VITAL STATISTICS

ALBUM: Advance and Vanquish

BAND: 3 Inches Of Blood

MEMBERS: Cam Pipes (Vocals), Jamie Hooper (Vocals), Sunny Dahk (Guitar),  Bobby Froese (Guitar), Brian Redman (Bass), Matt Wood (Drums)

RELEASE: 2004

GENRE: Thrashy Power Metal.

FULL-LENGTH: 50:33

LABEL: Roadrunner Records

3 Inches Of Blood are a strange band. Their dual vocals provide a stange dynamic for this thrashy canadian band. Pipes uses a screaming clean vocal style, like something you’d see a goblin warrior sing, while Hooper is a growling orc. As you could probably tell from the album cover, the band focus heavily on battle themes. This is their second album.

1. FEAR ON THE BRIDGE (UPON THE BOILING SEA I) (3:14)

VOCALS-The opening song is the start of the three-part pirate series. The first part dealing with a a battle on the seas. I quite like the lyrics and think it really gives the band some identity. Cam and Jamie show how well they can work together. The general structure of the song is ok.

Lyrics – 8.0

Delivery – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

GUITAR- The guitar work in this song doesn’t really show what Sunny and Bobby can do. The rhythm and riff are ok but there isn’t really a solo during this song. Tempo is good.

Melody – 6.5

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition - 6.5

BASS- Now Brian shows how strong a bassist he is this song and the others to come. His bassline is solid and follows the guitars well. It also delivers a good drive.

Rhythm - 7.0

Composition – 7.0

DRUMS- Ok technique by Matt, pretty good work on cymbols throughout the song and a solid bridge. For the most part it does it’s job.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.0

VOCALS – 20/30

GUITAR – 19.5/30

BASS – 14/20

DRUMS – 13/20

TOTAL – 67.5

2. DEADLY SINNERS (4:31)

VOCALS- The single of the album. The song is a ode to heavy metal using a fictional army that cannot be defeated by their enemies (other genres). As for most of the album , the dual work vocal work is really good. Both are very strong. The structure is quite good, good verses and a short chorus.

Lyrics - 6.5

Delivery – 8.0

Composition – 8.0

GUITAR- A stronger showing. Starts of with a nice intro and keeps it going for the verses and there is also a nice brakdown. A short solo breaks it up a bit. The chorus is only ok but the song has a good rhythm and good structure changes.

Melody – 7.5

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 7.0

BASS- A fairly basic bassline for this song but there is some good work during the chorus. Ok drive and tempo.

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.0

DRUM- Fairly good work overall. Nothing really spectacular but good rhythm work and some nice pace shifts keep it lively, at it’s best in the bridge.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.0

VOCALS – 22.5/30

GUITAR – 21/30

BASS – 12.5/20

DRUMS – 13/20

TOTAL – 69

3. REVENGE IS A VULTURE (3:26)

VOCALS- As you could tell from the title, revenge is the theme from this song and the lyrics aren’t bad. Cam dominates this song and delivers a strong performance.

Lyrics – 7.0

Delivery – 7.5

Composition – 6.5

GUITAR- Pretty good work in this song. I love the melody in the verse, it’s catchy and gives the song some uniqueness. Other than that the song is pretty competant, ok solo, ok rhythm etc.

Melody – 8.0

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.5

BASS- Nice Bassline which follows the guitar’s rhythm completely. Also drives well.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition -7.0

DRUMS- Good drum rhythm for this song with a strong intro and outro. Bookends are always good.

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.0

VOCALS – 21/30

GUITAR – 21/30

BASS – 14.5/20

DRUMS – 15/20

TOTAL – 71.5

4. DOMINION OF DECEIT (4:18)

VOCALS- The band’s Pagan Power song as stated by Hooper. The lyrics are pretty ok and the vocal work is about the same. The structure is a bit wishy washy, which is a shame because the music is great.

Lyrics – 6.0

Delivery – 6.5

Composition – 5.5

GUITAR- Sunny and Bobby show their stuff on this song. Strong play, especially in the verses and chorus and the tempo changes are fantastic. Good tempo.

Melody – 8.0

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 8.0

BASS- Brian follows the guitar bueatifully during the verses. there is some drop off in the chorus but the ending is great and the bassline becomes much more prevalent as the song goes on.

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.5

DRUMS- Wood shows good technique throughout the song. The rhythm is quite fast, especially at the start.

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.5

VOCALS – 18/30

GUITAR – 23.5/30

BASS – 15.5/20

DRUMS – 15.5/20

TOTAL – 72.5

5. PREMONITION OF PAIN (4:34)

VOCALS- This song is about a soothsayer alerting his king of forthcoming doom, only to be ignored. The lyrics are probably one of the strongest on the album. Overall the perfomance is strong by both but Cam outshines James a bit. Good Tempo.

Lyrics – 8.5

Delivery – 7.5

Composition – 7.0

GUITAR- This song has some brilliant solos. A small solo starts it off before a fantastic outro solo finishes it off. Good verses acompany the melody. Another good thing to hear is not the normal galloping rhythm which is a nice change. Strong structure.

Melody – 9.0

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 7.5

BASS- Fairly strong performance by Redman. Ok verses, basic chorus, very good pre-chorus, ok drive.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 6.5

DRUMS- Probably Wood’s best effort. Nice intro which leads into the slower tempo song that changes up quite a few times with some fantastic technique.

Rhythm – 8.5

Composition – 8.0

VOCALS – 23/30

GUITAR – 24/30

BASS – 14/20

DRUMS – 16.5/20

TOTAL – 77

6. LORD OF THE STORM (UPON THE BOILING SEA II) (5:05)

VOCALS- Second part of the pirate trilogy. Lyrics deal with a storm on the seas and then a mutiny on the ship leading to the captain being thrown overboard. Vocals are fairly good. The flow between the two isn’t quite there though, which doesn’t lead to the best tempo.

Lyrics – 7.5

Delivery – 6.0

Composition – 5.5

GUITAR- Pretty strong stuff here. Good intro, verse and chorus with a strong solo. Some good changes in the structure. Nice work overall.

Melody – 8.5

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 7.5

BASS- Similar to the guitar, good perfomance on the whole with nice bookends again. Bass stands out well which I like to see.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 7.0

DRUMS- Strong work overall. Good double kick at the start with a fast tempo, a couple of slower tempo changes help to break up the song.

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.5

VOCALS – 19/30

GUITAR – 23/30

BASS – 14.5/20

DRUMS – 15.5/20

TOTAL – 71.5

7. WYKYDTRON (3:52)

VOCALS- The song is very terminator-ish. It’s about a cyborg who originally is created to serve mankind, only to become out of control. Good perfromance by Cam again. Ok tempo and structure.

Lyrics – 7.0

Delivery – 6.5

Composition – 6.0

GUITAR- Nice stuff here by Sunny and Bobby. Gets really good during the end when they dual it out and deal out a good solo. Fast and good structure.

Melody – 7.5

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 7.0

BASS- Redman follows Sunny and Bobby well during the song and does a good job.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.5

DRUMS- Good work again. Wood really has found some rhythm and shows some nice technique with both the hands and the feet.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 7.0

VOCALS – 19.5/30

GUITAR – 21/30

BASS – 13.5/20

DRUMS – 14.5/20

TOTAL – 68.5

8. SWORDMASTER (4:24)

VOCALS- Lyrics are fairly good, about a knight who deals out revenge with his mighty blade. Decent work by the vocalists with a nice structure.

Lyrics – 6.5

Delivery – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

GUITAR- Really good intro and ok work for the rest of the song. Decent overall.

Melody – 7.0

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition - 7.0

BASS- Unfortunately, Bass is not as noticeable in this track as other others. Ok overall.

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.0

DRUMS- Nothing spectacular, just ok overall.

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.0

VOCALS – 18.5/30

GUITAR – 21/30

BASS – 12.5/20

DRUMS – 12.5/20

TOTAL – 64.5

9. AXES OF EVIL (4:28)

VOCALS- About greed, in the form of a powerful pair of axes. The lyrics are pretty good. A Dominating perfomance by Pipes. Normal structure.

Lyrics – 7.0

Delivery – 7.5

Composition – 6.5

GUITAR- Fast rhythm with a good chorus and a strong solo.

Melody – 7.0

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.0

BASS- Nice perfrom by Brian, fairly good follow job.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.5

DRUMS- Slower tempo in this track. Like other songs, Matt gets better as the song goes.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.5

VOCALS – 21/30

GUITAR – 22/30

BASS – 13.5/20

DRUMS – 13.5/20

TOTAL – 70

10. CRAZY NIGHTS (3:18)

VOCALS- A pretty basic battle theme for this song so nothing spectacular there but Cam does a superb job on this song, sometimes you don’t even notice Hooper. Good tempo and Structure.

Lyrics – 6.0

Delivery – 8.5

Composition – 6.5

GUITAR- Pretty good stuff, does a good job in flowing with Cam and his vocals. Nice solo.

Melody – 7.0

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 7.5

BASS- Brian follows the guitar well as usual, nice performance.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 7.0

DRUMS- Great drumwork by Wood. The good hing about this performance is that it doens’t feel static. It’s structure is very melodic and not just a backing rhythm. Good technique.

Rhythm – 8.5

Composition – 8.0

VOCALS -  21/30

GUITAR -  22/30

BASS -  14.5/20

DRUMS -  16.5/20

TOTAL – 74

11. DESTROY THE ORCS (2:21)

VOCALS- This short song is a re-record from their first album, Battlecry Under A Wintersun, Inspired by the Lord Of The Rings and is pretty ok, nothing fantastic, just solid.

Lyrics – 6.5

Delivery – 6.0

Composition – 6.5

GUITAR- A good fast galloping verse defines this song, good bridge also helps it along.

Melody – 7.5

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.0

BASS-Follows Beautifully as usual, great chorus and verse, with a strong drive.

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.5

DRUMS- Fine work by Wood. Double kick is quite good during the bridge and he shows some good fast technique.

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.0

VOCALS – 19/30

GUITAR – 20.5/30

BASS – 15.5/20

DRUMS – 15/20

TOTAL – 70

12. THE PHANTOM OF THE CRIMSON CLOAK (3:11)

VOCALS- OK lyrics about a monster that feeds on human flesh. Both deliver a good perfromance. Fairly decent structure and tempo.

Lyrics – 6.0

Delivery – 7.0

Composition – 6.0

GUITAR- Decent work, pretty solid, could have been better though with sub-par solo and chorus.

Melody – 6.0

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

BASS- Pretty ok bassline, basic chorus drops the score down a bit.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

DRUMS- Strongest part of this song. Drives strongly and delves into some double kick at times. Nice technique.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 6.5

VOCALS – 19/30

GUITAR – 18/30

BASS – 12/20

DRUMS – 14/20

TOTAL – 63

13. ISLE OF ETERNAL DESPAIR (UPON THE BOILING SEA III) (3:51)

VOCALS-The final part of the pirate trilogy which finishes up this album. The captain becomes a castaway on a deserted island, forever destined to defend his treasure. Good pperfromances by Cam and James to end with a strong composition.

Lyrics – 7.0

Delivery – 6.5

Composition – 7.0

GUITAR- Very much a soloist’s song. Three major solo’s dominate the song and all are quite strong. The rhythm is fairly strong also.

Melody – 8.0

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition -7.0

BASS- Redman finishes up with a good follow job again. Good drive and a nice bassline.

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.5

DRUMS- Nice job on the skins to finish up. Nothing crazy though.

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.5

VOCALS – 20.5/30

GUITAR – 22.5/30

BASS – 13/20

DRUMS – 13/20

TOTAL – 69

ALBUM VERDICT-

I quite like this album. There are many great songs and the musically, the band is very, very solid. I’ve always had a bit of a penchant for Power metal and I’m a thrasher at heart so it couldn’t go wrong there. Preminition Of Pain was the strongest song but there were a couple like Dominion of Deceit and Crazy Nights that were nearly as good. A very solid album, that just falls into second, but if you haven’t heard of them and you like thrash or power metal, give them a go.

OVERALL- 70

STATISTICS

VOCAL SCORE- 262/390 (67%)

GUITAR SCORE- 279/390 (71%)

BASS SCORE- 179.5/260 (69%)

DRUM SCORE- 187.5/260 (72%)

Hey guys,

Sorry my next review is taking such a long time. Uni work has put me behind a bit. I hope to have it up in the next few days.

Cheers

VITAL STATISTICS

ALBUM: Ace Of Spades

BAND: Motorhead

MEMBERS: Lemmy Kilmister (Vocals, Bass) , ‘Fast’ Eddie Clark(Guitar) , Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor (Drums)

RELEASE: 1980

GENRE: Traditional Heavy Metal although they can be considered the forerunners to Speed/Thrash Metal.

FULL-LENGTH: 36:42

LABEL: Bronze Records (Originally)

It’s only fitting that my first review is of a classic heavy metal album, and one I’ve grown to like quite a bit. This is probably Motorhead’s most popular album and most likely the best. The album is the 4th by the British band which went on to become one of the top album’s of that year. Now for the in-depth review.

1. ACE OF SPADES (2:49)

VOCALS- The immortal title track is lead by Lemmy at his finest. The Lyrics are composed of a gambling theme lead by the iconic Ace Of Spades. For the most part the lyrics are short, sharp and have a good rhythm which is why this song seems to stand out from the album. Lemmy displays his awesome gravelly voice which has earned him so much recognition from the metal fraternity and my god is it good in this track.

Lyrics – 7.5

Delivery – 9.0

Composition – 8.5

GUITAR- ‘Fast’ Eddie Clark gives a solid performance in this track. His solo and couple of slight breakdowns are strong yet subtle, not over the top, but few none the less. The basic rhythm of the song is fast and rough which is fantastic. The song, while balanced seems suited to the guitar.

Melody – 6.5

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 9.0

BASS- Probably Lemmy’s strongest performance on this album and it’s right off the bat. He keeps the tempo going and really drives the song. He plays just and fast and rough as ‘Fast’ Eddie.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 8.0

DRUMS- Phil is in some incredible form during this album and this song demonstrates it perfectly. He keeps the fast rhythm impeccably and drives it along with Lemmy.

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 8.0

VOCALS – 25/30

GUITAR – 23.5/30

BASS – 15.5/20

DRUMS – 16.5/20

TOTAL – 80.5

2 LOVE ME LIKE A REPTILE (3:23)

VOCALS- The lyrics deal with snake love of some kind, not really into that. The song doesn’t quite flow as well as the previous song for example. Its lyrics are longer and more obscure with a different tempo to the song. In saying that, Lemmy still performs strongly, making the lyrics likeable.

Lyrics – 5.5

Delivery – 7.5

Composition – 5.5

GUITAR- A strong showing by Clark. The rhythm is nicely played with a catchy and powerful riff. The solo is also very strong with a nice outro. For the most part, the song is guitar driven.

Melody – 8.0

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 6.5

BASS- Lemmy plays solidly, with an ok drive.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.5

DRUM- Phil plays with the same solidity as Lemmy. Good work overall.

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 7.0

VOCALS – 18.5/30

GUITAR – 22/30

BASS – 12.5/20

DRUMS – 13.5/20

TOTAL – 66

3. SHOOT YOU IN THE BACK (2:39)

VOCALS- This song gives an explanation to the influences of Motorhead, especially the album cover. The Western theme in the lyrics are decent, as well as the delivery and composition.

Lyrics – 6.0

Delivery – 6.5

Composition – 7.0

GUITAR- Decent guitar work during this song. It does fit the other components well though.

Melody – 6.0

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

BASS- Lemmy lowest point on the album. The bass doesn’t stand out during the track and feels like it needed more emphasis.

Rhythm – 5.0

Composition – 5.5

DRUMS- The strongest part of this track. Phil outlays some good fills and plays with a slowish tempo but drives well on the whole.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.0

VOCALS – 20.5/30

GUITAR – 18/30

BASS – 10.5/20

DRUMS – 13/20

TOTAL – 62

4. LIVE TO WIN (3:37)

VOCALS- By this song you start to see a trend in the vocals. They rhyme and they follow a similar tempo. The lyrics and structure are pretty basic. Thank god for Lemmy who keeps making the songs solid.

Lyrics – 5.5

Delivery – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

GUITAR- Decent rhythm work from Clark. What makes the song stand out is the second solo which is very good.

Melody – 7.0

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.0

BASS- Fantastic work by Lemmy during this song. The bass intro is very solid and the bassline as a whole is very good. The bass drives the song perfectly.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 8.0

DRUMS- Phil works a nice tempo with some ok technique and drive, but is overshadowed by Lemmy’s bass work.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

VOCALS – 17.5/30

GUITAR – 19.5/30

BASS – 15/20

DRUMS – 12/20

TOTAL – 64

5. FAST AND LOOSE (3:22)

VOCALS- Some very good work here by the band. The lyrics delve into the realm so often used, youth. Difference being that the lyrics are quite energetic. An overall strong performance.

Lyrics – 8.0

Delivery – 8.0

Composition – 7.5

GUITAR- ‘Fast’ Eddie is at it again. A great riff with nice tempo. The solo is fairly strong but the riff is where it’s at for this track

Melody – 6.5

Rhythm – 8.0

Composition – 7.5

BASS- Unfortunately, Lemmy only puts in a decent performance. The bassline is ok and he drives well enough, but being a bassist myself, I prefer to see a bit more emphasis.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

DRUMS- The drums have a nice tempo in this song with a great beat. Phil shows some real good technique during the track. He follows the guitar quite well and is the primary drive for the song.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 7.0

VOCALS – 23.5/30

GUITAR – 22/30

BASS – 12/20

DRUMS – 14.5/20

TOTAL – 72

6. (WE ARE) THE ROADCREW (3:12)

VOCALS- This is a song that a strangely like. Seems to be a ode to the roadcrews of music. The lyrics are short and repetitious, and as always Lemmy deals out a good performance.

Lyrics – 7.0

Delivery – 6.5

Composition – 7.5

GUITAR- Some powerful guitar work in this song. The Tempo is the winner here because the riff is pretty basic but the breakdowns are quite good with a effects-driven solo. The track is composed well.

Melody – 7.0

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 7.0

BASS- Very similar to the guitar. Basic bassline but with a great rhythm and tempo which helps to drive the song.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.5

DRUMS- Solid work here with a strong drive.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.5

VOCALS – 21/30

GUITAR – 21/30

BASS – 12.5/20

DRUMS – 13.5/20

TOTAL – 68

7. FIRE FIRE (2:44)

VOCALS- Lemmy performs solidly, as usual. A fire theme which is pretty basic to be truthful. Don’t like the backup singing during this track.

Lyrics – 6.0

Delivery – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

GUITAR- Decent work by Clark. The riff is fairly ok but it does have a nice rhythm. Clark does perform a very nice solo during.

Melody – 7.5

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

BASS- Not the best work here by Lemmy. Solid rhythm but a basic line.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 5.5

DRUMS- Solid work on the drums by the ‘Philthy Animal’. He warms up quite a bit at the end.

Rhythm – 6.5

Composition – 6.0

VOCALS – 18/30

GUITAR – 19.5/30

BASS – 11.5/20

DRUMS – 12.5/20

TOTAL – 61.5

8. JAILBAIT (3:33)

VOCALS- Another youth inspired song. Lemmy does his usual strong work. The track has a good rhythm and is fairly short lyrically. Solid work.

Lyrics – 6.5

Delivery – 7.5

Composition – 7.0

GUITAR- One of Clark’s strongest efforts. The track has a nice riff, and leads well. The first of the solo’s is alright, it’s the second that is classic Motorhead.

Melody – 7.5

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 7.0

BASS- Another ok bassline , doesn’t stick out again.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 5.5

DRUMS- Nice tempo and drive. Phil does really strongly during the song. Nice little bit of double kick during the solo.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 6.5

VOCALS – 21/30

GUITAR – 21.5/30

BASS – 11.5/20

DRUMS – 14/20

TOTAL – 68

9. DANCE (2:38)

VOCALS- Probably the worst song vocally on this song. Lemmy doesn’t seem to be into it and it just seems bland.

Lyrics -4.5

Delivery – 5.5

Composition – 5.0

GUITAR- This is actually a strong guitar track. It has a decent riff and fantastic solo’s make the song very listenable. It saves the song. There is drop-offs in the verses though.

Melody – 8.5

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

BASS- Solid bassline that drives well enough.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.5

DRUMS- OK drum work with a decent tempo.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 5.5

VOCALS – 15/30

GUITAR – 20.5/30

BASS – 12.5/20

DRUMS – 11.5/20

TOTAL – 59.5

10. BITE THE BULLET (1:38)

VOCALS- Solid vocals by Lemmy. Very short though.

Lyrics -6.5

Delivery – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

GUITAR- Strong riff and a decent small solo but is outshone by Lemmy on the bass.

Melody – 6.5

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 5.5

BASS- Lemmy does really well on this track. The bassline is strong and follows the riff nicely. He dominates the song for the most part.

Rhythm – 7.5

Composition – 7.5

DRUMS- Solid work on the drums as usual. Nice tempo for a short song.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.5

VOCALS – 18.5/30

GUITAR – 17.5/30

BASS – 15/20

DRUMS – 12.5/20

TOTAL – 63.5

11. THE CHASE IS BETTER THAN THE CATCH (4:18)

VOCALS- A sex based song. It’s pretty slow for Motorhead but strong nonetheless.

Lyrics -7.0

Delivery – 7.0

Composition – 6.5

GUITAR- Once again, Clark deals out a decent riff with a nice tempo. A strong solo is present as always and a nice outro ends the song.

Melody – 7.0

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 6.5

BASS- Lemmy does really quite well on this song again. He even manages to show some deviation in the verses. He drives the song pretty well and plays some good stuff during the breakdown.

Rhythm – 8.5

Composition – 6.0

DRUMS- OK drive with a slow tempo. He does alright for the most part.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 5.5

VOCALS – 20.5/30

GUITAR – 20.5/30

BASS – 14.5/20

DRUMS – 11.5/20

TOTAL – 66.5

12. THE HAMMER (2:43)

VOCALS- A rhythmic song to end the album. Lemmy dials out a strong performance once again.

Lyrics -6.0

Delivery – 7.0

Composition – 6.5

GUITAR-Clark does an ok job on this track. Pretty basic riff with a ok solo.

Melody – 6.5

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.5

BASS- Basic bassline to finish up. Strong tempo though.

Rhythm – 6.0

Composition – 6.0

DRUMS- Good work by Phil. Fast and strong tempo and shows some great technique on the skins.

Rhythm – 7.0

Composition – 7.0

VOCALS – 19.5/30

GUITAR – 18.5/30

BASS – 12/20

DRUMS – 14/20

TOTAL – 64

ALBUM VERDICT-

A very strong album. All songs are solid perhaps possibly one. The album’s best is obviously the title track, that being Ace of Spades and by a fair way. Overall, I give the album a solid score that other albums can try to match up to. I did modify the score slightly due to it’s legendary status but it’s still a classic album that cannot be underestimated.

OVERALL- 71

STATISTICS

VOCAL SCORE- 238.5/360 (66%)

GUITAR SCORE- 244/360 (67%)

BASS SCORE- 155/240 (64%)

DRUM SCORE- 159/240 (66%)

WELCOME!!!!!!

This is my review site in which I’ll be running a strict eye over some of the great metal and rock albums that have graced the musical domain. My goal is to perform complicated album reviews using a scoring system I developed to delve deeply into what makes a good song and ultimately a good album.

The scoring works as such: Each song is scored. There are two major categories an 2 or three minor. The 2 major categories are the vocals and the melody. The vocals, are divided into to 3 sections worth 10 points each- 

Lyrics- Their meaning and use.

Composition- How the lyrics fit within the song. The structure of the verse and chorus etc. Rhythm of the lyrics.

Delivery- The delivery of the lyrics by the vocalist.

2nd major section is the melody, in most metal songs that would be the guitars, also have 3 sections:

Melody- The main melody of the song includes solo’s and other breakdowns.

Rhythm- Deals with the main riffs and what they do during the verse and chorus.

Composition- It’s place within the song. Tempo, structure. How it leads.

Then there is 2 or three minor sections, the Bass, the drums and other instrument (eg.Piano). Now, I say minor, but without these sections scoring highly the song won’t be a winner. 

These sections have the same 2 categories;

Rhythm- Especially important for the bass and drums. The other instrument may focus more on melody an will be described as so.So for Bass, it’s the Bassline and any fills while for the Drums, it’s the fills.

Composition- Place within the song. The tempo and rhythm.

Now, that comes to a total of 120 points for each song, but most bands won’t have all 5 categories meaning the score will be out of 100. Then, the album score will come from an adjusted average of the songs. It’s adjusted because of certain factors such as influence etc, but that will be displayed as so.

Some of the bands you can expect to see include Megadeth, Machine Head, In Flames, Pantera, Lamb Of God, Black Label Society, Nevermore, Dragonforce, Rhapsody Of Fire, Slayer, Alter bridge, Godsmack, DreamTheater as well as many more. My likes include Thrash, Groove, Power, Melodic Death and Hard Rock to name a few so those sorta bands will be the most heavily reviewed. Things you most likely won’t see reviewed are Death/Black metal, Metalcore or anything similar, Industrial not mention lots of others. But I’m sure that as the site takes off and I’ve run out of albums that I’ll take requests, hopefully broadening my horizons.

What I’ll be doing is going alphabetically through my ipod and adding new albums as I go. I’ll only review studio albums and EP’s, so no live albums or greatest hits compilations. Also, I’ll only review the original track listings, so no bonus tracks. I hope to get reviews out at a steady pace. Feel free to comment on the reviews, but no personal attacks, spamming or being an idiot.

What everyone must remember is these are my opinions and whatever you may think about my opinion will not change it, feel free to express it in a sensible way though. ENJOY!!!!