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Killswitch Engage - Atonement (2019) - 8/10


I think the best way to describe my feelings towards Killswitch Engage would be "musical comfort food." They have been pretty much writing the same song/album over and over again for the past 20 years (holy shit they've been around for 20 years), but you always know what you're going to get: solid riffage, a catchy hook here and there, and at least one song that tries but doesn't succeed to tug at your heartstrings. Atonement is certainly true to form. Plus, the album has some fun guest vocal performances by former KsE vocalist Howard Jones as well as Chuck Billy from Testament. The song that Chuck is featured on ("The Crownless King") sounds like it could be on a late period Testament record. A couple of other songs do as well, actually. Adam's guitar solos are good without being wanky or flashy. It's a solid album. Probably high-mid tier KsE.

 

Though it's not about the music itself, my primary complaint about the album is actually the names of a lot of the songs. Most sound like they were pulled out of a hard rock song name generator--"Unleashed", "Us Against the World", "I Am Broken Too", "Ravenous", etc. A couple are titles that match song titles from other well-known hard rock/metal bands--"Bite the Hand that Feeds" (NIN, Fear Factory), "Know Your Enemy" (Rage Against the Machine). But ultimately it's about the music. I was going to give this album a solid 7 which is how I would rate the previous two KsE albums. But I decided on an 8 because song to song this album is definitely more consistent than their previous two.

 

Check out the vocal competition between Jones and Leech in "The Signal Fire".

 

 

A couple of other songs that I really like:

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, SimpleG said:

Its disappointing. I like EIF but I wished they would have moved in a new direction.

I’m not disappointed by it, but it’s not as amazing as hearing EiF for the first time. I really wish they would revisit the With Hearts Towards None style. 

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Facebook memories finally pulls through with something that doesn't make me look back and regret everything I posted. I talked about a small band called Swarms. Decided to hit them up on Spotify and see what they were up to. My post was from 2012, I missed 2 albums since then.

 

I started with Black Chapel Sun. Loved absolutely every song from start to finish. It's an ambient, synth, garage kind of feel to it. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what the synths remind me of, something between Stranger Things, Disasterpiece (Hyper Light Drifter, It Follows), and Jim Gurthie (Sword and Sworcery). Songs where the synths are prominent Raw Messiahs1 Last Look. This album is such an atmospheric delight to listen to. Everything about it was just soothing to the sense and a joy to have on in the background while I was playing WoW Classic. Definitely going into the regular rotation when I'm playing mindless games or going on a long drive.

 

10/10

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Listened to the new Korn-The Nothing on the way to work. I've listened to it quite a few times before. 

 

I'm going to give it a solid 8/10. Yeah I know, I just lost my metal snobbery card for liking anything Korn does. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. Only a couple duds for me on the entire album. 

 

Although I probably need to check out some of the metal posted in this thread. I must be getting old because I've been having a real hard time getting into anything new (to me) lately. 

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58 minutes ago, Dodger said:

Listened to the new Korn-The Nothing on the way to work. I've listened to it quite a few times before. 

 

I'm going to give it a solid 8/10. Yeah I know, I just lost my metal snobbery card for liking anything Korn does. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. Only a couple duds for me on the entire album. 

 

Although I probably need to check out some of the metal posted in this thread. I must be getting old because I've been having a real hard time getting into anything new (to me) lately. 

A lot of the metal posted here is kinda on the edge of more main stream. Most people thinking of metal think Judas ,Metallica or Slayer. And fuck Metal head snobbery.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites (2019) - 8/10

 

 

Doesn't sound like these guys have missed a beat despite the vocalist change. And the new one is better than the old one don't @ me. The Phrygian dominant mode is here in spades as it always is on any Nile album. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing at this point. Part of me wishes they'd change it up a little but they're so good at what they do why bother? Also, I want to say they are paying tribute to Howard Shore on a track by directly copying his melody (see this) but I think they are just directly copying his melody (see this). For shame.

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9 hours ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

Doesn't sound like these guys have missed a beat despite the vocalist change. And the new one is better than the old one don't @ me. The Phrygian dominant mode is here in spades as it always is on any Nile album. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing at this point. Part of me wishes they'd change it up a little but they're so good at what they do why bother? Also, I want to say they are paying tribute to Howard Shore on a track by directly copying his melody (see this) but I think they are just directly copying his melody (see this). For shame.

 

 I was curious about this one, to see if it was good or not. But since you like it I don't know what to think. :p

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On 12/11/2019 at 10:32 AM, Bloodporne said:

In the latest addition of me just now getting into really obvious bands:

 

Alice In Chains

 

I always kind of wrote them off as some "commercial Grunge" band because I was too fucking Metal back in the day. I was wrong. 

 

I think they were the best band in terms of songwriting chops and ability. They're definitely the most 'metal' of the grunge bands. My favorite is still Soundgarden though.

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51 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

 

I think they were the best band in terms of songwriting chops and ability. They're definitely the most 'metal' of the grunge bands. My favorite is still Soundgarden though.

I just quite frankly never really gave the lyrics the attention they truly did deserve and wrote them off in general. It's kind of my life experience and watching friends go down that path that led me hear Would? recently and get hit with the lyrics like a fucking bat. Started digging after realizing Would? is a truly incredible song and I have no idea why I used to write them off in any way.

 

And I know everyone says it but yeah, their voices, especially in harmony, are so good. Staley's voice cuts right through me every time I listen to them now.

 

And more on topic, I actually really started liking Soundgarden as well due to giving AiC another shot. I did always like Black Hole Sun a lot but yeah, overall they're also a great band.

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