Deathanity CD Reviews UPDATED 4 August 2008

[OdinsCourt]

This thread is dedicated to reviews of the new CD Deathanity.

We'll post reviews from internet, magazines, etc. as we find out about them. If you find one we don't have listed, please post it (make sure to include a link to the original too please).

Also, if anybody who has bought the CD wants to write their personal review in here, that would rock too. Can't wait to hear what you all think.

EDIT 15 July 2008:
I'll be updating this post whenever a new review is posted (I'll delimit the edits so folks know what changed).

Also, please note that some of the translations for non-English reviews are a combination of different online translators that I put together and tried to make English out of. So if you know the original language and care to correct the translation, I'd be very grateful.

And we aren't shy. We know not everyone will like the CD (some will hate it), so we'll post ALL reviews and not just the good ones like most bands may tend to do.

I'm going to put the rating from each reviewer (if there is one) with the link in this post as well. I will scale everything to a 10 scale so they are all in the same terms here, but in the actual post, I will leave the original scale by the reviewer. If it wasn't rated, it is noted as such and estimated (a 5 is average, below 5 below average, and above 5 is obviously above average). Then I'll keep a running average - just for fun.

Current running average as of 18 November 2008, 7.44 out of 10.
/EDIT 15 July 2008

EDIT 16 July 2008
USA Progressive Music: 7.5 out of 10
Hall of Metal Webzine: 8.3 out of 10
Magic Fire Music: 6.5 out of 10
Hard Rock Info: no rating given, estimate a 6.5 out of 10
/EDIT 16 July 2008

EDIT 21 July 2008
Movimenti Prog: 8 out of 10
Sea of Tranquility: 8 out of 10
/EDIT 21 July 2008

EDIT 26 July 2008
Ragazzi: no rating given, estimate a 8.5 out of 10
The Streets Webzine: 8 out of 10
/EDIT 26 July 2008

EDIT 31 July 2008
Obliveon: estimate a 8 out of 10
Speed of Light: 7.5 out of 10
Music Reviews.de Webzine: 4 out of 10
Heavy Hardes: no rating given, estimate a 6.5 out of 10
Power Metal: no rating given, estimate a 8.5 out of 10
Burn Your Ears Webzine: 6.5 out of 10
Rock Times: 9 out of 10
Jerry Lucky: no rating given, estimate a 8.5 out of 10
Metal Glory: 5 out of 10
/EDIT 31 July 2008

EDIT 3 August 2008
Metal Observer: 7 out of 10
/EDIT 3 August 2008

EDIT 4 August 2008
Progressive Area: no rating given, estimate a 8 out of 10
Hard Sounds: 7 out of 10
/EDIT 4 August 2008

EDIT 28 August 2008
Metal Inside: no rating given, estimate a 7 out of 10
Metalchroniques: 7 out of 10
Dream Theater Forums: 8 out of 10
/EDIT 28 August 2008

EDIT 18 November 2008
Metal Express Radio: 7.5 out of 10
Music in Belguim: 8 out of 10
My Revelation: 7.33 out of 10
Croation Metal and Rock: 6 out of 10
Antient Spirit Reviews: 8.5 out of 10
Totentanz Magazine: no rating given, estimate a 8.5 out of 10
Proggies: 6 out of 10
Underground Empire: no rating given, estimate a 7.5 out of 10
Tarkus Magazine: no rating given, estimate a 8 out of 10
Imhotep: 8.33 out of 10
Progressor: 8.33 out of 10
Sea of Tranquility: 7 out of 10
Pure Metal: 8 out of 10
/EDIT 18 November 2008

[SkiBumMSP]

Originally Posted by OdinsCourt

Also, if anybody who has bought the CD wants to write their personal review in here, that would rock too. Can't wait to hear what you all think.

Well, guess what has arrived in the mail today?

I am playing it now on my Klipsch/B&K setup. As you know, I've heard this back in December at your Christmas party, and thought it kicked ass. Of course, that was back in December, so memory tends to get a little dodgy, especially if only having heard it that one time.

It seems that you really cleaned up the mix since then. The album does sound really good on my pretty high-end rig.

Not only that, but the complexity and musicianship that I am hearing is just friggan incredible. You guys have really outdone yourself with this one, in my personal opinion. As I get a chance to listen to it more, I'll have to give a bit more in-depth review. But on this first listen, impressive indeed and you guys should really be proud of what you accomplished here. Excellent job!

EDIT - later this month, I'll be going to Indianapolis to the Klipsch headquarters/research facility. Will be interesting to listen to this on a pair of $16,000 Palladium P-39F speakers, most likely hooked to another $20,000+ of high-end audio electronics.

EDIT 2 - Sorry I missed your gig at Monk's Inn! I was planning on making the hike out there last Saturday, but go figure that "real life" had to happen, not to mention that shitty weather that decided to pick that moment to come through the area when I wanted to start heading out that way! Oh well, will see you at the next one!

[dpbaden]

Deathanity represents a true progression in the career of the band. Odin's Court latest release is an audio adventure for the listener whether he or she has headphones on or not. The layered vocals, spoken word passages, and incredible musicianship all meld together to make Deathanity a triumph that was worth waiting for. I've seen this band live a bunch of times and they have gotten tighter as a unit over the past couple of years. They have gone from a prog metal band with potential for greatness to a band that the prog metal community have taken notice of over the span of a few short years. This CD proves that with hard work and a lot of passion, there is no limit to how far Odin's Court can go in 2008 and beyond. Congratulations on a job well done! Dean in Hollywood, MD USA.

[Kenneth R.]

Man this sounds so good! Psyched!

[The Essence of Conviction]

This CD is just absolutely amazing, it has such a powerful message with very powerful music. Being an Evergrey fan, Mammonific is my favorite song but VERY close behind it is Volatilestial. I'm too lazy and tired to write a proper review but just know that this CD is everything a prog metal fan could ever want plus MUCH MUCH more. The vocal harmony on Volatilestial when he says "Natural Harmoooooooony" is probably the best fucking thing I've ever heard. Just buy the CD and stop reading this shit. =]

[Snowy Owl]

Guys, you have released one hell of an album. I ordered it last week and it came a few days later. Expect a review on my site very soon!

See you Saturday!

[OdinsCourt]

Cherion mini-review from another thread:

Lengthier review to come later (I think).

But here's where I currently am with it :

- Currently sitting with Zero Hour's latest as the best progmetal album of the year.
- Tony Kakko sounds incredible on the song he sings on. And it totally fits the song and was an excellent choice.
- The guitar playing is excellent. Their playing can be fast, technical, and still interesting. Something that eludes a lot of players.
- I can't compare it to Redriven by Fate and that's why I've been so slow to write a review. Two completely different albums, which is very commendable. The problem is that I'm such a fan of the instrumental tracks on that album, that it's unfair to compare. I mean you have no idea how it makes me feel everytime I listen to the acoustic versions of Paradise Lost chapter 4 and Utopian Rust. Such amazing songs. No song on this album hits me in that same way. However, Deathanity is more consistent overall.
- I'm glad I can understand what's going on in the lyrics this time. On Redriven by Fate there were tracks that lyrically I just didn't get (hey at least I read the lyrics, most bands don't even entice me to do so). I think that the lyrics are good. But I'm going to have to read them through closer (most bands I wouldnt' give a damn, so that meant hey are at least on the good level, whereas most bands are no the 'suck' level).
- I'm a fan of Matt's voice. No doubt. I think the album is composed in a way that makes it all work. However, I would have liked to have heard more sinister Matt. When Matt goes evil with his voice he's amazing (as he has done live). Maybe they'll experiment with this more on the next album. Some thrashy-prog, or prog-doom or something like that just to show even more how talented this band is.
- I'll freely admit that the album hasn't fully sunk in yet. The album has so much going on, so much compositionally, that its going to take a while till I really completely 'get' it.
- I look forward to the next album

[OdinsCourt]

First (real) English review...


USA Progressive Music (7.5 out of 10):

Having been an attendee of ProgPower USA for the last 3 years it was hard not to hear of this band since a couple of the members attend each year. Though I don't think I have ever heard their music until this album arrived.
Odin's Court began in Maryland in 2001 with Matt Brookins. They have released two albums and a DVD, as well as sharing the stage with Kamelot, Symphony X, and Crimson Glory, just to name a few.

The album, Deathanity, begins with a much darker side to the prog world then what I was expecting. There lots of interesting time signatures as well as this "dark mood" that transpires from the music. This "dark mood" is present throughout a good portion of the album, which is something that I am not really familiar with in the Prog genre. Some of the highlights from the album are definitely the two tracks that feature guest appearances "Mammonific" with Tom Englund from Evergrey and "Crownet" with Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica. Tom shows up in the fifth track and f*cking owns and gives the band a superior guest appearance. The dual vocals are great sounding with the two different tones intermingling. It also didn't come off as just an Odin's Court doing an Evergrey song like how some guest appearances end up being. The robot effect to the vocals was an interesting accent, but maybe could have been done without. "Crownet" features an excellent beginning with a superior guitar line then a quiet proggy break down for a bit, then the bombastic prog/power sound begins to come out with the addition of Tony. The keyboards sound absolutely phenomenal on this particular track.

Other things that I picked up on the album are occasional occurrence of death vocals, which happen in situations you wouldn't expect. I would compare this exact action to what Riverside does in their compositions. The overall back and forth between the quiet artistic prog rock parts to the more aggressive parts will keep any fan of prog involved in the album. Another thing was that there is I believe 3 instrumental tracks on the album so don't expect vocals all the time, but do expect awesome epic music. Finally, a fun little addition that they include is a rendition of "Joy To The World" with "Ode To Joy" that would fit nicely on any Trans-Siberian Orchestra album.

Deathanity could be recommended to fans of Riverside or Evergrey or any other prog-oriented band that incorporates the darker side of the genre into their music. When you pick this up do not expect upbeat European prog metal a la Stratovarius - expect the unexpected.

[OdinsCourt]

This is a rough translation using a composite of 3 online translators.


Hall of Metal Webzine (8.3 out of 10), translated from Spanish:

If someone recommend a progressive metal disc to you that just recently came out from a moderator of Dream Theater's forum, you would do well to take that recommendation with skepticism and strangeness
... however you would do badly if in ignorance you think that this is a project of a typical fan of the group that wants to emulate his heroes, because frankly you would miss a good disc.

The aforementioned one in question, Matt Brookins, singer and guitarist, despite not having participated in more metal projects (at least as far as I know), that does not premiere in 2008, but that his group, ODIN'S COURT (a band I did not totally know until now) already carries three albums to its credit.

Deathanity is the latest recording effort by this American group in the progressive metal style, with a very classic and noventero sound with a touch of the smoothest progressive rock. The music of ODIN'S COURT is more oriented to transmit sensations through their melodies than lost between instrumental masturbation, although the musicians are not invalid and in certain occasions are left to carry the most eclectic parts and work in the style they practice.

Despite the influences that can be found upon listening to the disc (Shadow Gallery, the first Vander Plas, or Dream Theater of the Dominici era), they are not too obvious. The sound of the group is quite personal with a lot of quality, and fantastic production for their music, very pleasant to the ear, nothing strident, with guitars and smooth refining where all instruments are in a place where you can distinguish each of them with complete ease. In addition, besides some of the traditional instruments of rock and metal and to give more color to their music, they wisely utilize classical pianos and even saxophone, interspersing them with delicious form.

"Deathanity", without abandoning the label of "metal" in progressive music, is a disc quiet, evocative and full of half-time themes, with a lot of feeling. It is a very heterogeneous album where songs are sprinkled with items such as instrumentals, dressing all of it with small interludes as if narrated in a movie. Fortunately, these short narrations and dialogues, rather than being done heavily, are well made and you get more of the history that the group aims to explain to us.

Giving a review of the best songs on the disc, we start with the spectacular "Volatilestial", an evocative, relaxed half time song, halfway between Vander Plas (especially in the vocals) and Shadow Gallery, full of passages and exquisite melodies. Changes within the theme are very natural, nothing breakthrough, and the tranquil parts graze the neo-prog groups such as Sand, filled with emotion and impressive guitar and saxophone solos. A theme to be left to carry, very comprehensive and very successfully. Is the best of the disc.

"Oceania Toxica", one of the disc's instrumentals, is simply spectacular. More technical, complex, and progressive than much of the album, it is a song to taste and analyze calmly so as to remove all the juice. A luxury for those of us who like progressive metal: changes of rhythm, stops well achieved, riffs something more modern, keyboards a lot like Awake Dream Theater, dreamy pianos, and movie loving voices. One of the star songs on the disc without a doubt.

Another cut to highlight is "Animaulic", another very beautiful half time piece, filled with emotion and melodies of voice and fantastic guitar, those who live triumph. It has a rapid part with one hand alone very heavy (in a section that even reminds of Iron Maiden) scattered with another much smoother part where again the prog rock is more melodic and accessible. A marvel.

Finishing this first review of the most successful songs, "Esoterica", another instrumental theme on the disc, is without a doubt one of the best of the album. It is a prize cut, beautiful melodies, tranquil guitars with the ability to transmit, and spectacular classical pianos grazing soft jazz. The protagonist here is very low and also has a place for their solos, in a terrific performance where one is pleased that the mix is so perfect to taste everything without anything being able to pass over you in silence. Especially noteworthy is the wonderful guitar solo that is pure feeling.

After reviewing the most remarkable, many of you may ask that if everything is so wonderful, why I did not score more? The answer is that the disc has some ups and downs. Most of the songs are spectacular (aside from those named, "Obesite" does not lag far behind) and much of the material here is one that invites you to escape away and fully enjoy the music at its highest expression, but there are also more difficult songs to deal with, some that have fallen below the level without being evils fear and other songs that seem a little out of place and reduce the homogeneity of the collective.

For example "Mammonific" (with the special collaboration of Thomas Englund of Evergrey) is too experimental in structures that do not carry to the concept of the disk and also has strange and extravagant
vocal melodies that are a little out of place for my taste. There is also "Cosmosera", which despite being a low point, is a correct theme regarding the majority of material found here, or the prog metal
version of the anthem of "Hymn of the Happiness" by Beethoven ( "Ode to Joy"), not home at all with the overall concept of the disc, at least as I see it.

Were it not for those items that have fall a little below the level, we would be talking about one of the prog metal discs of the year, but anyway, none of these smudges are too important to detract from this great record that I openly recommend to all progressive metal followers.

ODIN'S COURT is a great discovery, of which I will seek to hear their previous two albums to testify if they are as formidable as "Deathanity." If you like metal and progressive roc