I don't exactly know what it was, but there was something in 'Leave a Whisper', the debut album from Shinedown, which made it slightly different from other rock albums. Yeah, it was far from being original, but at least it had something...Maybe some nice riffs, some catchy (in the best sense of the word) chorus, some good lyrics in a few songs...I don't know...something.
But now this album...at least it's not so dissapointing as it looks in the first listen, it has its moments, but anyway it sounds a lot like many many rock albums out there. For me, most of the times sounds a lot like Audioslave, for example. And let me say that this is not a bad band to sound like, but I don't want to hear another Audioslave, I want to hear Shinedown, and for me Shinedown is 'Leave a Whisper' and not this album.
I hope their next album to sound more like their first one and not this. Anyway, my favourite song on this is 'Trade Yourself In'.

Metallica had always been a 'difficult' band, they've never had done what most expect from them, whatever it was for better or for worst. After beeing pioneers (or maybe creators) of the Thrash Metal subgenre, and releasing four of the greatest albums in the subgenre or probably in the whole Metal genre, they decided to take crucial step. They simplified, slowed and smoothed their music to create an album which was, at the same time, the worst and the best thing they had ever done. Worst because it was a clearly change from the style the had mastered and with which they had earned the respect of the whole metal fan base, which mostly felt betrayed with this. Best because they brought the their music to the masses, because they had sold more copies than they had ever could imagined, and because they released one of the greatest and most influential albums in the last 25 years.
But five years and almost four hundred concerts later, as if their recent change wasn't enough, they took another crucial step in their career. They absolutely renounce from their style, not only in music but even in their looks and released two (great) albums of bluesy rock which were the last thing metal fans could expect from them. Most people say this was only for the money, but I'm not totally sure if Metallica could expect to release a best selling album than 'Metallica' (aka The Black Album), which is one of the best selling albums in recent music history.
Some experiments followed in the next years, like a covers album, which was a great success, a concert with a full symphony, and their last and surely worst thing they had ever done album 'St.Anger', which is obviously more aggressive and 'heavy' than their last works but which fails in all of their elements: riffs, lyrics, structure and most notably in drums sound and in overall production.

Along years, Metallica have earned both the blindest love and the purest hate from everyone. No-one can be unconcerned about this band, and that's something only the greatest can achieve.

After a failed album release and a decent but not very good debut entitled 'Pride/Fall', finally finnish band Noumena found their way in their last effort 'Absence' released by Spikefarm Records. They had managed developed a versatile and distinctive style during their years of existence, with clear influences from 80's heavy metal, death metal and gothenburg sound, which at the same time sounds similar and different to all this bands.
Using classical death metal grunts (one of the most extreme vocals you'll find in the whole melodeath genre) with some female backing vocals and ocassionaly clear vocals, great and original riffs and nice drum lines, Noumena is one of the most complete melodeath bands you'll hear. And the future is even better...

Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal pioneers and masters In Flames is another of that bands which just can't stay playing the same music along all their career. Whatever is for better or for worst, most bands evolve or change their style. In most cases, this evolution is notably seen in albums' production, due the bigger budget they get after getting more recognition with their work. Another usual change in bands, specially in extreme metal bands, is the complexity of the music, most notably on guitar riffs structure and quantity. In Flames has suffered both this changes along time. Album after album, song after song, their music has evolve from a high complex extremely fast melodic death with almost blackish vocals to a more popular atmospheric riff-simplistic pseudo-melodeath with a more hardcorish than blackish vocal style. The typical label that comes here is 'sellouts'. Sometimes people likes to reach more people with their music, but this is betrayal in metal music culture, so you have to live with it.
In Flames music is more simple now, that's for sure. But what lots of metallers (specially extreme metallers) have to learn is that more simple music doesn't always means worst music. You don't need 30 different riffs in just one song to make a good song, and what In Flames do now is using quite less riffs than before, but the same music quality is there. It's the same thing most-hated-band-in-the-world (aka Metallica) did with the Black Album. Great songs with just one or two great riffs.
In summary, In Flames is still one of the greatest melodeath bands in the world.

I already knew Disturbed previous album, and I really like songs like 'Stupify', 'Down with the sickness' or 'Voices'. And then, when this album was released I heard the first single 'Prayer' and I instantly like it, although it wasn't exactly Disturbed style. After bought the CD and listen carefully to it many times, I really felt in love with it, and it became one of my favourite all time albums. Disturbed had changed a little their music style, but I think prefer their new style.
Hard guitar riffs, good drum tracks and of course the brilliant voice of the lead singer David Draiman, which singing style had also changed a little in this album. The lyrics in some songs are great too.
All the songs are amazing, but my very favourite songs are:
- 'Prayer': maybe one of the most similar songs to previous album. Great chorus and fast-singing parts.
- 'Believe': great chorus too. Powerful riffs and the drums stamping the rhythm of the song.
- 'Remember': wow!! I REALLY love this song. Maybe one of my favourite all time songs. The start is powerful, the lyrics are great and above all the riffs are amazing.
- 'Breathe': I like the main riff and the chorus too.

These are my top 4 favourite songs, but I repeat, EVERY song in this album is great. Disturbed is one of the best hard rock/metal bands today, and 'Believe' really prove it.