Epica - "The Obsessive Devotion"

Don't you ever blind me, don't be a foolish thief.

Rating: 7/10

This is the second song I have posted from this album and I am extremely mixed on this one. The first half of the song I absolutely love, one of my favorite songs, but the in the second half it really goes downhill for me. Something about the lyrics in the beginning are just beautiful to me. I feel having read through the lyrics that this song is about a person going through the five stages of grief, if you read the lyrics, the first two lyrical sections cover denial, the third anger, the next section is bargaining, and the rest of the song is acceptance. Quite an amazing song and I consider the first part of the song to be one of Epica's best. The album for me is fairly good, but the only two stand out songs are this and Never Enough which my review of can be found here. That actually sums up Epica as a band fairly well for me. Most of their songs are fairly good with a few absolute gems which are some of my favorite songs.

Avantasia - "Spectres"

Wide open minds will divine without reason, cold is the night as you're braving the gale

Rating: 9/10

This is the best track from Avantasia's 2013 album The Mystery of Time, which, as normal with Avantasia, is quite an exceptional album. Also as is normal with Avantasia, all the songs on the album are good, but none of them stand out to me as incredible. This song in particular I like because of the transitions between fast instrument focused sections and slower vocal focused sections. I am very impressed with this song and this album in general and it definitely is one of my top metal albums of the year.

Kamelot - "When the Lights are Down"

'cause when the lights are down, there's no more to say.

Rating: 6/10

A fairly nice power/symphonic metal song and part of a very interesting set of three concept albums ((Karma, Epica (not the band), and The Black Halo) loosely based on the German play Goethe's Faust. Overall the song is one of my favorite songs by Kamelot, but isn't really one of my favorite songs in general. It has very nice guitar intro and the backing is generally quite good, but I don't really get pulled in by the lyrics, and as such it isn't quite as it could be. Still a nice song though.

Avenged Sevenfold - "Bat Country"

He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

Rating: 7/10

As opposed to the European metal I have posted a lot of with bands like Epica, Rhapsody, Avantasia, and Nightwish, this song is very Americany heavy metal to me, very heavy, very fast guitar riffs and less of a focus on the vocals. This is one of my favorite Avenged Sevenfold songs, and is a bit older than Nightmare which I posted earlier. It begins with an interesting quote by Samuel Johnson which to me is a quote about the fact that is is easier to do things which are bad for you such as drugs an alcohol to distract yourself, rather than face your responsibilities. This quote I feel sets the theme for the song. Overall, a quite good song by one of my favorite American heavy metal bands.

Epica - "Storm the Sorrow"

I’ve tried to peer into the core, but could not storm the sorrow.

Rating: 9/10

This song is so amazing, maybe I'm i'm a bit biased because I absolutely love European metal, but seriously, this song is really good. But I digress, for me, what I really like about this song is the combination of the powerful (one might say epic(a)) string ensemble and the guitar in the background, and really well though out and well sung lyrics in the foreground. This song is a song you can tell has some deep meaning right from the start, and was carefully crafted to convey a point. This is the meaning of the song according to the band's lead singer, "Storm the sorrow deals about all the negative criticism which everyone has to deal with in their life. Everybody has something to say about everyone and a lot of criticism comes from jealousy and envy. Besides being criticized by the public, you're also criticizing yourself. It is a struggle within and you alone can fight it." I feel this is a very relevant problem to a lot of people and is a good choice for a theme of a song. Also the music video for this song is absolutely incredibly well done, and if you think about it, it is very easy to see how the video shows the theme of the song. This song is one of the favorite songs I have found this year so seriously, give it a listen.

Matt Webb - "Stage I Remember"

push our way up front and leave it all behind, I can cross my dirty fingers and hope the stars align

Rating: 5/10

In 2011, Canada's Matt Webb released the EP Coda and Jacket. This was the first solo project from Marianas Trench's guitarist, but he assured everyone the band was very supportive, even helping on some of the tracks, including "Stage I Remember". Matt Webb has a good voice and can play music well, but I am a little disappointed in his music style: pop. The songs are catchy, but the sound is so mainstream and bubblegum pop. This song in particular is better than some of the others with its less predictable lyrics and themes. Talented as he is, I think Matt could put out better music.

Sleeping With Sirens - "Four Corners and Two Sides"

you only do what you're told you better hope that you're right

Rating: 7/10

Sleeping With Sirens is a post-hardcore band lead by vocalist Kellin Quinn. They released their sophomore album, Let's Cheers to This in 2011. Their sound often has hardcore beats and screams, but also adds cleaner vocals and lighter singing pushing them into the post-hardcore category. "Four Corners and Two Sides" is one of their heaviest songs both on the album and overall with its fast-paced drumming and screams. It has good screams, quite lovely singing, and some hardcore music. The first couple times I heard this song, I thought the screams done by Jesse Lawson seemed poor quality and unskilled; but I also couldn't get it out of my head and the more I listened I realized they sound good in the song and work well with Kellin's voice that is much higher in pitch. Most of the time I do not like higher vocals, but somehow I was taken by Kellin. Despite the fact he sometimes sounds like he belongs in a teenage-pop-boy band, he still sounds great in heavier music. I personally love this song and think it is a great track, but hardcore is definitely not everyone's preference.

Exo - "MAMA"

Careless, careless Shoot anonymous, anonymous Heartless, mindless No one care about me

Rating: 8/10

Exo's 2012 debut single, MAMA, is a blend of several different genres, spanning pop, rock, and (surprisingly) screamo. Exo is a Chinese-South Korean boy band with two branches, one that performs in Korean, Exo-K, and another that performs in Mandarin, Exo-M. MAMA is about the general problems of the world, asking why people forsake love for war and hate. (If you want to see the English translation, here it is). The song itself has a classic, driving chord progression that brings up the original backing vocals in the chorus. All of Exo's members are talented singers and dancers, and this song beautifully showcases their talents. The music video is one of the most theatrical music videos I have ever seen, making Exo look like a team of dancing superhero demigods in a fantasy novel.

Ojos de Brujo - "Ventilaor R-80"

La mochila que llevamos... Va cargaita de piedras

Rating: 5/10

Disk scratches and jumping guitar strings head off this worldly flamenco track (that's got to be a first on here). Ojos de Brujo, a hip-hop/dance/world collective from Barcelona, Spain, brings this toe-tapping tune to life with excited female vocals and a rumba beat. And, naturally, this gives the track it's second title as the "Ventilaor Rumba". This track calls from the album Bari, and is filled with the sounds of romantic Spain, along with the bands own little hip-hop twist.

Ben Harper - "Steal My Kisses"

Now I've been hangin' 'round you for days...

Rating: 6/10

This right here is a smooth, rolling song that matches Ben Harper's rich voice with fluttering guitar chords, bringing to life a relaxed lounge vibe. I really appreciate the hollow drums in this song, from the album Burn to Shine. They manage to fill the space with groove, and without detracting from the melodic piece. Also interspersed through this track are the beatboxed drum solos, underlaid by a deep bass each time, which drives home the homemade feel of this folk tune. Take a listen.

Black Sabbath - "Loner"

He's just a loner He never says hello A friend to no-one He's got no place to go

Rating: 8/10

A while ago I did a post on God Is Dead? the first released single from Black Sabbath's new album, 13. It was my favorite song I have posted here receiving one of the only two 9s I have ever given out. Well the album is now and it lives up to the hype from that song, it is one the best heavy metal albums I have listened to, having a style very similar to the original Black Sabbath albums from the 70s; Powerful and catchy guitar riffs with a strong bass line and Ozzy Osbourn with his very unique voice. It is really an amazing album and this is probably my favorite song from the album besides God Is Dead. To me it is a story of a man who grows up being extremely quiet and shy, no one understands him. As he grows up, he begins to have some friends but eventually he gives up and goes back to his solitary life without any friends. The ending to the story can be interpreted in several ways, I interpret it as him committing suicide since he believes he will be happier when he is dead. Quite a deep song, which is a big part of what I like about this album and metal music in general.

Transglobal Underground - "Yellow and Black Taxi Cab"

Standing in the middle of the street, munchin' banana peel and swatting flies from your backside with your tail.

Rating: 8/10

Transglobal Underground is a London-based music collective who specialise in a fusion of western, oriental and African music styles. The two core members of the group are Tim Whelan (keyboards, guitar, flute, melodica, programming, vocals) and Hamilton Lee (percussion, drums, keyboards, programming). Throughout the group's history, Whelan and Lee have deliberately clouded their identities via multiple pseudonyms and obscure credits. Their first four albums featured Natacha Atlas as lead singer."Yellow and Black Taxi Cab" is featured on their 2004 release, "Impossible Broadcasting" The song has an infectious groove (rhythm) and really cool Island/British vocals, which suggests the early '80's British Ska bands, such as The Specials, Madness and The English Beat. Yellow and Black Taxi Cab is a dancehall sensation. "Blow your horn and drive on."

The Flaming Lips - "Haven’t Got a Clue"

You used your money and your friends...To try and trick me

Rating: 3/10

Well, it would seem that in fact psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips haven't got a clue as to what a good tune sounds like, despite their strong start in 1983, and continued performances today. This song, from the album At War with the Mystics, starts in with some heavily processed, and unnervingly excited voices. This is continued with an off-tone chorus rising with grating reversed cymbals, and some sort of laser beam being fired at either side of my head, assuring me that I have not actually been tricked; the song is really just that bad. I guess the drums are well-tempoed, and with bells this may be the saving point of this track. However, the more you listen, the more you'll want to punch their faces. Truly.

Gogol Bordello - "Start Wearing Purple"

Start wearing purple wearing purple, start wearing purple for me now.

Rating: 4/10

I have no idea how I found this song, but it one the weirdest songs I have ever heard, it's not terrible, but it's definitely not anything to write home about either. Honestly I have no idea what is up with this song, it's kind of catchy, but at the same time it isn't really very good sounding at all. Probably worth one listen just because of how weird it is, but not much more than that. I'm also not really sure what genre this song/band is, they consider themselves, gypsy punk since their music incorporates many traditional gypsy influences, a very strange band to be sure.

Crowded House - "Anyone Can Tell"

I dream of a place that's overrun by children... and the lord is in the kitchen

Rating: 5/10

Originally having started in 1985, grooving pop-rock band Crowded House has re-risen in 2006 for another great journey. However, this earthy track derives from their album Afterglow, and brings together their essential, soulful sound with what sounds like a countryside tale strung out on a wizened guitar. This slow-moving tune rocks and rolls with both lullaby vocals and sharp, pointed drum beats. This song, album, and band have all withstood the test of time, and I look forward to more.