Update

Hey guys. Im just giving a little update explaining why I havent posted anything in a while. Ive been really busy as of late with school work and other... issues. Basically I just havent had time to listen to much music. But I want you to all keep checking regularly cause ive got some cool stuff that im working on for when I get back form this short break. Of course I will be continuing my Pain of Salvation discography with The Perfect Element Part 1 (which you can expect sometime this week). I also have been working on my top 50 albums ever! Its been a big project but I think it may be quite enjoyable for some people. Also im planning on doing a Rush Discography soon and making them my third inductee in the Jm Hall of fame. I will have a metal grudge match coming soon (hint think progressive metal). For those of you who dont know what that is check out my Lamb of God vs Pantera article. Im also going to start doing Best of Genre awards to celebrate some of the best musical styles, bands, and albums, out there. Lots to look forward to so stay tuned! JM

Pain Of Salvation - One Hour By The Concrete Lake Review

With Entropia Pain of Salvation had broken major ground in the Progressive Metal industry. They had created a concept album that changed the way stories could be told and it carried a very heavy message about war and family. What could possibly come next you ask? Well another concept album. They released One Hour By The Concrete Lake in 1998 and this time they crafted what is probably Pain of Salvations heaviest album. The guitar parts are extremely complex and heavy with some amazing bass guitar work as well. They keyboards are more featured on this album and they sound like they've finally found their place in this band. This album is also less scattered and more focused. There are still the suprising twists and turns but the songs feel slightly more complete. The writing on this album is superb (which ill get to later) and vocally you can expect the same from David Gildenlow. He still has the soaring highs and belowing lows. The vocals are extremely powerfull and moving and some of the best vocals ive ever heard. All this said this album is only marginally better than Entropia. It improves slightly on almost everything plus it moves the band in a more cohesive and heavy direction. If you only listen to one song off this album, then listen to the closer "Inside Out". It is one of the most amazing songs Ive ever heard. Now on to the story of this album. Spoiler alert. I will be spoil some of the stories of these albums because some of them are so good but this one ill try to keep under wraps. Its another story about war like the last one except this time it takes a more factual approach. The story is about a man who works in the arms industry and starts to question wheather what he is doing is right. He decides to travel the world and see what real damage his weapons are causing. The album gets its name because at the end he arrives at this "Concrete Lake" in russia where so much nuclear waste has been dumped that if he stood there for one hour he would die in two weeks. Overall this is a very powerful album about war but this time takes a more factual and agressive approach and ends up crafting a better more refined album than Entropia. This is another must have POS album and it continues their progressive Metal/Rock legacy. 9.5/10.

Pain of Salvation - Entropia Review

Alright so i finished the In Flames discography and im right away ready to start Pain of Salvation. Let me start off by saying that Pain of Salvation are one of the most amazing bands on this planet. Almost all of their albums are concept albums and they all explore human issues and thoughts and feelings. Listening to a Pain of Salvation album can be one of the most emotional experiances on the planet. It can also be one of the most confusing. As is the case here with their 1997 debut Entropia. This album is a concept album but the twist here is that the story is told out of order. This can make the album extremely confusing but when you put the peices together it actually really helps this albums story. Now let get a little bit into the style of this band. pain of Salvation are a Progressive Metal/Rock band kind of like Dream Theater but a little less technical. So you got some extremely catchy melodic choruses and unlike my previous discography Pain of Salvation use only clean vocals. That said Daniel Gildenlow is an amazing Rock vocalist and does an excellent job. The musicianship of this album is excellent with very technical guitar, bass, drums, and piano. The sound of this album is excellent with very suprising twists and turns that suprise seasoned prog veterens like me. Now into the story of the album. The album is about an imaginary world called Entropia where a family is torn apart by war. Not only does the story deal with war but it deals with family issues, realationships, and loss. This is an extremely powerful story that can evoke tears in certain moments. This album will take you on a journey and it is an amazing debut. The guitar solos are also especially moving and are placed in the perfect parts to start the waterworks. Did I cry in this album? No. Did I cry in other POS album. Yes I did. That probably explains why this is only my fourth favourite POS album. It just didnt move me as much. That said this is a spellbinding amazing album that is extremely moving. It earns a very strong 9/10.

In Flames - Sounds of a Playground Fading Review

Alright time for the grad finale. The very last In Flames review before this discography is complete. Sound of a Playground Fading their newest 2011 release. Let me start off by saying this is a very good album. It is a combination of all of In Flames previous styles they've ever done and as a result it sounds completley diffrent form anything they've done before and is exceptionally good. There is a mixture of clean and dirty guitars. There is also a mixture of clean and harsh vocals and the cleans on this album are done very well. The music is more complexly written and layered than most of the stuff In Flames have done before. The lyrics are back to the peak of where In Flames should be lyrically. This is a really good album that said it has a few flaws. The diversity of the album is sometimes too much and it effects the overall flow of the album. That said the albums never gets boring and always has a new twist or turn for you. If in flames are going to continue with this new sound they definantly need to refine it but that said this is a very good album that should apeall to Hardcore fans and Mainstream fans alike. In fact this album is so good that I rate it higher than their debut lunar strain. This earns an 8.5/10 and caps off In Flames discography in a good way. Now I bet your wondering what discography is JM gonna go next. The answer is an amazing eroupean Progressive Metal/Rock band. Pain of Salvation.

In Flames - A Sense Of Purpose Review

Hey guys. Sorry this is soo late. My computer is in the repair shop and I have school starting tommorow so Ive had trouble finding time to do this. Anyways here we go with another In Flames review. So Come Clarity was a real Identity crisis for In Flames. It was Poppy mainstream music in some parts and Black Metal in others. Im happy to say that with A Sense of Purpose In Flames sound like they have well... a sense of  purpose. This album is an attempt for In Flames to return to their roots. They bring back in the juicy guitar melodies. They bring back the crunchy complex riffs. Most of all they bring back the old vocal style of Anders that he had on the classic albums. This record is really awesome I have to say. It flows very well from top to bottom and it feels alot like a classic In Flames album. The music is complex again, the lyrics have some meaning, and there is no Identity crisis here. In Flames sound like they know exactly what they want to accomplish and they do a damn good job of executing it. And for those of you that like modern In Flames, dont worry, the modern influence is still here but they take the good parts and infuse it into this new faced paced classic style. This album has alot of catchy tracks as well that can easily get stuck in your head. I think this is a good thing because it makes the songs more memorable. Still the album has flaws. After a while In Flames start to repeat themselves and the album gets boring. These dull sections of the album really start to get annoying when your listening to a 50 minute album and it bogs down the flow. Overall this is not a classic album by any means but it is a good fun listen where In Flames sound reinvigorated. 8/10.