Empires

Empires

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
The bar for heavy music just got a lot higher--and a lot younger. From the San Francisco Bay area, Animosity started bludgeoning the Northern California region with their breed of death metal/hardcore almost five years ago when most of the members were only 14 to 15 years old. In a music scene that has been moving in a more commercial direction, Animosity has spit in the face of the trends and stereotypes. Raised in the hardcore scene but forever passionate about metal, these youngsters (now all age 18-19) have taken influence from both backgrounds and created a fresh and innovative sound. They have the innate ability to command and impress crowds of any heavy music background. From thrash to death metal and hardcore to nu-metal, Animosity has what it takes to ignite and conquer any audience.

Combining the fury and anger of grindcore Godfathers Carcass, the guitar wizardry of Death, the hooks and grooves of Lamb of God with astonishing drumming, all topped with a vocalist that is both powerful and varied, Animosity enter the studio in early March to record their second full length, Empires for Black Market Activities. Their previous full length, Shut It Down was released on Tribunal Records in 2003. Despite limited promotion and distribution (as well as overcoming the obstacle that the majority of the band was not old enough to have drivers licenses), the band built a strong name for themselves on work ethic and musicianship, playing and touring as much as possible while blowing away crowds with their crushing and exquisite live performances. Their first release has sold several thousand copies, with nearly 1000 units moved at their shows alone.

Their hard work and determination has earned them openings with such acts as Bleeding Through, Terror, Exodus, Candiria, The Red Chord, Dying Fetus, Arch Enemy and many others, as well as sizeable followings across the west coast and in several other regions, especially in Northern and Southern California and Mexico. This band is hungry and has what it takes to explode. The group has completed three successful US tours to date and is ready to continue pounding the pavement with a full US tour in April-May alongside Psyopus (Metal Blade/BMA) and Into the Moat (Metal Blade).

Product Description
Death metal

Empires,Animosity,Metal Blade,Death Metal/Black Metal,Heavy Metal,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating:

Through the Ashes of Empires

Old school thrash metal meets Nu-Metal's power riff sound

Amazing album, one of the best of '04

Through the Ashes of Empires

A Return to Not Returning to Their Roots

Through the Ashes of Empires
Machine Head
Manufacturer: Roadrunner Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Burn My Eyes

The More Things Change

The Blackening

Burning Red

Supercharger

ASIN: B0000D96NW
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Tracks:

Imperium
Bite the Bullet
Left Unfinished
Elegy
In the Presence of My Enemies
Days Turn Blue to Gray
Vim
Seasons Wither
All Falls Down
Wipe the Tears
Descend the Shades of Night

Album Description

Not only is Through The Ashes Of Empires huge sonically, but the music possesses a fierceness and power that rivals those seminal early albums. By all measures, the results are ferocious. And once again, leave it to the pen of Robert Flynn to scrawl some of the most emotionally intense lyrics in all of metal. While songs like "In The Presence Of My Enemies" and "Imperium" relay all the anger we've come to expect from Machine Head, "Left Unfinished" finds Flynn at his most personal and exposed, as he comes to terms with his deepest unresolved issues about his adoption as a child, and the feelings of abandonment that emerged from that. For this band, a new empire is rising.

Album Details

Include the Video to "The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears" and Footage that was Filmed During the Recording of the Album as an Enhancement.

Customer Reviews:

Through the Ashes of Empires.......2007-01-04

I think this is the best Machine Head album in a long long time. Maybe The More Things Change is their most known album but this one is almost that great. It has their -good- new sound. Powerfull without the Nu Metal Supercharge style.

Old school thrash metal meets Nu-Metal's power riff sound.......2006-04-29

More than a review(cause u dont need a review of this one, just hear it)I will like to say to the young ones that this was what the old school metal used to lack of, the FAT guitars, the round body, and this album has it, thats what makes it so incredible for me, sth I was wanting a long time ago, fat sound with speed and double bass thrashy riffs, and why does this album sounds so old school missed thrash metal? easy!, the prescence of Rob Flynn's VIO-LENCE guitar mate, Phil Demmel, I love Vio-lence and having both in the same band reminds me of what it was back in the day... unbeatable!

Amazing album, one of the best of '04.......2006-02-20

I liked this album on the first listen, the first 3 tracks blew me away, but it took me a while to get into the rest, but I find that always happens with really good CDs.

The musicianship, songwriting and lyrics on this album are simply top notch. This is what professional musicians should be making, real music!

From the epic opener 'Imperium' all the way through to 'Descend the Shades of Night' Machinehead show you how to make crushing, melodic, inspirational metal!

These guys absolutely rocked me live (my ears were ringing for 3 days!)

Get this CD, you will not regret it!

Note: If you can get the special edition with the bonus track 'Seasons Wither' on it, then do so - that track alone is worth the price of a CD!

Through the Ashes of Empires .......2005-12-17

More than anything, the main reason I enjoy this album is because of the powerful messages in each of the songs: "don't give in, don't give up", "I will fight for those I love, I will fight for those I care" are just a few of the awesome lines you will discover. I just cannot get enough of it. I listen to this c.d. every time I have a bad day for strength, or on normal days just for inspiration. No other metal album I own can do that for me.

Besides the powerful song writing, this album is heavy, really heavy. Simply put, the kind of heaviness that makes you clench your fist, grit your teeth, and nod your head slowly, kind of heaviness. The sonic guitar solo's on songs like "Vim" and "Seasons Whither" are incredible. The drumming in every song is so precise and distinctive, you can hear spaces between drum beats, which adds to the heavy sound I mentioned earlier.

Although I do not own any other Machine Head albums, I can assure you that negative comparisons with their previous albums ultimately cannot take away from the excellence of Through the Ashes of Empires, one of the mightiest metal albums ever created by a group of artists, music and lyrics.

A Return to Not Returning to Their Roots.......2005-12-02

Let's be clear: unless you're a moron, you won't believe that this is a return to Machine Head's roots. If it was, it'd be another 'Burn My Eyes,' and this album isn't even close to that.

In reality, this album is merely another direction shift for Machine Head. One can think of it as adding a progressive touch to their two previous albums (mostly due to increased average song length.) Yes, the guitars are less nu-metal sounding and there is more double bass drumming also, but the majority of the album is still hardcore nu-metal.

Unfortunately, it's debatable whether or not this direction shift is really better than Machine Head's original nu-metal position. For all the flak the band has taken for 'The Burning Red,' it nonetheless produced interesting, memorable songs even if they lacked the depth that the older ones had. Now, Machine Head doesn't even have memorability left in their songs; any trace of interest is lost somewhere in the myriad of notes played in their now longer songs.

Part of what also makes these songs more boring (and why it's not at all like 'Burn my Eyes') is because it lacks the subtle change from passive to aggressive. 'I'm Your God Now' and 'None But My Own,' for instance, were songs that started out quietly melodic and then would gradually build up to an effective aggression that would climax towards the end. None of that subtlety exists on any of the songs here, however.

As for vocalist Robb Flynn, he's long since lost his vocal flair. Since 'The Burning Red,' his voice has turned increasingly hoarser and he has to rely more on screaming, and it is only a further reminder that the more talented vocals of the old days are long gone.

The good things I will say of this album are: the song 'All Falls Down,' which is by far the best. Additionally, most of the other songs, while not great, are at least ok ('Descent the Shades' is one exception.)

In sum, longer songs detract from their memorability, the subtlety that 'Burn my Eyes' had from melodic to agressive is absent, the vocals have noticeably worsened over time, and the music still has too many nu metal traces in it. While there are redeeming elements in this album, it is far from their best work and certainly far from what made Machine Head debut as a premier 80s-styled thrash band.

Average customer rating:

Best of VNV Nation
Classic VNV Nation
Musical Mass Culture Introspective
MUSICAL PHENOMONA
Awesome.

Empires
VNV Nation
Manufacturer: Metropolis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Praise the Fallen
Dark Angel
Honour 2003
Gelb
Standing

ASIN: B00004T0LI
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

Firstlight
Kingdom
Rubicon
Saviour
Fragments
Distant (Rubicon II)
Standing
Legion
Darkangel
Arclight

Customer Reviews:

Best of VNV Nation.......2007-05-07

I've bought several VNV Nation albums recently, and this is definitely my favorite. Ronan Harris's songs become technically more complex starting with this CD, and music is very smooth (as opposed to the harsher beats in "Praise the Fallen" and "Advance and Follow"). If you're looking for a great vocalist, this isn't the CD for you. Ronan lets the music do most of the work, but the lyrics are very evocative.

The first track is pretty dull, but right after the songs pick up. "Kingdom" starts off the CD with a decent trance-like sound. "Rubicon" is one of my favorite tracks, as it combines moving lyrics (taken in context with the song title) with great music that fits it surprisingly well. "Fragments" is a quick song, with a beat reminiscent of songs on "Praise the Fallen." The rest of the songs are excellent as well. The album has a lot of fast, upbeat sounding tracks; only three are dull, in my opinion (though "Distant" should sound that way, given its context).

Overall, it's a great CD with good lyrics and good music. If you like smooth sounding electronic music, this is for you.

Classic VNV Nation.......2007-05-06

VNV Nation is easily one of my all time favorite bands. I discovered VNV Nation about four years ago and have been hooked since then. What has always appealed to me is the combination of heartfelt lyrics and epic dance beats. I consider the band's third album "Empires" to be classic VNV Nation. After seven years since its release, "Empires" still sounds remarkably fresh with its crisp, infectious synth melodies. My favorite song has to be the lush ballad "Standing" with its haunting melodies and emotionally moving lyrics. The combination of the melodies and lyrics always moves me to the very core of my soul every time I listen to the song. I think this song is one of the best songs Ronan Harris has ever written. The lyrics to "Kingdom" are also great in an epic and grandeur sense. My favorite instrumental track is "Saviour". I will say that I prefer the vox version of "Saviour" (found on the rare "Burning Empires" EP). The instrumental track has a good dance beat. I like the build up in the song but the song is a lot better with Ronan's vocals. I am not really too big on the other instrumental tracks on the album like "Firstlight". They didn't have the same catchy pop hooks that "Saviour" has. Another minor flaw is that Ronan's vocals tends to be monotonous. Most of the time I am not bother by his vocals but if I am not in a good mood, I will tend to find his vocals rather annoying but that is rare. Another great song on the album is "Fragments" which is a bit more harsh and abrasive than "Standing" and "Kingdom". The high level of energy in the song shines through and will make the listener want to jump and down. "Distant (Rubicon II)" turns down a few notches. It is another wonderful ballad. It is a nice segueway into "Standing". If there was one album by VNV Nation I would recommend to anyone curious about the band, I strongly recommend getting "Empires" first.

Musical Mass Culture Introspective.......2007-02-21

There are very few people out there, let alone bands, who are willing to broach the concepts that VNV thrusts into its songs - nevermind the fact that the result sounds absolutely superb.

This album is a marker for the band, engaging EBM and Industrial sounds and rythms with unadulterated vocals rather uncommon to the scene: self-labeled "futurepop" that runs the emotional gamut from slow and subtle to the heart-pounding, foot-stomping adrenaline rush. The album is a favorite with diehard, longstanding VNV fans as well as those new to the sound altogether; the lyrics are painfully insistant, to the point of easily being interpreted a call to action. The vocals are also a crowning gem, and are organic - generally an unsynthesized breath of fresh air - and feel more like active poetry or the oral traditions of ages long gone. The sounds are better executed than armfulls of other bands, and the combination is unforgettable and irreplacable.

VMV deserves a place with the music greats, and thus far have never been matched in depth or skill in their field.

MUSICAL PHENOMONA.......2006-07-25

This is probably among the most best band of today, or at LEAST lyrically, they are miles ahead of many musicians today, Standing is extremely emotive, beautiful, the lyrics are great throughout this whole CD, heck all the melody on this cd, along with his voice, is all outstanding, it's sad that this cd or Futureperfect isn't on the Rolling Stones 500 greatest cd's of all time, especailly considering some of the cd's they have on it that don't even compare with VNV

Awesome........2006-05-31

At some point in 2005, someone recommended that I give VNV Nation a listen and suggested that I find "Matter + Form" first. I agreed and was satisfactorily impressed, but I had the nagging feeling that there was something more to this group than what that album had let onto. I dug a little deeper and discovered "Empires," and rather than being mildly content with my find, I was blown away. "Empires" was everything I had wanted from an electronic music album but had previously been unable to find.

Basically, there are two types of songs on "Empires": one type is slow, soft, introspective, and comparatively rare; the other type is fast, hard, (still) introspective, and thankfully abundant. The interesting thing about "Empires" (and VNV Nation in general) is that while much of the music possesses obvious electronic pop sensibilities (familiar chord-progression patterns and common rhythms, for example) the music never becomes accessible enough to qualify as "pop." The song "Rubicon" is perhaps the perfect example of this; the song moves along at a galloping speed, has a catchy chorus, irresistable arpeggiated chords that bring to mind Tangerine Dream sped up to 180 BPM, and a set of lyrics that any songwriter should be jealous of. And despite all of these factors, the song, the album, the band are all too cerebral, too Apollonian, simply too above it all to appeal to most of the plebs who dance the night away to derivative electro in darkened rooms under chemical enhancement. The pulsating instrumental "Saviour" is the song that comes closest to being a rave hit, but still manages to impress upon the listener that there is more going on here than music designed to get one's body moving. Harsher tracks populate the second half of the album, reaching their climax with the angry, determined "Darkangel" and then falling into the abyss with the calm, contemplative "Arclight," which completes the circle of the album by lengthening and adding a vocal line to the instrumental "Firstlight" that began the album. This structuring is significant because the album is meant to portray the lifespan of a generic empire (although arguably one based almost entirely on Caesar's Rome). In this, the album suceeds admirably, as the excellent lyrics prove.

The only negative about "Empires" is the fifth track, "Fragments." It is atonal and dissonant, lacking any but the most superficial similarity to the far more sophisticated tracks on the album. It sounds not unlike several tracks on the band's follow-up "Futureperfect," but given the greatness of the other 9 tracks, a single misstep is easily forgivable. Being one of my top 5 favorite albums from any genre, "Empires" is highly recommended to anyone who appreciates electronic music that is more than a catchy beat.

Average customer rating:

Incredible sountrack

Age of Empires III
Ensemble Studios
Manufacturer: Sumthing Else
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Age of Mythology: Game
Kameo: Elements of Power
Perfect Dark Zero
Advent Rising
God of War II

ASIN: B000BX8QK2
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Tracks:

Noddinagushpa (Main Title)
Across the Ocean Sea
Get Off My Band
Felonious Junk
Runion
Pirate's Temper
I, Menevero
Scruffy and Underfed
Leisurely Brows
Hot Meal
Bubble Chum
Of Licious
Rest with Us
Get Ye Sum
Where's My Uncle?
Muptop
Meet These French
Old Timer
Major Rewrite/General Chunks
Take His Toes
Happy to You
Camels, Straws, And Backs
Years in the Making
Last Name Crane, Icabod
Ludus Perditus (The End of Happy Times)
Niceterium (The Sound of One Hand Clapping)
There Is Weather/Decisions Are Made (End Credits)

Tracks:

Age of Empires Theme [DVD][*][Mix]

Customer Reviews:

Incredible sountrack.......2006-11-01

This soundtrack is absolutely amazing. It is definately some of the best game music I have ever heard. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Way Oldie But Way Goodie

Empires & Dance
Simple Minds
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000793Z7
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Travel
Today I Died Again
Celebrate
This Fear Of Gods
Capitol City
Constantinople Line
Twist/Run/Repulsion
Thirty Frames A Second
Kant-Kino
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Album Description

Import only reissue of 1980 album with 10 tracks including,'I Travel', 'Today I Died Again' & 'Capital City'.

Customer Reviews:

Way Oldie But Way Goodie.......2007-01-26

Recorded before Simple Minds cared more about selling records and capturing the American pop market, this is an outstanding example of the genuine new wave of contemporary music that flooded the UK pop scene in the early 80s.

Average customer rating:

They Always Said They Were Metalheads...
Excellent
darker than most
Great album, but it is not "hardcore"
Simply the best melodic hardcore album ever

Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
Propagandhi
Manufacturer: Fat Wreck Chords
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Less Talk, More Rock
Potemkin City Limits
How to Clean Everything
Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues
Twisted by Design

ASIN: B000050XUL
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Mate Ka Moris Ukun Rasik An
Fuck The Border
Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
Back To The Motor League
Natural Disasters
With Friends Like These Who The Fuck Needs Cointelpro?
Albright Monument, Baghdad
Ordinary People Do Fucked-Up Things When Fucked-Up Things Become Ordinary
Ladies' Nite In Loserville
Ego Fum Papa (I Am The Pope)
New Homes For Idle Hands
Bullshit Politicans
March Of The Crabs
Purina Hall Of Fame

Customer Reviews:

They Always Said They Were Metalheads..........2005-11-18

I remember downloading "F**k The Border" and "Back To The Motor League" after listening to "How To Clean Everything" and "Less Talk, More Rock" for years, thinking, "This is Propagandhi?!?! Niiiiiiice!" It sounded like they officially arrived as a band, while also driving the lyrical content a tad smarter than the last outing. Their "essay to lyric" style of songwriting (more often than not ending a verse dead in the middle of a sentence, playing a guitar solo, then continuing the sentence in the next verse) has always been a thing I believed they could utilize more, and with this album, they do it to perfection, without having the intentional abrasiveness of say, Crass, while still keeping their "Stop singing along and pay attention to what I'm saying" message loud and clear. Propagandhi has always proclaimed to be metalheads at heart, and with the arrival of new bassist, "The Rod", they really open up to a sound that appears to be more inevitable than anything else. "How To Clean Everything" sounds like Tinkertoys compared to this album, both musically and lyrically, finally showing the world that a band who can perpetually reiterate "F**k You!" can also do their homework. They really offer so much more due to being conscious about everything in the world around them, not simply a band with a rant. Honestly, I've never heard a more haunting track than "Purina Hall Of Fame", and if anything, this album is much more a humbling experience, as you begin to realize how smart these guys actually are, and how serious they are about backing it up. Albeit short, this is really one of the greatest albums of music in it's genre.

Excellent.......2005-10-07

This album is amazing, I enjoy it extremely. Chris hannah's singing is outstanding, and todd is a grizzly bear, but obviosly he makes the band complete. Jord plays drums how they should be played. Each song is different from one another. The best song any band ever created is probably Purina Hall of Fame, or A speculative fiction (From potemkin city limits)

The most important tracks to listen to are Mate Ka, Albright Monument, New home for idle hands, With Friends Like These, and Purina Hall Of Fame.

But the albums in order, and the newest one last, that one is a surprise.

darker than most.......2005-09-09

From the haunting first to the haunting last song, this is a great CD. I don't agree with the person that said it's like Dead Kennedys because they are one of my other favorite bands and they have a different sense of humor...they are kind of sarcastic and out there and Propagandhi is more...satirical. But yeah. Get this CD, but first get Less Talk, More Rock, then How to Clean Everything, so the semi-darkness of this record won't come so unexpectedly as it did for me.

Great album, but it is not "hardcore".......2005-07-03

Okay, the main reason I write this is that I kept reading people referring to this as a hardcore album. Anyone that listens to a variety of music knows that Propagandhi is NOT hardcore. They themselves would find that label offensive. They are however very talented at making great music. This is the best in their career, no doubt. And as the one reviewer said it is angrier and faster and heavier than anything they have ever done. While I do not agree with everything they are for, I appreciate their passion and willingness to put out some things that most bands won't even go near. All of their albums are amazing and all should be picked up asap. I am anxiously awaiting their latest which should be done hopefully before I die. Please do yourself a favor and buy this album, and please don't call political pop-punk "hardcore"!

Simply the best melodic hardcore album ever.......2005-06-27

Propagandhi rival Slayer in how long it takes them to write a new album but I guess you can't
rush genius. And that's certainly what this latest disc is. This album is angrier, rawer, faster,
louder and more politically charged than anything they've ever done but sacrifices none of their
masterful metal meets punk songwriting style. It's hard to think they could top past
accomplishments which were already high water marks for the entire melodic hardcore genre
(yes better than NOFX) but this album is proof positive that these guys intend to remain king of the
hill (they would not approve of me referring to them as a monarchy!).

One thing that instantly upped the ante on their aggression is the new bassist. Fans may
remember the sweet voiced John Samson who sang the one or two pop songs on each of the
last records. He left to devote all his time to the Weakerthans. He was replaced by a screaming
fanatic who also sings (maybe yells is a better word) a few songs but these ain't no pop songs!
These are blazing hardcore songs that drop you like a swift kick to the balls, over before you hit
the ground. He's also got a more prominent spot in the mix which gives the sound a welcome
layer of strength.

The other thing that really pushes this record into the red is the complexity of the songwriting. The
time changes, all executed at breakneck speed, are truly stunning. Still, even this doesn't make it
a truly special hardcore record. What sets this apart is what happens in between. Any given song
is comprised of so many crazy drum fills, hook after memorable hook, and calm before the storm
breakdowns executed with such precision it's truly dizzying to follow. This could come across as
chaotic but track after track prove this combo of fists flying hardcore coupled with measured,
intricately timed melodic interludes is actually more cohesive sounding than any of their previous
work.

As I said above, this sucker is pissed off. There's no joke ska songs, there's no pop songs. Every
song is comprised of lightning fast riffs punctuated by melodic lead heavy hooks that take the
core of the Propagandhi sound from past records to a new level of technical prowess. Throw in
the best drumming this side of all but the best metal bands and a big new bass sound and you
literally have the best melodic hardcore record out there. How another band can ever attempt to
aspire to this level is beyond me so it's safe to say this album will remain tops until Propagandhi
finally manage to crank out another.

Check out more reviews at ohboydestroy.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
THIS Is F*cking Bay Brutality!
I really wanted to give this 5 stars but...
Music to punch someone in the face to
The new wave of Bay Area metal

Empires
Animosity
Manufacturer: Metal Blade
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shut It Down
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Akeldama
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ASIN: B000A7Q1SI
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Tracks:

Thieves
Commoditism
Holy Shackles
Empires
The Black Page
Life Advocate
Manhunt
Plutocracy
Shut It Down

Album Description

Death metal

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-05-09

I needed something to get me going when I workout at the gym...........I've actually lost weight listening to this when I'm on the treadmill.........nuf said!!!!

THIS Is F*cking Bay Brutality!.......2006-07-10

Good lord. Animosity is one hell of an amazing band. I actually got a chance to see them with Cattle Decapitation/From A Second Story Window/Misery Index/Job For A Cowboy (not on Amazon), and look at their singer for a second. He delivers like no other! And the music is amazing technical deathgrind that will punch you in the face and you won't know what hit you!

Whether it's "Manhunt" with its intro blastbeat and bass line thrown in, or the chug-chug mood of "Thieves", or the anthem track "The Black Page", you're in for a treat. And the plus is that it gets good distribution and only costs about $10! But it's worth it damnit!

I really wanted to give this 5 stars but..........2006-05-04

I give it 9/10. Don't get me wrong I love his growl, which I think has more of a grindcore influence myself (along the lines of Nile, or something of that sort), I just think it's overdone and gets very repetitive. The singer is very versatile and I just think his growl would pack more of a punch if used more sparingly (like On Broken Wings). The guitars and drums are SICK!!! Throw The Red Death, The Red Chord, Nile, and Psyopus in a blender and that's about the sound to expect. I originally bought this cd because they are on Black Market Activities, and I love every band on there. Definately not what I expected but in a good way. I don't listen to a lot of grind but am more partial to death metal, which is what this band was labeled under, although I believe them to be just as much grindcore as they are death metal and tech metal with some thrash and a little bit of hardcore. The production and artwork on this album are beyond amazing. This is the way technical/heavy-as-fu@# music should be produced. I can hear everything going on in the music without it being "sugar-coated". With 9 songs timed in at 27 mins only the last minute wasted (a phone call from someone talking sh$%).

Favorite Song: The Black Page

Music to punch someone in the face to.......2006-02-28

The anger and brutality in this record is so apparent you cannot help but feel the need to punch someone in the face grow when listening to this. This is brutal music with brutal death vocals, and then some hardcore-esque screams, but no tough guy hardcore vocals. These guys break it down sometimes like a hardcore band, but I think the appropriate label would be brutal/death/tech/grind. These guys are fast, brutal, heavy, the vocalist is a madman, he even has caps on his teeth to prove that he is a hard hitting guy from the streets. Hehe, anyways there is no denying that these guys can tear it up along with any of the greatest in death metal, if they keep it up these guys have a great career ahread of them. Buy an Animosity pipe!

The new wave of Bay Area metal.......2005-11-13

My first exposure to Animosity was at a show in San Francisco, where they opened for some well-known metal acts. Not only was the place packed, the band had turned damn near half the room into a mosh pit. Onstage were five guys that looked barely old enough to drive, but they were crunching out blastbeats and neck-snapping breakdowns like there was no tomorrow. This album, Animosity's second, is the first that truly captures their sound. The band mixes technical death metal, thrash, hardcore, and even out-of-nowhere bluesy riffs into one big ball of fury. Singer Leo Miller switches fluidly between death growls and midrange rasps, the performances are tight and concise, and the production is clear and heavy. Getting beat down by a bunch of teenagers never felt so good.

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Haunting_Beauty
Modern Meets Ancient

Peru: A Musical Journey
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Inside Sounds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Peru | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

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General | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

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Flute, Guitar & Harp of the Andes
Flute Music of the Andes
Music of the Andes

ASIN: B00000IKO0
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Tracks:

Viaje A La Montana
Andariego
Cholita Tania
Matices
Rio Amazonas
Kullakita
San Juanitos
El Condor Pasa
Jantu De Charajani
Mi Cambio

Album Description

Produced in conjunction with the 'Empires of Mystery' Cultural exhibition, this CD represents an exotic, mystical journey through the Andes. These songs are timeless and beautiful and begin with birdsong and the whistle of the wind in the trees...

Customer Reviews:

Haunting_Beauty.......2005-02-08

Andean Music is, to the American Apple-Pie rock-N-roll ear, an awakening. Much of it is played on what seems to be a guitar with a special sound--except that it is the Charango---and the Charanguista(s) on this album are highly talented. Our familiarity with guitar solos draws us to this alternative "guitar"--and opens us up to a whole new musical world.

No Andean music is complete without the Zamponia and the Kena---pan-pipe and end-blown flute respectively--and there is some superb playing on this album. These istruments, in my opinion, when well played, rival the expression of the best wooden flutes of Europe.

And a bonus is the fiddle playing and singing--so that while not a comprehensive anthology of traditional Andean sound, it is a cross-section which, at the bargain CD price, makes it an absolute must-have.

Modern Meets Ancient.......2004-11-17

Not a true representation of Peru's many musical styles, perhaps; but a beautiful recording by a very talented group of musicians, with touches of the modern meeting the ancient - especially noticeable in the lovely song 'Mi Cambio' composed by Cesar Villalobos.

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Of Empires Forlorn
While Heaven Wept
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Beyond the Crimson Horizon
Born Too Late
Forest of Equilibrium
Turn Loose the Swans
Between Two Worlds

ASIN: B0000DIGMB
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

Drowning Years
Of Empires Forlorn
Voice in the Wind
In Aeternum
Soulsadness
Epistle No. 81
Sorrow of the Angels

Album Description

Sophomore release by this Virginia band is a pure elixir overflowing from the Holy Grail of heavy metal. 7 tracks. Rage Of Achilles. 2003.

Average customer rating:

Frightening, Bizarre, Funky
Who'd have thought this band would ever release "Sparkle In The Rain"?
Excellent techno pop
One For The Converted
An Astonishing Record

Empires & Dance
Simple Minds
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call
New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
Reel to Real Cacophony
Sparkle in the Rain

ASIN: B00006IUPT
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Tracks:

Travel
Today I Died Again
Celebrate
This Fear Of Gods
Capitol City
Constantinople Line
Twist/Run/Repulsion
Thirty Frames A Second
Kant-Kino
Room

Album Description

2002 digitally remastered reissue of the new wave icon's 1980 album (o.o.p. domestically), packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve with original outer & inner bag artwork. EMI.

Album Details

24bit Digitally Remastered Edtion of their Third Album in MINI-LP Replica Packaging for Initial Quantities. "Empires and Dance" Broke them Out of Cult Status and Scored Success with the Singles "i Travel" and "Celebrate". They were Still Most Unusual and Nothing Like Anything Else on the Market.

Customer Reviews:

Frightening, Bizarre, Funky.......2006-03-25

Trust me when I say you've never heard anything like Empires & Dance in your entire life. I agree with the other reviews that say weirdness goes before all else on this record. But it's weird in a good way. Check it out...

"I Travel" is the lead-off track; apparently it's a classic early Simple Minds single. It's set in a fast disco rhythm with aggressive synth and guitar lines. It's got a bit of a dated sound, like much of the record, but it's a decent song. Unfortunately it doesn't really set the tone for the rest of the album with its bright, upbeat pop.

"Today I Died Again" starts the decent into darker territory. The ominous melody foretells the coming evil . . . but what is that evil? Perhaps we'll find out later.

"Celebrate" is truly an excellent track. It's got a funky disco beat with echoing, bouncing percussion. The lyrics are simple yet cryptic. As the song moves forward it becomes louder, disorganised, more chaotic. A dark celebration indeed. And finally we reach . . .

"This Fear of Gods." Undoubtedly the album's centerpiece and best track. This is a mind-blowing song. It starts with a repeating, descending synth melody. Soon the drums come thundering in, pounding out the most twisted disco you've ever heard.

Someone said this album is like a Cold War relic. That's probably never more true than on "This Fear of Gods." I think Kerr may be talking about the Soviet Union. The Russians are mocking the West's "fear of Gods" -- their secular state can't comprehend our increasing dependence on religion. Imagine being chased at three o'clock in the morning through a giant Soviet nuclear weapons factory. This song is the perfect soundtrack to that nightmare.

Or, you could have it another way. Maybe the song foretells the coming of the neoconservative reactionaries. After all, Ronald Reagan was elected mere weeks after this album came out. That scenario is admittedly more frightening than the factory chase!

At any rate, you need to hear this song. It gets a little abrasive toward the end, but the noise adds to the paranoid, desperate atmosphere. Now try to imagine that this is the same band that sang "Don't You Forget About Me."

"Capital City" is a very annoying track. The synth melody gives me the creeps. Not sure what they were thinking.

"Constantinople Line" continues the Cold war theme. It features a great off-kilter syncopated rhythm. More cryptic lyrics here -- they're probably nonsense and contribute more to imagery than story. Another excellent song.

"Twist/Run/Repulsion" is one of the weirder tracks here. The echoed clicking percussion is back, along with someone babbling in French. I think this track functions as something of an intermission. There's a bit of punkish holdover from their first two albums.

More paranoid disco punk awaits on "Thirty Frames a Second." This song has some of the more vivid lyrics on the album. It vaguely describes living life in reverse -- or at least watching a film in such a way. Bizarre yet awesome!

"Kant-Kino" and "Room" wind everything down. They provide a good ending if little else.

I think I read somewhere that the original publisher of this album printed only 10,000 copies, anticipating poor sales. A couple years later it was reissued by another record company who saw its excellence.

Simple Minds really took a lot of chances on this record. The results are a bit mixed, but mostly awesome. If you enjoy dark, frightening, paranoid music, you'll love this.

Who'd have thought this band would ever release "Sparkle In The Rain"?.......2005-12-09

Before they became the washed-up, wimped-out eighties synth rockers most people are familiar with, before they earned the satirical name 'U3', Simple Minds were a ground-breaking band, and deeply revered by British music fans, for whom sort-of-singer Jim Kerr was something like a proto-Morrissey. And living up to that reverence after they got noticed with "Real to Real Cacophany", they released this wonderful album. The overall feeling for me of this album is of driving, pulsing electronica-with-guitars of a type no one made before and no one tried again (maybe "New Gold Dream" dissuaded any would-be copyists). Add in the cryptic travelogue lyrics, and you have an album that makes you believe you could encounter practically any track of this album in any cool European club, from Albania to France, and find the dance-floor filled.

Excellent techno pop.......2005-10-11

THIS MIGHT BE SIMPLE MINDS' BEST CD.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING ELSE THEY HAVE DONE.

Recorded in 1980, this is Simple Minds' second or third album (depending on how you are counting). It is 45 minutes long. On the original CD, the sound was slightly flat but still fairly good (not like many other early CD's). I haven't heard this remastered version.

This is completely different than anything Simple Minds has done. It is techno pop/electronica. But, it some of the best techno pop I have ever heard. The music has a nice, rich, complex sound. The compositions are very good.

A lot of techno pop suffers from a lack of imagination. Much of it is very repetitious. That is not the case with Simple Minds. It still has a great pulsating beat for dancing, but you can still enjoy it outside the disco.

My first introduction to Simple Minds was New Gold Dream, which is actually their fifth album. But, it was the first time they got major exposure in the US. I felt that they slowly went downhill, going more popish and sounding more like INXS. The band originally rejected their biggest hit, Don't You Forget About Me for its simplicity. I kind of soured on the band and wasn't buying their CD's. But, then I happened on this one, and I want to seek out all of their early work.

One For The Converted.......2005-09-26

Inspired by the band's first major tour of continental Europe (opening for Peter Gabriel), Empires and Dance is strongly influenced by the driving, electronic Krautrock of groups like Harmonia. Anticipating poor sales, only a few thousand copies were initially pressed by Arista Records, probably because seven of the ten tracks show no attention to melody or standard pop-song structures. This gutsy release has more verve than anything Simple Minds recorded after 1982 and includes two of their finest songs: "I travel" and "celebrate", but-especially on side two-it mostly falls short of its potential. Get "Reel to Real Cacophony" (1979) or "New Gold Dream" (1982) instead.

An Astonishing Record.......2005-07-24

Empires and Dance is an unbelievable record. It probably ranks as Simple Minds' second best album (just a hair behind Real to Real Cacophony). It also ranks as probably the most unusual record of the post-punk era. In some ways this should have been the Bond theme music of its time. No other album captures the atmosphere of Cold War Europe circa 1980 like this disc. It's literally like a time capsule of the era. Political fragmentation, communications breakdown, tension, intrigue, strife, cultural curiosities and the barriers of language are all reflected by the extraordinary songs on this album. The average rock fan may not get it. It has more in common with the works of Kurt Weill or German Lieder music than anything in rock or pop. Comparisons with Roxy are more lazy than anything else. Here's a roundup of the songs:

'I Travel' kicks of the album at a frantic pace. A helicopter synth line propels the listener over the land as Jim Kerr yelps in his newfound Scott Walker voice: 'Travel Round, Travel Round, Decadence and Pleasure Towns. I see tragedy, luxury, statues, parks, galleries'. Very exciting stuff.

'Today I Died Again' is a stately dirge. A sombre and powerful musing on the failure and decay of civilisation, it seems all the more strange and out of place in today's world where everything comes with a post ironic wink. Funnily enough though, it's as relevant as ever in its portrait of the dehumanisation of a people in a post fascist apocalyptic wasteland. Musically, the rhythmic guitar wash is pure Neu, Mick McNeil lays out some coldly beautiful keyboards and the drums are excellent in a dub sort of way. The marriage of words with music is truly haunting in this track.

'Celebrate' continues with the same theme but does contain that kink of irony in as much as the title sounds more like a threat than an invitation. Here, Derek Forbes' bass lays the foundation over a rhythm track that sounds like a train. If 'I Travel' is Kraftwerk's 'TransEurope Express' on speed then this is just the opposite. A slowed down voyeuristic snapshot of the people from 'Today I Died Again'. The song gradually disintegrates into a cacophony of handclaps, shouts, synth burbles and the sound of a real train on a ghostly journey. Stunning.

'This Fear of Gods' is as fabulous and mindblowing as its title suggests. Another brilliantly hypnotic bassline is overlaid with synth sequences and wailing saxophone a la Can (courtesy of guitarist Charlie Burchill). Kerr's dense lyric builds and builds until the chorus which showcases a wonderful Mahler like melody on the keys. Some might say that the verses run on too long in this song but I think it makes the sense of release in the choruses all the more effective.

'Capital City' comes in sounding like a horse clip clopping over a dumb bassline with a 5 year old playing a synth melody that sounds oh so familiar. I'm not making this up! That's exactly what it sounds like! The Minds don't go about painting pictures of alienation in the usual teen-angst sort of way. Instead they draw on the disparate threads that make humdrum living what it is and lay it out on a huge canvas without any emoting. To say it's unusual would be something of an understatement. To say it's wonderful would not.

'Constantinople Line' sees the band kicking further into leftfield again. This time Kerr is stuck on a train that never seems to reach its destination, making bland enquiries of the waiter: 'Hey Waiter, what state is this?'. Meanwhile the band are playing what can only be described as electronic modal jazz. It doesn't sound like one's traditional expectation of jazz but when you strip away the cosmetics that's exactly what it is. This is when you really start to realize that Simple Minds are leaving their punk roots behind. They've got their eyes set on bigger things.

'Twist/Run/Repulsion' is probably the track that pushes some people to hit 'eject' on the CD player! It is the most uncompromising piece on the record but hardly unmusical. Over a bassline that repeats like a pneumatic drill comes the voice of what sounds like a foreign airport announcer. It's actually a female friend of the band reading some french literature (I think it might be 'l'Etranger' but I'm not 100%). Then a blast of horns and a 4 note guitar arpeggio (which is stolen straight off a track called 'Mind' on Talking Heads' excellent 'Fear of Music' album). All the while, Kerr babbles like a madman! Great fun!

Then comes 'Thirty Frames A Second'. Over a robotic bassline accented by one of the most brutally heavy synth sounds ever committed to tape, Kerr rattles off the story of a man forced to relive his entire wretched life in reverse in a futile effort to make some sense of it all. All the while McNeil's synth lines snake in and out around the vocal. It's rare for a song to be so aesthetically cold yet reflect the human condition in such an oddly moving way.

'Kant Kino' is one of the band's most overlooked instrumentals. Short and sweet, it's built on layers of loops from the guitar and synth. It's also got a gorgeous little bassline. Probably the most overtly melodic moment on the album.

'Room'. This song is the perfect album closer. It's the only one that sounds remotely traditional in any way, shape or form. Here at the very end, the Minds betray that they're not unnaffected by all that they see and that in fact they do care. With a simple rhythm and some congas going, Kerr sings 'I only live here. I only live here. A fragile man'. The delivery is stern but it's the thought that counts. This song does for this album what 'Scar' does for 'Real to Real'. The fact that they've made you wait the whole album for a glimpse of weakness makes the moment just beautiful.

A few notes: The drumming on this record is absolutely excellent. Brian McGee was an economical drummer with precision timing and great taste. He never overplayed and nearly always did something a little bit special to make a song his own. Without a doubt, the best drummer the band ever had. They never should have let him leave. Also, the keyboards on the record are exquisite. There are a handful of melodic flourishes by Mick McNeil that sound like snippets handed down from Mozart.

As you've probably gathered by now, Empires and Dance is as much about ideas and experiences (and lyrics!) as it is about music. It's one of very few records that really is thematically consistent without the dreaded 'concept album' tag. The lyrics are, for the most part, abstract. Yet the pictures they conjure are powerful, concise and filled with meaning.

I can understand why an album like this might seem like unlistenable noise to some people but the truth is it's anything but that. There's no doubt that the jarring nature of a lot of the music on this disc is not everyone's cup of tea, but this is the kind of album that will reward the adventurous listener for many years to come. Give it a chance and you'll just keep coming back for more.

Average customer rating:

Murderous Riffs
Ultra technical, downtuned black thrash... power metal?
will make your ears bleed
Metal surprise of the year!
The most genius albums since Strapping Young Lad's City

The Empires of the Worlds
Biomechanical
Manufacturer: Earache Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
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Eight Moons
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Dead Heart, in a Dead World

ASIN: B0009ESSJC
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

Enemy Within
Empires of the Worlds
Assaulter
Relinquished Destiny
Long Time Dead
Regenerated
DNA Metastasis
Survival
Existenz
Truth Denied
Absolution, Pt. 1: Final Offence
Absolution, Pt. 2: From the Abyss
Absolution, Pt. 3: Absolution
Absolution, Pt. 4: Disintegration

Customer Reviews:

Murderous Riffs.......2007-01-25

Pantera meets Queenschyre's vocalist. The riffs are inspired of slayer, pantera, metallica, and judas priest. The background keyboards feel SYL and greatly enhance the album. Seems like no one's heard this band.....still made it to #17 2005 metal-rules. Thank god - or I would have never heard it.

Easily one of the best metal albums of the decade so far...here's my list:

1. Cage - Darker than Black
2. Nevermore - Dead Heart
3. Biomechanical - Empires
4. Blind Guardian - Night at the Opera
5. Nightwish - Once
6. Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
7. Iron Maiden - Brave new world
8. SYL - Alien
9. Mercenary - 11 dreams
10. Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black

Ultra technical, downtuned black thrash... power metal?.......2006-04-16

Holy [...]. This band is so completely mindblowing. Ultra technical, downtuned black thrash... power metal? An impossible mix of techgrindthrash a la Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, Strapping Young Lad and the like, but with plenty of chugcrunchmosh as per Pantera, but most importantly, a huge heaping dose of classic melodic power metal: blazing leads and harmony solos like they were plucked straight from some Iron Maiden b-side, wailing and soaring eighties style Rob Halford like vocals, all plopped smack dab in the middle of a dense sludgy, churning whirpool of brutal pummeling technical thrash metal.

Imagine your favorite eighties metal record, Avenger, Obsession, Omen, doesn't matter, now imagine that band going through one of those science fiction transformations, you know like where the dinky little robot is dragged down the conveyor belt, strapped down and then is suddenly awash in a blur of sparking machines, and molten metal, a hundred mechanical arms with all manner of alien tools welding and cutting, sparks spraying everywhere, flames and smoke, until the tiny robot emerges a hulking armored battle machine, all sharp edges and planet crushing firepower. That's basically Biomechanical. Imagine Iron Maiden or especially Queensryche (the singer sounds a hell of a lot like Geoff Tate) with a 21st century makeover. A blurred buzzy blast of totally brutal thrash metal, technical and convoluted but super catchy. With those wailing vocals that at first sound so completely out of place, but immediately make Biomechanical so much more interesting than their grunting shrieking thrash metal brethren. Plus they smear the proceedings with all sorts of bizarre keyboards which gives the whole record a demented alien vibe.

will make your ears bleed.......2006-04-01

If you are looking for modern, mind blowing death metal, this is it. After the soft, less then a minute intro you get pummelled with an in your face, relentless, wall of sound. This band actually manages to sound fresh and new while incorporating a lot of old. This is amazing folks. The incorporation of styles is nonstop as you get drawn in to power thrash guitars with huge solos, melodic black metal keyboards, killer rhythm section and one of the most powerful voices I've heard in a long time. John K sang on the last Balance of Power album, Heathen Machine, but only hinted at what he could do vocally. Here you get his whole range. It reminds me of when I first heard Sebastian Bach and his range and power, though they sound nothing alike. K is more like Geoff Tate meets Halford meets Lance King. If you are tired of the current metalcore sound, or just looking for a breath of fresh air in extreme music this is a must listen.

Metal surprise of the year!.......2005-10-19

Biomechanical's The Empires of the Worlds is the metal surprise of the year for me. Its relentless power yields intense moments of crushingly heavy extreme music with touches of thrash, traditional, industrial, and even progressive metal. Built around complex harmonies and song structures, the music is meticulously produced resulting in a hybrid of dense staccato string bends, semi-melodious and semi-growled vocals that easily tear the stratosphere, and a hyper-speed chaos of rhythm intensity. All elements are combined in order to make a lasting musical statement that fearlessly transcends boundaries making the album impossible to categorize.

The dark cover art done by Nat Jones suggests Swedish thrash/death ala The Haunted or Hypocrisy, though Biomechanical shares little in common with either band, except their undeniable thrash metal riffery that characterizes their sound. Biomechanical does play a perfect mix of post-thrash and industrial with vivid traditional heavy metal overtones that often suggest Judas Priest or early Mercyful Fate, particularly in their guitar work. Add to this John K's inhuman vocals that can range from a deep Devin Townsend-like growl to majestic high screams from the likes of Rob Halford or Wade Black. The title track illustrates said amalgamation with its focused clean vocals contrasted by aggressive low growls and some Swedish scream harmonies. However, all extreme elements are put aside when the band's guitar tandem throws a swirling guitar solo that brings to mind the best moments of Downing and Tipton as well as Hank Shermann and Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate). Aside from the heavily Priest-inspired lead solos, Biomechanical's guitar duo Chris Webb and Jamie Hunt also lay down some amazing rapid-fire riffs coloured with post-thrash motifs and a Gene Hoglan-type of drummer that plays his instrument with ruthless aggression and stunning speed. Injected with a massive orchestration sound, the first track "Enemy Within" immediately recalls Strapping Young Lad, moreso than any other band. Industrial sound effects, swift keyboard layerings and a demonic twin guitar tandem that impresses with their sweep and pinch harmonic work are melted into the track to both define the sound of the band and expose their diversity.

Moreover, The Empires of the Worlds has a great film continuity to it, as main composer John K is very much into film score. From the creepy sound effects and heavily orchestrated "Regenerated" to the Cronenberg movie-inspired "Existenz" to the epic-sounding "Survival", the disc is filled with audio moments that give the album a visual feel. Given that this is also the second chapter of a huge concept piece, the band has incorporated these elements with great attention to detail. This is far from the typical "write a song and slap an orchestra on it" attitude. The orchestral arrangements actually are the song itself and they play a very vital role in the music. What's better, however, is that not even a single minute of heaviness has been compromised; the orchestra is there to add texture and enrich the arrangements. What we have in the foreground is sped-up twin guitars that, as on "Assaulter", can go from a Testament feel with melodic vocal lines and instrumental breakdowns to sludgy build-ups littered with a symphonic vortex of sound and Meshuggah complexity on "Relinquished Destiny". The four-part "Absolution" epic finds the band going back to film score with a blaring horn and string section on "Final Offence", horror movie voiceovers on "From the Abyss", and back-to-form aggression on the later two pieces that emphasize the band's ear for orchestration centred around mercilessly fierce guitar, bass and drum foundation.

Andy Sneap's production makes things only better and this disc will takes its place in his ever-growing list of works. The sound is far larger than the average metal release out there and embodies controlled chaos and a very precise vision of songwriting. This disc should be right up there with Strapping Young Lad's Alien and Nevermore's This Godless Endeavor, two of the year's best metal releases.

The most genius albums since Strapping Young Lad's City.......2005-09-25

It is not often my jaw drops when I hear a new album. Disillusion's "Back to Times of Splendor" stunned me for a bit, same with Kamelot's "The Black Halo". But after the 50ish second intro of "The Empires of The Worlds" I was fumbling for my player's volume control just so I could hear every part of the huge wall of sound that hits you head on. From there on out you get an album that sounds something like if Rob Halford (Judas Priest, for all you ignorant folks) was injected with speed and told to make an album that takes the best parts of metal for the last 15 years and cram them into one album.

So that is what you get. From the At The Gates (except a lot faster) style of melodic death metal on Truth Denied to the instrument jackhammering on Assaulter to the ballady Long Time Dead to the eccentric The Empires of the Worlds you get it all. While the album is primarily awesome thrash metal, it has tones of other styles crammed into it as well. I could go on for ages just describing each song since they all have their own unique sound - but I'll just let you experience that yourself since nothing I could write could do the songs justice.

This album just blew me away from start to finish. It's only failings are that in a few points some people may find it simply over the top mind blowing, and in a few points their movie-style orchestrations seem kind of strange.

Similar to: Judas Priest, Pantera, Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory, Mike Patton's work, Devin Townsend, Nevermore. But it more a fusion of all these bands than any one of them at a time.

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