Cologne's Euroblast Festival doesn't need an introduction for many of you, so I'll put it this way... One of Europe's most mind-blowing metal festivals will unleash all of its energy on the crowd from the 11th til the 13th of October. It seems like this forthcoming ninth edition is going to be another blast!
In fact, the guys at the Euroblast Collective have announced a good portion of this year's line up and two of the headliners. Textures will be performing their only German show of 2013 here. The second headliner is Germany's very own The Ocean. The rest of the unveiled line up is stacked as well, making this an unmissable event. Euroblast 2013 will feature international names like Threat Signal, The Agonist, Twelve Foot Ninja, Arsis, Hacride, Benea Reach, Mnemic, Feared, Xerath, Lifeforms, Aliases, Humanity's Last Breath, Syqem, The Omega Experiment, Deathember, Der Weg Einer Freheit, Dawn Heist, Hord, Overdown, Pomegranate Tiger, Tardive Dyskinesia, Cyclamen, Kartikeya, Heights, and Third Ear.
Last year's line up featured more than 40 bands. This year is currently at 28. So the only thing you need to do is stay tuned for the announcement of the third headliner / rest of the line up, coming very soon. If you live in Europe, you should definitely start thinking about buying tickets. This is the kind of event you don't want to miss!
The new Benea Reach album "Possession" has definitely been an unexpected
but welcome surprise in this first half of 2013. It came out more than
five years after their second release "Alleviat" which was
largely appreciated, especially here in Europe.
This six-piece Norwegian
math metal band is striking everyone with the success of their first
single "The Mountain" taken from their latest album "Possession",
brought to you by Spinefarm Records. "The Mountain" is actually a
kickass song with a magical touch which makes it really catchy and
appreciable despite is complexity. That songs starts as a really complex
track which slowly gets more clear, outlining a well-defined structure. This is especially thanks to an amazing chorus with the versatile and agile voice
of their singer Illka, who is capable of delivering killer vocals with a
unique and intense touch. Let's see if "The Mountain" actually reflects
the quality of the content of the full album.
The album is triggered by the immense sound of the first track
"Woodland", characterized by a complex rhythmic structure and a heavy
dose of originality. It also delivers a solid melodic approach in some
segments. You can even detect a strong Tool influence in the second part
of this song. The second track is the well-known first single, which is
followed by one of the most characteristic and charming songs of the
album, "Desolate". In this track Ilkka uses all his various skills at
their very best, also supported by a the guest appearance of a female
voice. The most touching episode of the whole album and one of the best
overall tracks.
This band implements a lot of
influences in their math metal sound. This ranges from traditional Scandinavian metal (looking like a black
metal version of The Dillinger Escape Plan) to even some hardcore
hints in tracks like "Shedding Skin" or "Crown". "Crown" in particular doesn't
give up the progressive approach heard so far and despite it's
"hardcore" approach it's the longest track in the album.
A truly moving track is "Empire" with its dramatic chorus, perfectly
performed once again by the unquestionable skills of the vocalist Ilkka.
His voice might not be appreciated by everyone for its very rough and
unconventional style but in this track he expresses his skills at such
an high level that you just can't deny his incredible talent.
Towards
the end of the album we find a typical math song in "Constellation". With aggressive and groovy sections and a clean chorus which gives Ilkka
the chance to express his talent once again over a complex rhythmic structure. He compliments the intricacies built by the alliance of drummer Marco, who also
exhibits a very original style for the duration of the album, and guitarists
Martin and Alwin. The track "The Dark" leads us to the blackest side of
the band, while the latest one "Aura" is a softer song, bringing back
the very appropriate female vocals. It's a song mainly based on ambiance and
a modern groovy progressive guitar riff.
This is definetly not a simple album. You'll need to listen to it more
than just one time to appreciate the refinement of such passages which
will be manifested only after several listens. This is a smart, well-done mix
of math/progressive metal with modern metal elements and true Scandinavian
heaviness. Altogether, it produces a unique product which might not be appreciated by
everyone, but has something really special to offer.
PS: The album can be purchased on Amazon (hard copies) and iTunes (digital download), and can be streamed in its entirety at metalhammer.co.uk and on Spotify. Also don't forget they'll be playing at this year Euroblast Festival in Cologne!
