About.com Heavy Metal

Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage Review

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:16:31 +0000

Killswitch Engage is a natural progression for the band. While still packing plenty of punch and aggression, their melodic side is even more developed on this CD. �The Return� is a ballad, with almost all clean vocals from Howard Jones. There are a few other songs that are some of the most accessible Killswitch Engage has done.

Tracks like �Light In A Darkened World� are more in the vein of recent Killswitch, with pummeling drums and screaming vocals easing up into memorable riffs and melodic singing. The twin guitars of Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel are excellent throughout, whether it�s dishing out thrashy riffs, harmonies or fills. �Save Me� especially showcases their chops and versatility.

Read the complete Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage Review

(CD cover courtesy Roadrunner Records)

June 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:01:05 +0000

With the weather heating up, the metal releases also heated up in June. There's a lot of experience on this month's top five list, which features artists with a lot of past success. They prove their present output is still high quality. Bands on the list include well-known acts like Dream Theater and Killswitch Engage alongside underrated groups like Slough Feg and Coalesce. Take a look at my list, then post your selections for the best CDs released in June.

June 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs

Previous Monthly Best Metal CDs Lists:

(CD cover courtesy Nuclear Blast Records)

Sunn O))) Interview

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:03:52 +0000

Sunn O))) recently released their seventh album Monoliths and Dimensions via Southern Lord . About.com had a chat with Greg Anderson about the new album, the influence of Gregorian chants and spirituality on the band�s music and approach and Attila Csihar's (Mayhem) expanded role in the group.

Justin M. Norton: Can you tell me a little bit about the writing process for Monoliths and Dimensions?
Greg Anderson: Steve and I get together in a recording studio and bounce ideas and riffs off of each other. Things developed that way. There were a few things that were brought in ahead of time � each person will bring in a riff or an idea to get started. For the most part, songs unfold in the studio. Oren Ambarchi (Australian guitar player) was part of some of the initial songwriting and Attila Csihar (also Mayhem�s vocalist) was here. A lot of his contributions were added after he heard the initial tracking.

While occasionally dissonant, the new music doesn�t seem as dark or suffocating as Black One. Did you want to include more space and lighter shades on this album?
I don�t know if it was a conscious decision. It�s a result of where our heads are at the moment. When we wrote and recorded Black One we were in a very different head space. Part of it has to do with a willingness to be open to different things and different shades. You could even call it different shades of black (laughs). But that record was pretty dark and deep and intense. This one has some of those qualities, but lets the light in on pieces.

Read the complete Sunn O))) Interview

(photo courtesy Southern Lord Records)

Kittie Announce Upcoming CD In The Black

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:59:47 +0000

Kittie has signed a three album deal with E1 Music. In The Black is slated to be released September 15, 2009. Some new songs on the album are "Cut Throat," "Sorrow I Know" and "My Plague." The band's last CD Funeral For Yesterday was released in 2007.

Kittie vocalist Morgan Lander says, “We are totally thrilled and honored to be working with Scott Givens and to now be part of the E1 family. We have been hard at work for the past few months perfecting our latest musical offering and are pleased with the final result of In The Black. It is everything that Kittie is supposed to be: heavy, fast, brash and nasty, yet at times introspective, feminine and emotional. One thing it is not, however, is compromising of the sound and style that we have come to be known for. This s*** is HEAVY! Our new label pairing with E1 will actualize the vision that we have held constant over the years for the band."

Currently the band is working on Fall tour plans and will be shooting two videos during the month of July.

Dragonforce Tour Dates

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:47:59 +0000

DragonForce will embark on a month-long, headlining tour this Fall, which kicks off on September 18 in Hollywood and runs through October 11 in Philadelphia. This will probably be the band�s final US tour in support of their most recent album, Ultra Beatdown. Sonata Arctica and Taking Dawn will serve as support.

Dragonforce Tour Dates:
9/18/2009 House of Blues West Hollywood, CA
9/19/2009 Regency Center @ The Grand Ballroom San Francisco, CA
9/20/2009 Roseland Portland, OR
9/21/2009 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
9/23/2009 Edmonton Events Centre Edmonton, ALB
9/24/2009 MacEwan Hall Calgary, ALB
9/25/2009 Odeon, The Saskatoon, SAS
9/26/2009 Burton Cummings Theatre Winnipeg, MAN
9/28/2009 The Beaumont Kansas City, MO
9/29/2009 Cabooze On The West Bank Minneapolis, MN
9/30/2009 House of Blues Chicago, IL
10/2/2009 Sound Academy Toronto, ONT
10/3/2009 Le Medley Montreal, QUE
10/4/2009 Theatre Imperial Quebec City, QUE
10/6/2009 The Fillmore New York At Irving Plaza New York, NY
10/7/2009 Rams Head Live Baltimore, MD
10/9/2009 The Palladium Worcester, MA
10/10/2009 Chance Poughkeepsie, NY
10/11/2009 Theater of Living Arts Philadelphia, PA

Tour Dates For Other Heavy Metal Bands

Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings Review

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:20:09 +0000

Progressive veterans Dream Theater are one of the definitive bands in the genre, and every release is met with anticipation and high expectations. Their latest effort Black Clouds & Silver Linings only has six songs, but a few of them are really long, clocking it at between 10 and 20 minutes, so there's plenty of bang for your buck.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings opens with the epic "A Nightmare To Remember," which has all the elements of a good Dream Theater song: intricate arrangements, numerous tempo and intensity changes and plenty of hooks. They continue the momentum with "A Rite Of Passage," my favorite song on the album, which features a lot of guitars. Things slow down with the power ballad "Wither," a straightforward song, and the shortest on the CD.

Read the complete Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings Review

(CD cover courtesy Roadrunner Records)

Amorphis Interview

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:53:52 +0000

For nearly two decades Amorphis has been one of the most popular and successful Finnish metal bands. From their groundbreaking 1994 album Tales From The Thousand Lakes to their current release Skyforger, Amorphis� sound has evolved over the years. This is current vocalist Tomi Joutsen�s third album with the band. We spoke about Skyforger, their use of the Finnish national epic as a lyrical inspiration, their tour plans, his beginnings as a drummer and the return of his other band Sinisthra after a hiatus.

Chad Bowar: Is Skyforger musically similar to your last CD Silent Waters?
Tomi Joutsen: I think so. We continued with the same people we had on the last album. We composed the music first, then the lyrics. We didn�t want to do a totally different style. We wanted to continue with the style we found a couple years ago.

You used the Finnish national epic Kalevala for your lyrics again this album. Do you anticipate using it again in the future?
I guess we have to do something completely different in the near future, but this time it worked well again. The same guy who wrote the lyrics for the last album did the lyrics for this one, too. He took one story from the book and wrote his own version of the story. We are really satisfied with the results. I don�t want to write lyrics, because I�m not good at it. It�s good that we have a guy that can do it.

Read the complete Amorphis Interview

(photo courtesy Nuclear Blast Records)

Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1981

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:06:37 +0000

After the incredible albums that came out in 1980, the following year wasn't even close in terms of groundbreaking metal albums. In fact, 1981 was probably the weakest year of the '80s. The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands were still going strong in 1981, and most of the albums were from British bands. However, there were a couple American bands on the list, and one that would put the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles on the map and open the floodgates for a deluge of glam and hair bands that we would see for the rest of the decade. Check out my list, then post your lists in the comments field below!

Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1981

Slipknot Tour Dates

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:51:40 +0000

Slipknot will be kicking off a two week tour on August 22 in Seattle, WA which runs through September 5 in Milwaukee, WI. Thrash legends Anthrax and Black Dahlia Murder will support.

Slipknot, Anthrax and Black Dahlia Murder Tour Dates:
8/22 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheater
8/23 Kennewick, WA Toyota Center
8/25 Great Falls, MT Four Seasons Arena
8/26 Billings, MT Metra Park Arena
8/28 Boise, ID Quest Arena
8/29 Salt Lake City, UT The E Center
8/31 Colorado Springs, CO Colorado Springs World Arena
9/01 Casper, WY Casper Events Center
9/03 Fargo, ND Fargodome
9/04 Rochester, MN Mayo Civic Center
9/05 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom

Eyes Set To Kill Interview

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:21:16 +0000

The World Outside is the sophomore effort from Eyes Set To Kill. The Tempe, Arizona band blends harsh male screams with the melodic singing of Alexia Rodriguez. Rodriguez gives us the lowdown on ESTK�s latest CD, their tour plans, how she got her start in music and many other topics.

Chad Bowar: How did the band�s sound evolve from Reach to The World Outside?
Alexia Rodriguez: I think that we have all matured as musicians and The World Outside is a perfect example of this fact. On Reach there were about 5 songs that I had written in advance while I was in high school. The writing process for this new album was different and new, but it helped us grow in a way. We didn't have much time to prepare for Reach, but for The World Outside, it was the first time we all collaborated equally, and I can honestly say that it came out better than I expected.

Read the complete Eyes Set To Kill Interview

(photo courtesy Break Silence Recordings)