Symphony X - Iconoclast [2011]

Symphony X is one of those hot or cold bands for me. I either love their albums or couldn't care less about them. The band's first three releases were all killer as far as I'm concerned, but everything since then has seen very few listens from me. My disinterest peaked with Paradise Lost, an album which I never managed to listen to all the way through a single time. Well, I might have to change my philosophies, because I've got this Iconoclast CD here that, while not being a significant departure from its predecessor, absolutely kills. Hell, Iconoclast has enough badass riffs to satisfy even thrash fans who can deal with the super melodic and catchy nature of its contents. Not too many chances sre taken here, but with a product as overwhemingly "metal" as this, who could really complain?

Iconoclast is packed to the gills with awesome songs that are relentless in their power. This is one of the heavier albums I've seen in this entire genre, ever. I dare you to sit still during the frenzy of footstompers like "Dehumanized," "Heretic," and the ultimate highlight: the opening title track, a ten minute display of unprecedented force. Russel Allen growls convincingly for the full duration, delivering perhaps his best performance yet. Iconoclast's choruses are the most memorable this band has ever delivered, and the Romeo-Allen squadron fires on every bloodstained cylinder. The band has also had a penchant for creating lighter pieces that never fail to arrest, and Iconoclast is no exception; just look to "When All Is Lost" for your epic ballad needs, or the chorus of "Children of a Faceless God," a wonderful display of the band's ability to portray vivid emotion.

What's most amazing about Symphony X's latest is that it just never gets old. Having joyfully listened to it 15-20 times already, I'm always shocked after each experience that I still want to hear it again. There's just this perfect flow to Iconoclast that begs you to enjoy its blissful euphony time and time again. All the songs are somewhat samey, with similar traditional structures, but that just adds to the ease of surrender you'll have to the music. There may be a couple songs that lag just a smidgeon behind the others ("Bastards of the Machine" for example), but really, there's just not a lot here that I could possibly complain about. This, along with Pagan's Mind's sublime effort this year, are sure to be viable power metal outlets for a long time to come. This is potential realized. Savor it, and don't miss out.

   Overall: 9/10 (Outstanding - through the gates of hell)

Evergrey - Glorious Collision [2011]

For playing music in such a forgivingly positive genre, Evergrey seems to take on a strange number of naysayers, a legion of nemeses who hate the band's work with every fabric of their beings; and although I may not be a radical in this anti-Evergrey movement, I will say that the majority of Evergrey's output is weak and unnecessary power metal. The only difference now is that they aren't even power metal anymore. Glorious Collision is a mess of an album that resembles modern rock more than it resembles anything the band has done before. With the inferior quality that has been perpetuated by this band for years, one must surely think that a little change might be just what the doctor ordered. However, with the interminable session of mediocrity that this album spews forth, it might be best to pull the plug here and now.

When I say "modern rock," I don't mean that it follows the current flow of worthless, upbeat, radio-friendly bands like Nickelback. No, this has more in common with the slower, understated genre, i.e. the one that won't make you regurgitate your guts on the floor while listening to it. Evergrey certainly doesn't impress anywhere on this disc, but I guess it could have been worse. These are simplistic, rather slow pieces built with whiny guitar and a heavy reliance on choruses. Unfortunately, the choruses often falter, and some are just bad (see: "Wrong," "Restoring the Loss"). Tom Englund is the most controversial part of the band and an interesting vocalist in his own right. He's not bad, but he lacks range and power, sounding more like an American Idol winner than a real metal vocalist. "You" is definite proof of this, a worthless commercial number lacking any point but to make a quick buck. Considering who they are and what they play, why did they think this would work?

If you're desperate to find highlights, I suppose opener "Leave It Behind Us" is a pretty decent arena anthem, and the semi-balladic "The Phantom Letters" creates a pretty good atmosphere. This may seem like a sparse writeup, but that directly reflects Evergrey's latest effort: there simply isn't much here to warrant its gratuitous length. Who would want this many tracks from a band with so little imagination? Despite the change of style, Glorious Collision is directly on par with its predecessors. You'd think the band would either get better or worse with this release. Go figure. To conclude, this isn't the most worthless, phoned-in album I've heard this year, but even if you like this watered down style of music, you could do much better. Only for the most loyal fans of Evergrey and hard rock.

   Overall: 5.25/10 (Mediocre)

Queensrÿche - Dedicated to Chaos [2011]

Okay, so we all know the 'Ryche stopped playing music at least fifteen years ago. They suck so bad now that even the most die hard fans come prepared for a shitacular flow of raw sewage each decrepit day these braindead "musicians" decide to disease society further with a new release. But quite frankly, this is just getting ridiculous now. Dedicated to Chaos takes modern rock to a new level of worthlessness, a new nadir of utmost stupidity and apathy. Queensryche's got everything you need right here: groove boogie tracks, psychodelic tunes, quiet understated songs, and pop cockrock anthems. If that sounds appealing to you, then oh boy, do you have a hefty bounty of S&M pleasure comin' your way! What could be worse than a new Queensryche album? A really freaking long Queensryche album. Sixteen tracks and 70 minutes await you here. Who needs waterboarding? The US will be unstoppable with this in our grasp!

I'm not sure how to describe this since I'm used to reviewing music. Warning: Contents may be fatal. Imagine a mix of worthless Green Day impersonations, a rap-rock feel, U2/Coldplay elements, spacey hippie rock (the most common substance), and lyrics that encompass highly substantial issues like using a fucking cell phone. I'm serious. Look no further than "Hot Spot Junkie" for thought-provoking prose like "I'm addicted to the wifi way, I'm addicted to the wifi way" and "Retail Therapy," a song filled through and through with inspirational lines including, but not limited to, this entire verse:

"Tryin' to find a bargain on a new cell phone
Gotta talk to somethin'
Can't stand the feelin' of bein' alone too long
Without feelin' like I'm gonna come unglued
I text and I text my every thought
But I'm gettin' nothing back
I've got sixty-two apps to keep me happy"

At least those aps can replace all the fans he undoubtedly lost with this piece of crap. Wait a minute, "gotta talk to somethin'?" So wait, he has no one to communicate with so he has to talk to the phone instead? Pfft. Whatever. Back to what's important. The album is essentally comprised of three acts. It starts off as pop rock, suddenly shifts to a calm setting, and then reprises its modern pop rock origins. Needless to say, all three are equally deprived of value. Geoff Tate has the last speck of talent remaining in this band, but he's wasting his time here. His vocals come effortlessly, and they obviously hold some charm and likability, but that doesn't really matter since everything else barely resembles the Queensryche we all used to know and love. He doesn't try very hard either, but they could still put something of value around his distinctive sound. Now we just get stuff like "Wot We Do," which is, get ready for this one, a rap song. Don't believe me? Okay, just listen to it. You'll see.

When it comes to being the worst of 2011, Illud Divinum Insanus might have been a complete failure, but at least it was an interesting one. Dedicated to Chaos doesn't even manage to do that. Queensryche should now hold the distinction for somehow making a sixteen song album in which not a single track is good. Or decent. Or even passably mediocre. This has all the creative quality of a thirteen-year old's garage mallcore band, except that it sounds like mainstream garbage. Heres what really pisses on my hushpuppies: If Queensryche just admitted their complete departure from the realm of metal, we could go our separate ways and I would never have to mention or think about them ever again; but no, they're in some strange denial that this is still metallically relevant. Geoff and the boys somehow compare Dedicated to Chaos to Rage for Order and Empire. It's twenty years too late, guys, just let it go. I'll end this review with a passionate plea: please, for the love of god, please stop playing music, Queensryche. Let us enjoy what you used to do without tarnishing it further.

   Overall: 1/10 (Abysmal - just die already)

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)

Septicflesh - The Great Mass [2011]

Septicflesh was one of the first Greek death metal bands to rise in the early nineties, and they've been steadily cranking out well-received albums ever since. From what I understand, they've slowly been adding more symphonic elements with each subsequent full-length, only fully exploding into orchestral accompaniment after their reunion with the release of Communion in 2008. The Great Mass is my first experience with Septicflesh, and it strongly makes me regret not listening to them earlier; because let me tell you, this is one of the best albums I've heard in quite a while and the greatest entry of the year so far. Some parts are startlingly beautiful, some are undeniably catchy, and some are intensely heavy, but when all's said and done, The Great Mass bleeds quality through and through.

This certainly isn't your typical death metal release. The emphasis here is less on riff power and more on orchestral composition. Nonetheless, I never get the feeling that The Great Mass lacks metallic direction. This is helped by the deep bellows of Vayenas and a crushing modern guitar tone. There isn't a second that comes off as too light, and although the orchestration plays as loud and as often as the riffs, neither ever overshadows the other. In fact, these elements are most successful when used in harmony. The result of their strong fusion can most notably be seen in album highlight "Oceans of Grey;" when the chorus comes in with those haunting female vocals and the orchestra begins to play, the chills come creeping down my spine as well. The most surprising aspect of The Great Mass, however, is the way it opens up as it goes on.

The album seems to have a set routine vocally at first, but as it gets into the second half, more and more clean vocals are utilized. These unique low-range parts make tracks like "The Undead Keep Dreaming" and the fascinatingly strange closer "Therianthropry" that much more interesting, and even go as far as to make the simplistic "Rising" sound like a minimalistic power metal song. They're not completely absent on the album's first half, either; the great repeated clean part at the end of "The Vampire of Nazareth" makes an otherwise tame opener sound brilliant. Those opposed to a great amount of these kinds of vocals in their music shouldn't panic, however; I'm only describing specific parts. This is definitely a death dominated release: just see classics like "Pyramid God," "Five-Pointed Star," and the panicked "Mad Architect" to see evidence of that. "Apocalypse" also deserves mention for having an amazing chorus that blows me away every time.

There's no filler or even slightly inadequate track here. Okay, so maybe "The Vampire of Nazareth" is a mere snack compared to the feast that is the rest of the album, but I prefer to look at it as an appetizer for the deliciousness to come. It's a consistent, versatile symphony of cosmic proportions. This is a CD with high replay value, and it's been in my rotation consistently since its release. It can be argued that The Great Mass is somewhat short, but that's how I like 'em. There's less of a chance to be bored or have needless tracks that way, and pulling off ten winners in a row is a good achievement already. If you have not yet succumbed to Septicflesh's awesomeness, you better do so now, because I doubt there's ever been a better time to do so.

   Overall: 9.75/10 (Incredible)

Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand [2011]

The buzz for Primordial's new effort was high, and that's for a little reason called "To the Nameless Dead," one of the best-received albums of the last decade. I'd dare say it was as bit overrated, but it was still great, and "Empire Falls" is basically the greatest song ever this side of "Crimson." A strong argument could be made for their originality and talent in creating heartfelt music. Their use of feeling and emotional power over songwriting is not one I particularly find mesmerizing, however, and Redemption at the Puritan's Hand features the band's greatest amount of this sentiment yet. The first time I heard it, I was very underwhelmed and shocked at how ineffectual it was. Not a single song was memorable and I basically hated it; but as others have noted, this album is a grower. It just takes some listens to properly appreciate, and though I still don't like it very much, I must admit that it's a fairly decent release that should please fans of the band.

Primordial specializes in creating an enveloping sound of blackened celtic metal. They draw you in with music that speaks with glorious pride for their nation and grab your attention with Alan Averill's emotive vocals. He's probaby the most controversial element in the band, which is ironic considering that I don't love Primordial and he's my favorite part. He passionately and painfully puts himself into every powerful groan, growl, and scream. He never goes beyond the range you'd expect, but his more extreme aspects will surprise you with their proficient depth. The rest of the band finds their role to be one of simplicity, which is all that is necessary for them. Their goal is to make a thick inferno of metal for Alan's tortured delivery to bounce safely on top of. All of it is very intense and might overwhelm those expecting an easy listen.

I just wish the band had a better songwriting template than the one they continually insist on using. Sure, I'm not expecting upbeat choruses everywhere I look, but they could add some parts to capture my interest every once in a while. As it stands, I can hardly remember a thing about any of the songs. The length of each track certainly irks me, as well. I have no idea why almost all of therm have to be eight minutes or longer when barely have any repeating parts. There are a couple on here that I couldn't go as far to even call a song, like "The Black Hundred;" they're more like a collection of random loose bits and pieces. It also certainly doesn't help that the droning atmosphere of the thing is putting me to sleep before I reach track six. A little Primordial goes a long, long way. I prefer to hear them in smaller doses, not an hour+ album.

I'm not sure whether Redemption at the Puritan's Hand is just a flawed release, or that it's just not in my best interests. I strongly suspect the former, however, since I still at least enjoyed To the Nameless Dead for a good amount of time. This is an album that I feel forced to come back and listen to, since it gives me no natural urge to do so myself. It's a real shame, too, since I want to like Primordial so much and there is a lot to like about them; but until they radically alter their song structures, I doubt I ever will. I did like a few songs, such as "No Grave Deep Enough," "Lain with the Wolf," and "Death of the Gods," but not enough to keep me coming back. I'm aware that I'm in the minority here, so maybe it's too much to ask. Let people listen to what they enjoy, I suppose.

   Overall: 6.25/10 (Fair)

Before the Dawn - Deathstar Rising [2011]

Before the Dawn has been pumping out releases consistently for a few years now, but from what I can tell, very little changes between them. Their style isn't exactly a distinct one; it's derivitive of what Amorphis has been doing for years now. If you particularly love their material, I'd encourage you to stop reading and pick this up, because I can almost guarantee that you'll favor this. I'm on the fence about it, personally, but I can see the attraction of this type of music. Mixing some middling death growls and smooth clean vocals over a brown toned musical din is a combination that rarely goes sour. The main issue is that it slowly degrades into a predictable, repetitive set of fixed ideas.

Just about every song proceeds in the same way: a droning melodic death riff plays, a verse of death metal vocals is laid on top of it, and it all leads to a commercially capable chorus of mid-range clean vocals. One more verse, two more choruses, plus three more minutes and you've got your typical Before the Dawn song. Of course, they throw in a couple tracks that break the mold (like "Judgement") to throw you off the scent, but the changes are never major enough to matter. As a result, I'm always feeling Deathstar Rising for the first half but quickly grow bored before it even ends. What makes that particularly sad is the fact that it isn't very long in the first place. I know these musicians could make a more compelling album if they'd put more effort into it. Great songs like "Deathstar," "Remembrance," and "Sanctuary" are evidence of that.

Deathstar Rising certainly isn't a bad album, but it's all too apparent that Before the Dawn could have added some variety to enhance the overall package. There isn't a pathetic song here, just a few pointless and mediocre ones (like closer "Wreith" for example). The production is beyond clear, but that's no shocker for modern melodeth. At least it isn't a poppy, keyboard-laden mess like a lot of bands are reverting to these days. To conclude, this is a band with some potential, but the word poential is double edge sword; its use means that the subject isn't living up to what it could be.

   Overall: 6.75/10 (Fair)

Havok - Time Is Up [2011]

Havok is riding high in the new wave of thrash metal, and their latest album Time Is Up has recieved quite a bit of attention. Essentially coming from the much maligned "no innovation necessary, just asskicking" classic thrash genre, it features all the components of the 80's thrash giants, only slightly modified with modern production. Bands like Havok obviously don't focus on originality, but when the output is this strong, that isn't much of an issue. Apart from a couple fillers and the qualms I have with modern thrash, Time Is Up is a non stop display of strong riffs, memorable choruses, and some fun lyrics, too.

If Bonded by Blood came out in 2011, this is essentially what it would sound like. Of course, this is dropping the charming raw production necessary and a couple of killer tracks Havok just aren't capable of, so no, I'm not calling it an equal album. I mean only to say that this is pretty much the 1985 Exodus style verbatim: a focus on slower, melodic riffing rather than speedy savagery, a similar style of angered snarling, and even a knack for going for the catchy chorus all make this very comparable. It doesn't match up track for track, though. "The Cleric" and "Out of My Way" are clearly fillers only here to run the playing time up a bit. Any thrash fan would want to hear the highlights, though. "Killing Tendencies" and "Scumbag in Disguise" take no prisoners, but my ultimate favorite is "Fatal Intervention," a badass number with one the best choruses I've ever heard in thrash metal. It all strongly reminds me of the glory of "A Lesson in Violence":

"This is fatal intervention
Violence rages throughout
Thrashing with the intention
Of never letting it stop"

Lyrically, the album isn't exactly breaking philosophical boundaries, but that just goes along with the 80's motif. It has to be about "thrashing," being awesome, and chanting generic cool-sounding phrases or it doesn't truly capture the essence of what it used to be all about. I understand the arguments that these retro bands are a complete waste of space and that they bring nothing new to the table, I really do; but let's face it, the genre started repeating itself a long time ago, and I'd rather hear these fresh bands having fun than the same old ones crashing and burning with each subsequent release. If you can manage to look past these preconceptions you may just find a nice release to fill out your thrash library.

   Overall: 7.5/10 (Good - and then you die!)

Symfonia - In Paradisum [2011]

Well, first things first, the cover is one of the "happiest" (ahem) things I've ever seen in my life. I know that has no predetermined bearing on the music enclosed, but I thought it was worth mentioning, since it really does give one an accurate prediction of how this one plays out. This is some of the cheesiest, most repetitive, least imaginitive power metal I've ever heard compiled on a single compact disc. It's albums like this that cause terms such as "flower metal" to live on. Don't be fooled by the band name; this is Stratovarius, and these songs are the ones that couldn't even make it on their worst albums. In Paradisum is basically Infine pt. 2, except even worse this time around. All the same riffs, choruses, rhythms, and vocal patterns that polluted Stratovarius's weakest material are present here. There's not a shred of originality to be seen.

In Paradisum is an album that suffers from a little disorder I like to call "Two Minute Skip Syndrome;" after two minutes of each song, you're guarunteed to have heard all it will have to offer and you might as well just skip the rest of it. After all, why waste precious moments to hear the same poppy, upbeat chorus repeated ad nauseum? At least with ten identical songs at two minutes a piece, you're only wasting twenty minutes of your life and not the sadistic fifty included. This is the verse/chorus/verse/chorus/repeat chorus formula crammed down our throats repeatedly. It isn't heavy enough to be a headbanging good time, and it doesn't contain enough balladic beauty to be interesting, either. In Paradisum is the act of aging musicians stuck in the past, never finding the inspiration to do anything beyond the same release time and time again. Now that the carbon copies are elevating into double digit territory, I don't know whether to feel anger or pity.

Biggest embarrassments include the obligatory "epic" title track and "I Walk in Neon," a cheap replica of "Hunting High and Low." You'd figure Timo and his group of savages would want to stop wasting their lives doing this; you sorta only get one, you know. I actually like the helium-fueled chords of former Angra vocalist Andre Matos, so hearing him dying here is only more depressing; and he's still hitting the notes, too, making cliched straight-shooters like "Rhapsody in Black" actually sound somewhat decent. But one man can't save a band, and if there's ever been evidence of that fact, it's right here with Symfonia. This is a hollow shell of a band with no soul beneath its cotton candy exterior. No heart is beating under it's mechanized, emotionless skin, composed only of faulty spare parts that wouldn't fit its previous equally inferior models. Obvious metaphors aside, it just really fucking sucks.

   Overall: 3.5/10 (Bad)

X Japan - Dahlia [1996]

I love this music. This is perhaps one if the greatest non-metal albums I've ever heard. Naturally, a statement like that takes a lot of backing up for two primary reasons. The first objection: "X Japan? Not metal? That speed demon of shredding insanity isn't metal?!" The second objection: "One of the best? Really? What could make something that's essentially the sell-out of a band the best?" Well, those are some valid points that will take some time and space to tackle. This might be a long one, folks. It certainly isn't for everyone, but I'm positive that most people could enjoy it if they'd give it a chance. So hang in there, and you may very well find out what makes Dahlia such a special album.

The style of music played here is highly debatable; I'm pretty sure no one answer is right. I'd liken it to Blue Blood, an album in which X Japan switched genres per song. Dahlia plays out in a similar way, but with an entirely different ensemble of sounds; Blue Blood featured elements of speed/power metal, progressive metal, glam, and even symphonic. Of all those types, I'd say that only the symphonic elments have been retained to an extent worth mentioning. There's orchestra and piano all over this disc, but I'll save the specific details for later. To complement this most prominent aspect, we also get J-pop, industrial rock, atmospheric rock, and some minute traces of the metal once played before. If that doesn't sound like a metalhead's nightmare, then I don't know what does. Upon learning this, people usually dart away in fear, but don't jump to any conclusions.

There can be no proper estimation for how well this mix works. The most prevalent factor holding back other X Japan albums is their lack of a constant flow; on all of Dahlia's predecessors, the band always makes some mistake, no matter how small, that detracts from the listener's enjoyment. For me, at least, this just doesn't happen here. Each and every song is perfect, and they're all in the perfect place. There's no hitch, there's no catch. The band knows when to be emotional, when to get serious, and when to go upbeat. This makes it easier to trust the band to take you to the places you need to go. Let X Japan be your tour guide, and they'll show you sights you never thought you'd see, the beauty of the second world hidden within music. They own acres of property in this realm, and that's all because of this album.

I do need to emphasize that the distinct X sound is still very present; it's just that it's wrapped around a sleeker, more accessable shell than before. Take for example the opening title track. The song is veiled in slight heaviness at first, but once it really gets going, it reveals itself to be a masterful J-pop song filled with airy verses and an upbeat chorus made for store shelves. Things get trickier on track two, "Scars." The song remains commercially capable, but there's a glimmer of electronic and industrial elements as well. All in all, it's the least notable of the tracks, but still good enough not to be a distraction. "Rusty Nail" is more of a straight out J-pop song even though it does retain some rock tendencies. It was a big commercial success, and for good reason; this song is fun and ludicrously catchy. "White Poem I" follows, one of the most interesting and grabbing three minute pieces I've ever heard. It's a highly atmospheric slow song brought to the next level by Toshi's most beautiful singing yet, and repetition serves only to enhance the mood.

The last of the even slightly heavy songs are represented by "Wriggle" and "Drain." The former is just an intro for the latter, and both make one track. This song absolutely rules. It is the most uncharacteristic tune X Japan pulls off on the album, mixing heavy industrial with groovin' rhythms, but they still pull it off. About half the album, or even more, is filled with grandly orchestrated ballads. These are the best displays of the band's talent and emotive chops. Aside from "Crucify My Love," each one runs at least seven minutes and upwards to ten. And they don't get boring. Ever. The first is my personal favorite X Japan song, the unbelievablly moving "Longing." The greatest ballad ever. It's hard to describe what makes these types of X songs so good; all I know is that I can feel this music and that's all that matters. "Tears" and "Forever Love" follow and take your breath away in the same fashion.

The production enhances it with its crystal clear tone. This could have come out this year and it would sound up to date. I can understand the level of openmindedness you'd have to possess to like this CD if you're neither an X Japan fan or a listener of Japanese music. In fact, I probably wouldn't recommend Dahlia to someone who doesn't fall into either of those camps, but I don't have the heart not to; it's just so good that it deserves to be heard. No other X Japan album (or even J-pop, J-metal, whatever) comes close to this level of consistency or listenability. It's one of those releases that shouldn't be as good as it is, yet I have no doubt in my mind that it's superlative. If you're an X Japan fan still holding out because you don't think it's heavy enough, snatch this up immediately, because you're missing one of the better albums of the last 20 years... and so is everyone else.

   Overall: 9.5/10 (Incredible - Thank you and good night)