Helvetica Outbreak: The best thing that never happened to music!

My housemate and best friend from university came to stay last week, and as we relived the old days it reminded me of a little project we sank quite a few hours into - introducing Helvetica Outbreak, the ultimate drum 'n' bass/metal cross-over that sadly didn't make it!

Equipped with a couple of electric guitars and a macbook with Garageband, we had high ambitions which sadly were never realised. However, looking back on our jamming sessions, it doesn't matter that the music didn't travel much further than our ipods, because we had fun.

The Helvetica Outbreak myspace page still exists, so you can listen to our tracks - let me know if you like them!

Review: Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour

Music by Rou Reynolds, Rory Clewlow, Chris Batten and Rob Rolfe, lyrics by Rou Reynolds, produced by Dan Weller & Enter Shikari and published by Ambush Reality.

It's generally accepted that a band's second album is the 'difficult' one. Thinking from the musician's perspective, I imagine that it's more the case that every album is difficult. Will the critics rate it highly? Have we strengthened or comprised our style? Most importantly, will the fans react positively? Electronic rockers Enter Shikari probably battled with all these worries, what with their experimental style and vast fan-base. However, they have marshalled their talent and creativity, and have achieved another triumph with their third album, A Flash Flood of Colour.

Let's start off with the positives. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Enter Shikari as a band is Rou Reynolds' unique vocal style. Reynold's mix of snarling growls, sneering spoken-word, and soaring melodies is showcased perfectly in this album, especially in tracks like the metal/dubstep fusion 'Arguing With Thermometers'. Leading nicely on from the former point, A Flash Flood of Colour blends and contrasts musical styles to skilful effect. Enter Shikari don't use a variety of genres just for the sake of it or merely because they enjoy those types music – they do it because it encapsulates their message. The fury of metal and punk, the swagger of dubstep, the relentless speed of drum 'n' bass – these are the calling cards that display the band's passionate beliefs and challenges to society.

My favourite thing about Enter Shikari's latest album is that it represents the natural progression of the band maturing into their style. I particularly like that the band have continued to create more chilled tracks, such as 'Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here'. Yes, this album is a far cry from Take to the Skies, but that's not a bad thing. Enter Shikari clearly know who they want to be musically, and if you're not happy with that, then maybe you need to consider whether you're actually a true fan.

Onto the negatives. Let me say first that these are relatively minor complaints; this is a good album. However, A Flash Flood of Colour can be a little 'on the nose' lyrically at points. Yes, war is bad. Yes, corruption is bad. Yes, environmental awareness is good. We get the point. Another issue I have with the lyrical content of this album is the swearing. “What a prude,” I hear you mutter. This is a moral objection, but also one borne from my values as a writer. It's laziness to use foul language to convey a message, empty syllables that could be replaced by something a little more meaningful.

There are only a couple of other small criticisms I would level at Enter Shikari's third album. As I previously stated in my review of Common Dreads, I still think the guitars are a tiny bit lost in the mix, but there are a lot of other elements to blend so this doesn't bother me too much. I would also say that some of the tracks on this album are weak, like 'Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide', and the fact that the singles aren't included on the normal edition of record seems a bit cheap.

These negatives aren't massive hindrances in the path of Enter Shikari's latest musical offering. Despite some overly sincere lyrics and other minor flaws, A Flash Flood of Colour is a win for the band. This is a really great album for anyone who enjoys metal, electronica or a mixture of the two. I suggest you buy this album, turn the volume up, and enjoy.

Try this if you like: Chase and Status, The Devil Wears Prada, Hadouken!, Innerpartysystem, Killswitch Engage, Linken Park, Mad Capsule Markets, Nero, Pendulum, The Prodigy, Rage Against The Machine.

Nineteen Eighty Four meets Metalcore!

Check out this awesome music video by As I Lay Dying - combines two of my favourite things: metalcore and dystopia!

The best music video of all-time!

This is officially my new favourite music video! It combines pretty much everything I love - RPGs, video gaming and Christian progressive death metal! Becoming the Archetype, I salute you!

Classical meets contemporary

'They're much better live' - my gig stats

I'm not the most prolific follower of live music, but I've seen a quite a few bands over past few years. I remember my first trip into London on the National Express to see The Datsuns with a group of mates. There's something about the heat, stench and noise of a gig that doesn't quite translate onto a recorded song or album.

Most Frequent - this is quite a simple category, doesn't need much explanation. The '(s)' symbol means I saw the band as a support act.

1. Enter Shikari x3

2. The Datsuns x3

3. [dweeb] x2, x1 (s)

4. Pendulum x2

5. Verra Cruz x2

Most Surprising - these bands were either unexpectedly impressive or were unknown to me before I saw them live.

1. Shy Child

2. Gojira

3. Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip

4. The Eyes Of A Traitor

5. Stereophonics

Most disappointing - not all live music experiences live up to expectations, as these acts demonstrated to me.

1. Dragonforce

2. My Chemical Romance

3. Incubus

4. Delirious?

5. Queens Of The Stone Age

Ambition Achieved - these are the bands that I wanted to see for years or managed to see before they split up.

1. Rage Against The Machine

2. Deftones

3. Fear Factory

4. Reuben

5. Sikth

Best Metal

1. Rage Against The Machine

2. Deftones

3. Fear Factory

4. Metallica

5. Trivium

Best Rock

1. Audioslave

2. Muse

3. Verra Cruz

4. [dweeb]

5. Manic Street Preachers

Best Electronic

1. Pendulum

2. The Prodigy

3. Justice

4. Enter Shikari

5. Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip

And The Rest - a round-up of all the other live acts I've seen.

36 Crazy Fists

Black Dahlia Murder

Biffy Clyro

Death From Above 1979

The Devil Wears Prada

Hundred Reasons

Jurassic 5

Norma Jean

Plan B

The Showdown

Skindred

The Sword

I know I've probably missed a few bands out, but that must mean they weren't very memorable. Post your own gig stats in the comments box below, on my facebook page or on twitter!

Lego + Metal = AWESOME!

The heavy metal you SHOULD be listening to!

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding music genres, a lot of stereotypes that don't necessarily hold their water. With this in mind, I want to spend a little bit of time considering 'heavy metal', and why Christians shouldn't dismiss it out of hand.

Metal is one of the genres that is generally avoided by the majority of Christians, the assumption being that this style of music is inherently evil, demonic and immoral. While there may be individuals and groups who use metal as a vehicle to oppose God and his statutes, this doesn't make the genre itself sinful. The whole world belongs to God; he created it - and therefore all music belongs to God. It's up to us as the human race to choose whether we use music to praise God or defy Him. With that in mind, any genre can oppose or worship. All sin is equal, meaning that a pop song by Lady Gaga can be just as immoral as a track by Cradle of Filth.

I personally think that heavy metal is very useful form of musical expression for Christians. While I completely agree that metal may not be appropriate for congregational worship, it has certain qualities that align well with the themes and facts of Christianity. Intensity, power and aggression are the words that I would use to sum up heavy metal, all of which are part of being a follower of Christ. The Christian life is one of conflict - Paul speaks in Romans 8 about a war being waged inside him, a war between his sinful nature and God's law. Shouldn't we therefore display this battle in our musical interests, raising a battle-cry against the darkness that seeks to envelope us? We are told in Philippians 4:13 that we "can do everything through him who gives us strength." Does this phrase invoke a whimper in your mind, a tiny pitiful sound? Or would this verse be better displayed by boldness and strength, by the sound of people standing firm, ready to fight?

There are many fantastic bands that speak God's truth through the medium of heavy metal. Through this genre, Christians can talk about their struggle against the sin that snaps at their heels, about living in a world that is in complete opposition to God, and can bring glory to God by highlighting his power, glory and might. With that in mind, here are a few bands defined as 'Christian Metal', that I suggest you should sample.

As I Lay Dying - taking their name from the title of a William Faulkner novel, this metalcore band from San Diego were formed in 2001 and have recently released their fifth studio album, 'The Powerless Rise'. AILD's musical style is a combination of furious guitar riffs and soaring harmonies, breakneck drum beats and varied vocal styles, mixing guttural screams with anthemic melodies. The band's religious beliefs are summed up perfectly in the FAQ on AILD's official webpage when Tim Lambesis states,

If you truly believe something, then it should affect every area of your life. All five of us are Christians. I believe that change should start with me first, and as a result, our lyrics do not come across very “preachy.” Many of our songs are about life, struggles, mistakes, relationships and other issues that don’t fit entirely in the spiritual category. However, all of these topics are written about through my perspective as a christian.

Try this if you like: All That Remains, Trivium

Demon Hunter - combining the speed and intensity of metalcore with industrial rhythms and tones, this Seattle-based band have battled their way into the mainstream US charts, whilst still retaining their uncompromised passion for Jesus Christ. Lyrically, their songs strike out at the fallen state of our world, with tracks like 'Tie This Around Your Neck', from the album 'The World Is A Thorn', highlighting the hopelessness of trying to live without God's power and direction. DH's musical style unites modern technical riffs and licks with classic metal power and swagger, refusing to be defined by cliches or stay stagnant in the past.

Try this if you like: Killswitch Engage, Fear Factory

Becoming the Archetype - if you're looking for progressive heavy metal that glorifies God, then look no further. Hailing from Dacula, Georgia (great town name!), this group push the boundaries of musical skill and experimental praise, displayed best in their reworking of the hymn 'How Great Thou Art' into a death-metal masterpiece. The band's unusual name is taken from the Genesis 1:26, "let us make man in our image," seeing Jesus as the archetypal sinless human who we should strive to emulate. Each of BtA's songs tells a story, with their latest album, 'Dichotomy', focusing on the opposition of biology and technology, of man versus machine.

Try this if you like: Opeth, Chimaira

There are so many other bands that I could have included, such as technical metal band Extol or post-hardcore rockers Underoath, but I just don't have time! If heavy metal is a genre that doesn't turn you on, don't worry, I'm not saying that makes you a bad person. However, what is important is not to limit your tastes in music because of stereotypes. If you like hip-hop or electronica, go and find some Christians who are making it. However, don't think I'm advocating shutting yourself off from secular music and culture - how can you reach the world if you have no connection to it? Hope some of this made sense and that it leads you to listen to some good old-fashioned 'bleeding-from-the-ear drums' heavy metal!

Some musical mini-reviews

As the year draws to a close, I thought I'd provide you with a selection of mini-reviews, summarising my thoughts on a few of the albums I've purchased recently.

As I Lay Dying - Shadows Are Security

The second album from the USA's premier Christian metalcore band, charting their evolution from the raw brutality of their debut album, 'Frail Words Collapse', to a more refined and crafted sonic assault. Although some of the tracks are a little repetitive, AILD still retain their relentless aggression and passion, making this record an effective link in the band's musical progression.

Must-hear tracks: Confined, Empty Hearts

Rating: 3/5

Hurts - Happiness

If melodramatic 80's-inspired electro-pop is what you're after, then this duo from the UK is for you. Hurts debut album features incredibly catchy tunes, crisply recorded instrumentation and innovative yet vintage synths and beats. Pop princess Kylie Minogue also features on the record, giving the experience the authenticity it deserves.

Must-hear tracks: Wonderful Life, Better Than Love

Rating: 5/5

As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise

AILD's most recent release, featuring more piercing guitar harmonies, pummeling riffage, unforgiving drum beats and questioning lyrics. Although there are some great melodic sections to be sampled here, the solos let this album down, feeling unoriginal and bland for the most part. Not a bad record overall, but a step back from the perfection of 'An Ocean Between Us'.

Must-hear tracks: The Plague, Upside Down Kingdom

Rating: 4/5

Gypsy and the Cat - Gilgamesh

Another electro-pop duo for you now, but this time hailing from Australia. Possibly too sickly-sweet for some, but hitting the spot for others, this record features the great combination of lyrical ballads and programmed rhythms and tones. Some of the songs point to the band's influences a tad too overtly, but on the whole this a soulful and original album; I challenge you not to sing along.

Must-hear tracks: Time To Wander, The Piper's Song

Rating: 4/5

Demon Hunter - The World Is A Thorn

Christianity and heavy metal may not be a natural combination for some, but for US industrial-thrash veterans Demon Hunter, it's a way of life. This, the band's latest album, continues their no-holds-barred musical rampage, using epic riffs, rapid-fire drums and soaring vocals to spread their uncompromising message. As close to perfection as you can get outside of Heaven.

Must-hear tracks: Collapsing, Tie This Around Your Neck

Rating: 5/5

DJ Fresh - Kryptonite

And finally, some British drum and bass. This album features a mix of straight and swung tracks, as well as some dubstep beats for good measure. Although some of the songs aren't particularly special, there are a few absolute gems to be found here, utilising grimy synth tones, deep bass lines and high-speed drums alongside brilliant vocal performances.

Must-hear tracks: Talkbox, Golddust

Rating: 3/5

That's all for now, have a great New Year!

My top ten metal albums

10. The Black Mages - The Black Mages - What do you get when you combine the genius of Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu and shamelessly cheesy prog-metal? An album of top-quality instrumental tracks exploding with screaming guitar solos and ethereal synths. The track 'Force Your Way', the boss music from Final Fantasy VII, demonstrates why this a must-have for metal and FF fans alike.

9. All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals - Standing out from the plethora of similar metalcore albums, this record contains the perfect mix of raging screams, melodic choruses, technical guitar solos and pummeling drum beats. It's hard to pick a stand-out track, as this album really is all killer and no filler, but I guess I'll have to go with 'It Dwells In Me', because it contains my favourite solo of the record!

8. Reuben - Racecar is Racecar Backwards - This album represents for me a reworking of the 90s grunge style for a new century, containing a messy, raw energy combined with heavy metal brutality. The British trio's best track from this album is 'Let's Stop Hanging Out' in my opinion, a discordant and yet effortlessly catchy tune with an awesome refrain.

7. Sikth - Death of a Dead Day - I almost forgot this album! Technical metal at its best, jazzy discordant licks placed skillfully alongside ferocious metallic double-kick drums and some of the most original vocals of any album. The lead guitar on this record is truly sublime, matching up to the standards of guitar virtuosos like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, and the riffs also follow this pattern. 'Part of the Friction' would have to be my choice for the best track on the album, its incredible intro leading into a great song, filled with superb licks.

6. Trivium - Ascendency - After a period of not listening to metal, this was the album that brought me back to the genre, in particular encouraging me to grab my guitar and learn some brutal riffs! The record bursts at the seams with soaring twin guitar attacks and powerful rhythms, with the song 'The Deceived' being the one that sticks out for me, a brilliant combination of lead guitar and relentless chugging.

5. Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies - The main inspiration for my short-lived band Helvetica Outbreak, this album represents a triumph of originality. The combination of drum 'n' bass beats, dance-inspired synths and crunching riffs is extremely organic, topped off with catchy and memorable lyrics. Once again, there are so many good tracks on this album, but if forced to pick, I'd have to choose 'Return to Energiser', due to its awesome trance breakdown that morphs into a hectic metal beat-down.

4. Pantera - A Vulgar Display of Power - R.I.P. Dimebag Darrell, one the most amazing guitarists of all time, and the creator the brilliant riffs and storming solos from this iconic groove-metal album. There is a Southern States swaggering attitude that exudes from all the songs on this record, a perfect blend of punk savagery and heavy metal furiousness. The track 'Walk' is my definite favourite, having one of the best metal riffs of all time and an epic solo, cementing DBD as one of my major guitar heroes.

3. Deftones - White Pony - One of the first albums I bought during my teenage years, and probably the start of my love affair with the musical genre of metal. Because of this nostalgia I chose this album over its predecessor 'Around the Fur', which is also an exceptional record. There is an eeriness and intensity to all of the Deftones' music, and this album is has some particularly powerful examples of this. My favourite track from this alternative metal classic changes every time I listen to it! At the moment I'd have to say 'Digital Bath' is the one, not only for its weird title but also for the dark, edgy feel and brooding soulful vocals it contains.

2. Fear Factory - Obsolete - Another one of my teenage favourites. This concept album, based around the story of a dystopian future where machines have surpassed mankind (disclaimer: this came out before The Matrix), is an unrelenting industrial assault, with growling vocals and electronic effects to finish of the mix. I think it's the literary connection that makes this album so good for me; the story surrounding the songs is top-notch. 'Edgecrusher' is the best track here, because of its brilliant riff and also because of its subject matter, a dark renegade machine fighting against the evil autocratic government of the future.

1. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - We've reached no.1! What a journey. This is my favourite album mainly because of Tom Morello, the band's guitarist. When I started playing guitar, the riffs from this album were incredibly fun to learn and still great to come back to. Morello is a phenomenal player, mixing traditional pentatonic rock with avant-garde solos and effects, pushing guitar playing to the very limits of what it can do. I don't really listen to Rage for the political stuff to be honest, it's all about the music for me. And for the record, I didn't download "Killing in the Name of' for Christmas no.1. What's the point? It's just gonna make the record company more money. Anyway, my favourite track has to be the album opener 'Bombtrack'. Quality riff, takes me back to the days when I used to play bass in my brother's band, rocking the school variety show! Fight the power!

So there you have it, my favourite metal albums. I had to make some difficult choices, excluding some great bands like Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Gojira, The Mad Capsule Markets and so on, but I'm happy with my final decisions. Feel free to comment, tell me whether you agree or think I've got it horribly wrong!

Just a brief update, but don't worry; you won't need to restart your computer

Haven't been able to write any extensive articles or reviews as of late, so I thought I'd just give you a few bite-sized updates as to what I've been doing recently.

I was gonna post a Playstation 3 product view, but when I looked back at it, I realised that I'm seriously under-equipped to write an effective console review. I just don't know enough technical stuff! So I'm give you the short version: me like PS3! Sweet graphics, awesome gameplay (offline and online) and some cool multimedia features. I'm still hooked on the Uncharted 2 multiplayer, but I have moved onto playing a bit of Resistance 2, which a great game, very atmospheric and fast-paced. I did purchase Final Fantasy XIII on the 9th (went all-out and bought the collector's edition), but I'm sticking to my guns and not playing it till my dissertation hand-in date on the 23rd of April. So if you've been playing it, DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING!

Speaking of dissertation, I've just finished a 'final' draft of my screenplay and sent it to my tutor. I say 'final' cos he might give me loads of stuff to change, and I've still got quite a while to redraft it. When I look back to the start of the academic year I can see so many changes that have occurred in the writing the screenplay, all of them for the better. I'm not sure if I've already said, but the film I've written tells the story of a young man named Johnny who is having his mind electronically read to determine if he is guilty of murder. But when the lawyer in charge of his case, Mr Elliot, discovers that Johnny was under the duress of a corrupt police officer, the same man responsible of the death of Elliot's wife, it becomes unclear as to whether justice or revenge is the desired goal. Phew!

My other uni work is going well too. Had meeting with my writing project the other day, which was very encouraging. Just need to write the rest of it now! Also had a helpful meeting for my fan fiction unit, for which I'm writing a Final Fantasy 7 story. Handed in a essay on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which will hopefully be of a good standard. Not much time to good now till I finish uni for good, which is a scary thought! I'll have to be a real human with a real job and stuff.

I saw Skindred perform at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth on the 9th, which was an awesome gig. The support acts, Floors and Walls and Forever Never, weren't amazing in my opinion, but they're not the worst bands I've ever seen. The headline act however were on top form. The band's front-man, Benji, was one of the best I've ever seen, really funny and passionate. He was really good at stirring up the crowd, and was also very genuine. The band were all really tight and sounded punchy and defined. They played a good mix of their older songs, such as 'Pressure' and 'Selector', and some of their newer songs like 'Stand for Something' and 'Roots Rock Riot'. All in all, a very good performance.

Visit Skindred's myspace page

I've been having a bit of a sci-fi fest at the mo, getting inspiration for my screenplay and writing project. I bought Moon and District 9 recently, and persuaded my housemate's to watch the latter last night. I was a little concerned at the fact that they all found the alien 'prawn' child cute. Unusual? I dug out my copy of Blade Runner cos I still hadn't watched it since I bought it last September. I had forgotten what an amazing film it is! Another movie that I love, which I don't think many people are that into, is Equilibrium. I know it has it's flaws and it feels like a bit of a Matrix rip-off, but I really like it! Here's a really cool fan-site for anyone interested.

Also check out moviebodycounts.com, your internet-based source for information on film deaths and kills. Morbid!

I'm lovin' it

I discovered this morning that if I turn around and face the door of my bathroom whilst I'm in the shower, I can see myself reflected in the mirror. It was rather unnerving, mainly because I decided to put my contact lenses in before I showered, so when I turned around I was presented with my long-lost twin, lathering up in high-def. Quite a disturbing image I assure you.

Anyway, getting back to the subject at hand, I'm loving Spotify at the moment! For anyone who hasn't heard of Spotify, it's a piece of downloadable software that gives you access to an online library of music for free. Sounds too good to be true right? Well, there are a few catches. To listen for free you, you have to put up with adverts that pop up in between every few songs, which cannot be skipped and pause if you turn the volume down. Sneaky! You can pay monthly for premium usage without adverts, or buy a daily pass for 99p to avoid the ads for 24 hours. The other catch is that due to it's rising popularity, Spotify is only available for free if you receive an invite, which you can apply for on their homepage. So unless you happened to sign up when it was fairly unknown, you've gotta wait indefinitely for an invite.

Apart from these negative aspects, caused by the need to squeeze the maximum amount of money out of the user, it's a pretty cool bit of software. There's a fairly wide variety of music in the library, which covers a lot of different genres and styles. Although it isn't exhaustive, I was quite surprised by the stuff I found on there. I've been using Spotify to listen to some cool music, such as the chilled-out alternative styles of Team Sleep, the side-project fronted by Chino Moreno of Deftones. On a similar vein, I discovered a band called Strata, who are a cross between The Mars Volta, Tool and Deftones. Very atmospheric and powerful. Sadly they've split up, which is annoying cos I've just got into them!

In other news, I've completely changed my writing project idea for university course. I was going to write the first 10,000 words of a sci-fi novel, but I was getting nowhere with it. I had a plot sorted out, which could extend into a series, but the setting and the characters just weren't coming to me. Every idea I thought of just seemed derivative and dull. So after a flash of inspiration I decided to start over with a new idea; I'm going to write a collection of short stories and micro-fictions (REALLY short stories!) with a sci-fi theme, inspired by quotes from my favourite films, fiction and music. Gotta pitch the idea to my tutor next Tuesday, let's hope it goes well!

Divine Heresy - Bringer of Plagues - Review

Music by Dino Cazares, Tim Yeung and Joe Payne, lyrics by Travis Neal (except lyrics to “The Battle of J. Casey” written by Jason Casey), produced by Logan Mader and Lucas Banker for Dirty Icon Productions and published by Sangreal Music, Inc.

If you’re looking for juggernaut heavy riffs, pugilistic industrial rhythms and howling apocalypse-declaring vocals, then you’ve come to the right place, as Divine Heresy, the brainchild of veteran axe-wielder Dino Cazares, continue to pound out their sonic destruction with solidarity and technical prowess.

Divine Heresy were formed officially in 2006, but the origins of the band began in 2002 when former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares and former Vital Remains drummer Tim Yeung decided search for a vocalist to work with them on a new musical project. Tommy Cummings was chosen, as was former Nile bassist Joe Payne. And thus Divine Heresy was born, their first album Bleed the Fifth released in 2007, receiving positive reviews and generating an instant following. After an onstage altercation in August 2008, Tommy Cummings was sacked from the band and replaced by Travis Neal, vocalist of The Bereaved. A year later and the melodic death metal group release their second and latest album, Bringer of Plagues.

One might expect a fairly different vocal sound and approach with the change in Divine Heresy’s line-up, but Neal ticks all the same boxes as Cummings did, switching fluidly from aggressive screams to melodic sections and back again. As far as lyrics go Bringer of Plagues follows the apocalyptic religious themes set up in Bleed the Fifth, and aren’t that much to get excited about. However, they fit the dark and desolate tone of the other musical elements of Divine Heresy, and work well with the overall rhythmic feel of the band. The gutturally chanted chorus of “Monolithic Doomsday Devices” (has there ever been a better song title?!) is particularly worthy of mention, working perfectly with the brutality generated by the other instruments.

The riffs of Dino Cazares have always been a straight-forward rhythmic onslaught right from the days of Fear Factory, sprinkled sparingly with melodic sections. While this was never a bad thing at all, it is great to see him embracing more technical ideas in regards to his guitar playing in Divine Heresy. Bringer of Plagues contains some extremely demanding riffs and licks, and not just in regards to their epic speed. The album’s opening track “Facebreaker” in particular contains some fantastic sweep picking in its main riff.

The drumming of Tim Yeung conforms to the same pattern, with sections of pure machine-gun double kick contrasted with more technical ideas and skills. I do find myself slightly cynical when regarding metal drummers nowadays however, as the proliferation of aids such as kick drum triggers allow a moderately competent drummer to sound perfect without good technique. But I will leave this scepticism aside, as I wouldn’t want to accuse Mister Yeung of being anything other than a talented musician.

Joe Payne's bass lines generally follow the guitar riffs, and don’t do much other than that, which isn’t really a bad thing considering the style of music. The overall result is songs that contain drilling riffs at the speed of light, with melodic tones thrown in for good measure. The only break from this rule is the slower ballad-like “Darkness Embedded”, which is as light as Divine Heresy will allow themselves to be; in short, still very heavy!

One could be forgiven for finding that the songs of Bringer of Plagues do have a tendency to blend into one and all feel fairly similar. This would probably only be an issue for music fans not interested in or accustomed to the styles and sounds of industrial death metal. Divine Heresy clearly do not have general commercial appeal in mind with their music, and hence are happy with the specific fanbase they have generated amongst the metal community. It could also be said that Bringer of Plagues does not strike out much further than the band’s first album, sticking to already covered ground. However, when you hit that precise sound you want from your band, you would be foolish to stray away from it unless you were really certain of wanting to take new direction.

While it may not be ground-breakingly different from Bleed the Fifth, Bringer of Plagues by Divine Heresy is a solid second album from a hard-working and passionate band. With their brutal aggression and thundering momentum, this metal-machine has a lot of mileage left in it.

Visit Divine Heresy’s official Myspace page

If you like this, then try: All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, The Bereaved, The Black Dahlia Murder, Chimaira, Fear Factory, Gojira, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, Machinehead, Nile, Pantera, Slayer, Trivium and Vital Remains.

Sam Richards is no longer M.I.A.

I've been off the radar for quite a while, but I'm back now. It's been a very busy week and a half!

I've been in Portsmouth since Monday, helping at a music academy that my church is putting on. I had to learn four songs for the academy, "Mercy" by Duffy, "When You Were Young" by The Killers, "Stop and Stare" by One Republic and "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears. The last one was an interesting choice, but we've made it quite 'rocky'. I had to spend most of last week working out all the parts and learning them, hence my absence from the blogger-verse. 

We had one guitarist yesterday, who didn't turn up today, and isn't going to come anymore! So I taught the songs to the other guy helping with the teaching, because I'm off home tomorrow and won't be there for the performance on Saturday. It was useful for me to be there anyway, because they needed someone to practice with the kids.

It has been very tiring though; we arrive at 8ish in the morning and finish at 5. Because we have to stay with the kids all day I spend 8 hours a day in the great indoors. I was so glad to get outside at the end of the day!

Bought a new DS game the other day that's really good. It's called Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and it's uber-geeky. Essentially it's Tetris crossed with Star Wars, and therefore, very cool. Also got the new Divine Heresy album, which I will review for you in the not too distant future.

"Ten O'clock and all's well"

This will be my last post for about a week or so as I am heading off to Wales to help with the youth camp my church puts on every summer. I'm on night duty for the week, protecting the kids from a variety of nocturnal dangers. In reality all I have to do it sit in the car watching films on my laptop, as nothing bad ever happens. The worst event last year was when a fox got stuck in our camp site, and I was more worried for him than anything!

I was gonna post a review for the new Killswitch Engage album, but I've decided against it. Basically, it's a very average album, not really worth the time and effort of writing a review on. It feels very diluted, in that all the elements are there, but never becoming more than the sum of their parts. A bit of a disappointment really. Maybe it will grow on me in time, we'll see.

What a pretty boy

Firstly, I've got to give a massive shout-out to Stu Fenwick for my new blog logo. Stu, you're a legend! Here are the versions of the logo Stu made.


And this is the second slightly different one.


I love having talented friends! If anyone else wants to draw/paint a logo for me, feel free. I'll change my logo monthly or something like that, so they all get shown.

I'm off to the cinema tonight to watch Harry Potter: The Half-Blood Prince, and expecting it to be fantastic. I haven't reread the book on purpose because I think it's more enjoyable that way. I'm sure people will disagree, but I think that I'll just notice all the bits left out if I watch it after reading the book.

I bought a couple of albums yesterday, Drop by Mistabishi and Killswitch Engage's new album, which is self-titled (although they already have a self-titled album, which will make things confusing). So expect some reviews in the next few weeks.

One more thing...

I forgot to mention this in the Common Dreads review but Enter Shikari were one of the main influences on a band that my old housemate Tom and I set up a couple of years ago. It didn't really get off the ground but we did manage to record some tracks which can be found on our myspace page. We were called 'Helvetica Outbreak' and we played a fusion of drum and bass/trance/metal, so not surprising that Enter Shikari were an influence.

Anyway, the band is very much moribund now as Tom as finished uni and gone home, but you can have a listen and see what you think. Click here to get to the myspace page.

Coming soon on 'The Musings of Samuelj' is another short story, a fairy tale I wrote for my university course called 'The Prince and the Bridge'. Hope you enjoy!