Halfway through the first track on myspazz I was awed and had no doubt I’d like the album, love at first sight might yet be real. A few days ago the album got released here all over Europe. Naturally I quickly got my (sweaty) hands on it and have listened to it every day since. Fragments Of Form And Function is a especially great album, and let me tell you why.

It’s not melodic thrash as I first thought it would be but melodic technical death metal, “oh more tech death…” I hear you say, and you’re right. The genre is getting to a point of oversaturation, and it’s hard to find an album that truly stands out. Fragments Of Form And Function doesn’t bring anything new to the table, it technically should go on the shelf with the hundreds of other technical death albums that have been flooding us, if it weren’t for the fact that Allegaeon is qualitatively superior to nearly anything that’s been released in the genre.

I’ll start with the vocals, who mostly remind me of Amon Amarth, a band that is to me quite different for Allegaeon but for the clear growls. That’s almost a contradiction, but to the point it’s not evident for death growls and grunting to be intelligible, most of the time you need to read the lyrics to make them out. Just like previously named viking metallers, you’ll be “kareokeing” (if that were a real verb) when you’ve heard the verses once. The God Particle and Accelerated Evolution realy stand out on this point.

As to be expected with a technical death metal band, the rest of the band consists of very skilled members. Although you’ll the band uses extended range guitars (I think that’s a Schecter C-7 on their videoblogs) you’ll hear no Djent or much ‘chugga chugga oooohmmmm’ (for lack of an onomatopoeia). No you’ll be bombarded with craploads of excellent riffs that flow fluently over and into each other with rarely time for a breather to the point that when the solos kick in, you will realize you weren’t yet listening to a solo. (If that makes any sense) yet it’s not overdooing it. The songs work out every time, without it turning into a “look at my awesomesauce tapping skills fest”. (well… maybe a little bit, but I like such a thing) check out Biomech – Vals no.666. I hardly ever touch the subjects of the drums since I am a guitar geek myself I tend to focus a lot more on the ax’s. There’s nothing much I can remark on them, the mixing could be tweaked a bit in my opinion. Otherwise it’s a full-throttle percussion assault including many short and longer blastbeats.

A nice touch is the acoustic, almost flamenco intermission marking the middle of the album, and the slightly more progressive closing track (it’s longer… ahem) Accelerated Evolution. One might claim Allegaeon arrived a little too late to the tech death scene,  or that the songs lack a little identity to picked up by the more mainstream metal crowd. But that doesn’t mean that if you, like me are a sucker for this sort of earshattering guitarwizardry… You shouldn’t pick this album up, you’ll be missing out.

I’ve never rated an album on this blog before, but that’s amongst other things changing now. More info on this will follow later

There’s a teaser video of the track A Cosmic Question? a little earlier on here be sure to check it out.

score: 9 out of 10

Does it get you as excited as it gets me?

Chimp Spanner – At The Dream’s Edge
12th April 2010
Basick Records

If Bill & Ted did metal; this would be it! The whole album oozes feel goodness with happy scales and melodies. Chimp Spanner is not only the brain child of Paul Ortiz, Chimp Spanner IS Paul Ortiz! He wrote and recorded the entire album thus concluding he is the living trinity of tech metal; Father, Son and Holy fuck what is this?!
The thirteen instrumental tracks flow smoothly throughout, sewn together with lovely polyrhythmic chugs. Even with thirteen tracks, due to the continuity the album flies by and thanks to the uplifting ambience, At The Dream’s Edge doesn’t get monotonous. But, just incase you feel its getting that way, midway through comes the thumping Harvey Wall Banger.

A must have buy for all tech metal fans and a safe buy for those looking to broaden their minds. ★★★✩✩

Xander – Album of the Week 23/03/10

Shining – Blackjazz
18th January 2010
Indie Recordings

Well you can probably say every now and then that an album blew your mind, but have you ever said an album fried your brain?
Shining started off life as a jazz band and have now progressed into a vortex of metal, drum & bass and jazz featuring elements of black metal and punk and basically what ever they like. As you can probably imagine, Blackjazz, is one scary mess but it actually works pretty well. If you happen to like Pendulum and extreme metal I think you may like this album.
Shining have somehow come up with this crazy potion and it’s mind blowing to watch. To listen is indescribable. You do, however, have to be in the right mindset to listen at home, otherwise it just won’t work. But when listening in what ever mood it is that you need, it’s pretty stunning and you get rewarded with a blinding cover of King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man. ★★✩✩✩

Xander – Album of the Week 16/03/10

The Cumshots – Just Quit Trying
11th May 2009
Rodeostar Records

“Max Cargo looks like he might just kill you. A TV presenter who does not own a TV, he’s had lawsuits for allowing naked activists to screw on his band’s stage in order to save the forests, has spent a week eating the unhealthiest of foods while living in an Oslo shop window as part of a televised experiment and has undergone plastic surgery in the name of entertainment. He is also the vocalist for Norwegian nutters The Cumshots, which might go some way to explaining the band’s uniquely wild sound. Bestowed with the tag of ‘Death N Roll’, The Cumshots have been alarming conservative Norwegians with their unique blend of metal, punk and whatever the hell else they feel like throwing into the mix since the release of their first album in 2001. With Norwegian Grammy nominations under their belt, they are now setting their sites on the rest of the world and plan to come crashing into the UK in the neat future.”

This is actually a hard review to write simply because I love every track on this album. Looking at the list of tracks it is quite obvious there is a theme of depression, disappointment and anger and is very much confirmed by the lyrics. For example the optimistic name of Praying For Cancer and Bitter Erection with the line “If you wanna be force-fed true depression why don’t you fuckin’ gag on my bitter erection”. My favourite line is “Your pussy is a graveyard and I’m dying to get in” from Punchdrunk On Death which is a nice twist reminiscent of Baroness/Mastodon.

Put all this aside though and you have yourself an album composed by a group of fantastic musicians. Ripping solos, blistering drumming, killer riffs. The Cumshots very much have their own sound of Death N Roll, basically being very heavy rock with heavy melodic rhythms and riffs and heavy rough vocals with the occasional quite pleasant harmonies/backing vocals. Thundering drums are mixed with slow solid beats and there is also the occasional slow and acoustic sections. It’s worth mentioning that Just Quit Trying is awesome to drive to and also if you’re angry or down at any point then this is great to put on at full whack with a bottle of cheap cider!

Although I’ve had this album for a few months and only just written the review (I thought I’d already done so, oops!) it gives me the chance to say that with every listen I have given it, I’ve not once skipped any tracks! I can’t wait to see the band a second time, this time knowing more tracks, to be able to sing along with! ★★★★✩

Xander – Album of the Week 02/03/10