The Foreshadowing - Second World [2012]

Gothic doom metal albums often fall into a safe lull of mediocrity, never really excelling or overtly failing at what they do. The formula is simple: apply simple but effective riffing, a guitar tone that straddles the line between accessible clarity and distortion, some formulaic A-B songwriting, and an "emotional" low-range vocalist (or if you want to get really stereotypical, a male/female vocal hybrid), and you're basically done. The Foreshadowing, a relatively newer group of this sort, isn't exactly reinventing the wheel here with its third offering. However, while Second World features many of the predictable traits listed above, it delivers them with a quality far above the norm and an appropriately otherworldly atmosphere without forgetting to compose some (but not all) great songs in the process. Thus, a must-have for fans of the genre has officially been bestowed upon us.

The most notable point of interest is the excellent sound at play here. Second World depicts its apocalyptic overtones in every forlorn, desperate note. The multi-layered tracks often dwell in a haze of ambiguity, as if the sun is just coming over the horizon and the world is stuck in limbo as the silhouetted figures (zombies? warlords? emaciated survivors?) stare beyond the screen with unseen eyes... okay, so maybe I'm taking the cover art a bit too literally, but it is particularly sweet and does portray the all-consuming mood of the record very well. One is subjected to a well of conflicting emotions here: the dreary sense of loss, the convincing hope that vitality will be restored, the universal fear of death, and the pathos of rage are all explored here in opulent quantities. And who better to explore such realms of thought than the amazing Marco Benevento, whose romantic and moving voice could sell out a stadium for a mere reading of a dictionary? Seriously, this guy would make the album even if the atmosphere didn't.

The one factor that just barely restricts Second World from masterpiece status is the occasionally repetitive and unimaginative songwriting style. Don't get me wrong; there are still plenty of catchy tracks and excellent melodies here, but some more variation could have gone a long way toward letting this one compete with the greatest greats of the genre. With that said, the majority of the record is made up of winners. "Havoc" builds the silkiest verse rhythm of the album right out the starting gate, with Marco's similarly rich voice gliding effortlessly above. The title track delivers a desolate and beautiful musical portrait and one of the best choruses on the album. Of all the tracks, "Ground Zero" has the most classically driven bombast, forging a sound most reflective of classic Gothic metal sounds. It's also memorable as all hell. "Colonies" escalates in tension and emotion, and "Friends of Pain" closes it all out with a dreary, miserable, and slow display of despair.

The only thing really missing from The Forshadowing is a bevy of noticeable emotional highs or lows. Thus, a few of the tracks fail to make much of an impact. All in all, however, Second World succeeds thanks to the excellent vocals and a mystery-provoking atmosphere. Add in highlights like "Ground Zero" or "Colonies" and you've got quite the hit on your hands, easily the best entry of this genre I've yet heard this year. Fans of the style are encouraged to pick it up, but those less tested should probably try it on before buying. This is certainly one to revisit during winter, curled up by the fireplace with a cup of coffee and The Foreshadowing's velveteen music simmering through the air. I'm not sure which element would be the most successful warming agent.

   Overall: 8/10 (Great)

Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline [2012]

You know, people really do amaze me. They amaze me in a variety of ways, in fact, especially in their acceptance of the absolute bare minimum. I've got a little story to tell; gather 'round the campfire children.

_________________

At the musical methadone clinic, sometime in January, 2012:

Mindless Consumer: "Total crap? Same thing as the product I bought last year? Zero effort or originality involved?! Hell yeah, sign me up!"

Head Record Company Executive: "All right, sir dumbass, just initial here and we'll give you your repackaged poison. No catch! Oh, but you will be giving up your hard-earned money, feeding a brain-sucking, industry-killing leech, and authorizing full utilization of your soul in the unseemly ways we see fit. Do we have a deal?"

Mindless Consumer: "Why wouldn't we? I might be legally deaf, but I would never be one to use discretion and actually give a shit about what I listen to. The stricter the structure of the song, the better. The poppier the chorus, the better. The more phoned in the song... well, you get the point. Just give me my fix, ma'an."

Head Record Company Executive: "Here you go, fresh from the lab: twelve carefully crafted pills of hollow, green-tinted, nonmetal glucose. Granted, they're all the same flavor, and once you've experienced one of them, you've had them all, but we'll generously give you twelve just to make you feel special. Once you're hooked and you're on your sugar rush, be sure to purchase your Lacunacoilium (TM) t-shirts, posters, dolls--ahem, action figures--and laptop/phone skins at the Century Media website. Act now and you'll get exactly what you would if wait for a couple weeks!"

Mindless Consumer: "But Satan, I'm a hardcore deviant sadist; what if twelve aren't enough to fulfill my degenerate fantasies?"

Head Record Company Executive: "Not to worry, dear playtoy! Buy the album at iTunes ('cause, I mean, why support one soulless corporation when you can support two?) and you'll get six bonus tracks and even a video. Losing all character and self-esteem has never come at such a low price! Or, if you're really hankerin' for a spankerin', try the box set edition on for size. It'll serve as a convenient carrying case for your over-produced, overly congruous capsules. Each one comes with a coupon for a free lobotomy, though I can see that you're already, um, well accounted for. Give it to a friend and make sure he uses it before sampling the product. Remember: everybody's doing it, so it must be okay."

Mindless Consumer: "That satisfies me... but wait, why does it explicitly say 'metal' here in the table of contents? 'Dark'? Ick. Scary words dissuade my mindless consumption."

Head Record Company Executive: "We at CM absolutely assure you that the metal factor at work here is only a facade, as is the entire dark image of the Lacunacoilium (TM) property. We have a teen audience, too; we think it's only fair that we give them their drug in a form that's easier for them to swallow. You know, one where they think they're a part of something real, something that'll make them feel cool. There's no need to feel liable to any surprises whatsoever. What you got last time is what you'll get this time, guaranteed: powerless female vocal syrup (because we're using her as a hip gimmick), an illusion of chemical heaviness in the nonexistent riffing section, tracks of nearly identical length, and a spiffy production so crystal clear, you'll swear it'll pop into the room with you. Uniformity has never been this accessibly pervasive!"

Mindless Consumer: "Okay, okay, I think everything's in order. Give me every bottle you got."

...And they all lived happily ever after until the new Kornium (TM) came out.

__________________

If my not-so-subtle rant just alluded you, then you're about to have a new favorite album. I never thought I'd sink low enough to write one of these juvenile 'false conversation' pieces, but Dark Adrenaline took my tolerance to a new level. I'm sorry, but when people (bless their imbecilic hearts) call uninspired dreck like this "incredible," "amazing," and most offensive of all, "heavy," it tends to get to me. It's shit soda pop. People will no doubt take issue with this write-up, and I even doubt it'll be accepted. Where's the musical description, some will say; what an arrogant, pompous ass, others will exclaim. To these comments I'll have only one response: 

I'll write a real review once Lacuna Coil actually puts out a new album.

C'est la vie.

   Overall: 1/10 (Coaster)

Heavenwood - Abyss Masterpiece [2011]

Abyss Masterpiece is an album that immediately reminds me of Septicflesh's 2011 release The Great Mass, not only because of its recent freshness in my mind, but because of its similar integration of orchestra sections with death metal elements. Many factors differ between the two, however. For one, Heavenwood falls in the gothic doom genre with only hints of death, most of which being inspired by vocals alone. There is a lot of variety here, which is a characteristic that many of Heavenwood's similar contemporaries lack. It's an important one on Abyss Masterpiece, too, considering that the album runs for twelve full tracks and just about an hour of music overall. Though each and every song may not quite match up with the rest, this is a remarkably conisistent and entertaining piece of work.

The material fluctuates between heavy, dark symphonic pieces and more catchy, accessable songs. This is a formula that often leads to weak filler tracks when used by a mediocre band, but Heavenwood does it so well that any discriminating gothic metal fans should enjoy the lighter parts as much as the night-shrouded ones. Take for example the opening one-two punch of "The Arcadia Order" and "Morning Glory Clouds." The former is a cinematic showing not unlike "The Vampire from Nazareth" while the latter opts for a highly listenable melodic death single approach; it's a perfect way to foreshadow the styles to come. This structure also opens the way for a multitude of different vocals. A bludgeoning but not too unintelligible growl is present for most of the duration, but it's additionally accompanied by full clean vocals and a sludgy 50-50 style somehow appropriate for the occasion. The female vocals in "Leonor" make it a pleasent surprise and one of the more memorable showpieces here.

To be honest, I prefered the cleaner cuts from Abyss Masterpiece, an aspect of Heavenwood they should take with great pride. Few do these types of songs better. Tracks like "Once a Burden" and "Like Yesterday" are great enough already, but when "A Poem for Matilde" plays, it brings with it an emotion power I've only seldom heard elsewhere. This is a beauty of a track, a sweet, moving display of genuine passion. As with the rest of the album, the lyrics show an adept knowledge of longing and promise.

"Blessed and divine, my world your eyes
I'm distinguished
I'll never let you down
Your hand in mine, we'll rule the time
Autumn or Winter
I'll never let you down"

For haters of symphonic or orchestral utilization in their metal, all I can say is that Abyss Masterpiece is less of a full symphony than The Great Mass and that you shouldn't let a rather unimportant qualm get in the way of a great album. Heavenwood knows when to use additional instruments and when to keep them quiet and play with sheer simplistic feel. The final result plays like a highlight reel of gothic metal's best aspects. This may not be the heaviest nor most stylish pig in the excellent 2011 litter, but it certainly isn't the runt, or even close, for that matter. It has enough meat on its bones to feed your ears for many listens, probably en route to winning "best in show" accolades for its genre. So, that about does it: an epic metaphor for an epic album.

   Overall: 8/10 (Great - I adore a soul that doesn't feel)