By Night is one of the bands that I include in the Meshuggah wannabes pot [like Textures and, mostly, Coprofago]. They are in the pot, but not as deep as Textures and, surely, not in the same way as Coprofago [the Meshuggah clones]. Well, to be honest, they are barely in the pot, and that’s why I like them. They have Meshuggah influences, sure they do, but the overall is way beyond that. Maybe is their melodic side, I don’t know. There’s something in this guys that’s really special.

With their first record they got my attention. I didn’t expect much from a possible second record. The truth is: they did a great record. In the beginning I didn’t dig it very much, but the first song was really cool and I gave this record a second chance. Hell I even gave a third and a fourth chance. Next thing I knew, I was addicted.

“A New Shape of Desperation” is a very melodic record [yeah they're Swedish! It seems melody is in their DNA] with great guitar work, a bit of calc / math metal [fuckin Meshuggah riffage] and a nice production ["Destroy Erase Improve" style but more up-to-date].

First track “It Starts Within” is a small intro that leads into the first song.

“The Truth Is Sold” has a great riff. When I first played this track it just blowed me away. My favorite track, no doubt. Headbanging all the way.

“People Like You” is next in line and is a blast. The pace is increased and my headbanging too. This one is a heavy motha’fucker. In the middle section we got a cool heavy groove, Meshuggah style ["Nothing" era] far from rip-off though [for those who like Meshuggah rip-off clones, I recommend Coprofago].

Next track is “Through Ashes We Crawl”. This track starts with a more melodic vibe but soon we fall into some heavy riffage. Meshuggah style once again.

“Same Old Story” follows and the heavy grooves are back. The chorus has a cool melodic riff. It reminds me “Descent” from Fear Factory’s “Obsolete” album [check out Soundcult's review to Fear Factory latest work. Did I said "work"? I meant "crap"... latest crap... latest piece of crap... piece of latest... pile of... Ahhhhh crap. Metallica better release their new album really soon, I'm trying hard to forget Fear Factory's crappy album. You know what they say: Fight Fire With Fire ^^ ]. Anyway… Another nice track.

“Dead Eyes See No Future” is next and it’s kind of an instrumental track. Slow melodic riffs really well conceived. Really really nice track.

“Walls of Insecure” starts and is probably my second favorite track. The pace is back up-to-speed and we even got a little blast beat on the drums. Really cool section, mixing this kind of Hardcore playing with a bit of Death Metal. In the middle we have a melodic section with a guitar solo. It fits like a glove. Near the end we have another of those Meshuggah heavy grooves. Really powerfull stuff.

“Idiot” is a 50 second track and is like By Night went berserk. This track could almost be an Hate Eternal [check out Soundcult's review] track, but with a more hardcore feel to it, can you believe that? Sounds a bit out of place, but, I’m a Death Metal freak so…

“Forsaken Love” starts with a cheesy riff. Didn’t dig that at all. The next section is more interesting, Meshuggah strikes again! I’m re-considering the “take By Night of the Meshuggah wannabes pot” decision. Hmmm, but there it is. It’s influenced but has something different. Something that makes it a By Night riff.

OK, “Cursed by the Thought” is another of my favorite tracks. It starts with old Fear Factory riffing style but it’s just an intro. Then By Night’s melodic side steps in once again. Very nice. Heavy riffs but very melodic. I think this might be By Night’s strongest skill. The chorus has another heavy melodic riff. This track has a very nice epic ambiance. It’s this kind of tracks that make all the difference in a record.

The record finishes up with “Time Is Running Out”. Another instrumental. I do not think that this track fits very well with the record. Maybe it’s the piano parts, maybe is the sad feel to it.

OK, so, overall, this is a great record. By Night really surprised me with this second work. I think they now have all that it takes to be a great band. All the conditions to stick around for a long time are created.

Check out this epic song ^^

By Night - Cursed By The Thought

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Indeed delightful (giggling all the way through), indeed, to the point of causing a syncopic episode, it’s quite wondrous at least for me, when i start a review with glaring praise, it’s actually refreshing, Unexpect hail from Canada, they have a quaint lineup with a double vocalist, one female, another male and guitarist, another guitarist, a bassist (with a custom 9 string if the press doesn’t fail me), a keyboardist, a drummer and a violinist, i guess a weird lineup for weird music, they play a sort of … how can i put it … progressive metal? i guess, but it’s weird in a nice way, wait let me rephrase that, its totally mind boggling out of this world weird in a phosphorus glare of …. ohhh I’m just being silly, let’s just take a pause and let’s talk about the album.

The album is called “In a Flesh Aquarium”, and just like the name of the band it makes perfect sense after you listen to the music, the album starts with “Chromatic Chimera” and what a start after a short instrumental all hell breaks loose, just like “dillinger escape plan” its difficult to pinpoint the sounds like some sort of freestyle metal jam, with touches of saxophone, piano, violin … hell of everything it seems everyone is just playing their own thing, and freaking playing it well, even the double vocalists seem to be improvising, if there is a structures the 6 or 8 times i listened to it, weren’t enough and it still eludes me, but the best part is how it all sounds so good, it’s one of those albums were words are too small to express, and I’m only in the first track, better start with the parts i really really enjoyed, I’m starting to wonder if this is becaming a love affair hehehehe.

In a attempt in keeping it short and sweet, i’ll just add that “Desert Urbania” is a dream come true it starts like a gothic song…i guess, and ends with a breakdown/piano combo with a guitar solo and then a violin solo, what a freak fest i put that on number one on the AWESOMENESS table for sure, damn i better start closing this one down, so i also really liked “Summonig Scenes” because it sounds really nice, like death metalish, “Megalomaniac Trees” because it sounds fun, “Meet Me At the Carousel” because it sounds like Emperor (i told you this one was weird) and the album finisher “Psychic Juggle” because it finishes the albums as good as the first track, outstanding.

As a reminder forget all the shit i might say, this one is to listen for the full hour (yeah it’s a fucking hour…sweet) from start to finish, there is no choice here, this is music for the troubled minded, the only way for it make any kind of sense is to immerse yourself in it and fucking take it all.

What can i say It unfolds almost like a theatre piece, with all the layers being pulled one by one, only to find more intrigue in this fantasy land, well it might be the novelty of everything but it just sounds superb going from blasting to almost folk/bead time/carousel/circus sonorities, this is great, damn they even put in things like breakdowns and death, almost grindcore and the dual vocals work like a charm, just for the fucking sake of it i’m going to put all the genres i think they make use of: a blend of Melodic Black Metal, Technical Metal, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, Jazz or Fusion Metal, Groove, Grindcore, Progressive Rock, Electronic, Classical, Symphonic, Ambient, Gypsy, Circus, Funk and Middle Eastern.

I believe this is the most full ranged metal of all time muhahaah shit I’m completely psyched, let’s just say its point blank the most orgasmic music I’ve listen in a long time, i love it, hope you will too.

Unexpect - Megalomaniac Trees

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Uhh no? Well according to my intelligence report Gizmachi is a New York act that supposedly plays a hardcore rock nu metal kind of thing, the supposedly part will come later, it seems they are the first release from Slipknot’s Clown new label, uhhh, well here comes “The Imbuing”.

Ok, the first music “The Answer” is suspicious… singing “i have regrets”? sure they have regrets, this is one shitty song, its a idiotic mash of nu metal,hardcore and melodic metalcore cliches, i would have loads of regrets, especially when they start their pseudo guitar solo, damm i thought the worst had already came, wait i want to be fair, let’s just check the next one, “Wandering Eyes” hum? damm i think i heard this one before… in the likes of Dry Kill Logic or American Head Charge now i’m fucking scared and excited in a bad “oh dad please don’t touch me on my especial place” kind of way, then comes “Bloodwine” uhhhh nice … SHIT, and i thought Mudvayne’s last album was shit, this one is like going to some trashy road side public bathroom and lick the most disgusting toilet seat you can find, just to feel that warm moist of a fresh bowl.

I’m just going to skip to please my sadomasochist appetites, “Burn” is … oh fuck i lost what i was doing to say, let’s just skip to “Romantic Devastation” hum? i just can’t believe this, i swear i already heard some of this riffs before, like in Limp Bizkit?, not that they are the shittiest on my shit list, but is Gizmachi on the recycling business?, this music makes my rectum spasm, I’m actually trying to force myself into a anal blackout, at this point i’m just instinctively skipping, into “Wearing Skin”, Ok this is ridiculous, they aren’t even copying great bands, just the shitty ones, this is embarrassing for both sides, “People Show” is … i don’t really care, it’s like .. i quit.

This Band supposedly plays something, i see it like… do you like Macdonalds?, or any fast food for that matter? Well if you like recycled dog meat then this is for you… heheh just kidding, it’s more like if you eat a burger it won’t kill you and it might even be good for you, but eating a dozen will most likely give you a heart attack, the same goes for Gizmachi, sure if i listen to one of their tracks on my car radio i might headbang a little and maybe even enjoy it, because it just doesn’t sink in, with all the noise and distractions, but listening to the entire album is a different matter, quite disturbing i might say, and i highly NOT recommend it … for health reasons, you understand.

Gizmachi - The Answer

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In the interest of sanity, i bring you Alec Empire, king and ruler of all Digital Hardcore, well yes and no, founder of Atari Teenage Riot (the hardcore techno band … or digital hardcore band), he sure created it, but as a solo artist his moods and tastes have a more diverse pallet, now “The Destroyer” is one of my favorites, simply because its the one closest to being digital hardcore, sure it doesn’t have the political punk derived shouting or the abuse of distorted guitars, but instead it has loads of old school samples and over the top breakbeats, what isn’t to like?

Being Digital Hardcore it’s difficult to pinpoint all the nice parts, but for the interest of this review i can make some highlights, the album starts we “We all die!” and this one sets the pace flawlessly, grabbing you with samples of girls screaming and high speed hip hop beats, “Suicide” is another pleasure with an almost abusive use of the “amen break” variations (old school yeahh), “I Just Wanna Destroy…” its a downbeat section very interesting because of all the distortion and speed up jungle beats, “Nobody Get’s Out Alive” starts the hyper speed breakbeats, its so fun to see him trying to just squeeze some more “bpm”’s, “My Body Cannot Die” goes on the same road, more speed more aggression, this leads to “The Peak” and the name says it all, probably the fastest track on the album and for sure the most aggressive one, it’s just so self indulgent, in a good way, “Heartbeat That Isn’t Here” is almost a ATR track only without the vocals, the album goes on with some more interesting tracks, like “Pleasure Is Our Business”.

Well what to say, this album is like a drum machine gone bad, to the point of becoming an “acquired taste”, so it might not be that appealing, why? well, most of times it’s just a out of your mind blast with no interest apart from speed, i know its a 1996 release but it’s as fresh today as it was back then and it is a pleasure to listen to all of those super-fast “amen break” breakbeats, i have a smile on my face, why don’t you have one?

Alec Empire - The Peak

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