Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

Just when I thought there was no room for thundering dual guitar harmonies, this band from Huntintong Beach, California shows up. Definitely some power metal influences there and they are very welcome into my list of favorites. We need more stuff like this! So keep it up! And readers, be sure to check out their album Nightmare.

Ozzy Osbourne - Let me hear you scream

Ozzy is back! With this insanely powerful single Let me hear you scream. Nothing particularly special in terms of sound and production but nevertheless it's good to hear back from Ozz. Enjoy!

Deftones - Diamond Eyes

Deftones is back after their former bassist Chi's unfortunate accident. The Sacramento band is rocking as hard as ever and this song is particularly awesome. The guitar is just spasmodically big and Chino Moreno's voice fits the record perfectly. There's a big fantasy element to the whole album and the video reflects this. It's great to see them back so be sure to check their album Diamond Eyes and also, visit Chi's support website.

Three Days Grace

So it's Three Days Grace's turn. Adam Gontier is easily one of the best rock singers out there. The guitars are big but I think the bass guitar is the instrument that stands out the most. They did quite a good job at the layering during the instrumental bridge, however the chorus is the real hook. It just has so much energy and the lyrics fit in perfectly.

This was the first single from their latest album Life Starts Now, and I personally like it more than their latest single The Good Life. Check it out!

New strings!

I ordered a set of D'Adario XL drop C strings about a week ago and I got them today. For those of you who aren't guitarists or have no idea what drop C tuning is, well, basically you tune the whole guitar two semitones lower except for the lowest string, which is downtuned 2 semitones further down, reaching a low C. It's pretty common in alternative metal. I think this is the first time I try strings that are actually meant to be played on an alternative tuning. I have to say they sound pretty awesome.

So I couldn't resist and I recorded a little video of myself playing these heavy gauge monsters. Hope you like it! If you're wondering about what I'm  using for the sound, it's a Line 6 POD Studio UX1.
 

Alice in Chains - Your Decision

It's good to see Alice in Chains come up with another great hit after the success of Check my Brain. This song is quite pleasing to the ear, but it's not sugary. The acoustic guitars are balanced with a healthy dose of lead guitar with just the right amount of distorsion. Cantrell and DuVall once again do an awesome job at their dual lead vocals, which is pretty much Alice in Chains's signature. Be sure to check their album Black Gives Way to Blue.

Thiago Campos - Metropolis (Dream Theater cover)

I have to say, this is one of those rare occasions when an almost exact cover version of a song actually ends up sounding better than the original. Every single musician is simply amazing.

Will Shaw hits every high note and his voice is in my opinion a little more pleasing than Dream Theater's Labrie's (that will earn me some enemies). Thiago Campos has mastered Petrucci's technique and seems to play his lightning fast licks with unbelievable ease. Paulinho "Portnoy" brings the drums of a young Mike Portnoy back to life in all their glory. Felipe Campos excels at the six string bass guitar and Cesar Zolhof delivers an amazing performance.

I am a big fan of progressive metal of the nineties/early noughties, so this video brought a lot of good memories.