Heavier Than Hell!

So where to begin it is not long before Agalloch's next release with there latest leaked track the Faust based on the classic German legend of the same name about a protagonist who sells his soul to the devil exchanging it for unlimited worldly knowledge. This is sure to to be a big release within the metal community alike this year but how will it compare to the sparser marrow of the spirit? Marrow of the spirit welcomes the listener with the sound of a running waterfall, birds tweeting and a mournful cello line giving the album a big cinematic impression in the audiences mind from the word go. Due to the liveliness of the trickling water and distant ambience you can't help but imagine it being the perfect background music to compliment a scene from a classic Cult B movie. The next track "Into The Painted Grey" starts of with hectic picked riffs doused in Reverb and fast passed paced drum patterns this then comes to an immediate stop to we...

well where to begin It certainly took a long time for machine head to present us with new material considering there classic album the blackening was released to much acclaim during the earlier releases of 2007. But any doubts of this release not living up to its predecessors' are quickly blown away as the opening song "I am hell (Sonata In C#) kicks in cementing the listeners ears with curiosity to endure the rest of the album. The first song itself does a good job of showing the listener how versatile and experimental the album is from word go showcasing fast thrash picked riffs, Gregorian style chant and even atmospheric finger picked interludes. The second song on the album is a nice follow up it storming in with a legato based guitar riff which instantly stands out as a classic sticking into the listeners mind and is sure to become a live staple being one of the most stripped back songs on the albums. The chorus is catchy and memorable...

Opeth have always been a band to surprise there audience constantly moving the boundaries of progression album after album. Heritage serves as an album at the mellow end of there spectrum more closely related to there 2003 album Damnation than there previous release 2008’s watershed. Despite the dropped death metal vocal style which made them synonymous among death metal fans as well as hard rockers and classic prog fans. The album still remains Heavy although the distortion has been turned down to the core revealing a more organic warmth which feels like it helps underline the depth and dynamics of the album. The album opens up with the mournful Piano interlude heritage. Although this does not help define a band that still have there heavy elements intact the following track the devils orchard features a punchier upbeat vibe with warmth and exploration on lyrical themes such as the devil and god. And also reveals much of Opeths long, tranquil and experimental instru...