IRIS - Goliath's Throne (2019)

After releasing one of the most personal albums I've ever listened to, the magnificent Heart of an Artist, comes Goliath's Throne, the second studio album by YouTuber Will Ryan, once again under the moniker "IRIS". This album was first announced back in September 2018, with several singles being released between then and when it was released. On Ryan's YouTube community page, he details Goliath's Throne as thus:

The album is about the world, specifically the 21st century and it’s corporate mediums, social media toxicity, the offset effects of becoming addicted to it, and so much more.

I find this interesting, because no-one I've listened to before has decided to use internet based topics to base their album around.

Goliath's Throne is not like its predecessor. It features 14 tracks, no intro or outro, and it lasts for just over an hour. However, it does share some similarities. One of them is the fact they are both set in a fictional universe, of sorts, called the Iris. This gives the 2 albums lore and backstory, which is incredible. I love the idea of albums being stories, in which the songs detail each aspect of it. Speaking of songs, the majority of the songs featured on this album were released several months, even over a year, beforehand. Before release, Ryan went all out and essentially remastered them solely for the album. The best remakes are, in my opinion, are "I'm the Animal" and "Trojan". There are also new tracks which weren't released before the album's release, such as "Bloody Ether", which has a really cool chorus, and "You're Better Off", a song with a lot of similarities to "As The Lights Go Out".

Now, not everything is perfect in life, and this is especially true for this album. While it is the most minor thing, I'm not the biggest fan of the songs "Testify the Modern Eye" and "Goliath's Throne". This does not mean they are bad. Quality of things is relative. Others might love these songs with all their heart. I just find these particular songs a bit lacklustre in comparison to songs like "Cold Man". I would still happily listen to these songs, but it just sucks that they don't have the same impact the other songs do.

I love this album. I've been awaiting it for so long and I am so glad it's here. The performance is incredible and the instruments set the tone so well. Goliath's Throne has most definitely usurped Heart of an Artist. To conclude, Goliath's Throne is a amazing story-driven album with a message, which is conveyed so eloquently through the performance of the songs. I am so looking forward to more IRIS material in the future.

Favourite Tracks: All

Rating: 10 / 10

Alter Bridge - Walk the Sky (2019)

Almost ever since I heard Alter Bridge was releasing a new album, I've been wondering whether I should listen to it or not. I've listened to it, and I was not disappointed. A whole new tone has been set, compared to their first album One Day Remains, and it is really remarkable. Walk the Sky is the sixth studio album by rock band Alter Bridge, and it's not wrong to say that they have come a long way since 2004. While they have not lost touch with their roots, they have definitely put a modern twist on their unique style.

With 14 tracks lasting almost exactly an hour, Walk the Sky delivers a rock album unlike others on this blog. Firstly, it's much like their other songs, which make you want to sing along at the top of your lungs. This alone makes an album enjoyable, as you can have fun along with them. And secondly, there's no screaming or growling, which, when used too much, can ruin a song or an entire album, à la Survival Machines. These can be good, however, but in moderation.

Moving onto the actual song, they are all excellently well crafted, but I feel like the first half of the album is a whole lot better than the second half. It's hard to explain, but the first few songs are the best but then just goes downhill from there. It's not to say "Oh, these songs are crap". Far from it, in fact. The craftsmanship put into songs like "Wouldn't You Rather" and "Take the Crown" is just a lot better than that of "Walking in the Sky", for example. They ain't no "Metalingus", that's for sure. To compare it to One Day Remains, Walk the Sky offers songs I'd say are better than some on the One Day Remains, and vice versa, but if I had to pick which one was better, I'd have to say One Day Remains is better, but not by much.

Overall, Walk the Sky is an impressive album by Alter Bridge and showcases their progress over 15 years. I'd like to rate it higher, but it falls short in a few aspects. This is an album I would most definitely recommend you listen to. A fun, electric-guitar filled hour of greatness.

Favourite Tracks: "Wouldn't You Rather", "In the Deep", "Godspeed", "Take the Crown", "The Bitter End"
Rating: 8 / 10

Fight The Fury - Still Breathing EP (2018)

When I first listened to this EP in 2018, planning for Rock On! to be a segment for my school's radio, I didn't think too highly of it. Understandably, this was disappointing for me, as this was a Skillet side project. 11 months on, my opinions have since changed. Still Breathing EP is the debut EP by metal band Fight The Fury. Fight The Fury was conceived with the hopes of satisfying Skillet fans who prefer their earlier, more heavier music.

In the prototype radio show I tried to bring into fruition, there was a separate version of Rock On!, entitled Rock On! For Just a Little Bit. This was to be used for shorter pieces of music, like singles and EPs, but was not needed when I formed this blog. Nevertheless, let's get into the music. Still Breathing contains 5 tracks, lasting just over 20 minutes, making it a nice, quick listen. And as there are less songs, I feel like I can go into a bit more detail.

Let's start with "My Demons". The opening track to the EP is honestly, a really good start. It's punchy; the drums have a great attacking feel, which works perfectly with the rest of the instruments. The vocals are exceptionally well performed, and carry with them a lot of emotion. Despite all the praise I am giving it, it is not my favourite track on the EP. I like it a lot, but it's not as good as "I Cannot", which is my favourite song on the EP.

"Dominate Me" is the second track, and the most overtly Christian track. It's a whole lot heavier than the previous track, in terms of guitars and drums. The guitars also have a scratchy feel, which does work well with the other components. As an atheist, the lyrics seem completely wrong and weird, but from a religious view, they don't. They describe a person wanting to be an example of God, or something like that. Overall, this track is great. The fast paced vocals, along with the heavy backing track, hype you up and make you feel ready to tackle pretty much anything.

After that comes "Still Burning". Now, this track is a whole lot better than "My Demons" and even more so than "Dominate Me". The more toned down vocals is such a relief for me, and makes this track a whole tonne better. The drums are some of the most powerful I've ever heard, and paired with the guitars, it becomes incredible to listen to. This is one of my favourites on the EP, that's for sure.

"I Cannot" is the fourth track on the album, and is my favourite out of the 5 on the EP. I think it's the vocals which make me like this song a whole lot. They're emotional; they're powerful; they make you want to sing along at full volume, and I love songs like that. The backing track is also brilliant, but the vocals play a vital role in the success of the song for me. I love this song. I love it a whole lot more than the next track.

"Lose Hold of It All" is the final track of the EP, and it is, in my opinion, the worst out of the 5. I do like it a lot more than I did 11 months ago, but it's still not as good as the other tracks featured. The vocals make or break something for me, and the vocals on this particular song feel forced kind of. They feel a lot less forced than I thought before, but still forced nonetheless. The backing track is the best part of this song. It just works really well. As I said in my plan for this song 11 months ago, "I feel like this is an OK ending to the EP." and it's true. It's OK.

Thanks for sticking through this. For the conclusion, Still Breathing EP is a great beginning for Christian metal band Fight The Fury. It definitely feels a lot different to Skillet's material, but I guess that's why this band was conceived. The guitars and drums were pretty good throughout and the vocals were packed with emotion. Overall, a brilliant EP with only a few flaws.

Favourite Tracks: "My Demons", "Still Burning", "I Cannot"

Rating: 8 / 10

Enter Shikari - The Mindsweep (2015)

Enter Shikari aren't like any other rock band I've ever listened to. What they sing about has deep and thorough research behind it so that they know what they're saying and that they were making accurate statements about the topic at hand. The Mindsweep makes no shortcuts when it comes to this. Enter Shikari's fourth studio album tackles subjects that not every rock band would want to cover, like governmental activities, life, and race. Rou Reynolds, Enter Shikari's lead vocalist, even criticised other punk bands for labelling themselves as punk but not "speaking about anything important."

The Mindsweep covers a range of genres and a range of themes, including governmental activities in "Anaesthetist", to the value of life in "The Last Garrison". I first listened to Enter Shikari in 2017, after my friend recommended some of their songs to me, with "Anaesthetist" being one of them. Only now am I on my way to understanding the scope of detail that Enter Shikari put into their songs. Looking into the meaning behind each of the songs, it's difficult to piece something together because each song is put together forms a story, with a whole lot of lore and backstory. In the deluxe edition, notes were included which gave explanation to the songs. Here is an example of the notes, this one to do with "The Appeal and The Mindsweep" 1 and 2:

Source: https://imgur.com/a/WyEnm

The music itself is of excellent quality. What I particularly like about The Mindsweep is the mixture of genres. In classic Enter Shikari style, they have mixed rock music with a lot of electrical elements and styles, which is very different from other albums I've listened to. Nevertheless, it is a welcome difference, as it is executed fantastically. The music is empowering and powerful in its own right. Enter Shikari have made clear what they want to change in the world, or what they want you to understand, leaving it up to you to decide whether you agree with them or not.

The Mindsweep is, honestly, really great. It does what many albums don't: it talks about important topics and problems in the modern world, in hopes that something happens. Along with the intense meaning, the backing tracks and vocals are exceptionally well done. An impressive performance and a great listen. I highly recommend you listen to this.

Favourite Tracks: "Anaesthetist", "The Last Garrison", "Myopia", "Dear Future Historians..."

Rating: 9 / 10

Alter Bridge - One Day Remains (2004)

I first heard Alter Bridge's music about a decade ago when I was playing WWE games a whole lot. "The Rated R Superstar" Edge uses an edited of "Metalingus" for his intro theme, and it is probably still the best intro theme used in the WWE to date. And speaking of "Metalingus", it comes from this album. One Day Remains is the debut studio album by rock band Alter Bridge. When I was younger, I didn't know any better and I thought Edge himself sung "Metalingus", completely unaware about the fact that a whole band was behind the masterpiece of a track.

With 11 tracks lasting about 55 minutes, One Day Remains offers some of the cleanest vocals and instrument tracks that I have ever heard. The vocal range of Myles Kennedy is mightily impressive and add a form of power to the songs that I can't really describe. The raw emotion poured into these songs is definitely on a level that I have never heard before, and it shows all the way throughout. It's just amazing, electrifying. This album has me pumped in all kinds of ways; I have the most fun jamming out to these songs more than any other albums or songs I have heard from other artists. 

One Day Remains also offers the calmer, almost sadder songs "Broken Wings" and "In Loving Memory", which shows the contrast between this and the other songs. I especially like the backing track to "Broken Wings". It's still most definitely a rock song, but the tone is meticulously set by the guitars, which I find amazing. With the vocals and drums, the emotion is very easy to hear. As this is the first time I've listened to an Alter Bridge album, I am unable to compare it to their later material, nor am I able to give it a complete 10 / 10, but boy, I wish I could. This album shows the true scale of Alter Bridge's potential from the absolute get-go.

I love this album. It's clearly a Rock album, and makes sure you are aware of that in the coolest way possible. It's actually quite a shame I'm only listening to this now, because I would have loved to have listened to this when I was younger. One Day Remains is a spectacular debut album and showcases the raw potential of Alter Bridge. I highly recommend you listen to this one. It's incredible.

Favourite Tracks: All
Rating: 9 / 10

Skillet - Alien Youth (2001)

I'm a big fan of Skillet, but not every album of theirs can be winners. Starting off September, Alien Youth is the fourth studio album by Skillet, and is the last album to showcase their techno, synth-based style, changing to a much harder rock style, which started with Collide. This is also the farthest Skillet album back in time that I can listen to without cringing a whole tonne, but there are songs which I really can't get behind. Now, some of the songs are really good, but they are overshadowed by the jittery-ness of the synths and electronic instruments featured in other songs.

Skillet has always been experimental, but experiments don't always end up with great results. Alien Youth is a semi-successful, semi-failed experiment; it just doesn't hit home for me. That's not to say it's entirely bad. Not by a long shot, but a few songs let it down. I get that the album is dated, and would have been pretty cool back in the day, but today, some the songs don't make the cut, to be honest. Examples are "Stronger" and "Rippin' Me Off". These showcase techniques that aren't particularly fashionable or enticing. 

However, to save me from lamenting over these flaws, I can talk about the good stuff. Stuff like "Earth Invasion", which is one of the best songs on the album, and it shows you how a good techno song sounds. As well as this, the calmer songs are the actual best songs on the album. "You Are My Hope", "The Thirst Is Taking Over", "Will You Be There". All these are fantastic songs and have aged incredibly well. These I recommend listening to, but not the 2 in the previous paragraph.

At the end of the day, Alien Youth is an okay album. It's not the best Skillet has produced, but it is certainly not the worst. I tried listening to Invincible, and I just couldn't. Some songs let this album down, and that I am very disappointed about. I am going to say listen to it, but please don't be surprised if you're let down. Some great tunes; some not so much.

Favourite Tracks: "Earth Invasion", "You Are My Hope", "The Thirst Is Taking Over",

"Will You Be There"

Rating: 6 / 10

Through Fire - All Animal (2019)

I bring you a review of an album that took me by surprise, actually. I knew that a new album from Through Fire was going to be released, as they released a new single entitled "All Animal", but I didn't know how soon it was going to be released. Nevertheless, I bring you the second studio album by Through Fire called All Animal, a grittier, more impactful take on their style, as created in Breathe. As I said in my previous Through Fire review, this album shows their true potential and makes you come back for more.

This album is a roller-coaster ride of emotions. All Animal contains some of the most powerful and one of the saddest songs I've ever listened to. The power and raw meat of this album is contained in songs like "Breaking Point" and "Wake The Dead". Both of these songs tell the story of standing in the face of oppression and to never back down. "Breaking Point" has some of the best lines I have ever heard in a song; I literally lost my mind over some of them. The action-packed, heavy-hitting songs take a break to allow the emotion to turn solemn towards the end of the album with the song "If You Love Me, Leave Me". A song telling the story of someone saying that they are a burden on their friends or significant other, and that if they love them, they should leave them, as the title suggests. This song makes me sad, because no-one should have to think like that. Everyone deserves someone in life. Everyone should have a "Superhero", no less. But besides this, nearly all the songs are powerful and inspirational.

In the end, All Animal is, all-in-all, a fantastic album that really plays with your emotions, in a good way. This album is one of the best albums I have listened to this year, because it has me drawn in by the numerous aspects of it: the backing tracks, the vocals, the ferocity. It makes for an amazing listen and I could jam out to these songs for hours. I love it. You might too.

Favourite Tracks: All
Rating: 10 / 10

Brighter Than a Thousand Suns - Survival Machines (2011)

This review marks the first album / band in this blog that has a woman has the proper lead singer. From husband and wife duo, Angelika and Randy Roswell, better known as Brighter Than a Thousand Suns comes Survival Machines, their debut and only full-length album released to date. This album comes before their departure from post-hardcore rock to pursue an 80's synth rock sound, which is showcased in their later material.

It's quite a shame that Brighter Than a Thousand Suns is not that well-known, because they have some great songs which are 100% worth listening to. With this album, that's definitely the case. However, there are some things that I don't get. Survival Machines contains 11 songs, which take just over half an hour to listen to, so it won't take a great amount of time away from you to listen to it. It also has some of the longest song names I've ever seen, like "A Creature Bred On Hunger Made Food For Hungry Gods". Yes, that's actually the name of the song. One of the things I don't get is the copious amounts of screaming featured in nearly all the tracks, besides the instrumentals and "The Riot Of Our Blood And Breath", the latter offering a calmer ending to the album. I fail to see how that's healthy for anyone's throat, really. You gotta take a break from it at some point. One of the greatest takeaways are the meanest backing tracks I've ever heard that are featured in this album, with the meanest being the backing track in "Crossing The Divide". The instrumental tracks, "Long Live Impermanence" and "The Search For Second Earth", offer a break from all the screaming showcased in the other songs, especially the latter as that is the more toned down one out of the two.

In the end, Survival Machines offers heavy-hitting, power-driven songs that get you energized. I would have liked to have heard less screaming, as too much of it can take away from the quality of an album. Overall, it was a head-banging extravaganza, but could have been better.

Favourite Tracks: "Crossing The Divide", "Long Live Impermanence", "The Search For Second Earth", "The Riot Of Our Blood And Breath"

Rating: 7 / 10

Skillet - Victorious (2019)

We're in for a treat with this. I want to say my mind has been blown with Skillet's tenth studio, and latest, album Victorious. Since "Legendary" was released all the way back in May, I had incredibly high hopes and expectations for this, and I am pleased to say that my expectations were majorly exceeded by the sheer quality and performance of all songs included. Victorious brings you material ranging from heavy-hitting ballads, such as "Back to Life", to calm and awe-inspiring songs, like "Anchor".

Once again, sticking to 12 songs to an album, Victorious is inspiring from start to finish, and mainly sticking to the Rock genre, unlike its predecessor Unleashed, which featured songs ranging from Metal to Pop. In terms of composition and performance, they have outdone themselves. Certainly, some of the songs in this album invoke a greater emotional response compared to others, with songs tackling subjects, such as depression. John Cooper explained "Victorious" as such:

"I wanted to write a song for people who suffer from depression. I wanted to tell them that they are not alone. This song is both simultaneously sad and inspiring. Hopefully, it can encourage people to transcend the dark places they live in."

By encapsulating such emotion in a song is a mean feat, but Skillet pulled it off. With all the songs, they're inspiring in some way, and that's what I like about Skillet: they care.

While the songs have an exceptional performance, it certainly feels a lot different to previous albums, like Unleashed and Rise. Some of the songs feel mainstream, with "Legendary" actually making it to mainstream radio. Don't get me wrong, the songs are great. It just feels a whole lot different to their previous material, and I think that's what takes away from it slightly. It's not the grittier, harder-hitting Skillet that panheads are used to.

At the end of the day, the long-awaited Victorious lives up to expectations, and manages to call back to their 2006 Comatose days, while leaving some songs for the mainstream audience to listen to. Fantastic material and a great listen.

Favourite Tracks: "You Ain't Ready", "Victorious", "Reach", "Anchor", "Back to Life"

Rating: 8 / 10

Metallica - ...And Justice For All (1988)

Heading into my first review about an album and band that falls solely under the Metal genre, and my first review about an album suggested to me by a friend, I bring you ...And Justice for All, the fourth studio album by legendary heavy metal band Metallica. With 9 songs lasting long enough to make the album over an hour long, this energetic, fast-paced, hard-hitting album shows to me that Metallica are as good as people say they are.

With heavy metal songs, you have to expect no breaks from the onslaught of guitars and drums that are coming your way, and when performed well, they can be amazing to listen to. Metallica definitely lived up to that in this album. I went in to this thinking it was going to be very scream-y like other heavy metal albums from the 1980s, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's not like that at all. The vocals are more toned down, allowing for easier listening, in my opinion. They're still jam-packed with energy, and that's what I like about it.

The backing tracks are also full of energy. The drums pierced through the guitars, creating a banging feeling in your head, which is something I like with songs like these. Hard-hitting, powerful songs get me going. The longest song on the album, "To Live Is To Die", has the most diverse set of instruments featured within it. It features an acoustic guitar at the beginning and at the end, and a violin sounding instrument around 5 minutes in, as well as your usual electric guitars and drums.

At the end of the day, ...And Justice For All is an album with an exceptional performance, and the hard-hitting music I've come to enjoy. It was very pleasant to listen to, with each track having a unique feel to it. Great album, great songs.

Favourite Tracks: All

Rating: 9 / 10

Monster Magnet - Mindfucker (2018)

Delving back into the realms of unfamiliarity, and my first album with an expletive as the album name to be reviewed, Mindfucker is the tenth studio album by Stoner rock and heavy metal band Monster Magnet. And with those genres, it makes the style of it similar to Clutch's Book of Bad Decisions, which is an album that I really enjoyed, but I don't think I can say the same about this one. With it being a kind of rock I don't exactly listen to, and some songs being dragged out longer than they should, makes this an album not exactly set up for the greatest review.

The least I can say is that I'm unimpressed. The album suffers from the same problems Rainier Fog has, thus letting me down. The song "Drowning" felt like it was going on for far too long, considering it is 7:21 in length. "Drowning" is also the only song to have a different, calmer style, whilst everything else is guitars and drums that sound like they're from 70s-80s. Some of the song's vocals, brought to you by frontman Dave Wyndorf, were oftentimes drowned out and made incomprehensible by the loud backing tracks featured in some of the songs. I went into listening to this with high hopes and they were not fulfilled. I hope that Monster Magnet's albums aren't all like this, otherwise that would be greatly disappointing.

To draw a conclusion, I was a fair bit disappointed. Mindfucker, in my opinion, was a mediocre performance with songs I couldn't connect to. I'm unaware of what Monster Magnet's other albums are like, but this one has set a low bar. Not the greatest album I've listened to, that's for sure.

Favourite Track: "Mindfucker"

Rating: 3 / 10