Obzen, is a shambled of an album … its not a “this doesn’t make sense” in a good way, its a “what the hell were they thinking”, i always expect new stuff or weird stuff from them, very little is ever normal and as such i find it very refreshing and enticing, but even in all the madness there was always something coherent, something that made sense, they were like Matryoshka Dolls, were each layer was different but it all fitted perfectly and therefore it made sense… now this “album” (if i should call it that) is like me getting tracks from their different albums and making a best of, sure there would be great tracks but it would all sound like shit together.

Well, I wont be talking a great deal about each track, no point really, the first 2 tracks, “Combustion” and “Electric Red” have nothing in common with the rest of the album, they sound like refreshed thrash metal, while “Bleed” (the single by the way… remember what i said about the 10000 Days single…) has nothing to with the rest of the album, its a mind blowing track with Tomas Haake doing a freakish double bass drum work that makes me lack the words to described it, it all sounds like white sound from a television… i would buy the album just for that track … but this inconsistencies go further, also the over abuse of “commercial” sounding ruses like slowing down or stopping a song to build it up again… cause i counted… they used it 7 times (that i noticed) almost in every single track, you know at some point that they will pause for some micro shitty interlude, I’ve got no problem with that, but it has to make sense… but overusing it is like Linkin Park making micro intros for every single shitty track they put out (sorry just went and saw one of their live shows and they sucked a bit).

“Lethargica” is next and the name fits the song, its kinda an OK track, with no big highlights it kinda drags on, now the title track “Obzen” is another beast, much more innovative and a bit of a headbanger with a more stop-goish groove going on with loads of highlights… “This Spiteful Snake” is an intricate groovy track, but still lacking, it doesn’t seem to go anywhere and ultimately it just feels self indulgent (trying to fit every single thing into it), “Pineal Gland Optics” we get a straight back to back speedier groove, again great quality and musicianship but with nothing else to add, “Pravus” is pushing again the silliness, its interesting, but not that audible, its a mishmash of musical techniques than music, we finish with “Dancers To A Discordant System”, that starts pretty mind blowing heavy and groovy (why didn’t they do this on some of the other tracks is beyond me), but then it gets into a certain pattern and although pretty good, it wasn’t nothing to call back home.

I know, maybe i expect too much, but like every Meshuggah album it takes a certain amount of time to really start understanding the music or a album, so i took that time, but after the 100th listen, these things still bug me like hell, i was expecting a lot of different things, i was expecting “Bleed”, but no, i get this best of (when their EP I, was the right way to do a Best Of) and then you join things like the freakishly moronic cover art that looks shitty and reminds me of the endogenous Marilyn Manson of Mechanical Animals, were at least he went over the top with it (in a good way), while with Meshuggah its just silly.

Ahh i wont drag this too long, they said in a interview that this was the first time they really had the time to make a album, and not be in a hurry, well then i hope for the next one, they’ll have to make it over a weekend, for sure we would get a masterpiece, this is above all a disappointment and will rarely fit my Meshuggah everyday playlist, don’t get me wrong, all this ranting should be taken with a touch of salt, the production is pretty much on the mark, and there are some really cool tracks (“Bleed” is Beyond Awesome), but i do expect a lot from this band, and I’m sorry to say but this time it feels, they over promised and under delivered, and that to me is a shame.

Official Site Meshuggah.net | Myspace Meshuggah | Vidcult Bleed Video

Meshuggah – Bleed

Well Fredrik Thordendal’s Special Defects is basically a solo project of … well … Frederik Thordendal, the lead guitarist from the best band in the world… Meshuggah (well at least i think so, muahahah) and one of the best in the world in my opinion… ohhh well gotta stop with the ranting, so the Sol Niger Within crew is: Thordendal on the guitars (and pretty much everything else…), then Meshuggah buddy drummer Tomas Haake on vocals …. yeah vocals hehehe oh and Marcus Persson as well with some vocals, Morgen Agren on the drums (from the progressive rock band Kaipa), Jerry Ericsson on bass, Mats Oberg on keyboards and Jonas Knutsson on the saxophone.

This solo project was completed, pretty much after Meshuggah’s – Destroy Erase Improve, so in a lot of ways it borrows from it, so you got the polyrhythmic calc metal, with all the niceties, the difference is that instead of being greeted with a standard Meshuggah tracks we are given a more experimental trip that combines those features with complex jazz elements and eerie atmospheric sections… its difficult to explain, well let’s just say it, that if this was a Meshuggah album i would say it has 5 Meshuggah tracks and 8 strange interludes, strange but not bad, it kinda all works together, it’s catchy and combines well the rawness of metal with some weird softening undertones.

Well it’s not all flowers and happy bunnies, all this stuff sure does bring a strange pace to the album, and sometimes it feels it’s just played out too long, but i think it works pretty well, its one of those albums you have to listen to it to believe it. Also note that there are at least 2 distinct versions, the original 1997 one and a 1999 remix with better audio and extra tracks, the album has 26 tracks (some a couple of seconds long…) but it works pretty much like one big track, anyway it’s supposed to be one big song and you should listen to it like so, so both versions are pretty much the same, also the mp3′s here, the first is basically the first 2 tracks, “The Beginning of the End of Extraction (Evolutional Slow Down)” and “The Executive Furies of the Robot Lord of Death” (yeah funny track names), both together are about 3min long, and the second is one of the extra tracks from the 1999 version.

Yeah i know it’s weird, strange and somewhat kinky and of course the taste for Meshuggah does enhance the experience… but what can i say i like it ^_^.oO( NO, i love it )

Somewhat Official Site? Myspace Fredrik Thordendal’s Special Defects

Fredrik Thordendal Special Defects – Sol Niger Within First 2 Tracks
Fredrik Thordendal Special Defects – Missing Time

Txx with “Rome 64 C.E.” it starts pretty slow, nonetheless it’s a nice march like intro, good build up to the next track “Slaying the Prophets Ov Isa” oh and this one even hurts me… damn this blasting and eerie guitar riffs, the vocals are better now, not so much distorted… its fast crushing and groovy, its a blast, the… chorus is kinda a slow down growling with gregorian vocals in the back, awesome… and then it all goes mind fuck with a solo guitar and crushing till the end…. what can i say… “Prometherion” starts again with a blast, it works and feels very much as the second part of “Slaying the Prophets Ov Isa”, it all feels very epic and brutal, nice, “At the Left Hand ov God” brings back a bit of that Middle Eastern vibe from the intro track, to build up to a slower shout blast, the slower pace just gives it more aggression and still it seems like a over-the-top requiem, very into the vibe of the album, awesome riffs.

“Kriegsphilosophie” brings it all back, blasting and growling at blazing speeds, half way through it goes into a change of speed and into a blasting/guitar combo, very nice to follow the guitar solo, all keeping it tight and fast, amazing, “Be without Fear” starts almost as a old school fear factory blast… that is until it changes tune to a more blasting growing, the difference is abysmal, extremely groovy and heavy as shit, it has a bit of a hardcore feel to it, not so much growling more shouting, nevertheless again a great track, “Arcana Hereticae” again blasting from hell, damn if its not well played out, not a moment of pause or monotonous movements, its all fucking tight and to the point, eerie as hell solos, makes a pause about 2/3 in… damn if it doesnt go into a groovy blast/guitar loop/guitar solo… sooo good

“Inner Sanctum” is next, with some blasting and sound off voice from guest vocal Warrel Dane from Nevermore (i checked…), it’s good, although somewhat toned down track, with piano, acoustic guitar and voice off, that is until half way they turn the guitars into groove metal mode and just kick it up, what can i say, again a fucking great track, catchy as hell, “Libertherme” start with the first electronical stuff i heard… and it doesn’t sound that bad, it helps build a slower more groovy track, not so much blasting, driving to a bunch of guitar solos through the track, still groovy, but i think it’s my least favorite, “Pazuzu” starts again with that march vibe, into full out blasting/growling/singing chorus, into full blasting growling, nice, it feels its just building up to the last track “Christgrinding Avenue”, were the all out blasting/guitar solo starts up, that grows into a groovy blast growl thing, that slows down into another groove from hell… dying out… what can i say epic flavored shit in 3 minutes… damn thats awesome.

I kinda see Behemoth as a band that re-invented themselfs into a technical death metal band from a black metal background, and that gave them that extra edge to not go overboard with the death metal, i think most death metal bands dont balance it very well, it tends to drag, to not have a point, when it should be brutal and deviant, and that’s … i guess its Behemoth’s formula, well this is a kick ass album, my congrats, incredibly atmospheric, the drumming and guitar and vocals, all excellent, pretty good production values and ohhh and i loved it… that should be enough, again…Behemoth, go fucking get the fucking album muahahah.

Official Site Behemoth.pl

Behemoth – Prometherion
Behemoth – Inner Sanctum

Intronaut play a interestingly mix variety of music, i would put them in the alternative/progressive metal/rock arena, close in resemblance with what Mastodon excel at, maybe a bit less overwhelming, i don’t know if i would fit it into the sludge category as well, nevertheless loads of skill and sprinkles of loads of genres popping in and out, so how does “Void” fit into this?

“A Monumental Vulgarity” opens the show, and what a show, after a “smallish” intro your just thrown into the groove, sounds and plays out like a Mastodon track, but with a little bit more taste for the eccentric (like Mastodon isn’t eccentric enough), it’s harsh vocals, it’s a constantly changing musical landscape, but all in the same logical sound structure, they are not stopping and playing another thing, they are just changing and mixing the same stuff in an unorthodox fashion, refreshing and not so much Mastodon, the resemblances are mostly in how it all sounds, “Gleamer” (that one you can listen downstairs ^~) is another groovy track, jazz like drumming, with a lot of things thrown into the mix, one thing that starts to show is the bass work, that almost rivals the drumming/guitar, impressive, and infections, plus a full minute in the end of nothing especial, weird.

“Fault Lines” has another minute long intro into this one, nice way to put a intermission, but when it enters high gear you can feel it, this one is a hit hard, soft, hit hard kid of thing, building to a interesting finish, “Nostalgic Echo” gets another rock like intro to another groove oriented almost sludge track, again with clean passages building up to funky metal sections, “Teledildonics” first of all that’s one funny named track, next, it’s probably the best track in the album, how’s that for building “word of mouth”, basically it sounds like Meshugah if they were playing this kind of music, point blank, impressive, sure it has some clean parts, but that seems to be their thing, “Iceblocks” has another almost 2 minute intermission before it gets into overdrive, again good track, last track “Rise to the Midden”, is a good last track, wraps it up nicely, it’s hard, it’s groovy, it is quirky, great stuff.

Intronaut hummm, well it’s difficult to say if i really like it, sure it has a lot of things that one can headbang to, “Teledildonics” being one of them…hahaah yeah headbang to that, and overall it is an impressive album, nonetheless it isn’t a relentless kind of thing, it has a lot of clean passages, and a lot of slow alternative rock twists, that although a clear sign of technical ability, they do hurt the pace of the album, in the third listen i kinda while skipping the end of “Gleamer”, skipped “Fault Lines” as well, just because i though it was too early to such a long intermission, sorry guys, i wanted “Teledildonics” as soon as possible, wait…that didn’t sounded that good, heheh great job, if your into Mastodon or even the likes of Isis or Neurosis, you should check them out, I’m sure everyone will enjoy some “Teledildonics”.

Official Site Intronaut

Intronaut – Gleamer

Gee, like with a couple of other bands, it’s difficult to talk about every single track, since they are so diverse. but I’ll give a go, “The Wolf is Loose” starts things off, and actually sounds a bit like a track from their last album, fast paced thrashing, really catchy, yeah i should note that most Mastodon tracks are above all else really catchy, not because of lyrics or chorus, but because of the drumming and riffage, now back on track with “Crystal Skull”, now this is a bit different, but again very close to the sound of Leviathan, with that freaky astounding drumming from hell and the groovy guitar work, “Sleeping Giant” is something new, again a Mastodon like delivery, slow paced track beautifully carved from progressive metal, eerie…

“Capillarian Crest” is like a mix and mash of genres, never letting down always throwing new stuff in, always in that neat Mastodon technical package, mind blowing track, “Circle of Cysquatch” brings us back to more heavy stuff, drumming going all over the place and a really hookie riffage and a hardcore finisher, just bring it home, “Bladecatcher” is a pure instrumental track and it doesn’t fail, funky as shit, “Colony of Birchmen” is slower paced, with a freaky chorus, even though in parts sounds like a mixture between power metal and progressive rock, it’s actually again a very enticing track.

“Hunters of the Sky” is one of those “experimental groove” tracks, chorus is catchy as hell, “Hand of Stone” is an already a classical Mastodon delivery with loads of different things popping up everywhere “This Mortal Soil” has a bit of an intro into a what i can only describe as some kind of progressive rock, kinda weird, “Siberian Divide” continues with this end of the album eerie feeling, just now with a bit more bite, “Pendelous Skin” is the last track and again a instrumental, completely the opposite from the first one, this one sounds like the sound of the air rushing through the mountains, building up to a music resembling some distorted Soundgarden track, very eerie, sounds like the guy climbing the mountain got himself screwed or eaten by bears.

Mastodon is Mastodon, and as one can expect they delivered, changing to a major label doesn’t seem to affect them too much, also i might point that again like in the album “Leviathan”, “Blood Mountain” is a concept piece, with a back story, and therefore it all makes even more sense, great album, even better delivery, if you like good, strange, hard music, you have a obligation to check this out.

Official Site Mastodonrocks

Mastodon – The Wolf is Loose
Mastodon – Capillarian Crest
Mastodon – Colony of Birchmen

Well it all starts off with “R.I.P.”, and goddamn if it’s not a fantastic track, it starts with a Gothic like female serenade, then you are hit by that death metal/harsh vocals/clean vocals groove combo, followed by a violin guitar passage to another death metal section that just pours down to a piano female clean vocals, that builds to a metal spree/clean female vocals, and then back on the death harsh vocals than back onto the violin passage, then …. and we are just half way through the first song, suffice to say you get a … what the fuck moment 3 quarters way through, with a guitar solo/piano building up to a Gothic “we are all going to die” kind of thing, brilliant.

Am i going to review all the other tracks just like that, well no, but i can tell you that “Queen” is the single…i think, it’s kinda nice, but it’s more for commercial play, “The Claustrophobic Journey” is really a groovy track and the first with really good pace (they do have a tendency to stop and start playing something else, then stop again and play another thing, like in the first track), “Sound of Tranquility Peace?” is a good track as well, “The Seeker” is a beautiful track, death metal almost all the way through interchanging with calmer moments for the female vocals, and half way through, it has what i could describe as some kids toy like a sponge ball sound playing, and then some … i don’t know what that sound is, calming down near the end to build up to some funky death on the end, again great.

“Pray” is the death/gothic track, really nicely put and actually the most approachable on the track, again a beautiful heavy track uhhh “I’m Not Dead” is is a a pure mind bender, freaky and spooky, and heavy as shit, with a lot of bass work and it finishes perfectly, finally the last track “The Moment She Died”, and damn me if it’s not the perfect finishing track, heavy and unexpected, groovy as shit, finishes about 2 thirds in with a lot of strange sounds.

Ram-zet is one of the reasons i really enjoyed Unexpect, it has the same vibe, of experimentation, i can assure everyone, this is one hell of an album, sure it’s not perfect, but production is great, there is stuff for everyone (death/gothic/whatever) to enjoy, its a load of fun to listen, much more approachable than Unexpected, and i do love the clean female vocals, the violin work and the guitar work, hell everything was top notch, i know they have another album out (for like a year), but i still don’t have it, and i do really like this album, I’ll check the other one when i can get my hands on it, but for now, go and check this one out, please… pretty please.

Official Site Ram-zet | Video for Queen

Ram-Zet – Queen
Ram-Zet – The Claustrophobic Journey

First of all, we have new cover art and a bonus DVD. But let’s dig a little deeper. Basically, we have all the rhythm guitar re-recorded, some subtle changes in some tracks – like the end of “Closed Eye Visuals” and “Nebulous” was slowed down [Nebulous... Hmmm that sounds familiar somehow... Hm! Weird].
The drums were also tightened down and mixed from scratch [and I might add: a little over-compressed].
In the vocals we now have some delays here and there.

Is it good? Well… yes and no. Some tracks are great but… some tracks are way worst. In my humble “MESHUGGAH ARE GODS” opinion.
Before the track-by-track comparison, two things stand right away: The rhythm guitars are brutal. When comparing, the old guitars sound like crap. The new ones are very tight, very clean and heavy. On the other hand, the drums sound more mechanical and “hidden” under all that grooviness – particularly the cymbals.

“Stengah”. This track sounds great on some parts. Much more heavy and clean that the previous version. But, there it is… The drums…… The original mix had the cymbals rocking all the way! I really enjoyed that. Hearing all the cymbals in that syncopated rhythms, that was fun. Now the cymbals are quiet down… But that’s not the worst in this track. Didn’t enjoyed very much the removal of the clean chords right before the verse. That creepy chords were great. Too bad…
“Rational Gaze”… Well… This track sounds good. Didn’t notice any changes on this one. Just that, it’s less groovy somehow. Can’t explain it. The guitars sound heavier and cleaner but… Less groovy.
“Perpetual Black Second” did lose on the drums too. I loved that cymbals on the beginning. Now they are down there, under that monster guitar sound. It’s a pity. Delays were added on the vocals giving more power to the chorus.
“Closed Eye Visuals” it’s nice. Subtle change in the end with a re-recorded fill melody. The drum rolls sound worst [like in all other tracks...].
The beginning of “Glints Collide” lacks on the drums. That power groovy organic drums are now a synthetic compressed sound.
“Organic Shadows” it’s an OK track. Didn’t notice any big difference…
“Straws Pulled at Random” is one of the best “new-sound” tracks. Very powerful indeed. The new guitars do squash like a bug the old ones. I do miss that china cymbal pounding all the way tough – right after the intro.
In “Spasm” we have another big loss. Once again, the drums… of course. In the middle part there’s a drum solo kind of thing. Well, with the new drum mix it sounds very “plastic”. The old mix was way more organic.
“Nebulous” is the winner of the new mix. Why? Because it’s my nickname ^^ Now honestly, the new mix is great. It’s slower, heavier and punches you right on the stomach.
“Obsidian” is the final track and it was extended. Never listen to this track many times on the old version, at least on it’s full length, but I must confess that, after the 8 minute therapy, listening to “Stengah” again is very refreshing.

Final notes about the new «Nothing»: the guitars are great, the drums are… worst. Nevertheless, I like having both options. If I’m into some drum madness I’ll listen to «Nothing» v.1. If I’m into some crazy sick guitar groove insanity I’ll listen to «Nothing» v.2.
If this is your first contact with «Nothing» I recommend the new version. Way better sound and you’ll not miss that drum sound I was talking about. Ignorance is bliss.

Meshuggah – Straws Pulled at Random

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

So how does “10000 Days” holds up? Well really good, since they are excellent musicians, the album starts with “Vicarious” and there is no way you can’t be infatuated with this sound, so cristal clear so tempered and balanced, things do tend to fall into place when you listen to Tool, after a couple of minutes i was already balancing my head back and forward, its that nice and smooth Tool sound, then comes “Jambi” and that goes into that oh so predictable Tool formula, nice beginning never ending simplistic music with vocals in background, half original in 1992, now completely overdone, then we go to the over sized interlude with “Wings For Marie (Pt 1)” and “10000 Days (Wings Pt 2)”.

I really enjoy almost 18 minutes of interlude when a album is just beginning, after that “joy ride” they give us the “o so well named” “The Pot” (yeah the 18 minutes made me picky), what the fuck he is saying? “High High, you must have been High High” sure i am high, with brilliant lyrics like that, over the most boring riff i’ve ever heard, after the longest and soonest interlude in the history of music, sure i’m high, Tool are fucking mind readers, and just when i’m wondering what’s coming up next with “Lipan Conjuring”, ohh fuck another interlude, what the fuck, are they gonna spend all day making idiotic sounds, ohhh excuse me mind blowing innovating, transcendental idiotic sounds, i forgot i’m talking about Tool, lets just skip that, and go straight to “Lost Keys”, OHHH YOU FUCKS, YOU DIDN’T, another fucking interlude, with more idiotic random samples, goddam.

Here we go “Rosetta Stoned”, hey finally one of those uninspired Tool songs, it only took, 39 minutes of white noise to get it, now let’s have a look at “Intension”, ohhh no not another…ohhh 2 minutes later he started singing, thank god, that was some scare, ok…where’s the rest of the band, ohhh it’s that kind of interlude, ohhh how nice, so “Right in Two” must be a song…somewhere, really slow buildup to full band workout, well again the formula, well at least it’s not another interlude, let’s check “Viginti Tres” ohhh that’s just perfect, more 5 minutes of strange noises, to any of the Tool band members that might see this, just one tiny note, you know that white noise and all those sissy things are just used to enhance music, they are not fucking music, not in fucking rock, you made an album with 4 songs, and only 2 are decent, you dumb excuse for a band.

So what can i add, what can i say, Tool failed miserably to capture me, yeah i know, sacrilege, but as i said before Tool always sounds the same because they always play the same, they seem to be milking the cow till it’s bone dry, every flare or originality is gone, how many times can you sing quietly and build up a song the same way, even the riffs seem dry, there is a complete lack of substance, its music for musics sake, don’t get me wrong, it’s a Tool album, and Tool fans will probably like the 2 songs, but i assure, even those are dull and devoid.

Tool – Vicarious

And so begins with some “Blood and Thunder”, thy hearts tremble as they see the white giant, “I Am Ahab” were once stood a leg now stands fate, as water drown in mist, there… the beast, the “Seabeast”, for i’m sure the beast will be the end of me, ohh don’t mock me, for today is the day she will perish, darkness had it’s way and for shadows the wale will haunt me, there shall we rest in the “Island” that is our ship, for our journey is far from it’s pinnacle.

Again, so shall this be my way, we meet again, thy “Iron Tusk” will be mine, i’m faint to discern truth from myth, fantasy from this never ending blackness, “Megalodon” envelopes my dreams, and so i will again, tomorrow, are my ways hidden, have i lost my sense, there truth is hidden, “Naked Burn” the unraveling preach, ahhhh yes “Aqua Dementia” for closer i am to god, closer i am god i will burn all in white glory, for there is no life, no “Hearts Alive” in this deep blue sea, who is “Joseph Merrick”.

Scouring and plundering the seas is a nasty business, and so is this review, it’s difficult to give a clear picture to all the songs, they have their unique traits, and they convey the story much better than i could ever, the same way i enjoyed the novel, i really enjoyed this album, it showcases the great musicians that Mastodon are, and a great way to make albums, now go ahead and listen, i guarantee you’ll love it.

Mastodon – Blood and Thunder

Mastodon – Iron Tusk

But before i start with the praises, let’s have a look at the album, the album starter is “Ocean Planet” and its a strange music to start the album it, its slow and decadent and…who cares this is clearly a concept album and i can say that basically all tracks are as different and eclectic as “Ocean Planet” and one thing i guarantee by the end of it you’ll be headbanging as hard as you can, now the album starts to go get a faster pace, with “Backbone” you’ll get a kick in the head, dark, heavy, technical as hell, truly original, and the best ones are still to come, yeah you heard me, then comes “From The Sky” and you start to see a pattern, a very “OH MY GAWD THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM EVER” kind of pattern, then comes the melodic interlude, that well it’s actually feels more like interlude with “Where Dragons Fall” that although heavy as hell, doesn’t seem that well crafted, like i said an extended interlude to “The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe” and although it’s believed that the universe is sparse on heavy matter, Gojira seems to believe otherwise and shows it in spades.

As we approach mid album, things just get hotter and hotter, with the silent intro, deadly on the inside “Flying Whales” and my favorite track “In The Wilderness”, i’m just with lack of superlatives to trow at Gojira’s “From Mars To Sirius”, the next track one of the calmer ones, we can see the progression to a deeper and calmer sound, does this mean it doesn’t rock… as another attribute to Gojira i think it expands their sound, even thought its a pleasure to the senses to ear “In The Wilderness”, a album full of “Wilderness” would get boring and tiresome very fast, then we get to “From Mars”, a low voiced intro to “To Sirius” a very cleverly Singalong, that leads us to “Global Warming” and what a treat, it’s less complex than the rest the album, it’s very similar in style with the first track with a repeating riff throughout, its kind of soothing, and a great way to finish the album.

From start to finish, is it perfect, well perfection is in the eye of the beholder, but through my eyes, Gojira have done a outstanding job and a memorable album, its above all balanced, not overly technical with no apparent slow spots and original as hell, i will keep this one for good.

Gojira – The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe

This record starts with “Castellorizon”, a intro track that kind of sums the entire album. We can listen little sounds and passages from what is to come.

“On An Island” is just magical. We can almost feel like we are really on an island. This is such a beautiful song. Very warm voice and beautiful chorus. The final guitar solo is just one of David Gilmour’s best ever.

“The Blue” take us to a very romantic place. Another beautiful song. Richard Wright does the back vocals, bringing a old Pink Floyd feel to it. Once again, very cool guitar solo with Gilmour exploring some new effects.

The start of “Take a Breath” almost reminds me those “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” days! Then evolves to a new Pink Floyd feel – “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” / “The Division Bell”.

“Red Sky At Night” starts with a sax solo – David Gilmour himself – and links with “This Heaven”, a very nice rock, bluesy tune.

In “Then I Close My Eyes” Gilmour show, once again, his romantic side. A very melodic song featuring several combinations of instruments and textures.

“Smile” is an acoustic song that seems like it came from the 1972 “Obscured By Clouds” album.

“A Pocketful Of Stones” starts with beautiful piano chords and Gilmour sings aside with his sweet voice. But soon evolves to some drama passages. It ends with one more remarkable guitar solo.

On An Island finishes up with “Where We Start”. Another beautiful, slow, romantic song.

Overall, David Gilmour shows with “On An Island” a more romantic side. This is not a pop oriented record like in the vein of Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly” song or like some other songs from his previous solo work. You will not listen to this album in the mainstream radios. This is a album for David Gilmour’s voice and guitar fans. If you love David Gilmour’s guitar solos, and his voice is the warmest sound you can remember, then you have to listen to this record.