July 2004 Archives
CD, Cyberware Productions 2004
Track list: Jotain kylmää - Uudet kauhut - Syysmorsian - Kun kaikki nukkuvat - Joku valvoo meitä - Hampaat - Uskottomuudesta - Meidän täytyy kuolla - Viisi tuntia - Toinen puoli - Kummitusjuna - Lunta elokuussa
It's been two years since the previous Suruaika album. The wait has been worth the while, because the new album is even better. Suruaika doesn't rely on classic Sisters of Mercy style, but draws from Killing Joke, Bauhaus and the Finnish arch-goths Musta Paraati. Musta Paraati -connection is made even more obvious when the band records - for the first time ever - Musta Paraati track "Toinen puoli", featuring Paraati drummer Ykä. One surprising connection I hear is to early Yö. The result is a very good and fresh album. ****
CD, InsideOut Music 2004
Track list: Day one: Vigil - Day two: Isolation - Day three: Pain - Day four: Mystery - Day five: Voices - Day six: Childhood - Day seven: Hope - Day eight: School - Day nine: Playground - Day ten: Memories - Day eleven: Love - Day twelve: Trauma - Day thirteen: Sign - Day fourteen: Pride - Day fifteen: Betrayal - Day sixteen: Loser - Day seventeen: Accident? - Day eighteen: Realization - Day nineteen: Disclosure - Day twenty: Confrontation
The Human Equation, devised by the Dutch multi-talent Arjen Lucassen, is a story of a man, left in coma by a car accident. He must confront his inner workings to get back to life. It's a progressive rock opera, with several talented vocalists (James LaBrie, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Devin Townsend and so on) playing different roles. It's an interesting story and the songs are good. If you're into progressive metal and have an attention span long enough (the story stretches over two cd:s), this is something you'll love. ****
CD, Limb Music 2004
Track list: Wetwired - Upload - The Net - Visions of Numeric Life - The Hollow Men - Watchdog & Virus - Chrome - Redefine Stru - A New Gestalt - Watch Me Now - Inner Void - Eternal Unlife
Wetwired is just the kind of progressive metal I don't like. Boring, technical and soulless. What's even worse, I don't think it's even that well played. The drums sounds especially bad. Their vocalist is decent, at least. The songs - well, repeated listening didn't produce a single staying memory. Skip this. *
