Falling Leaves - Mournful Cry Of A Dying Sun - Album Review

Promising Career! - 80%


A band’s debut album is definitely both controversial and revealing; especially in the case of Falling Leaves as it’s a band from Jordan -which is a country that has no Metal bases what so ever, except in the fan base of northern countries’ music.


This album emphasizes the influences of traditional straight-up death-doom bands, and as the first song begins in its gloomy, somber and dark atmosphere, the album keeps going in the same direction further fortifying the band and the album within this genre. The melodies stay down tempo and sometimes go beyond that.
Vocals were variant with harsh and spoken being the main choice.


Many artists are featured in the album, and it is in that where the negativity may lay, as it can affect the band’s own original identity.


“Reaching my last haven” is certainly the best and the highlight of the album as it features Josep Brunet, his gutturals are harsh and very deep, adding a very distinctive style to the band elevating them to their full gloomy potential with a good intro and a great solo.


The violin does its job well, mostly by following the guitars or doing an exquisite background. It occasionally breaks off and stands out, and all this is done professionally as both featured violinists Pete Johansen and Olof Gothlin maintain haunting, precise rhythm complimenting the melodies. Mentioning Trapped within where it hits off with a magical violin intro and solo, where it starts mellow and peaks up to a heavier, more powerful tune.
The drumming is good. However, this it is barely noticeable and not doing anything over top.


Paul Kuhr performance is brutal as hell, emphasizing the dark atmosphere that this album is drenched in, as the song Vanished serenity is performed by him alongside with Waseem Al Nemri the band’s original member.

All in all, the vocal arrangements are done very tastefully and professionally, not forgetting Pim Blankenstien in Blight, as he takes the second part of the song to new amazing levels with his passionate dark and powerful voice.


The lyrics are not innovative, and primarily deal with the subjects of mourning, pain and inner struggles. yet, they are written well, and coupled with the music.


I recommend this for death/doom fans, as well as for whoever wants to know what the band has to offer, giving the album a chance, it’s well worth it.

The 11th Hour - Lacrima Mortis - Album Review

THE TEAR OF DEATH! - 98%

 “Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.” Edgar Allan Poe

And this is exactly what this album is about; it delivers words, notes and lines that are composed with emotional intelligence to convey the true horrifying and painful experience of death at the classiest way.

The 11th hour is one of Ed Warby’s projects, on which he did a massive effort starting with the composition and ending with the distinctive mixing.

In this album you will find yourself drowning in a dark sea of loss and pain, elevating and drawing you in all directions; in its lyrics, melodies and performance.

Appreciating Roger Johansson's performance on their 2009 debut, “Burden of Grief”, yet here the vocals create the most intoxicating intertwinement ever been made; as Pim Blankenstein’s guttural growls are phenomenal, whereas Warby sticks to clean vocals making a paradoxical, yet unity in every song.

This shows clearly in the song “We all die alone” and “Reunion Illusion”, where the vocals are complimented by the keyboards which are played perfectly through out the whole album. Especially in “The Death of Life”, where keyboards master the melodies of this song.

What is also distinctive are the riffs in the album, they are heavy, more emotional and lean towards death Metal riffs, which stresses on Warby’s own traditional musical roots, and they are so enjoyable and haunting showing the clear quality in which this album has been made. “Rain on me” and “Nothing but Pain” are the best when it comes to heavier riffs within the album.

“Damn my solitude, without your presence all is void....” Rain on me.
A killer line! 

“They come to shed their tears
For the loved ones buried here
Their woe is raw and deep
Sustains us while we sleep” Tears of the bereaved… 

Phenomenal poetic and most passionate lyrics ever...
it drowns my heart in sadness and sends shivers down my spine!
On listening to the album, I was moved like never before, but while hearing the lyrics word by word and comprehending the vision in a clearer perspective, I am speechless.

“Bury me” and “Tears of the bereaved” are definitely a lyrics win!

So beautiful and so majestic and yet they made me heavyhearted.

Salutes and respect and bows lower than I'd give to anyone else...

Warby played all the instruments on this album, the bass compliments the guitar playing in an amazing way, solos are emotional and perfect.

Drumming here did not make a huge influence; it stayed in its safer area but kept steady and in never went off-tune.

What makes this album so distinctive is; Warby’s vision, his composing and execution. Alongside with the phenomenal vocals of Blankenstein… in short it's an absolute sheer talent.

Woods of Ypres - Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light - Album Review

Divinity in composition - 98%


Before beginning with the review, I’d quote, “A moment of silence, but not one moment more…
The dead are to be forgotten ... We are here to be adored”
Gold is not to be forgotten, but to be adored after making such a solid album.


The album is a sequel as a journey divided into chapters, discussing loss, death, hope, love and many other aspects of life. And for those who are familiar with Gold’s personal life, they’d find the lyrics so attached to his own personal experiences in his love life and relationships (E.g. Silver, Modern Life Architecture)
The lyrics are a whole entity of deepness, sadness and philosophy which was well written in a way that penetrates one’s inner being.


Musically it is variant and fulfilling; clean vocals took over growling in a wide range, using different instruments made the atmosphere gloomy provoking a dark doomish touch.
Keyboards, piano, flute, cello and guitars are used along with chants or doomish riffs through out the album and play a majour role, in some songs it came out as mellow and slow as “Alternate Ending” and “Finality”, and in others it appeared rather heavy and more of an upbeat and this is clear in “Travelling Alone”.


With regards to inspiration in the album there is a clear influence of “H.I.M” in the song “Death Is Not an Exit” especially that to me this song is the most uplifting song here; Katatonia, Type O Negative and Paradise lost had a share of effect as well, taking into consideration a well earned applause for (John Fryer) here.


The most interesting song for me has to be “Adora Vivos-Latin for: Worship the Living” as it’s awkwardly different and yet so cohesive. It has the deepest lyrics I have ever read and for me it’s just a mix of flavors for whatever is craved in a song.
and what is puzzling about this song, “Career Suicide” and “Kiss My Ashes” is that they relate to Gold’s recent death before releasing the album.
These songs are deep, cohesive, philosophical and concentrate on the band’s own individuality and originality with mixed notes, various keys and instruments, all leading to a wider way to preserve the album musically and spiritually.


Instrumental wise it is a brilliant album, particularly in the use of drumming and guitars as they vary and create a parallel darker atmosphere that indicates the band’s previous Black Metal side, but where clean vocals take over.


Great album all together and the best way to describe it is by using David Gold’s own words, “less art, less expressionism and more of what you want when you want it”

Opeth - Heritage - Album Review

Something we don't understand! - 44%


    When Heritage was about to be released Akerfeldt said,” I think you'll need a slightly deeper understanding of our music as a whole to be able to appreciate this record.”
I being an understanding, deep and rather a huge Opeth fan was thrilled! But after listening to the album, that quote was like asking a guy to watch his Ferrari get smashed up and then wanting him to have a wider vision!


Steven Wilson produced this album and I believe that the band should have asked the help from another producer who is more familiar with the new different approach with a bit of Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and Sabbath influence, and if you love any of those bands, you will surely dislike Opeth’s album.


Heritage is without doubt loaded with new ideas which are unfortunately unrelated, it lacked the dark Opeth atmosphere we are used to and lacked any originality what so ever. What I loved about Opeth previously is taking chances on music and compositions; in Heritage music is passionless and careful, a bit underdeveloped, disjoint and rather unbalanced!


Good jazz-infused moments can be found in some songs and Fredrik played good guitar solos, but the whole album lacked any decent guitar riffs, lacked any growls and lacked any Opeth character. Per’s keyboard playing took over very vast areas and held some kind of connection in places, but it was used instead of guitars in a confusing way as in “The Devil’s Orchard” and this continued in other songs like, “I Feel the Dark,” and “The Lines in My Hand.” Piano was a major part in the title track “Heritage” which gave it a mellow feeling but been overwhelmingly repetitive and somehow boring.


Some parts of songs are awesome mentioning Häxprocess where I thought, “Finally a good song that I may like”, but as the rest of the album; it was played carefully and turned lame, so whatever attracted me; lost me! As the riffs were flat and somehow lacked cohesion. “Folklore” might be the most jointed, related together and most balanced song technically.


The only thing that gained my utmost pleasure was the lyrics because as always Opeth delivers great lines and equally great emotions throughout the words. However, those lines would fit death metal songs more than the direction of classics’ that Opeth headed for, so it failed to win me over completely.
I could not hold a sigh when listening to these lines from Nepenthe:


"Friends would leave me in my darkest hour
Yet trust me with their lives"


Listening to the album made me want to go back and listen to Damnation or any old Opeth album and I ended up listening to Dio and praying he won’t be able to hear his tribute song “Slither” wherever he is, though it is one of the best in the album.
Whether you are a Death Metal fan or a progressive fan, this album is not for you, I know many Opeth fans will be pissed off and grunting their teeth about this, but it’s time to call things by their names… “What is good is good and what is bad is bad. “