Notice - Ultimate Metal

Hello,

For anyone who has been reading this site, I have just joined the writing staff of UltimateMetal.com, and therefore will be devoting most of my energy towards that site. If you're interested, visit the reviews section of UM and read up. I am posting reviews under the moniker TheTechnogoat. I would have done a top 10 of 2007 releases on this blog, but I naturally instead did one for the UM Staff Lists of 2007 instead. You can find it at http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/reviews/358234-staff-picks-2007-a.html
So, check that stuff out, and until we meet again,

Cheers,

Jack

Finntroll Live at the Chance Theater!

So on the 21st of September my buddy and I set out in my beloved Volkswagen Golf on our epic quest to see the kings of folk metal, FINNTROLL!!! An hour and 20 minutes later (including a stop at party depot for war paint), we arrived at the hellhole that is Poughkeepsie, New York. The car was parked and War paint was applied, so we promptly made our way through downtown Poughkeepsie amid stares and muffled laughter (we slay em, metal to the bone!), and arrived at the tiny Chance Theater. There was a small gathering of about 10 trollmetallers already at the entrance, and good banter was thrown around until 8 PM when the doors were opened. I ventured in and checked out the club for myself. First impression: Holy jesus this is going to be great. I am partial to the atmosphere of tiny clubs, and this place met the criteria so well that it made my loins tingle. The pit area was tiny, and packed full it could probably hold about 100 or 150 people which makes for a DAMN good time! After treating myself to a Finntroll tour shirt and a chat with a few dudes at the stand, it was time for the first opening band. The 4 opening bands (WAY too many in my opinion) were for the most part shitty ass local bands so I'm just going to talk about Lazarus, the only good opener of the night. In addition to starting a heroic "FINNTROLL FINNTROLL FINNTROLL" chant with the crowd, they played around 6 songs of AWESOME maiden-esque power metal, and they were all great dudes to hang out with. Funny enough, every one them looked like they had worked at Guitar Center at one point in time. Mega lawl. Anyway, they kicked ass so check them out at http://www.myspace.com/lazaruslongisland.

Right, on to the epicness of Finntroll. I elbowed my way against the barrier and held my fist high as the epic ambient intro track "Gryning" blasted from the PA. The light show wasn't great due to the limited resources of the club, but it set the mood perfectly as the intro came on and the stage was bathed in murky green light that made me feel as if I was standing surrounded by trees in a dark Finnish skog with trolls creeping out of the shadows. The intro came to a close and the trolls (Vreth, Skrymer, Tundra, Routa, Beast Dominator, and live keyboardist Virta) stalked out onto the stage clad in leather kilts and war paint, and launched straight into the the opening track of Ur Jordens Djup, Sång. Immediately bodies started churning in the pit and I did what I could to get up against the barrier to the stage (not a fan of moshing), raised my horns high and began headbanging my sweet ass off to Finntroll's frenzied humppa (finnish polka) rhythms and chanting their swedish lyrics along with Vreth. I was covered in sweat and had warpaint dripping down my face by the 3rd song but kept on trolling in the name of folk metal till the very end!



The most enjoyable song of the night in my opinion was the Caribbean influenced song off Ur Jordens Djup, "En Mäktig Här", complete with a hilarious steel drum part, frequent allusions to the "Monkey Island" game soundtrack, and the single most catchy melody on the entire album. It was during this song (I think) that my somewhat aching neck (from headbanging without rest for an hour and a half) became more than somewhat injured, but I decided to throw caution to the winds and carried right on headbanging and dancing the polka like a bastard.

One of the things I was slightly worried about before the gig was the constant accounts of Finntroll having absolutely dismal live sound. There is some definite truth to these claims as I've heard decent quality bootlegs where there were significant problems in the mix, but it seems that they have remedied their live sound since then. Other than the keys being too low in the mix (this always happens though, poor keyboardists), their sound was epic and very tight. The troll's sound was mostly shaped with Mesa Boogie amps and Amfisound Guitars, a great new finnish guitar company that are endorsed by the likes of Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Sodom, and Anathema to name a few. So aye, the gig was quite a treat for myself, being a guitar/gear nut.



All of the guys were great with the crowd and kept the energy running high throughout the whole performance. Vreth started a very enjoyable "F*ck Priests" chant, and entertained all of the crazy bastards (myself included) that couldn't keep their mouths shut in between songs. One hilarious moment came in the middle of the set when Vreth combined not so good english with good old fashioned trollishness....

"Hey people, do you like priest?"
...."confused looks, intermittent halfhearted cries of "F*CK YES!" or "F*CK NO!"....*
"You know what we do with priest? WE EAT THEM!"
*crowd roars*

The highlight for me came towards the middle of the set in between songs when Vreth said "Now this next one is off of the Nattfödd album". I had been calling out songs for the entire set, so I decided to spout "URSWAMP" at the top of my lungs. Vreth then turned around, pointed at me and yelled "What did he say!" and held down the mic to me, into which i roared "URRSSSSWAMMPPP" in my best growl. Twas quite a cool experience for mei, and fulfilled some of my (admittedly) fanboyish desires, so cheers Vreth!



The encore began with a "One more song!" chant, which I desperately tried to turn into a "Five or Ten more songs!" chant. Hey, ya can't win em all. But they returned for a fiery electric version of the acoustic classic "Försvinn Du Som Lyser" and an epic rendition of "Det Iskalla Trollblod" (the ice cold troll blood - coolest song title EVER). Consequently the show came to a close, and I had never before wanted a show to continue so badly, but alas, such is life. After some MUCH needed water and some quick banter with Vreth, Skrymer, Routa and Tundra outside the tour bus, it was time to journey home to rest and then make quest once again! Beware weak Christian souls, for when Finntroll come round, they leave no god fearing man alive!

Setlist:
(the order might be wrong in some parts)
Gryning (intro)
Sång
Korpens Saga
Fiskarens Fiende
Jatkens Tid
Manniskopesten
Nattfödd
Kitteldags
Aldhissla
Blodnatt
Trollhammaren
Nedgång
Slaget Vid Blodsälv
Urswamp
Ormhäxan
En Mäktig Här
Segersång
Encore:
Försvinn Du Som Lyser
Det Iskalla Trollblod

10/10

-Jack Deming

(pictures taken from Summerbreeze Festival, Germany)

Ragnarok Radio - Scottish Heavy Metal

Lately I have been listening to a relatively new podcast called "Ragnarok Radio" quite a lot. This podcast is based in Scotland, and focuses mainly on the Scottish metal scene as well as other metal bands from all reaches of the globe. The 3 podcasters are named Gordy, Dwayne, and Vicky and they have put out 9 monthly episodes so far, each about an hour in length. They're chock full of hilarious Scottish wit and banter, and feature about 9 or 10 songs each. My favorite episode so far is episode 6, the Industrial Special. I rolled my eyes a bit when I saw the title (the industrial I've come across in my travels has never really impressed), but I was soon banging my head to the playlist which featured bands that I had never heard of, such as Mouthful of Flies (an AWESOME unsigned band), Ewigkeit, and Eisbrecher. This podcast sheds a lot of light on underground bands that I certainly would never come across on my own, and I have made a fair number of musical discoveries as a result.

One small gripe that I have concerning the podcast is that I wish that the episodes were a bit longer with more banter thrown in. One of the reasons why I listen to metal radios is for the conversation in between songs, and there could be a bit more on this radio. These guys are REALLY funny, and I wish they "talked out of their arses" (as they put it) a bit more. Also, it'd be nice if they did more frequent episodes instead of one episode per month. I cant complain though, they're good at what they do.

The crew at Ragnarok have also recently released the first "Ragnarok Runes" magazine issue, a downloadable magazine featuring interviews, album reviews, and other assorted goodies. I have yet to download the first issue, but it looks to be quite epic, as it contains (among many other items), an interview with my personal favorite Scottish band Alestorm (previously known as Battleheart), gig reviews of Amon Amarth and Biomechanical, and a feature on how to podcast. The magazine is download only (in accordance with environmental concerns), and costs only $2.72.

All in all, this is a great new podcast, and if you want to hear interesting, underground music and funny banter, you need to give this a listen. You're really missing out if you don't.

8/10

Check out their site at http://ragnarokradio.blogspot.com

Korpiklaani - Tervaskanto

Hey everyone! Metul Revjoos has gone international for the time being, as i am writing from my tiny bed and breakfast in Rome (and finishing in an French internet cafe). Boredom has taken its toll after a few days, so therefore it's time for a Revjooooo (albeit on an annoying italian keyboard (and now an even more annoying french keyboard, fuck im using too many parentheses)). Right then, Tervaskanto, the latest album from the Finnish folk metallers Korpiklaani packs in all of the folkiness, catchiness, and listenability that Korpiklaani has to offer into one album. I love Korpiklaani because it is hands down the best drinking band in metal. period. The album should come with a bottle of ale, a Korpiklaani coaster and some pretzels. Being an accordion player, the highlight of this album for me is the accordion laden, amazingly catchy tune "Liekkion Isku". This slightly breaks away from the general feel of the other songs and delivers the most folky, humppa influenced feel on the album with an amazing, hard driving polka beat, fast pasted verses, and an awesome accordion solo.

My gripes about this album are few, but existent nonetheless. Although I absolutely love Korpiklaani's sound and style, I was surprised to hear that their sound had not evolved a bit from their previous effort, Tales Along this Road. It is of course natural for bands to have a distinctive sound, but i feel that sound should go through at least small changes to keep the band interesting, and Korpiklaani's sound has not. It sounds like they recorded both TATR and Tervaskanto in the same studio sessions, with identical guitar, drum, and vocal sounds and production techniques. Another gripe I have is that many songs on the album such as the first track, "Lets Drink", are very repetitive. Although the chorus of Lets Drink is very catchy and fun, it stops being catchy after the 50th time it is repeated in the song. I can live with it, but alot of other listeners obviously will not. That said, 50 repeats of a chorus could become more enjoyable with each flagon of mead the listener drinks, which is the recommended accompanyment to this album.

Nevertheless this is a fun album (it is Korpiklaani after all), and it will keep you headbanging and playing air fiddle all throughout (i kept this up for 3 straight listens). Hardass fans may be disappointed by the lack of progress in their sound, but this is a genuinely great piece of music, and great to toss a few back to as well.

7/10

-Jack Deming

Strapping Young Lad - The New Black

So I am returning with another Devin Townsend related review, this time of the latest (and sadly, probably last) Strapping Young Lad record, "The New Black". While Strapping is not the most immediately heavy band in the metal scene (Anaal Nathrakh has been known to cause skin lacerations from prolonged listening), the sheer speed, aggression, and feeling packed into their music all comes together to produce incredibly listenable and punishingly heavy metal. However, there are many factors that set SYL apart from the other bands in their genre. For one thing, this is not a sludge fest. While other acts sometimes use heaviness and ridiculous amounts of distortion as a musical crutch, Devin is an incredibly skilled guitarist and he gives the music great clarity and tightness in this respect. Also, the use of some clean vocals with this degree of heavy music sets Strapping Young Lad apart from many other bands. There is of course a large percentage of screamed vocals on the album, but Devin's clean vocals give the music a melodic touch that makes it extremely listenable.

The immortal quote that now resides on the headline of Metul Revjoos is a taste of the kind of lyrical content on this album.

NOW IN THE HALL OF THE NECRO LORD
FLASH OF FEAR AS HE SEES MY SWORD
RAPED HIS WOMEN, SMOKED HIS BONE
LEAVE A BOOGER UNDERNEATH HIS THRONE!

The chief lyrical themes revolve around around hatred, self loathing, strength, betrayal, personal demons, and metal, with the words "fuck" and "suck" intermittently strewn through these themes (see the song "You suck"). These lyrics embody aggression so well that it actually hurts. It amazes me to speculate on what kind of things were going on in the Dev's head in writing these records. One of his reasons for disbanding strapping and stopping touring was that he no longer needed an outlet for this aggression, and I'm somewhat relieved for him, because although it creates awesome metal, having shit like that going on in your head can't be good for anyone's mental state.

The highlight of this album for me is undoubtedly the epic "Far Beyond Metal", which as you can probably tell from the title, is so metal it will literally consume your mind and rip out your soul. If metal had a theme song or official anthem, this would be a good candidate. From the crushing main riff to the hilariously metal lyrics, this song embodies metal. Some of my favorite lines from this song are "Know that the music industry's ill, AND WE'RE THE FUCKING ANTIDOTE", and "Oh, you ironic pop rock fuck, DON'T YOU FUCK WITH METAL." Amen. Oh Devin, you have such a way with words. Just like any Strapping record, this album is phenomenal, and a must have if you call yourself metal. If not, fuck you, noob.



9/10

Metalscape: The Metal Podcast

Lately I've been listening to this Metal podcast called Metalscape quite a bit. Well, more than quite a bit. Okay fine, it's like crack. Boasting some of the most diverse playlists in Metal online radio, these guys deliver episode after episode with epic metal, random banter, and general pwnage in all respects. Playing everything from Brutal death and raw Black metal to Epic viking and power metal, you'll never get bored with the playlists. The hosts, Zach and Ron, have great chemistry and possess the unique ability to completely lose the thread of conversation (or sometimes simply run out of things to talk about), and still keep you lolling throughout the episode. Zach comes from California and is the somewhat upbeat contrast to Ron, who hails from Nicaragua where apparently they have no mac and cheese and live in cardboard boxes (according to Zach). These two guys make the talking aspect of the podcast more interesting than the music itself, and I applaud them for it. They also have an ongoing saga of "Ronvaldr and Zachrabuff", a fucking awesome comedy/epic show in the vein of LOTR or warcraft, with plenty of elf kicking action in every installment. If you get really into the podcast, I encourage you to join the Metalscape forums. In addition to being a good place for random banter, these boards and the people in them give you a cool perspective on the podcast in general, and gets you in on the inside jokes on the show. This is my radio of choice, Long Live Metalscape!

"If God exists you can bet your sweet ass he listens to Metalscape every week"
-Gogo from the forums

I rest my case.

check them out at www.metalpodcast.net

9/10

Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient. ....Sci-fi Metal? inDEED!

I, like many others, was naturally disappointed when I heard of Devin Townsend's decision to disband Strapping Young Lad and the Devin Townsend Band and retreat to the backwoods of Canada, away from touring and public life to become a hermit (albeit a hermit who constantly ships out amazing new music). However, his new release "Ziltoid the Omniscient" definitely makes up for any disappointment I felt before, being in my opinion, his best release since the Devin Townsend Band's "Accelerated Evolution". In fact, this album takes quite a lot of influence from the DTB as well as Strapping, creating a truly diverse album with everything from clean, rubato guitars with soaring vocal harmonies ("Solar Winds"), to brutal, downtuned guitars, chugging in true Strapping style ("Ziltoidia Attaxx!"), of course with Devin's innate humor thrown in as well. This album takes all of Devin Townsend's musical styles and packs them together to form this epic metal opus. A good way to describe how Dev approached this album was to take the sheer brutality, intensity, and anger of Strapping Young Lad and channel it into creating eccentric, epic sci fi chops, complete with the melodic style of DTB.

Being a huge Stargate SG-1 and sci-fi nerd in general, my prayers for a truly epic Sci-fi metal record have been answered! Although a constant thread of trademarked Devin Townsend comedy is maintained throughout (i mean, look at the title!), this album is filled with coffee swilling, human slaying, planet smashing, all knowing alien ownage. The plot centers around the 4th dimensional alien "Ziltoid the Omniscient" and his conquest of Earth and it's finest black coffee. which he needs to bend time (established in "ZTO", and "Ziltoidia Attaxx!"). "Captain Spectacular" leads the humans in the fight against Ziltoid. This album is so metal that Ziltoid could use it as fuel to bend time, no problem, screw the perfect coffee beans.

The highlight of this album for me is without a doubt "Solar Winds", the 9 and a half minute long fourth track of Devin's sci-fi opus. At the start, an entertaining voice over from Devin reveals Captain Spectacular's ingenious plan to "expose Ziltoid for what he really is.......a NERD!" We are then brought onto the deck of Spectacular's ship, as the Captain "introspectively gazes out of his starship window, on the way to the 4th dimensional Nebuloan 9." What follows is a surprisingly solemn, melodic intro, replete with chiming, atmospheric guitars, godly sounding vocal harmonies, and very cool lyrics. Devin really flaunts his talent as a vocalist on this track, especially when the song starts to get heavy, his vocals taking the lead melodic role over the slightly dissonant guitar line, contrasting with it very well. This contrast is the essence of this album, taking the best parts of Strapping and DTB and fusing them together to create something totally new.

The one disappointment of this record is its mediocre ending, which reveals that the entire story was merely a daydream of some slacker working at a coffee shop. Although this has some funny ties to the plot of the album, it is so abrupt that it gives off the impression that Dev needed to end it quickly. I was looking forward to a grand finale to tie up the story, and the ending was a bit of a letdown. However, this only slightly taints the sheer awesomeness of this album (nothing is perfect, after all), and if he maintains his prolific creativity, I think that we can expect great things from Devin Townsend in the future.

9.5/10

-Jack Deming