OPETH

OPETH
STILL LIFE (1999)
320 KBPS

Opeth's fourth studio album see's them expanding their sound, continuing in a prog trend. This album starts to show off some of Mikael's more emotional, mellow vocals. I think on the first albums he wasn't very confident with singing, he usually favoured death metal screams (which i also love). He has such a beautiful singing voice and it stands out well on this album. I think this one is a lot mellower than the others, especially their previous effort, "My Arms Your Hearse". This album has a lot more balance on it. The metal sections are still strong, powerful and blow the listener away. The death metal screams work really well when they are used. There are more acoustic breaks and classical guitar passages, as well as their trademark gloomy aura that sounds like a ghost in the fog (which would explain why all their album covers have ghostly presences on them).
Opeth's sound has very much matured on this album, their blend of metal and classic acoustic passages and breaks are a lot more consistent than before. This album shows off Mikael Akerfeldt to be (in my opinion) the best songwriter in the field of death metal. Opeth give us so much variability in their guitar sound that it can appeal to fans of heavy metal as well as those that like amazing acoustic work. Mikael can safely go down as one of the best acoustic players out there, combined with his incredible voice, he has a magic touch which puts him up there with the big players. He is very original and such a treat to listen to.
"Still Life" is Opeth's step into a brave new world (compared to the three albums before this). It is very confident and they have obviously settled into a comfortable sound and formula for making a great record that conquers both balance and fluidity. This album is very mature and an amazing listen in terms of metal as well as progressive rock.

1. The Moor
2. Godhead's Lament
3. Benighted
4. Moonlapse Vertigo
5. Face Of Melinda
6. Serenity Painted Death
7. White Cluster

AVANTASIA

TOBIAS SAMMET'S
AVANTASIA
THE METAL OPERA (2001)
320 KBPS

The Metal Opera part 1 was actually not as operatic as I expected. I enjoyed this one more than the sequel because this actually has the right to be called a metal opera, even for its flaws. The choruses are more interesting than standard Edguy work and the instrumentation is intricate, with an electric, metallic sound. Also, this part of the Metal Opera has a story that the listener can follow without having to read eight pages of information in the CD booklet.
This is still essentially an Edguy album with a host of guest singers. None of them bring anything new to the table. Because the music was written by Sammet, they are all singing in his style. Their voices may sound different, but they left behind their unique styles to sing the way Sammet does. The amount of guest singers makes this more operatic than a standard Edguy album, but it doesn’t qualify as a full Metal Opera to my ears. It would be more diverse if it were truly operatic, and it is possible to achieve that without sacrificing accessibilty. There was no need to dumb down the other talented singers in this music. Sammet could have incorporated other power metal bands’ sounds here to build a gorgeous and unprecedented masterpiece. Farewell is probably the best example of this for its folk elements, putting it on another level from the rest of the album.
When Hansi from Blind Guardian guested on Vain Glory Opera you could hear a unique addition to Edguy’s standard sound, but perhaps that’s why Sammet didn’t have him work on the Avantasia Operas. His name is smeared all over this work. While it holds up very well against other power metal albums, it doesn’t sound as unique as it could. I’m not talking about going overboard like Rhapsody with narrations and such, but it could have been a more interesting work of art if Sammet had not smothered it.

1. Prelude
2. Reach Out for the Light
3. Serpents in Paradise
4. Malleus Maleficarum
5. Breaking Away
6. Farewell
7. The Glory of Rome
8. In Nomine Patris
9. Avantasia
10. A New Dimension
11. Inside
12. Sign of the Cross
13. The Tower

DEVIN TOWNSEND

DEVIN TOWNSEND
OCEAN MACHINE: BIOMECH (1997)
320 KBPS

How? How can one man be so brilliant? This is the question that comes to my mind when I listen to anything spawned by the modern genius that is Devin Townsend. Ocean Machine arrives relatively early in Devin's career; he had only two Strapping Young Lad albums as well as the vicious pop punk satire Cooked on Phonics released under the brilliant name Punky Brüster. He decided to back off the extreme metal and instead focus on a softer sound. He formed a band and released one album: Biomech. The result was stunning.
The album opens with the riff-happy "Seventh Wave" that sets a gentle mood for the album. "Life" comes next and presents us with...pop metal? From SYL frontman Devin Townsend?! Yes, it is pop, but it's pop done perfect, with deep lyrics, catchy melodies, and emotion. "Night" is the first song that really moves the listener, but it certainly won't be the last. "Hide Nowhere" is a highlight of the album, with an excellent melody. It also establishes multi-layered vocals as a standard in Devin's work. "Sister" is a mellow instrumental interlude that sets the standard for instrumentals on later albums. "3 A.M." sounds like the beginnings of Terria with its bizarre sounds. "Greetings" shifts the sound back to atmospheric guitar and brings things back to Earth.
"Regulator" is a nod to the SYL fans that made up a huge portion of this album's audience. It isn't as extreme as SYL, but it's riff heavy and features some great screaming. "Funeral" raises the bar for the already wonderful atmosphere with surprisingly uplifting lyrics and instrumentation. It smoothly flows into "Bastard," which has a killer riff spaced out over a churning tempo in order to fill every crevice of your ears and mind.
Then comes my favorite Devin track. "The Death of Music" is a 12 minute opus consisting of only an electronic drum beat, a near-silent guitar that plays only one or two chords, and simple keyboards that expand to create the bulk of the sound. Devin's vocals here are his best, as he goes from growls to soaring cries effortlessly. The sound gradually fades as the music slowly passes from this world and leaves only contemplation in your mind. "The Death of Music" defies it's name by proving that music is stronger than ever, it's only in hiding. This song is one of the most experimental tracks of the 90s and can rival anything on Mr. Bungle's Disco Volante. "Things Beyond Things" closes the album with a simple riff and wonderful vocals. The last seconds, however, will scare the pants off you (I was told what to expect and I nearly wet myself).
Ocean Machine is a fitting name for this project. The music flows along like water in the sea, occasionally building to crashing waves, then giving back to almost disturbing calm. Devin's production job is amazing; if he never played an instrument, he could still thrive in music as the Phil Spector of metal. He retains all of the sound of SYL but substitutes speed and fury for experimentation and sublime beauty. Devin manages to transcend easy categorization; he seamlessly blends art rock. prog metal, avant-prog, and psychedelic rock into a 74 minute opus that would set the stage for his later triumphs like Terria.While not as stunning as that masterpiece, Biomech is a must own for fans of Devin and it's a wonderful place to start for the uninitiated.

1. Seventh Wave
2. Life
3. Night
4. Hide Nowhere
5. Sister
6. 3 A.M.
7. Voices in the Fan
8. Greetings
9. Regulator
10. Funeral
11. Bastard
1/Not One of My Better Days
2/The Girl from Blue City
12. The Death of Music
13. Thing Beyond Things

SHAMAN

SHAMAN
RITUAL (2002)
320 KBPS

Yes this one is as good as advertised.I hesitated in getting this one for a long time mainly because i'm not the biggest ANGRA fan and SHAMAN features ANGRA's former vocalist,drummer and bass player who all left to form this band.By the way they added the bass players brother to play lead guitar. "Ritual" is their debut album and by far their best.Many guests including Derek Sherinian offering up a solo on one track.I have to say that Andre's vocals never sounded so good.And the album cover and liner notes are all done so well.A very impressive package all around. "Ancient Winds" opens with a haunting atmosphere as heavy drums and orchestral movements also fill out the sound. "Here I Am" is where they let their hair down and let their intensions be known.An all out assault ! Vocals a minute in.I like the section after 3 1/2 minutes as vocal melodies come in followed by a ripping guitar solo.Big finish. "Distant Thunder" opens with thunder and the sound of a horse then a wolf's howl.Enter the music. Great beat followed by vocals and a crunchy sound. Love the passion of his vocals on the chorus. The guitar lights it up after 3 minutes then it settles with piano.It kicks back in late. "For Tomorrow" opens with what sounds like acoustic guitar,percussion and flute.Strummed guitar takes over as reserved guest vocals come in.It kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes.Hell ya! Andre comes in vocally with passion as the guitar makes some noise.Great vocal display 4 minutes in as drums pound relentlessly.Guitar then follows with a cool solo. It ends in a heavenly manner. "Time Will Come" opens with atmosphere and piano.It kicks in before a minute.Nice.Vocals follow.This song sounds so good.Blistering guitar 4 minutes in. "Over Your Head" opens with children's voice samples before it kicks in heavily.It settles quickly as vocals arrive.It kicks back in as contrasts continue.An ethnic flavour before 3 1/2 minutes.Check out the keyboard solo that follows from Sherinian! Great track! "Fairy Tale" is my favourite. It opens with female soprano vocals as piano comes in beautifully.Reserved male vocals follow.Such a moving section. It kicks in before 2 minutes with female backing vocals.Themes are repeated.Simply a breath-taking tune. "Blind Spell" opens IRON MAIDEN-like before settling in with vocals.A nice heavy section before 2 1/2 minutes as guitar and synths follow. "Ritual" sounds so good to open with those synths.Drums and vocals follow.This is a blast! Synths are back before 2 1/2 minutes then the guitar lights it up.Blistering guitar after 4 minutes. "Pride" hits us with a stampede of drums quickly with vocals.Killer sound.Nice bass before 3 minutes then the guitar torches the soundscape. If your into Power-Metal with a twist you need to check this out. This will go down as Andre Matos' legacy.

1. Ancient Winds
2. Here I Am
3. Distant Thunder
4. For Tomorrow
5. Time Will Come
6. Over Your Head
7. Fairy Tale
8. Blind Spell
9. Ritual
10. Pride

SUPERIOR

SUPERIOR
YOUNIQUE (1998)
320 KBPS

"Younique" are a CD that takes a lot of listening before you get into it. The tracks are very complex and you have to sit down and listen to it to give it your full attention. The music ranges from Progressive Power Metal to quiet instrumental piano pieces.
Notable influences are Dream Theater, Faith No More, Metallica, Queensryche, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rush and Sting among others. The musicians are very tight and good as the original singer that sometimes sings in a German accent, but that isn't disturbing. You can't really compare the singer to any other singer, and that is only positive.
The best tracks are "God's Funeral" (with Queensryche influences), "Amok", "Free Minded", "Detect: Myself" (an experimental track containing saxophone, trombone and trumpet, and with Andre Matos from Angra on guest vocals) and the acoustic ballad "This Promise".
The sound quality is really good and crystal clear. Everything on this album isn't perfect, but nevertheless it's a "Younique" CD that I like really much, and I think that many will like as well. Recommended!

1. Not With Me
2. God's Funeral
3. Nothing
4. Think
5. Stop
6. Be Mine
7. Amok
8. Free Minded
9. Detect: Myself
10. This Promise
Bonus Tracks
11. Why (Acoustic w/ Andre Matos)
12. Sweet Pretence

VANDEN PLAS

VANDEN PLAS
THE GOD THING (1997)
320 KBPS

After the enjoyable acoustic excursion that was the Accult album, Vanden Plas returned in 1997 with The God Thing, the first "real" follow-up to their 1994 debut Colour Temple. The "Dream Theater meets Dokken" melodic progressive metal style the band displayed on that album is back in force on The God Thing.
The God Thing was my first Vanden Plas album. I paid an exorbitantly high price for a used copy when I was in my "anything that sounds like Dream Theater" phase. Unlike a lot of the bands I tried (and later abandoned) during that time, Vanden Plas remains a favorite today. It's evident on The God Thing that Vanden Plas isn't just another prog metal band. For one thing, these guys wrote actual songs, not just solos, and while the songs average about 7 minutes each, they never feel like exercises in self-indulgent instrumental wankery. This may be a result of vocalist Andy Kuntz's heavy involvement in the songwriting process.
Beyond the band's impressive technical skills and Kuntz's distinct vocals, there is an abundance of great melodies. The songs pull you in and really stick in your head. I tend to skip past the obligatory instrumental introductory track, but after a few seconds of Fire Blossom I was hooked, and it just carried me into Rainmaker. The whole album is strong, but its shining moment is the stirring, emotional Crown of Thorns, which to this day remains my absolute favorite Vanden Plas song.
The God Thing is a great progressive metal album, and the best Vanden Plas release. If you're into this kind of music, I can't imagine this album failing to please.

1. Fire Blossom
2. Rainmaker
3. Garden of Stones
4. In You: I Believe
5. Day I Die
6. Crown of Thorns
7. We're Not God
8. Salt in My Wounds
9. You Fly
Bonus Track
10. Combien de Larmes (How Many Tears, French Version)
11. Spanish Rain
12. Days of Thunder (Acoustic Version)
13. Raining in My Heart

SHINING

SHINING
VI: KLAGOPSALMER (2009)
320 KBPS

Rejoice, it is finally here! VI - Klagopsalmer, the sixth offering of the Swedish Shining has finally arrived. At one point it seemed like Osmose would delay it until eternity. But now it is here and the question that Shining adepts such as myself have been dying to find the answer for can finally be answered: is it better than The Eerie Cold and V - Halmstad?
So well, to fast-forward to the conclusion here, it fails in comparison with its predecessors. In the end, it lacks the brooding mysticism and unsettling atmosphere the band once laid upon us. At times it sounds like this album tries to be too much of a Halmstad pt. 2, with a forced and uncomfortable piano interlude as fifth track and a couple of riffs that sound like leftovers from that album. To add to that, the bluesy riffs that made The Eerie Cold are gone and the flow of the songs is sometimes heavily disrupted by over-the-top and unfitting guitar-shredding. And the most entangling and heartfelt song, "Ohm (Sommar Med Siv)", is a cover (from Seigmen). Ironic, isn't it?
But that's where I'd like to draw a line with the criticism. Because don't get me wrong - VI - Klagopsalmer is a great album. The production of the album is darker, tad grimmer although not as thrusting. Hell, even if you're stealing your own riffs (the first riff of "Total Utfrysning" on VI versus the first riff of "Yttligare Ett Steg Närmare Total Jävla Utfrysning" on V), you're still a band every dark and tortured Black metal artist is immensely jealous of. And goddammit, Kvarforth still has a scream that rips the fabric of your soul. So for all you suicidal souls, get rid of your disappointment and enjoy three great albums. Or don't, and enjoy two.

1. Vilseledda Barnasjälars Hemvist
2. Plågoande O'Helga Plågoande
3. Fullständigt Jävla Död Inuti
4. Ohm (Sommar Med Siv)
5. Krossade Drömmar Och Brutna Löften
6. Total Utfrysning

OPETH

OPETH
GHOST REVERIES (2005)
320 KBPS

Opeth's Ghost Reveries is a Prog/Death masterstroke, becoming more simplistic in places while expanding the overall template. Having explored their split personalities in great detail on Deliverance and Damnation, Opeth pulls them back together for Ghost Reveries, and in the process they have once again upped the ante on what a Death Metal band can accomplish. While there is a bolder use of instrumentation on this release, the rhythms and time changes have simplified just a bit, giving the songs on Ghost Reveries a more direct impact. Both the harsher and softer aspects have made the band more well-rounded, from the rousing organ in "The Baying of the Hounds," to the use of Middle Eastern polyrhythms in the beautiful "Atonement." But the integration of the two styles does not mean the band has necessarily mellowed. The album opens with mere seconds of tranquility before blasting into the meat of "Ghost Of Perdition," and "The Grand Conjuration" is as dark and powerful as anything they’ve done. Opeth is a band that doesn’t rest on its laurels, and Ghost Reveries is majestic, epic music. In smaller scope, it attempts to do what Dark Side of the Moon and Physical Graffiti did for Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. This is a metal album that endeavors to move beyond its specific genre.

1. Ghost of Perdition
2. Baying of the Hounds
3. Beneath the Mire
4. Atonement
5. Reverie/Harlequin Forest
6. Hours of Wealth
7. Grand Conjuration
8. Isolation Years

MESHUGGAH

MESHUGGAH
OBZEN (2008)
320 KBPS

On first listen, the sound on Obzen, Meshuggah's sixth full-length, is startling, not for its trademark rapid-fire key and tempo changes, or for the intricate, insanely knotty riffs that careened over 2002's Nothing or 2005's Catch Thirty-Three. Instead, it is the rampaging charge that leads off the set on "Combustion," a balls-out sprint that recalls the band's earlier catalog albums like Contradictions Collapse, Destroy Erase Improve, and even Chaosphere. Power, focus and attention to the bone-crushing power are at the center of Obzen. That said, it loses nothing in terms of the band's keen focus of musical or technical innovation or drummer Tomas Haake's songwriting. What it does leave behind is some of the mathy quick-change-for-the-sake-of-it annoyances that were more a show-off of athletic prowess than actual compositional tropes. The melodic orchestration of Catch Thirty-Three has all but disappeared, and in its place is a direct, almost machine-like sense of communication. What's most remarkable is the live drum kit work by Haake. He's constant and startling -- the completely crazy bass pedal work on "Bleed" would leave most drummers in the dust. You have to wonder, since the last album featured so many triggered laptop tooled drums. Again: power, compositional ethics, and musical acumen are all tied to one thing, building a foundation that just gets wider, deeper, and more intense as the album wears on. Check the frenetic slash and burn ethos in "Pineal Gland Optics," where both guitars stagger their rhythmic attack keeping vocalist Jens Kidman on the money the whole time. It gives way to the unwound pummeling drum and guitar solo riff that introduces "Pravus," with its sense of taut dynamics, hair-trigger tensions, and an explosiveness that is literally unequaled. This is sheer attack metal, played by a band that has run from simplicity to excess and incorporated them both into a record that is on a level with anything else they've done, even if not all the elements marry perfectly yet. Just get it.

1. Combustion
2. Electric Red
3. Bleed
4. Lethargica
5. ObZen
6. This Spiteful Snake
7. Pineal Gland Optics
8. Pravus
9. Dancers To A Discordant System

NEVERMORE

NEVERMORE
DEAD HEART IN A DEAD WORLD (2000)
320 KBPS

The fourth in a list of solid releases from Nevermore, Dead Heart in a Dead World is possibly the group's most accomplished recording. For the first time, Jeff Loomis handles all the guitar duties himself, giving the disc a musical continuity that was sometimes lacking on prior efforts. Nevermore co-founder Warrel Dane (vocals), Jim Sheppard (bass), and Van Williams (drums) join Loomis on this 2000 Century Media offering. All four members demonstrate great command of their instruments, but Loomis' guitar playing stands out. Bold and inventive, the combination of nu-metal and '80s golden-era metal riffing propels Dead Heart in a Dead World and Nevermore ahead of the American indie metal pack. "The River Dragon Has Come" and "We Disintegrate" are just two superior examples of Loomis' dissonant, detuned grooves. Dane's moaning almost sinks mellower numbers like "Insignificant" and the title track, but Loomis provides the buoyancy these otherwise dull songs need to become listenable — in fact, they're almost interesting. The members of Nevermore were always ready to challenge themselves, and Dead Heart in a Dead World confirms the wisdom of that ethic through the realization of the band's massive potential.

1. Narcosynthesis
2. We Disintegrate
3. Inside Four Walls
4. Evolution 169
5. The River Dragon Has Come
6. The Heart Collector
7. Engines of Hate
8. The Sound of Silence
9. Insignificant
10. Believe In Nothing
11. Dead Heart In A Dead World

QUEENSRYCHE

QUEENSRYCHE
AMERICAN SOLDIER (2009)
320 KBPS

Let me start by saying that I've been a Queensrÿche fan since the very beginning. I have every cd they've released. At first listen, I had my doubts about American Soldier but after a few listens I was just loving it! I found that I appreciated the cd more when I listened to it from start to finish. Like a book where you can't just pull out a few chapters and have a feel for what the author is trying to convey, you will have a hard time bouncing around the cd and trying to pick favorite tracks. What makes this outing so amazing is that it works best in it's entirety. Give it a listen all the way through and I'd bet you'll love it. I consider American Soldier a true return to form and their best album since 1997's Hear in the Now Frontier.

1. Sliver
2. Unafraid
3. Hundred Mile Stare
4. At 30,000 Ft
5. A Dead Man's Words
6. The Killer
7. Middle Of Hell
8. If I Were King
9. Man Down!
10. Remember Me
11. Home Again
12. The Voice

HACRIDE

HACRIDE
LAZARUS (2009)
320 KBPS

On their last album ‘Amoeba’ French post metallers Hacride already proved to be more than capable musicians and composers. So naturally expectations for new material were sky high. But what Hacride has achieved on ‘Lazarus’ is better than I could ever have imagined: how on earth is it possible that this band has gotten so much better than last time around? The seven new compositions are of such an incredibly high level that you’d better get the oxygen masks out before you try this one out.
Hacride’s most impressive feature is that, despite the fact that a lot of influences are fairly easy to pick out, all of these influences are blended together in such a creative fashion into a completely unique sound of their own. Where previous efforts mainly seemed to rest on Devin Townsend-like walls of sound and Meshuggah-rhythmic, ‘Lazarus’ presents us with a broad range of sounds from the entire (progressive) post metal genre. What to think of the heavy, sluggish Neurosis-inspired riffing in ‘Phenomenon’? Or the dynamic quiet/loud alternations and subtle electronic touches (Cult Of Luna) in the closing ‘My Enemy’? Or the pumping postcore pummelling in the same song (The Ocean)? Or the fluent progressive guitar and bass bits, flowing from one climax to the other in ‘A World Of Lies’ and ‘Awakening’ (Tool, Burst)? Or what to think of the fantastic fifteen minute opener ‘To Walk Among Them’, where all influences culminate in possibly the most forward thinking postmetal composition you will hear this year?
All these elements are as recognisable as they are beautifully integrated in the open yet tight Hacride sound we have come to know and love. Technique and skill are used purely to serve the composition and it is exactly this which makes this French outfit good. ‘Lazarus’ gets better and better with each listen. For know this leads to the score below, but I am far from done with this album…

1. To walk among them
2. Act of god
3. Lazarus
4. Phenomenon
5. A world of lies
6. Awakening
7. My enemy

THE OCEAN

THE OCEAN
PRECAMBRIAN (2007)
320 KBPS

Possibly one of the most ambitious releases of 2007, Germany's progressive hardcore collective The Ocean give us Precambrian, a sprawling two-disc collection that is as forward-thinking as it is devastating. Each title represents a specific geological era, and it is hard to imagine a more fitting concept for music as tectonically heavy yet stunningly fluid.
Disc one, Hadean/Archean, clocks in at twenty-two minutes and is the heavier of the two, taking The Ocean's sound as close to conventional hardcore as it gets. But upon closer inspection, one begins to realize that there is nothing conventional about The Ocean's approach. Rather than incorporating one vocalist, the band creates a multi-headed beast by employing the throat shredding talents of Coalesce's Sean Ingram, Converge's Nate Newton and former Breach frontman Tomas Hallbom, among others. While the syncopated riffage on tracks like "Hadean" and "Mesoarchean" is skull-crushingly heavy, there is an atmospheric post-metal element to the proceedings, making The Ocean sound like the bastard lovechild of Meshuggah and Isis.
From the opening track "Siderian", an instrumental intro consisting of clean guitar, saxaphone and percussion, it is immediately apparent that the hour long second disc, Proterozoic, is an entirely different monster than Hadean/Archean. The next track, "Rhyacian", builds on the musical theme established by "Siderian", slowly adding layer upon layer of vocals, distorted guitars, piano, strings and electronics before finally exploding into full-blown hardcore-tinged post-metal. These two tracks set the template for the course of the disc as the music continues to ebb and flow, adding and subtracting elements and textures in a way that makes tracks like "Calymmian" and "Tonian" seem more like movements comprising a single enormous piece of music rather than individual songs. The entire album is characterized by continuously shifting musical atmospheres wrapped in a pristine production, providing listeners with music as dynamic as the geological upheavals suggested by it's songtitles. The way in which The Ocean is able to balance tension and release throughout Proterozoic is nothing short of remarkable, and the various unorthodox textures (xylophone, saxophone, violin, etc) incorporated in achieving this balance never sound forced or awkward.
On Precambrian, The Ocean finally live up to the promise they've shown throughout their career but couldn't always seem to capitalize on with releases like 2005's Aeolian. Although the double-album's length may seem intimidating to some, those willing to invest the time will be rewarded with one of 2007's most engrossing listens.

Disc 1
Hadean / Archean
1. Hadean
2. Eoarchaean
3. Paleoarchaean
4. Mesoarchaean
5. Neoarchaean

Disc 2
Proterozoic
1. Siderian
2. Rhyacian
3. Orosirian
4. Statherian
5. Calymmian
6. Ectasian
7. Stenian
8. Tonian
9. Cryogenian

SHAOLIN DEATH SQUAD

SHAOLIN DEATH SQUAD
INTELLIGENT DESIGN (2006)
192-320 KBPS

“When a Manchu conspiracy to overthrow the Ming dynasty is thwarted by a group of Shaolin disciples and patriots, a fierce battle to defend the life of the King ensues, with deadly results”

Shaolin Death Squad’s first album from 2006, Intelligent Design, is one of those unknown masterpieces that will stay with you forever. It’s very hard to cage this work of art in a musical genre or other, they define themselves “Theatrical Rock”. The music goes from the burlesque to the violent, from the atmospheric to the grotesque, from the cold mountains of China to the exaggerated joke of a circus; there's anger and insanity, there's laughter and even some light; we travel from the traditional to the modern, from progressive-metal to thrash metal to space-rock to avant-garde.

The musicianship is outstanding and without self indulgent show offs; the “White Swan”, the singer, has a stunning range and mastery of pretty much every genre you can think of, heavily influenced by Mike Patton, but definitely with a unique style of his own.

This was a self released album, please buy it after you try it so that hopefully the Squad will deliver another masterpiece. Yes, I am in love with this band.

1. A Terrible Way to Use a Sword
2. Catastrophic Obedience
3. Choreographer of Fate
4. Radio Feeler
5. Face Insecurity Killed
6. Escaping Absynthe
7. Fall, Rise, Laugh...fall
8. A Story Lives Forever
9. First Half of Yesterday