Steamhammer

‘Under Satanae’ is the eighth studio album from Moonspell, a dark metal band from Portugal. The band started out life under the name of Morbid God in 1989; in 1992 the name was changed to Moonspell however and in 1995 the band released its first album under the title of ‘Wolfheart’. ‘Under Satanae’ sees the band revisit early material, rerecord old tracks from the 1993 Demo ‘Anno Satanae’, tracks from first EP ‘Under the Moonspell’ which was released in 1994, and the final track on this album is actually a rerecording of ‘Serpent Angel’ which takes the band back to its days under the Morbid God moniker; it was the first track that the band ever recorded and is now over 15 years old.

For die-hard Moonspell fans this is an absolutely vital album to add to the collection, the band here records rarities from releases of old and although its not the best album in the world it still provides for an entertaining 50 minutes of music. There are ten tracks here, with every one of these the band shows off its fine talent for recording fine dark metal and although the final track on the release is now over 15 years old it certainly doesn’t sound it. ‘Serpent Angel’ still sounds as fresh as ever, the track is well constructed and comes complete with some frantic guitar work, furious drumbeats, and super vocal tone also. The vocals are dark and mysterious, powerfully put across and always there is a great deal of emotion in the vocal performance. The band means business here, the music is dark and the energy here runs incredibly deep.

The first six tracks of this album explore the dark metal finesse of the bands ‘Under the Moonspell’ EP, an absolute classic of a dark metal release and one that is held in incredibly high regard by many. Quite why the band saw it fit to rerecord the tracks I’m not too sure, the music is certainly interesting however and although rather unnecessary its quite nice to hear the bands take on the music 13 years after the EPs original release.

As the tracks here are taken from three different releases of the band the album therefore doesn’t run entirely smoothly, it works quite well though and although the music doesn’t really bring anything new to the genre of dark metal; the fact of the matter is that all of these tracks are over a decade old and since then there have obviously been a vast array of imitators and a great deal of progression also within the genre. Moonspell is an excellent band at what it does, the genre has very much moved on but the band is here proud to revisit its roots and inject new life into former classics and previous successes.

‘Under Satanae’ is an interesting album, if you’re not already a fan of dark metal then this will not be the one to change your mind about the genre but for fans of the sound it’s still an album that is really quite worthwhile adding to your collection. For all fans of Moonspell this album is most definitely worth investing in, the band revisits old material and here attempts to better what it already recorded and released over a decade ago. Are the rerecordings better than the originals? Probably not, it’s still interesting to hear them however and this album is therefore one that I would highly recommend to all fans of the genre of dark metal.

Label: SPV/Steamhammer
Release Date: October 15th 2007

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

This year saw the return of Iced Earth with ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, their eighth studio album to date. This is the first of two albums ‘weaving a thrilling Sci-Fi tale of mankind’s invasion of Earth, the planet occupied by the direct descendants of the Grand Architect of the Universe.’ This concept was first formed in the bands classic ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ back in 1998, and I have to say that this first part of the double bill of concept albums does not disappoint. There is a lot to take in here, so it does take a few listens in order to allow for the album to sink in, however once you’re able to do so it is absolutely amazing. Complication is the name of the Iced Earth game, and without their intensely complicated, highly technical music – they just wouldn’t be the same band and would fail to possess such a high level of depth and dexterity.

The band blast their way through 70 minutes of musical brilliance here, with a Metal album that has been intelligently written and remarkably well crafted. There is never a dull moment, with the band keeping you hooked for the full 70 minute experience. Jon Schaffer has always been the musical mastermind behind Iced Earth, and with ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, he certainly doesn’t disappoint. Over the past 23 years Jon Schaffer has proven himself as a musician and a songwriter, and never once have he or Iced Earth let us down yet. With every album Schaffer just seems to grow and grow in song writing ability, and this latest album shows a greater development than ever. In this album, Iced Earth have created a great album of epic proportions, not just in terms of the albums length but in terms of song depth also. A lot of hard work, time, and effort has clearly gone into the writing and recording of this album, and thus the end result is truly phenomenal.

There are 19 tracks on display here, each of which contributing equal amounts to the album; take one track away and the album just wouldn’t work as the great tale it is, leave all tracks here and the album is faultless. With each and every track providing such a contribution to the album, it is therefore extremely difficult to pick out tracks that stand out most from the album, however it would be criminal for me not to mention the tracks of ‘Ten Thousand Strong’, ‘A Charge To Keep’, ‘The Clouding’, ‘The Domino Decree’, and ‘Infiltrate and Assimilate’. All of these tracks are extremely finely crafted and the more you listen to them; the better they sound and the more you gain from the listening experience.

‘Ten Thousand Strong’ is quite possibly the best Iced Earth track I have ever heard. Intensely powerful and supremely well written; ‘Ten Thousand Strong’ I can guarantee will be a favourite with Iced Earth fans the world over. Clocking in at just under four minutes in length, this is a fine piece of music and it is clear that a lot of time and effort has gone in here. It is perhaps the album’s crowning glory, and with every listen to the album is a track I always thoroughly look forward to hearing. ‘A Charge To Keep’ stood out to me for another reason; here it is not the track as a whole that captured my attention, but instead its chorus which is reminiscent of a battle cry in sound. ‘The Clouding’ shows a whole new side to the band as here they launch into a full on ballad and successfully accomplish it with apparent ease. ‘The Domino Decree’ however is a soaring track with strong guitars, powerful vocals, and some stomping drum beats. This one has a musical interlude around half way through which lasts a good couple of minutes, and truly is an epic Metallic masterpiece. Finally then of the tracks I could not go without mentioning; we come to ‘Infiltrate and Assimilate’. It is right from the opening of ‘Infiltrate and Assimilate’ that we know it is going to be something special. The crashing introduction of the drums and guitars leave you knowing that this is going to be one to remember, and as the track progresses it certainly does not disappoint.

This said; I still would not recommend listening to any of these tracks individually however as to be fully appreciated, they really do have to be listened to as a part of the album as a whole. It is by listening to the album as a whole that you realise just how much Iced Earth have accomplished here as a band. In ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, Iced Earth have shown how diverse they can be as a band, showing here that they can produce not only Power Metal but also ballads and mid-tempo tracks alike. This album can be seen to be an experimentation from the band, and in my opinion it has 100% worked out for them. Schaffer’s abilities as a songwriter have here been shown to be greater than we first thought. Lyrical strength is more impressive than ever here, and Iced Earth truly do seem to be at the top of their game. Songs here have been created and crafted which are more melodic and memorable than ever before, and ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked’ as a two part collection will no doubt be talked about for years to come.

When bands take on concept albums, the end result is not always too successful. Here however, Iced Earth have created a fantastic album in the form of ‘Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1’, and I for one can’t wait to here the second part. The second instalment is due in February 2008, and Schaffer claims that it is even better than this first offering. Iced Earth are an incredible Power Metal band, and will surely show their worth when the second album is released and their Sci-Fi concept is complete. I feel that it is not just fans of the genre that can get something out of this album. There is something here for everyone due to the fact that such an amazing story is told in the albums process meaning that it is easily accessible to everyone; even those that wont enjoy the music will be able to appreciate this as the story in itself is entertainment enough.

Label: Steamhammer
Release Date: 10th September 2007

Rating:

Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Moonspell – Under Satanae

Iced Earth – Framing Armageddon-Something Wicked Part 1