Maximum Metal Rating Legend

I'll be the first to admit this type of music isn't really my cup of tea. Anyone who reads my reviews will know that my heart lies at the castle walls of power and speed, encompassing everything 80s with anything that has a traditional foundation. From time to time I do like to open my eyes to something completely new, which is what I have done with Armageddon Music recording artist Anger. The band have released their third album to date, and first for Armageddon in "The Bliss". This is my first listen of Anger and I must say again that this isn't really anything that I would have looked for or sought out, but now that it is here in my hands I will do my best to describe it and let you, the reader, decide if it is your cup of tea.

Portugal's Anger formed in 1994 with their first gig being in the summer of 1995. Since then the band have released two albums, "Anger" and "Anger Y2K". The group have opened for huge stadium acts like Metallica, Monster Magnet, and Megadeth in the past. Now with "The Bliss" the guys have hooked up with famed producer Tommy Newton, who helped turn the knobs for well known bands such as Guano Apes, Helloween, and Victory. The end result is one that will please both the nu-metal listeners and the modern rock aficionados of the world. Fans of traditional hard rock or heavy metal will definitely be turned off, but like myself they may find one or two songs in here they like.

Anger will definitely fit into the modern mold of today's hip music. The group do a lot of experimenting on this album, from chunky down tuned riffs to synthesizers and programming. At times the group play like Papa Roach or Monster Magnet with plenty of rock backbone and sizzle, but other times they fit nicely into the pop metal culture. Everyone from Linkin Park and Deftones to Sentenced and Poisonblack show their influence on the group, making for a very diverse album full of twists and turns that keep everything spinning on a modern frequency. It certainly doesn't have the power of Clutch or even Queens Of The Stone Age, but it will compete equally for the Papa Roach, Saliva, and Dope spot in the pecking order.

Tommy Newton knows how to bring the rock cuts out of these guys, evident on tracks like "Devil In My Mind", "Another Game", and "Gonna Drown". Other songs have a more sadistic harsh side, bordering on the hardcore/hip hop trends running rampant in this day and age. I enjoy the more gothic tones of the band with tracks like "Iced", "Say (What You Wanna)", and "Instants", showing off a more atmospheric and less noisy effort. Other cuts bring some indy rock into play, with moments of Coldplay coming through.

As I mentioned before this isn't my cup of tea but I'm glad I got to sample this one. If you are a modern rock fan then this sort of album will appeal to you. It has all of the trademarks of that particular style, and in my opinion does it better than most of your Top 40 acts. For heavy metal or headbanging fans, this is definitely a big turn off. I'm not sure why these guys were opening for Megadeth (maybe the Risk tour?) but it wouldn't be a good fit in my opinion. For those of you on the trendy or commercial side, buy Anger. If you aren't, stay way. It is as easy as that.