|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I am you and you are me, MY SONIC DEATH MONKEY!, April 8, 2001
If you are at all interested in melodic death metal, power metal or even heavy metal in general then you HAVE to get this cd. It is simply incredible, I don't know how I can describe it in words. The entire band is incredibly talented; Jim and Engel's guitars are more melodic and harmonious than any of their contemporaries but still retain an element of heaviness that makes them a pleasure to listen to; Kriss's bass playing is awesome and makes the music alot heavier; and Thim's drumwork is frenetically awesome. I also have to mention one of the things that makes this album truly great: Jim's amazing voice. Unlike some other vocalists, Jim has opted to not only growl (which he does amazingly well) but also throw some clean vocals into the mix, which really add a whole new dimension to this band that is lacking in others. The opener "Selfproclaimed Messiah" begins with acoustic guitars but quickly gets heavier, and then segues into one of my favorite bass/drum rhythms during the first verse. "Doom & Gloom" is also an awesome song which gets even better towards the end. "Long Snap To Zero"'s main riff is catchier than anything I've ever heard on the radio these days, with one heck of a chorus. "Courageous" isn't as good as the others but is still impressive. "Heartless" has some meaningful lyrics and nice guitars to back them up. "The Suffering" and "Scissorfight" are both nice heavy songs. "Sonic Death Monkey" is one of my favorites, starting out with an awesome heavy bass line and continuing into the best choruses of the album. "Sindustries" is an awesome metal song with some nice growls, and the closer "Funeral", which begins with acoustics just like the first track did, has some of the best lyrics of the whole album with incredibly melodic guitars. Overall, this entire CD is a pleasure to listen to. Going beyond the typical melodic death constraints that have restrained their peers, Gardenian have crafted an album that stands on its own as a true masterpiece. If you haven't bought it you haven't heard metal.
|