Hed PE – Stampede (2019) – In an unexpected twist, the guys decided this time to mix modern hip-hop (AKA the kind of hip-hop I can’t stand, barring a few unique experimental rappers) with metal trappings, which made for an interesting approach that might come off as one of the best modern rap metal releases of the year, which isn’t saying much. The cover alone shows a completely different band than the one I grew up, possibly resulting in a more marketable attempt at commercial autotuned saturated hip-hop with slight bits of rock. The record does manage to attempt a few experimental meanderings in lieu of reggae and punk influence, but it will definitely sit in their catalogue as one of their least intriguing releases. I wasn’t exactly crazy about the previous disc either, but at least this one does showcase a little bit more rock and even some harsh vocal lines from Jahred. I can see why the band felt a need to update their sound, which again does have some rather raucous vocal sections here and there, specifically on album opener “No Apologies” and the punk infusion of “Why Not Me?” but there are a lot of pretty basic modern rap/metal outings here that do not manage to stand out well. “Playing With Fire” does manage to inject djent and memorable riff melodies into what would otherwise be a basic autotuned rap cut. A little chill-hop makes it into the record in areas as well, so Stampede is definitely a product of modern music trends. This certainly isn’t what I expected, but it does continue to show an act that is constantly experimenting with different sounds, while keeping fresh what people loved about them in the first place. Stampede is definitely an album of the era and it will live on as an example of that in years to come.
(11 Tracks, 44:00)
6.5/10
Starset – Divisions (2019) – Starset have returned after a lengthy hiatus with a worthy successor to Vessels, which released as a 2.0 version last year with an unexpected Type O Negative cover of “Love You To Death” which actually managed to impress me. Yes, say what you want about the saccharine pop infusions that these guys are known for; they really nailed Type O Negative. As far as the disc goes, it is generally a heavier effort and there are even a few attempts at harsh vocals from the frontman. Unfortunately, he seems a bit out of practice in this area (and to be honest, there weren’t a lot of harsh vocals in Downplay either) and I highly recommend just hiring another guy to do those. The disc is surprisingly heavier, actually utilizing djent and synthwave to it’s own benefit (and ___ just released a solo synthwave record that I found equally on-par with their metal efforts. While Metal Archives would never fully recognize an act like this as metal, there’s definitely enough thump here to at least classify the band in an electro-metal category, which can be dodgy at best; especially since they have a hard rock leaning that comes across as afar more competent and complex version of Imagine Dragons during their early era. My problem with Imagine Dragons, especially now is the fact that they’ve become a caricature of both electronic music and pop-rock. Have you ever sat down and analyzed their compositions? A child could write most of it in an hour of FL Studio. Especially the lyrics, which are dumbed down for a radio audience. Starset however, pushes the electronic rock that we’re so familiar with now thanks to Imagine Dragons, to a level that doesn’t even sound human. If there’s any one song that really hits for me, it has to be “Perfect Machine” which isn’t even a single. It should be, because the song is an electrifying display of emotion, which I feel embodies the very essence of this band. It’s not a very heavy cut, but the amount of depth in it’s composition and vocal stylings always manage to make the hair stick up on the back of my neck. The chorus line alone never fails to elicit chills. Rate Your Music oddly enough doesn’t consider this record to be as memorable as the band’s previous efforts, though that might be due to the simple fact that it is much heavier than the fans were expecting and that’s fine with me. It’s obvious that Starset are fans of metal and they wanted to make a chunkier disc this time around. Vessels was great, but aside from “Satellite” I didn’t find the piece that be all that thrilling. I need a little bit of guitar, I need a little bit of depth insofar as the electronic compositions were considered. That’s what they’ve given me here. Sure, there are dance-club beats and modern pop infusions, but at least Divisions has some merit. If your kid is jamming this thing, don’t knock them for it. Yes, there is heavier shit out there and I’ll be covering that as you well know; but this one just came as a breath of fresh air in a scene where everyone seems to be obsessed with how extreme and technical they can be. There’s nothing wrong with a catchy album, and this one has enough bite to at least assure me that rock is on the right path.
(13 Tracks, 59:00)
8/10
Borknagar – True North (2019) – It’s a Borknagar album, so am I really going to have anything bad to say about it? Nope. That out of the way, True North features the band melding their signature black metal with dozens of truly memorable melodies, not to mention clean vocal lines that we already know will stick deeply into our souls. “Wild Father’s Heart” actually did just that for me, as I nearly stopped everything I was doing to soak it in. There’s just something about Norwegian folk and black metal that lends so well together and it doesn’t matter how many albums these guys have in the bucket, you couldn’t tell me that they’re starting to show wear and tear. The album sounds a bit glossy, but it successfully achieves a fascinating mixture of proggy synths, traditional folk instruments and hard-hitting black metal. The record even entertains a few guitar solos, which only help to improve upon what an unexpected level of majesty it can offer. I will say that the new Blut Aus Nord recording “Hypnotic” is equally on par with the instrumental performance here, but I would find myself hard-pressed to find a champion among the two recordings. I find them equally important and complimentary as far as the level of grandiosity is concerned. Additionally, I’m a bit shocked that they would both release around the same time, considering the fact that both bands are playing a very similar style; albeit “True North” is littered with clean vocals and “Hypnotic” doesn’t really feature any. Borknagar fans will notice pretty quickly that a slightly more streamlined approach is offered here, but like Soilwork’s recent outing Verklighten, there’s enough extremity and experimentation to stave off fans of pop music. Even so, you won’t help singing along with these cuts and you very well should. Borknagar features one of the best voices in black metal bar-none, so hearing this level of mesmerism yet again is more than worth the purchase price. At least go see a show or buy a t-shirt. You could always add another one to the collection. I’m more than convinced that a momentous effort was put into this recording, which seems to offer a bit of a journey in some areas, making for a good mixture of accessible and slightly more obscure material. There’s nothing wrong with that, and it’s made Borknagar the household name that they’ve been for decades. As a music fan in general. I can tell that “True North” is a culmination of many inspirations, and these guys are listening to a lot of music, perhaps from the sixties, seventies and beforehand that would lend to such a unique modernization of what is broken down to it’s core element, the music of their land and it’s people. “True North” is the sound of Scandinavia and is essentially Norwegian folk music given a metallic facelift that I’m sure most metalheads aren’t even aware of. Yes, I see you banging your head (if people even still do that) but are you aware that you’re jamming to folk music? And don’t dare be ashamed to admit that, because folk music is brilliant. There’s a reason why it’s stood the test of time and has been injected so heavily into acts from this region throughout the years. If you find this record entertaining, I highly suggest digging into folk music, or even neofolk. That’s what I’m hearing on much of this album, aside from it’s obvious metallic leanings and sixties friendly keyboard antics. All of which come together to produce absolute class and another masterwork from an already celebrated band.
(9 Tracks, 60:00)
9/10