Album Review: Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

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There are some truly ground-breaking albums that have been released in recent years. Take, for example, Opeth's monumental Blackwater Park.  It was a masterful blending of death metal stylings with folk and prog.  It introduced a whole new group of people to the band.

Axioma Ethica Odini should be right there next to it.  While it may have yet to truly stand the test of time, I honestly believe that this, too, will be remembered as a ground-breaking album, a masterful melding of black metal with progressive rock/metal, that should introduce a whole new generation to this increasingly fascinating and brilliant band.

Portnoy leaves Dream Theater

I actually wanted to write about this back when the announcement came out, but just wasn't doing much writing at the time, so it passed me by.  Plus, I was just not sure how much I cared.

On September 8th, 2010, Mike Portnoy announced he was leaving Dream Theater.  Talk about shock of shocks.  After all, Mike was one of the original, founding members of the band.  Likewise, he has seemed to be taking a more and more active role in the band (for better or worse), writing more lyrics, contributing vocals, and just generally being the public face of the band.  (To his credit, he has been, for many years, very interactive with fans on his own website).

But the reasons behind his departure are, in my mind, the most uncomfortable part of the entire drama.  His press release is very clear in stating that he did not want to leave the band, rather just wanted things with Dream Theater to slow down a bit.  It would seem he just wanted a break.  However, the rest of the band apparently was not content with this idea, and wanted to continue on, with or without him.

It looks like it will be without him.

This really is sad news.  While my interest in Dream Theater's music has waned over the past few releases, there is no doubt that albums such as Images and Words and Awake (and to a lesser degree Scenes From a Memory) are seminal, essential progressive metal releases.  They really are the band that introduced me to "progressive metal".  And throughout it all, Portnoy's very technical, impressive (at times too impressive) drum work has been the back bone of the band.

After so many years, it just seems sort of cheap of them to ignore his wishes to take a break.  If that take is the truth, it is pretty low class.  I wish Mike the best in his endeavors (did anyone else realize he was now the official drummer for Avenged Sevenfold?).  As for Dream Theater, I think I will pass on their next album (again).  Unless Gavin Harrison or Mark Zonder is announced as the replacement.  Then I won't have a choice but to listen, as I will listen to whatever either of those two do.  

Album Review: The Ocean - Heliocentric

The Ocean: Heliocentric
Year: 2010
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Never a group to settle for the same old thing, The Ocean (often known as The Ocean Collective) have impressed me with every album.  A mix of ambient sounds, progressive metal, classical music, electronica and post-hard core, they really are one of the more unique bands playing heavy music.

Their latest release, Heliocentric, is no different in that regards.  And yet, it is undoubtedly their most mature, focused and varied work to date.

Album Review: Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy

Nevermore: The Obsidian Conspiracy
Year: 2010
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In life, there are few things you can reliably count on.  So it is welcome when you find those things.  For example, you can bet on the sun rising in the east in the morning.  Chances are pretty good that in the Northern Hemisphere, July will be warmer than January.  If you throw something up in the air, it will most likely fall to the ground at some point.  You can count on these things.

Guess what else you can count on.  Nevermore releasing killer music.

Album Review: Zero Hour - Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond

Zero Hour: Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
Year: 2006
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Zero Hour managed to fly under my radar almost completely for a few years.  I actually had a copy of Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond shortly after release due to a recommendation, but had never really listened much.  It wasn't until their 2008 release Dark Deceiver that they caught my attention.  I was blown away by that album, and couldn't really imagine technical progressive metal done any better.  

That was when I noticed this two year old album in my collection.  Boy, was I wrong.

Essentials of the last decade: Progressive Metal

It's time for another installment of essential music of the decade.  

While I may have cut my music-loving teeth on progressive rock and alternative rock, it was metal that introduced me to the wider world of heavy, crushing music.  I've spent years listening to and enjoying it, and there is a veritable cornucopia of great albums that I've adored as time has gone by.  While I don't listen to heavy metal nearly as often as I used to, it remains the music that I've heard the most and probably the type of music I own the most of.

Since there is such a plethora of essential recordings in heavy metal, I've chosen to split the sizable list into two - one for progressive metal and one for more vanilla heavy metal.  (And to be perfectly honest, these divisions are rather arbitrary - something you may call progressive will end up on the other list, and vice versa.)  They're not in any particular order, so just make sure to pick them all up.  As such, today's list is going to focus on the progressive greats!