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Patrick Saad’s Top Release of June 2012
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Dianoya – Lidocaine
Recommended: Best Wishes and 21st Century.
I had an interview with this band after their great debut album Obscurity Divine (check it out), and I must say I did expect their followup to be at least equally as good as its predecessor. Lidocaine was released in May (made available in USA in June), and it’s another step forward in the evolution of this Polish Prog Metal band. There’s a major focus on composing memorable songs with complex arrangements, all kept together by great musicianship throughout the album. This band is easily becoming one of my favorite groups from Poland, and Lidocaine is bringing them closer to established Prog Rock bands like Riverside and Wolverine.
For fans of: Prog Rock.
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Rami Rouhana’s Top Release of June 2012
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Vintersorg – Orkan
Recommended: Orkan and Myren.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytOif5dZmgE
Quoting myself: “This band is one of the weirdest I have heard, they have a very unique distinctive style in the way they make Metal music. Vintersorg seems to push “Progressive Metal” to the limit not with techniques although there is plenty but in song structure and musical movements.” Fifteen months after “Jordplus”, “Orkan” surfaces as another great work by the band.
For fans of: Prog Metal / Folk Metal.
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Karim Koreitem’s Top Releases of June 2012
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Ihsahn – Eremita
Recommended: The Eagle and The Snake, Departure, Something Out There, The Paranoid, Grief.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QixO5Mir9OY
To embark on a solo career after being Emperor’s frontman is no easy feat. Yet, Ihsahn has so well delivered album after album, incorporating new sounds and experimental ideas every time. He has now added Eremita to his list as his fifth solo record, and it has its fair share of things to say. Ihsahn takes care of vocals, guitars, bass and keys, and has session musicians Jørgen Munkeby on saxophone, and Tobias Ørnes Andersen on drums do a magnificent job all around. The addition of saxophone in his version of extreme metal is truly showing its potential and its presence is augmenting compared to his previous releases. He also strategically involved guest musicians on some tracks. Jeff Loomis provides impeccable lead guitars on The Eagle and the Snake, which also has brilliant saxophone passages by Jørgen. Multi-Instrumentalist and composer Devin Townsend, Einar Solberg from Leprous, and Ihsahn’s wife Heidi Solberg (Ihriel) of Peccatum layed down vocals on individual tracks as well.
Another gem in what has been an incredible solo career for one of metal’s most respected musicians.
For fans of: Extreme Progressive/Black/Fusion Metal.
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Gojira – L’enfant Sauvage
Recommended: Born in Winter, Liquid Fire, L’enfant Sauvage, Mouth of Kala, The Wild Healer, Explosia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWFtMU2Ddr8
As the album title suggests, Gojira hails from France, more precisely from the beautiful Aquitaine region. L’enfant Sauvage is their fifth album and fortunately, they still have a lot to say. The album delivers an overall heavy experience, be it in riffing, drumming or vocal delivery. Apart from that, the hypnotizing passages and the groovy slow riffs are master-crafted to lock you with the album and Mario Duplantier’s great rhythm work. Finally, the vocals will grow on you as the album moves on, and you’ll appreciate Joe Duplantier’s vocals a lot more as you get more involved.
For fans of: Groove Metal, Progressive/Death Metal.
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Yves Nasrallah’s Top Release of June 2012
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Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar
