CyHra – Letters To Myself

Comprised of the old and new, CyHra are a brand new band to the metal scene set to make a name for themselves. Whether you agree or disagree, I originally had mixed feeling about this release.  

Album Review: Dead By April – Worlds Collide

Don’t you just love it when an album surpasses your expectations? If you’re a fan of modern and up and coming talent, then I highly suggest you check out this release. 

Interview: Olof Mörck of Amaranthe

We recently interviewed, Olof Mörck, guitarist for Swedish metal band Amaranthe. Olof had lots to say in regards to their new album, personal life, where he views Amaranthe in the metal spectrum as well as their exciting upcoming tour plans! 

Album Review: Amaranthe – Maximalism

Are you ready to be challenged? A bit of forewarning, you’re going to be caught offguard and I promise you won’t be the same if you come out walking from this. 

Amaranthe: Breaking Point – B-Sides 2011-2015

Since day one, Amaranthe have been a non-stop force to be reckoned with. From having released a handful of albums in their short career to touring worldwide, multi-million views online and more the group is ready to release a different side to them than we are usually used to see. Taking a trip into the Amaranthe vault, giving dedicated and new fans a unique perspective of the group, they will be releasing a digital available only album titled, Breaking Point: B-Sides 2011-2015. The album includes six acoustic versions of tracks they’ve released as well as two studio tracks that were bonuses on their debut album. Most artists have recorded other versions of tracks in the past and luckily for us, Amaranthe has chosen to release these exclusive tracks to the metal community. This should be a great feast for us the fans.

The set-list of acoustic tracks include, Hunger, Afterlife, Amaranthine, Burn With Me, Trinity and True. As mentioned, these tracks are all exclusively acoustic and I can honestly say that after listening to the album, I have a more appreciative gratitude for acoustic versions. Normally I would have tuned out or skipped the track but the group has formulated the right ingredients for perfect acoustic tracks. No, they have not taken the vocal tracks off their songs and layed them on the acoustic versions, this is the real deal. Unique vocals from lead man and woman, Jake E and Elize Ryd push the album into a whole other spectrum. Unfortunately lead screamer, Henrik Englund is absent from the acoustic tracks, meanwhile former member/screamer Andreas Solveström, is obviously featured on the regular studio tracks as they were present on the debut album.

A few favorites include Amaranthine, Burn With Me, Trinity and True. One common element/theme with all of these songs is that they have a very ballad feel to them, so it makes sense why they sound so profound on an acoustic level. Other instruments are added to many of these tracks such as piano, accordians, violins, among other strings and more. Trinity has an eargasmic and unforgettable acoustic solo later on. Both vocals from Jake and Elize beautifully intertwine at various points on the album to create magnificent melodies and unimaginative vocal ranges.

Being an acoustic dominated album, there isn’t a whole lot an artist can do. I would say that those who are already fans of the group would be the ones to support the album. Perhaps fans outside of the metal genre who don’t even touch the genre might appreciate the albums or at least a song or two. Nonetheless, the album does appease. The group is set to kickoff a North American tour in the next few days so get your tickets while you still can. Amaranthe continue to release new music and surprise the metal community with every action they take. I am anxious to hear the next set of news they drop on us. You know it will be worthwhile. Stay Metal m/

Breaking Point: 9.5/10

Official Website: https://www.amaranthe.se
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmarantheBand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amaranthemetal

Concert Review: Amaranthe with I, Prevail and Santa Cruz @ Mojoes

Amaranthe’s latest album, Massive Addictive was released last year and in support of the album, the group made round two through the states, only this time they were headlining, boy what a treat! The group brought two smaller acts to support them through the tour which included Finnish Hard Rock/Glam Metal band and labelmates, Santa Cruz as well as Detroit Post-Hardcore band, I, Prevail. The killer show took place at Mojoes in Joliet earlier this week on May 20th. Arriving early, I locked my place to get front and center. Unfortunately the temps were in the lower 50’s and it started to pour chilly rain and light hail, talk about paying your dues before the show haha. After doors opened late, we waited about an hour or so for the openers to take over the stage and rock our faces off.

Santa Cruz are a Glam/Hard Rock band from Finland. What kind of a metal show would this be without a band from Sweden or Finland? Santa Cruz had no problem kicking off the night with their high energy and nostalgic Glam era attitude full of cockiness and rock n’ roll up your arse. The opening track Bonafide Heroes brought forth high vibrant times and headbanging rhythms. This is your typical rock and roll groove right here. My Remedy and Let Them Burn continued the old school era machismo that certainly sparked me to check these guys out even though I didn’t know who they were. Their catchy track We Are The Ones To Fall really got the crowd pumped up as the group did a great job showcasing their stage presence and singing in unison with their gang vocals. If there was one thing that stood out from their performance was their amazing guitar skills, really during the solos above any other aspect. In the end, the group wanted to go out with a bang so their final song of the night was aptly titled Aiming High. Another track screaming in energy and is super catchy, the group really gave it their all in their final performance of the night. Lead vocalist Arttu Kuosmanen took the reigns on mic only, really adding that final touch of magic mic skills to fully bring the 80’s back in full swing that night.

The second act of the night was Detroit Post-Harcore act, I, Prevail. A group I was unfamiliar with, their performance was underestimated.  The group has two lead vocalists with Brian Burkheiser on clean vocals and Eric Vanlerberghe on the intense screaming factor. As the night progressed, the group’s efforts and presence got larger and more intense. There was a point in which the two guitarists got down from the stage and started to play in between the stage and barricade, to get a close up glimpse of their technical guitar skills. They certainly got in people’s faces which was pretty intense and cool at the same time as well as really interacting with the audience. You must give them credit, it’s pretty dam rare when you get a band like that, that really tries to get the crowd into their performance and really interacting with the fans. Their breakdowns got pretty intense too, and as I looked back their fans got pretty brutal as well, especially during the wall of death that went on, that was totally unexpected. Towards the end of their lengthy setlist, vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe and their bassist got into the pits and certainly got the crowd nuts. By that point in the setlist, it was fairly obvious who was there to see I, Prevail. Though their genre isn’t on my list of favorites, I certainly give them credits for giving a whopping live performance. I can’t remember the last time I saw a band actually get in the pits and offstage with the crowd, you guys have made an impact on me and the crowd that night.

 

The third and final act, the headliners of the night, Amaranthe were due to kick off the night. After an intriguing intro, the group kicked off their set with their latest, catchy and energetic single, Digital World. Lead screamer Henrik Englund was out of commission on this tour as he is going to become a father in the next month so the group recruited Olle Ekman, from Swedish death metal act, Deals Death. His style of vocals is similar to Henrik’s plus his unique flavor of metal brought a cool twist to the tour that night. After a nice performance from the song Trinity, the crowd went nuts for the groups very first single, Hunger. A personal favorite of mine, the energy flowed perfectly into the next track, Invincible. As the Joliet audience jumped up on their toes, it was hard not to notice the group enjoying the fact that we were enjoying the night, especially during 1.000.000 Lightyears. One of the more rare tracks that I don’t believe has made an appearance on their past setlists ever, Serendipity and the semi-ballad True tuned down the night for a moment.

An unexpected drum solo was performed by drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen, which showcased the skills of this underrated superstar. Boy were all eyes on the stage for those 3 minutes. A few more songs included the title track Massive Addictive, Afterlife, Leave Everything Behind,  and the catchy, hard-hitting Electroheart. Eventually it was lead singer Elize Ryd’s turn to devote her love to us that night with their powerful and emotional ballad Amaranthine. After a performance that almost made Elize shed a tear literally the group played another favorite of mine titled, Call Out My Name. This was supposedly the final song of the night but of course an encore was in order. The encore was kicked off by a song from their self titled debut album, track titled, Automatic. The next few tracks that closed out the night included Dynamite, Drop Dead Cynical, and the title track from their second album, The Nexus. After a bow and selfie with Amaranthe and the Joliet crowd, the eventful night was complete.

This was one of the more uniquely put tours with each of the bands offering a completely different genre of music compared to one another. You had Hard Glam Rock, Post-Hardcore and Electro-Pop Metal. Though I would have liked to have seen band’s I am more familiar with, I guess I still haven’t heard everything that’s out there yet. I was there for Amaranthe so their proportionate setlist from each of their albums really was a perfect choice. I would have thrown in the track Infinity in there as it would have added a nice touch to the setlist and make it a perfect 20 tracks as opposed to 19 that they had performed that night. I’ll never forget the in your face, full of raw attitude performance from I, Prevail, sheesh those guys are nuts, check them out live if you get the opportunity. Santa Cruz again, brought in that nostalgic atmosphere to connect with the fans immediately. Fortunately I got the amazing chance to meet and greet with Amaranthe after the show and got to talk to most of the members and ask them questions and just thank them truly for such amazing music that they put out that is very much inspiring. Elize Ryd hands down counts as one of the most approachable and friendliest singers for any band. Above all else, I’ll always be on the lookout for when Amaranthe makes their return to the states. Cheers everyone. Stay Metal m/

 

Amaranthe – Massive Addictive

Amaranthe have been around for a handful of years, and within those years, they’ve been making massive impacts in the industry. I’ve been anticipating this album for a good portion of the year, and now that it’s released, it is time to dive into Amaranthe’s third album, Massive Addictive. The title is aptly described as such, one heavy, catchy album whose melodies and choruses are inescapable from ones mind. Each track brings it own form of catchiness, as there are twelve, full-length tracks revolving around many topics within a world that is entirely their own. In my opinion, this album is different than their previous two albums, and the elements of electronics and keys are heavily present on this one. This is the first album with new third lead vocalist, Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson, as former screamer, Andreas Solvestrom departed at the end of last year. Like I said, their short lifespan as a band as been one epic adventure, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a band that has achieved so much in their little lifetime. After hearing this album, my stance on Amaranthe has not changed, for they are a great band with some of the best lyrics I’ve ever listened to.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2e_3ZnJcTE[/tube]

The opener, Dynamite, is a heavy one, and later on catchy. I will probably be using that word a lot for this album, “catchy.” Theres a significant amount of time to headbang, as the group follows the same time signature of semi-technical rhythms. If you didn’t check out the first single, Drop Dead Cynical, that’s alright as I put the video here for you. It’s heavy, it’s groovy, it’s catchy, it’s an anthem, a simplistic track to get the adrenaline rushing along. Trinity, is a more intimate song that drives optimism and hope to the listener. While it gets extremely heavy at one point, the majority of the track carries a special melodic essence that is mind boggling. The title track of the album, Massive Addictive, pretty much stays low key throughout. This was one of the other tracks that found itself creeping into my mind randomly throughout my days.

If you like power anthems with a kickass tune, Digital World, is an amazing track. Straight out of a Sci-fi film, the track speaks of a digital world where the future is sold, we can never die or grow old. Perhaps our conscience will be programmed into a network one day in the future? Who knows, I’d rather not. The breakdown is intense, this track is absolutely livid. As it’s been a constant feature with the previous two albums, this one also includes a ballad. The track titled, True, covers a typical theme of love and passion. Compared to their other ballads on the other albums, this ballad wasn’t too strong. I was hoping for some eargasmic guitar emotion, oh well, no biggie. My current favorite track out of the whole album, as I haven’t abused the hell out of the replay/loop option, is the track Skyline. It’s melody and harmonics are eargasmic. Jake sings a catchy chorus, that is familiar but original. It’s almost as energetic as Digital World, just a notch lower. Overall, another adrenaline rush of a song. The album ends with a song I thought was pretty average. Titled, Exhale, it is also along the catchy blend of tunes, I did not find myself latching on to this track strongly, as I did with many of the other ones, therefore the ending was average.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdyExxpd3Pg[/tube]

Overall, an album with high expectations, I was let down just a tiny bit. The last few tracks, aside from Skyline, were not too strong compared to the first half, which is intense and heavy. In my opinion, their previous album, The Nexus, is better. Perhaps they should stick to heavier sets of songs, as the slower ones weren’t too enticing. Nonetheless, the album was not too shabby, and I had to be honest with my scoring, as much as a fan of the group I am. The group is currently about to kickoff a very short headlining tour in the states, then the rest of the world after this month. My final thoughts on this album…..not as strong as The Nexus, but still decent, electronic and keys are the most present on this album, and of course its catchy. It’s massive tunes are quite addictive……it’s Massive Addictive. Stay Metal m/

Massive Addictive: 8/10

More information can be found on their Official Website as well as their Facebook and Twitter Pages. Don’t forget to ‘LIKE’ us at We Love Metal Dot Com’s Facebook Page as well.

Concert Review: Within Temptation/Amaranthe @ The Vic Theatre

What an epic night it was. A large fan of both of the only acts to have played, October 1st was a grand night. I am not being over boisterous or exaggerative when I say the performance and choice of tracks was highly satisfactory. I had arrived to The Vic Theater quite early, as I had the opportunity to interview one of the founders and lead singers of Amaranthe, Jake E. His interview will be posted shortly here at We Love Metal.  Back to the concert portion of the day, when I had arrived there was a small gang of people waiting at the doors, so my arrival was at a perfect time. The venue itself is pretty big, much larger than the previous venue I had been to, two weeks ago. For those in the area, for future reference, there is nothing but annoying meters parking all over the area. Unless you want to park blocks and blocks away on a side street that might not have meter parking or permit parking for that matter, I definitely and utmost recommend getting dropped off or public transportation. As I had a bit of a challenge in finding parking, since these meters only accept quarters and credit cards, my card was maxed out (I know, im stupid), who in their right mind would carry almost $20 worth of quarters to feed these meters, not to mention that the meters only charge you for two hours at a time. There was no way in hell I was going to feed the dam meters every two hours and come in and out of the venue, so to make matters simple, I parked in a public lot for $10 for the night, definitely worth it and gave me peace of mind for the night. What felt like hours and hours that had passed by literally, I had met up with Fred, whom I met at the Delain/Xandria show a few weeks ago, as he is also a large fan of the female symphonic scene. After many long hours, the doors opened at 7PM and everyone was let in like a hoard of hyenas, but not without a security pat-down of course.

Once inside, we made our way to the front, and awaited for Amaranthe’s arrival. I had not noticed but after looking behind me and up, I saw there was another floor for the last minute people to go upstairs and watch the excitement from above. The final hour seemed like forever, but once the stage set-up music died down, lights went out, nothing but darkness and immense screaming from the fans. An entrance that put goosebumps on me, sirens and air raids went off, and within thirty seconds, the red lights started going off like alarms and that is when the energetic

Swedish Amaranthe appeared on stage kicking off the night with a new song, Digital World, off of their upcoming album, Massive Addictive. The track, hence it not being released yet, was an upbeat way to kickstart things, and the fans were still going nuts, yet no one knew the song. Minutes later, the first track that Amaranthe had put out as a band, Hunger. A killer track, it got the audience finally going, as well as me singing along the chorus. Invincible, was the next track on the set-list, of course this is another one of their headbanging anthems. Everyone in the crowd was bouncing up and down, just enjoying the immense energy this track gives off. One of the heavier tracks that Amaranthe boasts, 1,000,000 Lightyears, it was time to fly through space and time in a world from afar, as this melodious rich track kept the energy going. By this time, my voice was starting to dry up from screaming, the audience was craving more. I got goosebumps from their next track, being a major fan of Amaranthe, those who keep up with them closely know of the their next track, Trinity. As they released it the day before, it is currently their freshest track yet and I think of of my all-time favorites, both lyrically and instrumentally. When they announced they were going to play it, I went wild, it’s a track I can’t get enough of.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMBNkPUPwYU[/tube]

 

The intensity factor coninued as they played the track, Afterlife. What else can I say? The track is vivid and unreal. After all this energy, adrenaline and more, the mood slowed down and got a little more intimate, as their first ballad, Amaranthine, took over the stage momentarily. The audience calmed down, as we watched every member put on a wonderful presence on this track. This is one of those tracks, that I believe can cater to most. While the intimacy faded, it was time to turn up the amps, get that adrenaline pumping again with the first single of their new album, Drop Dead Cynical. Once more, the crowd jumped up and down with the music, I almost felt the ground shaking, it was that intense. The only track to have been played from their debut album, the track, Call Out My Name, I found an interesting way to separate the older fans from the newer ones. Another endorphin-rushing track, it’s a little different in style than their newer material, which isn’t bad at all. Unfortunaly all good things must come to an end and the final track of the night from Amaranthe was played. The Nexus drained all my energy, I gave it my all, my voice was starting to crack from the emotion, excitement and energy that Amaranthe sparked from the crowd. Oh man, was a set, one of the best sets out of any band, period.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM7mfYHKb98[/tube]

It was now time for the other and main act of the night. Within Temptation, was ready to go. After many, many moments and my legs were starting to get tired, the darkness revealed itself once more, and a video projected itself on the stage. It spoke of dragons, and dangers and that is where ‘Paradise‘ landed with the group behind it. The energy from the audience was noticably wilder, and somehow I found myself energized again, singing and waving the horns, by the end of the track, the intensity from the crowd was vivid. I was thinking, hell if the mood was gonna be this intense throughout the set, this is going to be one hell of a show, thats for sure! Let’s continue the epic night with the track, perfectly titled, Faster. Lead vocalist, Sharon den Adel, really knows how to let out those high notes. One of the tracks, that always gives me goosebumps, Let Us Burn, kept the mood going. The video that accompanied the track on stage, was epic and amazing. The next two tracks, In the Middle of the Night and Fire and Ice, are not tracks, I am too fond of, so I’ll go straight to the next track that I enjoyed. Eerily and sympohnically rich in essence,it was time for our judgement in Our Solemn Hour, which set the ambience for the moment. Before the next track could commence, Sharon took a moment to talk to the audience about current matters in our world. Today you see Religion pushing people away from each other, and causing wars and fights and more, and you see all these rights that people are defending rights such as civl rights, independent rights, female rights, etc, and trying to live and make the world a better place rather then becoming enemies and hating one another. Instead if we took the time to talk to one another, give everyone a chance, become closer to one another, we can all learn from each other, and make this a prosperous life. Her intellectual stimulation set the tone for the next track, Stand My Ground. 

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZAQ_FseHQY[/tube]

In their latest album, Hydra, they did a cover of Summertime Sadness. Another track I am not fond of, at least the girls in the venue enjoyed the track. Sharon knew the men weren’t going to be happy about it, but she joked about it, glad to see she has humor. A more subtle track, a fusion of Rap and Goth Metal, And We Run, kept the flow of the night going. As rapper Xzibit was not present, they used the screens to project his parts of the track. Overall, a more mellow track, with intimate emotion. Once more, it was time to get endorphins rushing and get a little ‘Dangerous‘. This was probably the last track that I personally went wild for, for the night, both because my energy was running low, and the other tracks were a little more tame, which only signaled the night was coming to a close. The remaining tracks of the night included Angels, End of the World, What Have You Done, and Mother Earth. An encore occured of course, there was no surprise there, and the final encore tracks of the night included, Covered By Roses, an acoustic rendition of Sinead, and lastly the final track of the night, Ice Queen. 

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJVtOqgZaY8[/tube]

Overall, the night was full of energetic moments, much better than my previous concert, though both were still good, this one was slightly better on the scale. In terms of who was better between both bands this night, I would choose Amaranthe, for having an intense set-list. Perhaps the next time they roll around the states on their next tour, they will be headliners. One can only hope…..But nonetheless I ended my night with an autographed poster by Within Temptation, and a badass shirt I bought from Amaranthe. Did I mention I got to hang on Amaranthe’s tour bus for a little bit? Oh man, I love what I do. Stay Metal m/

Featured Video: Amaranthe – Drop Dead Cynical

One of my personal favorite groups I have been following intimately for the longest time now, since their debut probably, Swedish Sextet, Amaranthe, just released their first single yesterday, off of their upcoming third album titled, Massive Addictive. The album, scheduled for an October 21st release, should be their most addicting, and memorable album to date. The group, known for fusing Dance Elements with Melodic Metal, claims that this album will have a large array of dynamics and intend to push themselves further on this album. What do they mean by pushing themselves further? More dance elements? More Metal? Heavier Metal? The album is set to showcase 12 tracks, and this will be the first album with new blood and on screams, Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson. Massive Addictive refuses to play to any genre-specific rules and will set their own sound, while at the same time, raising eyebrows and retain some of their signature sound they are known for. As for my opinion on the track, it’s not as heavy as I hoped for, but still keeps true to their electronic elements. It took me about five listens to finally accept the track, sometimes change isn’t easy to digest. I would recommend coming into the track with an open mind, but this is but a mere taste of what we can expect in a little over a month. From what I’ve read and has been released, there should be some more aggressive tracks on the album, in addition to another (hopefully) amazing ballad. Don’t forget, Amaranthe are due soon to kickoff a North American tour, opening for Symphonic act, Within Temptation. Stay Metal m/

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdyExxpd3Pg[/tube]

Massive Addictive track list:

01. Dynamite
02. Drop Dead Cynical
03. Trinity
04. Massive Addictive
05. Digital World
06. True
07. Unreal
08. Over and Done
09. Danger Zone
10. Skyline
11. An Ordinary Abnormality
12. Exhale

North American Tour Dates

25.09.2014* – The Regency Ballroom – San Fransisco, CA, USA*
26.09.2014* – Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA, USA*
28.09.2014* – Gothic Theater – Denver, CO, USA*
30.09.2014* – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN, USA*
01.10.2014* – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL, USA*
02.10.2014* – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI, USA*
03.10.2014* – The Sound Academy – Toronto, Canada*
05.10.2014* – Metropolis – Montreal, Canada*
07.10.2014* – Ram’s Head Live – Baltimore, MD, USA*
09.10.2014* – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA, USA*
10.10.2014* – Terminal 5 – New York, NY, USA*
11.10.2014* – The Palladium – Worcester, MA, USA*
23.10.2014 – Circo Volador – Mexico City/Mexico
25.10.2014 – Gas Monkey – Dallas, TX, USA
26.10.2014 – House of Blues – Houston, TX, USA
27.10.2014 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA, USA
29.10.2014 – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
30.10.2014 – State Theater – St. Petersburg, FL, USA
31.10.2014 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA, USA

*With Within Temptation

Chthonic – 武德 Bu-Tik

A good Thanksgiving to those of you living in Canada, a good Columbus day for us as well and a good Monday to you if you don’t celebrate either day. Let’s take a little trip overseas to China, more specifically, the little island of Taiwan. The world of metal is harshly shunned in that land, but a band by the name of Chthonic, pronounced, “Thanik” or “thonic”, have risen and are out to make a name. The name of the band refers to that pertaining to what inhabits the underworld, such as deities and spirits, among other unknowns. Formed in 1995, this 5 piece talented outfit sings and screams tunes of Taiwanese history, mythology and other relevant events that have occurred in the country’s history. The bands most recent album, Bu-Tik, is their seventh release and boasts quite a charge musically. The sound off of this album is closely similar to their last release, Takasago Army. Though the band has been around for nearly two decades, their success and presence has only been around this part of the world for some years now. I experienced Chthonic’s musical talents back in 2007, when they debuted in America on the Ozzfest tour. I had some thoughts that the band was going to be more of an ambient project, but boy was I wrong. The band can thrash, headbang, pump up the crowd and have us moshing and crowd surfing like the rest of them. I personally enjoyed my exposure to them and have become a fan ever since. Being from Taiwan, it is quite the challenge to get exposure, especially since hearing about metal bands from that region of the world is not so common here unfortunately. Lead singer, Freddy Lim, is currently the Chairman of the Taiwan Chapter of Amnesty International, a group independent from government, corporate or national interests and meet to discuss topics relating to human rights, driving to make a change to policies and international decision making, reason being the UN does not recognize Taiwan and it’s unofficial relations. Off to the album now shall we?

Bu-Tik opens with of course, an instrumental intro, one that any metal band cannot do without. A few minutes later and that leads us into the first metal song of the album, Supreme Pain for The Tyrant. This track I will say is my personal favorite off the album. This songs speaks of course of a tyrant and how justice to the tyrant can only bring peace. I really felt the emotion when screamer Freddy screams with power, “With these hands I wash the blood clean. Watch it flow past visions obscene.” Those lyrics along with the bands signature use of the Erhu, definitely sent out a strong message. Also, the other lyrics, “Let me stand up like a Taiwanese, only justice will bring you peace” also gave me some chills and just seeing the video in itself gave me a sense of satisfaction. I think we would all agree on that. The next track, Sail into the Sunset’s Fire, is another heavy track, full of blast beats and thrash rhythms, which this song speaks of claiming what has belonged to you since your birth and taking control of it, then when your time comes, accept death and “sail into the sunset’s fire.” Next Republic, the next track, is one that definitely is for those who strongly agree with the lyrics. The words in this song speak strongly of how the country has been slain of oppression and the land is rough and now it is time to make a new republic and ensure that it happens, even taking down those in power down for the republic’s benefit. What an explosive intro, I immediately had to turn up my speakers for the next epic song, Rage of My Sword, is just sheer pure epic-ness in its entirety. The song begins with a folk bagpipe sounding intro then kicks off with a riff to hook us in then the double bass begins with the long scream and its just sheer epicness- for the next few minutes, without a doubt an amazing song for moshing. The song speaks of going into battle, and having the courage and strength to overcome foes and the war. My other favorite track, definitely worth checking out is track number nine, Defenders of Bu-Tik Palace. The great, strong track screams of defending their palace, and letting whomever wants to come and attack for they will face the consequences and together the defenders of the palace will defend it against hundreds more if need be. I was blown away with the last half of the song, for emotion and turmoil is all given to us, Chthonic decided to give it all they had to impress us as a listener….they certainly did their job without a doubt. The video for this song is almost like a short film, full of fights, power and talent. The band represents the defenders and the mass of bodies that slowly begin to pile and assimilate represent their victims and those who dared to interfere with them. We close Bu-Tik with an instrumental piece that is quite nice, and appropriate for the final track is known as Undying Rearmament. 

Overall I give the album an 8.5 or 9 out of 10. Chthonic is one of those rare bands I can personally say, they get better and better with each album released. Their sound certainly has matured over time and their lyrics too have certainly improved. Throughout the rest of the year, the band will be touring and playing festivals in Europe. It has been 2 years since Chthonic have been on this side of the world, for their last show in the states was in October of 2011. As I mentioned before, I am most certainly glad that I was exposed to this multi-talented group. Something that I was a bit surprised to hear was that they are banned from certain parts of China due to their political views and have even been threatened by unknown Chinese persons. Also, during some of their shows, they toss “Hell Money” to the crowd to create a darker atmosphere as well as create a fun atmosphere for people. This is considered taboo in China, thus being shunned by many people there. Since their latest release was this summer, there are no current talks or rumors of their next album or of any kind of information, aside from their current touring schedule. I am extremely antsy for their next release, for hopefully their next album should blow us out of the water. Stay Metal m/

More information can be found on their Official Site, Facebook and Twitter Pages.