Beats & Noisecapes

Originating from Melbourne, Australia, Vanishing Point are now a veteran band with this their fifth release and, after a long hiatus, they're back with Distant is the Sun, an excellent album that builds on their past sound and expands it to fuller, more epic music. Vanishing Point have always stood out to me as a band that right from the start sounded unique, like no other. They've evolved across albums, expanded their sound while staying true to themselves and Distant is the Sun is the next assured step in their discography. The album opens with an intro that leads into King of Empty Promises, a song that mixes perfectly their classic mixture of melodic metal, with a little dose of power metal and progressive flourishes. It's obvious from the very start that the band has made an effort to incorporate a fuller orchestral sound with great arrangements that add texture to the songs, making this the most epic sounding Vanishing Point album to date. The guitar work,

Originating from Athens, Elysion is a gothic metal band with some symphonic elements. Someplace Better is their second album and the band has produced a great collection of songs. Elysion's music will be instantly familiar to fans of the genre and they will be compared to Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil, in fact Christianna's vocal tone is often similar to Christina's from Lacuna Coil, but to simply compare them to those band is unfair because Elysion have managed to craft excellent song that have their own voice and personality. Someplace Better is full of really catchy songs that are creative and melodic. The guitar riffs drive the songs with well measured electronic elements giving the music texture and shape. Christianna's vocal lines are great and she makes really good use of layered vocals and harmonies.  Overall, Someplace Better is a great release for fans of the genre that has enough personality to stand out from the pack. It offers a great co

This album by Crosses gathers all the songs from their previous two EPs plus five new ones, that would've made the third EP. Presented all together here they form an excellent debut full length album that despite it's nature (three EPs in one) sounds cohesive. The album opener This is a Trick gives a very good indication of what this album is about. This is dark electro rock, with soothing soundscapes, a touch of retro electronic sounds and a little dose of rock. From then on, the album dances between more electronic beats, straight pop melodies and more driven rock moments. Most people will come to listen to this album for Chino Moreno, from Deftones, and his vocals are the central driver of this album. His excellent vocal range and silky vocals are used to incredible effect but there's are also new shades to his voice here, at times sounding very positively uplifting and pop.  The album presents a great collection of songs and it's hard to choose stand

Trivium is now a veteran band and this album shows that they mean business. While the metalcore elements are still present the band has left the style behind and present a new album that pushes them forward and into new territories. Vengeance Falls is a great metal album and the band shows a more melodic and groovier side while still sounding incredibly epic. The production is brilliant, the guitar work is excellent and Heafy's vocals are better than ever. He has clearly evolved as a singer, with more tones and textures.  The best thing about Vengeance Falls is that it sounds lean and epic at the same time. The songs are tight but not dressed down. Rather, Trivium has managed to expand their sound and keep all the best bits in one small package brimming with powerful metal.  Overall, this is an absolute killer of an album. Rating: Heavy Rotation