The Pitch: Brendon Small, creator of Metalocalypse and mastermind behind Dethklok, returns with for a second album with his Galaktikon project. FFO: The Devin Townsend Project, Dethklok, Alkaloid
What I Like: I'm not sure how many people are still unaware of this, but Brendon is a college-trained musician. He's not just some animator who happens to play guitar. I've seen him on stage headlining with Mastodon, and the guy is no slouch live. As such, Small's projects tend to shine in the riff department and Galaktikon II is no different in this respect. If you've listened to the previous albums or his work as Dethklok, you'll know what to expect: melodic death metal carefully crafted for headbanging. The palm-muted hooks, neoclassical solos, and epic harmonized leads are all extremely potent and effective. But even the most talented guitar player is nothing without a good rhythm section, and fortunately this album has some pretty impressive double-bass work and pace changes to keep things textured and interesting. And the return of the Nathan Explosion death growls doesn't hurt either.
Critiques: Unfortunately, I think I'm still too jaded with my reflexive need to compare this project to Dethklok. Become The Storm is a more progressive, metal opera at heart, so there are notable departures; some good and some not so good. In the latter department are the clean vocals. They're not bad, and those fans of Devin Townsend may appreciate them a bit more, but I'm just not bought into them here. Galaktikon's music also feels a bit more, again for better or worse, serious. I miss the tongue-in-cheek brutality and often hilarious lyrics that made me laugh and bang my head at the same time.
The Verdict: II: Become The Storm hits stores this week with some mixed reactions from Metal Trenches. On the one hand, I worship Brendon's enormous riffs and ability to structure them into some truly epic, progressive climaxes. On the other hand, the clean vocals and less humorous approach leave me a little bit cold. Galaktikon ultimately showcases plenty of talent, and maybe it's just made for the more hardcore proggers out there. Check out "My Name Is Murder" below and stream the album in all the usual places.
Flight's Fav's: Some Days Are for Dying, Icarus Six Sixty Six, My Name Is Murder
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