Although it had some really good releases, all in all June was one of the weaker months of 2006. Last month there were 3 CDs that received ratings of 4.5 out of 5 stars. This month there was just one. However, there were 10 CDs that were rated with 4 stars, so selecting the best 4 of those to round out the list was extremely difficult. Here are June's Top 5 Heavy Metal CDs:
Communic plays traditional heavy metal with a lot of different influences. There are thrash and death metal riffs, soaring power metal solos, and a lot of progressive elements. Each song is an epic, with the 7 tracks clocking in at over 60 minutes. But they don't drag things out and become repetitive. Within the songs there are many changes of tempo, key, style and texture.
After having success in Europe, the UK power metal band Dragonforce has their sights set on the U.S. They are going to get a lot of exposure being on the main stage of Ozzfest 2006, and it will be interesting to see if their style of power metal will be accepted by the masses. This album has some fantastic guitar work, led by Herman Li, who won the Dimebag Darrell Award at the UK Metal Hammer awards. Along with Sam Totman, you'll hear some spectacular shredding.
Kampfar plays at a slower pace than a lot of black metal bands, and by doing that manage to be even more dark and crushing. They have the rawness and edginess that this genre needs, but they also mix in plenty of melody. You'll hear some folk metal influences as well, but they use it to add a little spice to each song, not to overwhelm or distract with unusual instruments the original flow of the song.
The New York death metal band Skinless has a new vocalist, but don't lose a step. In fact, they sound better than ever. Their latest album is a powerhouse of crushing riffs and devastating drums. It's a federal law that reviewers must use the world "brutal" when describing any death metal album, but in this case the term is absolutely deserved. They also manage to be very technical and precise, which is a monstrous combination.
After selling a ton of albums, being nominated for a Grammy and playing the main stage at Ozzfest, Shadows Fall is moving onward and upward to a major label. This is their final release for Century Media, and consists of three cover songs along with songs that were started but never completed during the sessions for The War Within. There are also a couple of songs that are re-recordings of vintage or rare material.
