes each of the styles to lose a lot of substance, especially the screaming parts, which I feel that the band are only doing to appease their fans who were outraged at the complete lack of vocal chord grating that went on in the last album. You can almost hear Heafy sigh and say “Oh, okay then, if you want me to” just before each time he screams.
The singing parts I prefer on this album, because they are more individual to the band, and not just a blatant rip-off. While I still don’t like the singing bits, the fact that they sound like a unique band, I have to give some kind of credit.

Overall, by trying to please everyone, and still keep their integrity, I think they’ve produced an album that will please nobody and has really let the band down.

Listen to this album: While drinking a weak lemon drink.

Rating:55%

Extracts from ‘Kirisute Gomen’, ‘Down from the Sky’, ‘The Calamity’ and ‘He who spawned the furies’

Down from the Sky

Posted in 40%-60% | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

36 Crazyfists – The Tide and it’s Takers

Posted by PacMusic on July 6, 2008

The Tide and Its Takers cover

Warbling screaming rock at it’s best.

Although nothing that 36CF have brought out since Bitterness the star has been as good as that début album, they have been a solid supply of good metal, but this album steps it up a notch. This album has a good selection of really heavy riffs and screaming fun along side a good slopping of wailing and wobbly long notes that we find so amusing.

My favourite songs on the album are the really heavy ones, ‘Clear the coast’ and  ‘We gave it hell’ are especially strong tracks.

The whole album is tight and strong and powerful and leaves no room for any of your nonsense.

Listen to this album: While carrying a hand-held video camera.

Rating: 77%

Extracts from ‘Clear the coast’, ‘Waiting on a war’, ‘Absent are the saints’ and ‘Northern November’

‘We gave it hell’

Posted in 70%-80% | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »