If Emotions Still Burn...
Roger Johansson - Guitar
Mangus Carlsson - Guitar
Martin Qvist - Vocals
Anders Brorsson - Bass
Alex Bengtsson - Drums
1. If Emotions Still Burn
2. The Rain That Falls...
3. Rise Above the Storming Sea
4. Denial (the way of the Strong)
5. The Battle
6. My Last Journey
7. As I Face Eternity
8. My Revenge to Come
9. The Secret Song
If Emotions Still Burn is this Swedish band's first record. It features lots and lots of tremolo picked speed metal riffs. "If Emotions Still Burn" and "My Last Journey" contain tremolo picked, melodic riffs. Both "My Last Journey" and "As I Face Eternity" have female vocals in them but they aren't good. The girl sounds dead, she speaks in a monotone voice!! "Denial," it starts off with a catchy riff and then wizzes off in melodic abandon.
One of the bad things about this record is the crappy guitar sound. The distortion is weak as hell, and the vocals are also kind of wimpy.
The 'secret song' is one of the best songs on it and I think it deserves a name. If you see this record, I highly recommend it. Give 'em a break, it's their first release.
Production rating 7/10
Songwriting 7 or 8/10
The Plague...
Dennie Linden - Guitars
Mangus Carlsson - Guitars
Alex Bengtsson - Drums
Anders Brorsson - Bass
Fredrik Arnesson - Vocals
1. Dawn
2. The Truth is Sold
3. Into the Land Of Dreams
4. Mournful Serenade
5. The Return of the Mighty Raven
(guitar tab)
6. I Will Be Your God
7. The Plague
8. The Dove of Peace Falls Torn Apart
9. Suicide
10. Dusk
Ablaze My Sorrow has made their second album and my heart stopped when I first listened! They're is tons of bass, downtuned heavy-ass chainsaw guitars and gutteral growling. The bass and distortion on some of the songs is messy. The drum tone is not as good as is should be.
The riffs on this are remiscent of At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul but they still tremolo pick with abandon. It's a very gratifying combination of heaviness and melody. They also have a new lead singer who sounds like he's Lucifer's son on a warpath. Bass player Brorsson still writes most of the lyrics, there some are contributions from the new guitarist, Linden. God, does this album ever kick ass.
If you can't get enough of Swedish death metal, the "Gothenberg" sound, then go get this album.
Production rating 9/10
Songwriting 8/10
Click here to go to Ablaze My Sorrow's Homepage
and to see where I stole the red logo.
Click here for the main page.