Rating: 3.5/5
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Every song has a little something worth revisiting, and there’s a couple of rock solid gems. For the realms of metal, it’s lighter fare, but in the company of melodic hard rock bands, they’re an 800 lb gorilla.

Madder Mortem – “Eight Ways” released June 23, 2009 on Peaceville So rarely am I brought to the verge of tears by music these days, least of all by any of the flocking female-fronted metal bands blotting the landscape. Agnete Kirkevaag possesses Grace Slick’s timbre with an even wider range, inviting moving moments that vary from sweet to savage. “Formaldehyde” is the strongest and most evocative track, its jazzy lead-in counterbalanced with graduated heaviness, featuring feral screams and smooth croons. Sometimes-gentler and pointedly assertive, “The Little Things” gives way to the progressive layers of “Armour” that deftly flex under [...read more]

Killswitch Engage – “Killswitch Engage” released July 6, 2009 on Roadrunner It takes some balls to release a second self-titled album (the first being their debut with former vocalist Jesse Leach). Is this truly a defining moment in their career? Absolutely. It reinforces that KsE is too safe, too middle-of-the road, and should not strike even a novice listener as anything new. They regurgitate the formula they helped create, with big ol’ choruses and song titles repeated ad nauseum (which is what typically halts any forward momentum they generate). Most of the lyrics are way egocentric, focusing on personal issues [...read more]

The tenth studio album from the first word in prog metal is drenched in death; an exhausting and challenging endeavor that is ultimately satisfying once it processes. Their darkest album to date is also their most unified body of work since Awake, and a return to form following the more accessible execution of their last effort, Systematic Chaos.

Judas Priest – “A Touch Of Evil” released July 14, 2009 on Epic Records The Metal Gods present their first live offering since reuniting with Rob Halford, and it’s the best since Unleashed In The East. Comprised of a breadth of songs spanning thirty years of their career, seven albums are represented, with all but two tracks (6, 11) making their first appearances on a live Priest release. The selections are from their 2005 & 2008 world tours, and they’re very particular about including the strongest performances, with minimum crowd noise. The focus is well-kept on this ageless band, [...read more]

Stratovarius – “Polaris” released May 20, 2009 on Armoury Records The Finnish power metal quintet undergoes another lineup change for their 12th studio album, replacing longtime guitarist Timo Tolkki and bassist Jari Kainulainen. This inner turmoil renders the result no less effective, perhaps even amplifying their might. Promising indeed, with so much to love: the vibrancy of the lead track; the unabashed hookiness of 2; the majesty of 3; the thrashing charge of 4; the dirge vs. delicacy of 5; the guitars interwoven with keyboards through 6. We start to lose traction with 8, but manages to regain ground [...read more]

Callisto – “Providence” released May 26, 2009 on Fullsteam Records Often referred to as the Finns’ answer to Cult of Luna, the sextet reaches further on their third release, grasping lofty branches and exploring new territories. Once primarily instrumental, the addition of varied vocalist Jani Ala-Hukkala introduces a world of possibility. He sounds like a smoothed-out and better-ranged Layne Stayley (Alice In Chains), while the vocals of guitarist Markus Myllykangas punctuate with the intensity and tone of Isis’ Aaron Turner (they’re about an 85/15 mix, respectively). Seven guest musicians are featured, playing everything from brass and woodwinds to slide [...read more]

Hull – “Sole Lord” released May 26, 2009 on The End It’s good to hear another band besides Nile crafting music steeped in Egyptian mythology. However, rather than death metal, the Brooklyn quintet transports the sounds of southwest American sludge to the deserts of the Middle East. One doesn’t listen to Hull so much as journey with them, as one section burns into the next. The album is divided into song suites, movements, and chapters––which can get a tad confusing if you’re trying to follow along––but the story is worth your attention, beckoning with divine hypnotic fervor. The Sun’s fire [...read more]

Knot Feeder – “Light Flares” co-released March 10, 2009 on Strings & Hammers / File Thirteen The Pittsburgh quartet boasts some impressive personnel: guitarist Andrew Grossman and drummer/vocalist Rob Spagiare were formerly in Tabula Rasa, and Mike Banfield was the original guitarist for Don Caballero. After three years together with bassist Andy Curl (Southpaw), they have recorded this debut album with J. Robbins, full of daring mathematical journeys, angular melodies, and vibrant energy. Most songs are driving tracks, but the album also works with quieter moments (5), percussion experiments (8), forays into pedals/loops (11), and guest cellist Gordon Withers [...read more]

Rating: 4.5/5

Thirty-six minutes rarely goes by so fast, with this level of both complexity and replay value. Tighter and more daring than a nun impersonating Evel Knievel, Coalesce triumphantly return as strong contenders in avant-hardcore.