Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues [EP] (2011)

This is Between The Buried And Me's first EP, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, the first of two planned, related concept albums.

1. Spectacular Reflection [11:21]
2. Augment of Rebirth [10:19]
3. Lunar Wilderness [8:22]

First of all, I think it's a pretty damn good EP. At just over half an hour long, there's plenty of material to listen to, and some of it is brilliant. I feel that there's not enough diversity throughout this EP; the majority of the time, if you listen to a part of a track, it sounds too similar to almost any other part of the album.

Just because I find it repetitive doesn't mean the music itself isn't bad; this is how death metal should be done. Very technical stuff, as usual for BTBAM, with a focus on how the song flows and sounds, as opposed to, I don't know, Cavalera Conspiracy. God, that last of theirs album turned me off metal for two whole fucking weeks! But I digress.

Overall, I love the length of the EP, and the progressive, technical song structures. In short, it's perfect for head banging. It's a concept album, which I'm always a sucker for, but I couldn't tell what the hell this album was actually about. Like I mentioned above, it does consist of large portions I feel don't stand out for themselves, but honestly, it's a great listen overall.

Final Score:
81/100

Cavalera Conspiracy - Blunt Force Trauma (2011)

Blunt Force Trauma is Cavalera Conspiracy's second studio album, and is a complete letdown on virtually every level.

1. Warlord [3:05]
2. Torture [1:52]
3. Lynch Mob [2:32]
4. Killing Inside [3:28]
5. Thrasher [2:49]
6. I Speak Hate [3:10]
7. Target [2:37]
8. Genghis Khan [4:23]
9. Burn Waco [2:52]
10. Rasputin [3:22]
11. Blunt Force Trauma [3:58]
12. Psychosomatic (Special Edition Disk) [3:07]
13. Jihad Joe (Special Edition Disk) [3:29]
14. Electric Funeral (Special Edition Disk) [5:39]

Blunt Force Trauma is one of those albums you either love or you hate. Though to be honest, I can't understand how someone could love this album unless they were a die-hard fan. The lyrics (on the off chance you can understand them) lack any depth or significant meaning, the guitar riffs are what you would expect to hear in a typical (almost comically stereotypical) death metal album, and the tracks are all too short to elaborate on anything that actually has potential. Each track revolves around being as loud as possible, and as short as possible (If you picked up the standard album, it's just a little more than half an hour long!).

The only tracks on this album I can say I enjoyed at all were Lynch Mob, for it's vocals, and Electric Funeral, for the song structure and lyrics. Ironically, Lynch Mob features the guest vocals of Roger Miret (from Agnostic Front), while the latter is a Black Sabbath cover. Normally, I try to at mention most of the tracks on any given album I'm reviewing, but there's so little in here worth talking about I'm at a loss. The last 40 seconds of Target is melodeath, instead of just death metal, and the last half of the track Blunt Force Trauma cuts the vocals and actually sounds decent, so I guess that's something interesting. *shrug*

So in the end it turns out that there's next to nothing about Cavalera Conspiracy themselves that I actually like. On the other hand, I suppose Blunt Force Trauma is the perfect template on how to make a bland and unimaginative death metal album; solos that sound like they were made up on the spot, lyrics that were possibly made up even quicker, and the constant recycling of quick drumming and strumming. Unless you're the metal enthusiast who needs to listen to every metal album they can get their hands onto, I recommend you stay away from this one.

Overall Score:
39/100

Protest The Hero - Scurrilous (2011)

Protest The Hero has finally released Scurrilous, their third studio album, and followup to the 2008 Fortress. It's an easy call on my part to say that this is a very solid album, and if you find yourself not liking Protest The Hero at first, they easily grow on you.

1. C'est la Vie [3:33]
2. Hair-Trigger [4:50]
3. Tandem [5:16]
4. Moonlight [4:50]
5. Tapestry [4:35]
6. Dunsel [4:54]
7. The Reign Of Unending Terror [3:24]
8. Termites [3:58]
9. Tough-splitter [4:34]
10. Sex Tapes [4:39]

With the release of Scurrilous, Protest the Hero has once again demonstrated that they've got skill and talent in abundance. They don't capture the majesty that was their first album, Kezia, however Scurrilous either holds up to and excels Fortress on almost every level. Tracks like Tandem and Tapestry are prime examples of how skilled Protest the Hero are at composing music, and their lyrics are still as enigmatic, beautiful, and profane as their previous albums.

C'est la Vie is an average track, compared to the rest of the album. Hair Trigger raises the stakes a lot more, giving you a better taste of the other great tracks to be found on the album. Tandem, Moonlight, and Tapestry are all instant favorites of mine, showcasing all that I enjoy about PtH; Rody Walker's unique voice capturing both low and high notes bang-on, the constantly changing time signatures and tempos, and the many catchy riffs present in any single track. Dunsel and Termites are both average tracks, and pleasant to the ears, however The Reign of Unending Terror and Tongue-Splitter I would consider lower points on the album. And last, and in this case, least on the album there's Sex Tapes, where I don't find many redeeming qualities; the lyrics are humourous and intriguing, but I'm not the kind of person who likes my metal to contain the repeated lyrics "And all the boys are jerking off in private on the internet" for example.

Overall, a pretty solid album. Like I touched on above, Scurrilous didn't impress me to the degree that Kezia had when I first heard it, but it has a much more polished and practiced sound to it than either of their previous albums. In no particular order of preference, Hair-Trigger, Tandem, Moonlight and Tapestry are all standout tracks on this album, and I know they'll be included on best-of playlists of mine for years to come. Dunsel and Termites are other tracks I would recommend, though maybe not to the degree to the four I previously mentioned.

Final Score:
86/100