Another In Flames release, and to some extent another disappointment. This is not In Flames of the old, or like the In Flames that was found on their last two releases. This is a new mixture of everything they have ever done, and it sounds average for the most part. This is not the album that is going to put In Flames on top of their metal throne, or the one that will alienate all of their old fans completely. Simply put, it seems like they are trying to make both parties happy which is really the only thing they can do at this point in time of their career. Upon first listen it seemed as if the choruses were very good, and everything in between was bland filler. Over time though the filler becomes installed in your brain and you become used to it while waiting for the good chorus. Try listening to the parts in between the great choruses or excellent parts of the songs and say that they are good, you can’t because they aren’t. I guess this is alright, but it’s not the best way to write good songs but it is a good way to write good hooks. There are some very solid songs on here such as Take this life, Crawl through Knives, Leeches, Reflect the storm and Our Infinite Struggle. But on the other hand there are some god awful songs on here that are nothing more than 100% filler which I would never listen to again under my own free will such as Dead End, Scream, and Pacing Death Trails. The main problem with this album is the non enjoyable parts strongly outweigh the enjoyable ones. Songs are held together with the (often weak) power chorus here more than ever before on any previous In Flames release. Another thing that strikes me wrong is the production of this album, it seems extremely flat and not very dynamic, maybe its my downloaded copy because I have not purchased or intend to purchase this album. But I have tried a few versions and my MP3 of it is good quality, it’s the production that is not. At least Soundtrack to your escape had amazing production, but this one is steps behind it. If you are interested in hearing this I’d recommend downloading it first, then fork away your hard earned money if you like it. Overall there are some amazing songs on here but it’s balanced out by utter rubbish. If anything, go see them live where they put on an amazing show and will play selected works from their new album, or just download it.

On their second album with singer Mike Patton Faith no More produced a classic album which is considered to be one of the best albums of the 1990’s by many people. I came across this album at a used c.d. store about 5 years ago, knowing hardly anything about the band except for the fact that they loosely fit into the metal category I decided to spend my 8 dollars on it. At first listen there were some obvious standout tracks such as “Kindergarten” and “Midlife Crisis” but as a whole I didn’t spend much time listening to the rest of the album. I kept it close by and once in awhile I would listen again, each time it would start to make a little more sense. Over the past two or three years my musical tastes have grown largely and I encompass many genres into my daily music binges. Getting more into the genre of Avante Garde music I kept reading about Angel Dust being in this group, I decided to give the album a couple more spins. It all seemed to make sense this time around, the sounds were overwhelming. Mike Patton carries this album with a very powerful and personal touch. Anyone who is familiar with his vocals know what I’m talking about, those who have never heard him I think this or the album by Mr. Bungle- California would be a good starting point. The flow of this album is very strong, every song seems to have it’s own place on the album while fitting as a whole at the same time. You can listen to individual tracks, or all the way through and the effect is the same. Some tracks are a little harder to get into such as “Jizzlobber” which is one of their most aggressive songs they ever made, “Crack Hitler” is another one that will take a few listens and the sound of the song could be compared to 70’s sitcom music or Disco. Overall the album sounds very diverse, very dark and heavy on some songs and almost satirical on others. I consider this to be a classic album as do many others, and all fans of music should at least give it a listen.

It’s safe to say that every project Mike Patton is involved with is highly revered by his fans, and rightfully so. Patton has never been a fan of traditional labels or even conventional vocal styles and on California he proves this again. This is Mr. Bungles third full length album and I consider it to be their best. The overall sound and production on this album is extremely pleasant and everything sounds perfect. “California’s” music styles range from 50’s swing, ska, punk, metal, videogame music, jazz, lounge, middle eastern, schizophrenic etc. Almost anything can be found on this record, and whatever they attempt to pull off it always sounds great. The album opener “Sweet Charity” is one of the catchiest songs that I have ever heard; mixing elements of swing and Hawaiian styled music this song is a perfect song for relaxing or singing along to. The album carries on with the great “None of the knew they were Robots” which once again adds elements of 50’s music. Throughout the album styles vary greatly, and each song has it’s own unique sound almost like what the Beatles have accomplished with their vast catalogue of music. I guess the overall theme applied to this record is vacationing, but there really is too much to pin it down to one thing. Each listen reveals something new to listen for, and I can see this being a classic in the years to come. This is Mr. Bungles most accessible album, and it would be a great start for people new to Mike Patton. If you are already a fan of Patton and you don’t have this, I must ask what the hell is wrong with you?

Dredg’s third album Catch Without Arms has more songs in the same vein as most of what El Cielo was going for. Gone is most of their progressive sound, but it is replaced with equally powerful and emotionally charged rock anthems. At times you wonder if you are listening to a 1980’s U2 album, but I can assure you this is not a bad thing. Kicking off the album with 3 extremely commanding songs Dredg sets the tone for the album as very energized. You will find yourself singing these songs in your head for weeks to come, the vocals on this album are usually in the same octave but the vast melodies make up for a lack of tonal diversity. The production quality on this album is top notch, it has a very large sound and I would nominate this for best produced album of the year. Terry Date ended up producing this one, and it sounds very similar to the Deftones Self-Titled album which I consider a production masterpiece. Beefy mids that blend with very definite highs, also with a very clear bass sound that is not overpowering at all Terry has managed to produce one of the most pleasant sounding albums of the year. Musicianship is also very good, Mark Engles creative guitar parts are as good as they have ever been and the rest of the band really shines on this album as well. Song for song I would consider this album better than El Cielo, but the flow of this album is not nearly as good as it’s predecessor. Overall if you are fan of progressive or alternative music this album is a must listen.

Children of Bodom's highly anticipated release "Are you dead yet?" leaves one questioning the motives of this great band. This is their fifth studio album, and I can't really see it surpasing any of their previous releases. This time around they have acquired Finnish metal legend Roope Latvala, his tremendous skills unfortunately have gone to waste on this effort.
The album starts out an a high note, beginning with a keyboard introduction remincent of In Flames and then going into the trademark "Bodom" sound. This song, by their standards is a great tune and is a definate highlight. Halfway through the album it becomes obvious what Alexi Laiho and co. are trying to achieve here. Ditching their technical approach to riffing for more of a "Groove Metal" or "Metalcore" style, it's painfull to imagine what they could have done on here.
The band has been getting a lot more exposure lately, and have become widely popular in metal circles everywhere. I personally think they are trying to dumb down their sound for the masses, or maybe Alexi truly does want to pursue other stlyes. But if you listen to the typical song on "Hatebreeder" and then listen to one on "Are you dead yet?" there really is no comparison in terms of songwriting or musicianship. This album will definately get them the exposure they deserve, but unfortunately their music has to suffer because of it.
Alexi is still pulling out some pretty decent guitar work here, but we should be hearing a lot more of it espicially with his new counterpart Roope Latvala. Some of the riffs on here really do jump out at me, but overall I do not get the same energized feeling past Bodom albums have given me. The keyboards are a lot less audible in this one, it really is a shame Janne Warmen deserves to be heard in the forefront as he was in the past. Alexi's vocals have improved tremendously since "Something Wild" and are a highlight to the album. As a stand alone album this would be amazing, but compared to their past successes it does not match up. As a long time fan of the band, I can't say that I'm not dissapointed. Overall you should purchase this if you are CoB fan, and if you are new to metal this album would be great to add to your collection. Don't get me wrong it is a great album, but not up to Bodom Standards.