GOD OF WAR: BLOOD & METAL

In mid 2010, the third installment of the video game God of War was released. As a promotional add on, Roadrunner Records, home of many of PA's popular artists such as Dream Theater, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and Nightwish, collaborated with the producers of God of War to release a mashup of the label's popular artists songs that were somehow related to the game, but really just a show of Roadrunner's music marketed to the gamers. The label chose some good artists, including our very own Dream Theater and Opeth, but also included other metal artists, although most of the songs could fit into the tech genre. What came out was a mediocre prog metal sampler albums, with some extreme metal- pop-prog-thrash whatnot throughout.

My Obsession, by Killswitch Engage, is actually quite nice. It opens with some cool hammer on/pull off stuff, but quickly breaks into the metalcore the band is known for. However, away from the traditional metal verses and chorus and traditional format, some trippy Rhodes piano backs a more melodic guitar interlude at some points, making this one of the more experimental and acceptable songs on the album.

Shattering the Skies Above is one of Trivium's worse songs. It exemplifies their thrash era, which I had thought they had broken away from with The Crusade. At some points the rhythm guitar is actually pretty creative and experimental, but it doesn't last long. The soloing is short and horridly thrashy. The song tries to be experimental, but really doesn't make it... at all.

Here's the killer. You see, I love Dream Theater, and I really love EVERYTHING they put out, but I just don't understand Raw Dog. It's a thrash metal song with some odd rhythmic backing and haunting backings. They were smart not to have LaBrie sing to this song, because this is so NOT Dream Theater that he probably couldn't. The solo section is a little more traditional Dream Theater, but the whole feel of the song is very odd even compared to Dream Theater's oddity.

This is Madness is another metalcore thrash track. The song has some fun experimentation and some cool mythologically based lyrics, but the music is mostly just thrash-metalcore.

Thank you, Opeth, for defying most of your own music and defying the rest of this album by putting out a nice acoustic track! The Throat of Winter is a chill Arabian-esque thats adds that essential dynamic to the album. This is my favorite track on the album. The obvious experimentation of this album is fantastic and refreshing amidst the trash of the rest of the songs.

If you haven't heard Mutiny Within's debut album and you like prog and you like metal, go get it, it's a great album. Anyway, The End is, well, an appropriate ender. Less intense, more melodic, and still metal, Mutiny Within has made a very nice track here. However, one thing I don't like about Mutiny Within is they never carry their ideas anywhere. There are some great ideas here, but it ends after a mere 3:16. They could make quite a few epics out of their music, but they stick with traditional metal format. It's sad, really.

ALBUM OVERALL: This album is barely alright. Some interesting experimentation goes on in some of the songs, but the majority of the music is just mush and metalcore thrash. Dream Theater leaped way out of their skin into a much more uncomfortable one, and Trivium made a song that goes back to their rotting thrash roots. Opeth, on the other hand, made a great little Arabian piece of music, which really is one of the only thing that holds this album above a 1 star rating. 2 stars.