Dragonforce - Extreme Power Metal Review

Dragonforce - Extreme Power Metal (2019)

Members:

Marc Hudson – lead vocals (2011–present)

Herman Li – guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)

Sam Totman – guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)

Gee Anzalone – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2014–present)

Frédéric Leclercq – bass, backing vocals (2006–2019)

Extreme Power Metal is the upcoming eighth studio album by British power metal band DragonForce. It is scheduled to be released on 27 September 2019. It will be the band's last studio album to feature longtime bassist Frédéric Leclercq.

Released by:

earMUSIC, Metal Blade, JVC Victor

First impressions:

Typical Dragonforce fare with some interesting twists, but lacking something. Let me start by saying this, I know this album leaked, and leaked bad from what I have read...however the copy I used for this review came from a reputable media source who I have done reviews for in the past but who is not affiliated with this site in any way. Now with that said let's dig into this album proper.

Dragonforce is a band known for excessive speed and even more excessive guitar wankery, over the top solos and really cliche euro power metal lyrics...well all in all this album is no different but for this band is no different is a good thing. The vocals, guitar work, and even the rhythm section is as tight as you can get, but the question is how do the songs stack up on their own? Well let's dig in and see, this is how I feel about them, your interpretation may be different:

1."Highway to Oblivion"6:48

The first single from this album pays homage to all cheesy anthemic metal songs from the past. The over all presentation is tight and sharp as a razor like practically every other Dragonforce song. This is a status quo Dragonforce tune, and that isn't a bad thing either.

2."Cosmic Power of the Infinite Shred Machine"6:36

This track starts with a very Queen like intro, before going into a more kitchy story driven song. The guitar work from Li & Totman is more tasteful and slightly less wanky than usual, this song would be right at home on any other European power metal album. The mid track interlude is a treat which elevates into a great keyboard/synth section, which of course transitions into the guitar solo sections. A great tune, and one of my favorites on this album.

3."The Last Dragonborn"6:12

A folky intro goes into a track that goes into manowar territory from time to time. A good mid tempo track with a Folk approach throughout, competent and yet cliche musicianship is on display here, this one will make you feel a bit on the powered up side once it crawls under your skin. The overall presentation is very well done and is a pleasant change from all the usual Dragonforce chaos that this band is known for.

4."Heart Demolition" 5:39

Single number 2 from this album is what you expect. It has a feeling of an 80's throwback metal tune with its lyrical content spinning around "breaking chains", being a "victim of love", and being "fooled again". This song is an energetic yet campy romp. A great song with good energy....the video is even more campy than the song.

5."Troopers of the Stars" 5:03

Not much can be said about this one except this is a typical Dragonforce song with a couple of flourishes in the mid section, one being a piano piece that adds a bit of texture to the song before all the flashy guitar work takes over. All in all though it's what we have come to expext from this band, not a bad thing though.

6."Razorblade Meltdown" 4:45

More piano plus a cello starts this one off before launching into the guitar driven stuff these guys do best, unfortunately this is probably the most formula track on this album which tends to drag it down. It really has a good feel but the lack of innovation on this one is what holds this one back, if Dragonforce writes filler, this track is it. Not bad but still a 'meh' track.

7."Strangers" 4:29

Well, this makes up for the last one, it is a well layered song with a lot going on, it has a bit more of that kitchy 80's feel from time to time. This track isn't a wall to wall guitar wank fest, the fills and riffs are tasteful and help build this song up from the beginning to the end, even the solos are a bit subdued for Li and Totman. A good track and another song I really like on this album.

8."In a Skyforged Dream" 4:45

And we are back to the speed tracks, this song starts abruptly and sounds like a re-imagining of the Babymetal song "Road to Resistance",which makes some sense since the guitar duo played on that one too. This song gains its own identity quickly though and is surging with energy and excellent musicianship all around.

9."Remembrance Day" 5:10

Oh boy, bagpipes for an intro, yep this song has a Scottish feeling, as anthemic as you can get, you could almost see this tune becoming a national anthem for a long forgotten country. It has a great feel, great power and a very tight sound. Very tastefully done I can see myself spinning this one frequently, even with its vague Manowar feel.

10."My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion cover) 3:23

Starts with Genesis or NES type midi sounds before ramping up this well known slow and boring ballad into overdrive. It's funny how good this song is when it's played faster, it actually sounds hopeful and upbeat. I hate the Celine Dion original song with a passion, but these guys transformed it into a palatable song that I can enjoy, wonder how she feels about this one?

Conclusion:

Another strong album from these guys, it has a tendency to become repetitive and it can get easy to get lost in the songs that sound like everything else they have done. It's the little flourishes in the songs like "Strangers" and "Remembrance Day" that makes this album a bit stronger than their usual stuff. All in all a competant album which could be seen among their better works. I enjoyed listening to it, however with all the great albums that have been released this year, this one just can't compete in the long run and will unfortunately not last on most people's playlists. Only the truly diehard fan will keep playing this, for months at a time. Which in a way is a shame, it is a strong album, but just not strong enough for most music fans.

I like Dragonforce, I have since the release of "Inhuman Rampage", the albums before that one and since have been a rollercoaster of joy and moderate disappointment from album to album, this one fares better than others in my opinion but it isn't the monolithic album this band is capable of but has yet to make it.

Score: 4/5

Tool - Fear Inoculum Review

TOOL - Fear Inoculum (2019)

Danny Carey – drums, percussion (1990–present)
Adam Jones – guitar (1990–present)
Maynard James Keenan – vocals (1990–present)
Justin Chancellor – bass (1995–present)

Discography:
Undertow (1993)
Ænima (1996)
Lateralus (2001)
10,000 Days (2006)
Fear Inoculum (2019)

Salival (2000, Compilation) 
Opiate (1992, EP) 

Fear Inoculum is the fifth studio album by American rock band Tool. It was released on August 30, 2019, through Tool Dissectional, Volcano Entertainment, and RCA Records.

First impressions, 

Layered, spiraling, & hypnotic. An exhausting trip, but a welcome one. 

13 years is quite a wait for an album that most of us probably thought would never come out, but it finally did and boy oh boy was it worth the wait. Before I continue it must be said that Tool is one of those divisive yet popular bands in not only metal but music in general. Heavy yet extremely proggy at times, yet atmospheric and haunting at others. This album is no exception to that statement, in fact on the surface it can be seen as more of the same from this quartet of amazing musicians, yet if you really take this one in you start to notice all the clever layers and all the subtle connective tissue it has to all of their previous releases. This is an album that really takes you on a journey to places you didn't know existed, while keeping you grounded in all the nuances that is, and always has been Tool. Now I have read on social media as of late that this is just more of the same, or this is their worst album yet, or even on the flip side some have praised this album as the second coming of Maynard Jesus Keenan, I’m not going to say I think it’s their worst album but I won’t say it lives up to all the hype that this 13 year wait generated for its release, but one does have to consider Tool is going to be Tool and there are really no bad Tool records, so that being said let’s get down to this review. Instead of gluing this experience together in one overly chatty review, I'll go over the album in less wordy statements on a track by track basis. This will be more effective in conveying how this album pulled me around by the synapses and truly exhausted me in a good way...here we go. 

(This is for the 7 track physical version, not the 10 track digital, I'll touch on those 3 interlude tracks later on in this review) 

1."Fear Inoculum"10:20
Track one starts with an atmosphere builder, familiar rhythmic patterns and a slow build into the main focus on this album, the rhythm section of Danny and Justin. Adam's guitar work is more tonal than anything with tangents of erraticism. Maynard’s voice is typical Tool fare, understated and almost angelic at times with that typical Tool phrasing and charm through all the deep lyricism we have grown to expect from a Tool song. A great album track that starts the slow build to the albums crescendo while building into one of its own in the process. 

2."Pneuma"11:53
Another somber starter that starts off with more texture and sets an almost melancholy mood before deep diving into a very Tool like rhythmic progression, Maynard’s lyrics set a tone of slightly discordant psychology, the type of isolated genius that really worms into your mind. This track is a hypnotic spiral that grabs you by the brain and pulls you down into the depths with it whether you want to go or not. One of my favorites on this album for sure, it's layering and content are just jaw dropping in my opinion. 

3."Invincible"12:44
The thing with this album is the formula it sticks with, this song is no different, a somber and subtle intro that builds the mood then the build into the song proper. Danny's drumming, much like the rest of this album, is the centerpiece that this song is built around, Justin's bass work supports the rhythmic work and  Adam's guitar has moments of soaring over the song with both majesty and controlled viciousness, the landscape this song paints is one of simultaneous peace and chaos. One of the songs that shows its teeth but never uses them on this album. A nice midpoint on the album to be sure. 

4."Descending"13:37
Starting with an atmospheric soundscape of waves, this is a beautiful song in structure and content, Maynard’s  lyrics are thought provoking as usual, this is a mostly somber song and it really sets the pace for the second half of the album. The journey this song takes you on is one of desperation and triumph emotionally. It is a great transitional song for this album, and gets you ready for the conclusion of this monument of an album. 

5."Culling Voices"10:05
This album is a labyrinth of slow builds and somber moods, this track is no different in that respect, Maynard’s voice and Adam's simplistic guitar work start this track of in a haunting fashion that proliferates the whole song. The build on this song is riddled with false starts and clever musicianship that makes you think it is barely holding itself together at times, it's a song that has a barren landscape type of feel to it, an all alone in the wilderness vibe...then it starts feeling like a challenge the world type of song, it goes from pensive to demanding back to pensive to flat out angry more than once in the later parts of the song, all the while Maynard’s voice is being the one emotional constant all throughout the song. 

6."Chocolate Chip Trip" (instrumental)4:48
This is Danny's masterpiece, it makes you seriously think that Neil Peart has been replaced as the best drummer ever, the controlled chaos he brings to this very odd piece is the most aggressively technical thing I have ever heard. A great piece of sonic art, and a showcase of skill from an amazing musician. 

7."7empest"15:43
The album's crescendo and the most aggressive song on the album at its peak, this is the snarl song of the album, Maynard’s vocals are in bite mode, gritty and growling in his unique way, his lyrics are scathing and accusing, and they don't apologize at all for it. The music follows suit and really builds this album to an exhaustive high point that honestly, literally exhausts the listener who has committed himself to this album's journey. This is among their high points in musicianship and songwriting, it leaves you with a sense that you have been taken on a trip through the mind of a psychopathic genius and then dropped back off into your own head to deal with the consequences on your own. A first class Tool song if there ever was one. 

Conclusion, 

I refrained from comparing this album to their past releases for one main reason, Tool albums are individual experiences and comparing them would be to trivialize their effect on the individual listener, however with that being said, this album does have moments of connective tissue to all of their previous releases, on purpose or purely coincidental it is a nice little touch that ties Fear Inoculum to its predecessors. This is the definition of a headphone album, the subtlety and layers that the listener will notice on every listen will keep them coming back to hunt for new things that they didn't notice the previous listens, it's a somber affair with moments of anger and spite that integrates well with the atmosphere this album has in spades. The defining meter of this album is the skill that was woven into this album, Danny’s drumming and percussion work is the star of this whole album, his creativity is top notch and it shows through all the technically challenging work he put in, Justin is just as solid as ever and supports the foundation on this release flawlessly, even getting some time to shine himself, Adam’s textural guitar work is intermixed well with the albums overall feel, not too upfront yet not buried, he soars when he needs to and provides that push when it is called for, a masterful contribution from a talented guitarist. What can be said about Maynard? He’s a story all his own, he’s also the logical core of all his projects, but in Tool he is the Lynch pin everything attaches to. He is subtle, direct, haunting, accusatory, and emotional throughout this whole album and every album that came before it. His lyrics are insightful, venomous, melancholy, and introspective and he phrases things in such a unique, almost mathematical way, as most Tool fans know and usually love. 

The 3 extra songs on the digital release are simple instrumental interludes that serve the album in one major way, these tracks “Litanie contre la Peur”, “Legion Inoculant”, & “Mockingbeat” tend to be linking songs that convey the idea that this album is really just one very long song split up into several parts. These aren't essential for the album experience as a whole but they do fill in the blanks and make the picture more colorful. 

In conclusion, Fear Inoculum, although not a perfect album is a great excuse to immerse yourself in an album that will take you on a ride you will come back to again. This is Tool at their best and in my opinion was well worth the 13 year wait. 

Score: 5/5