As we enter 2019, we don't enter with a clean slate. We like to think everything starts over again when we put a new calendar on the wall, but that's a lie we tell ourselves. Time is not so easily fragmented, and memories and music bleed from one period to the next. So with that being said, let's take a look at a couple of lead singles from bigger-name metal records on the schedule for the first few months of the year, plus one recent entry that would have gone unnoticed otherwise. See, we can't make a clean break after all.
Dream Theater - Untethered Angel
Let's get the obvious out of the way first. The first verse of this song sounds remarkably like "Outcry", but not as good, since that track is fantastic. Dream Theater is going back to basics yet again with this album, and this is a rather concise single for them. The main riff is solid, and heavy, and the solo sections have the intricate playing you would want to hear. The issue isn't even the self-referencing, it's the vocals. The hook of the song is weak and uninspired, and James' vocals are ruined with vocal effects that aren't needed. He sounds great on his solo albums, and terrible in Dream Theater. It's bizarre. This sounds way better than "The Astonishing" and the self-titled, but it doesn't speak to this being one of their best records.
Avantasia - The Raven Child
"Ghostlights" was one of Tobi's best albums. That sets the bar very high for the new one, of which this is the first taste. Tobi has given us the album's epic, which is an interesting choice. We get guest performances from Hansi Kursh and Jorn Lande, both of whom are far more welcome than Michael Kiske (who sadly will appear on the album). This song has a heavier folk influence through the acoustic opening, a string motif that feels Celtic, and a structure that abandons the chorus halfway through. The first two are good decisions, differentiating the song from Tobi's other longer works, but I do feel the song loses a bit of steam in that it doesn't revisit the hook, which is the best part of the song, again in the last few minutes. It almost feels incomplete. Tobi never lets us down, so this is still very good, but it's not quite as exciting as "Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose" was.
Candlemass - The Omega Circle
I should not be reviewing this song. Candlemass is supposed to be retired, and yes, I am angry at them for having lied to us. I won't hold that against the song, though. They are rejoined by their original singer for the first time since the debut album, and the first track is something a bit unusual. What we get is Candlemass doom, but with a production that is right out of the grimy, occult rock playbook that has been so popular in recent times. As old-school as it sounds, it also sounds like the band jumping on a trend. It's not bad, but it doesn't ring as true Candlemass.
The Nearly Deads - Freak Show
I really liked the "Revenge Of The Nearly Deads" EP, but somehow it slipped by me that the band had a new single out. Once I rectified that, I was greeted by one of those slightly frustrating experiences. Don't get me wrong; the new song is great. "Freak Show" has the jaunty rhythm of a carnival, and one of those melodies with a slight lilt to it that softly burrows into your head without you realizing it. As good as their last EP was, I think this song is better than anything off of that, which brings me to the frustration I mentioned. This song is so good that four minutes of it isn't enough. I want to hear more from The Nearly Deads, because if this track is an indication, they are on a roll right now. Big, big thumbs up.
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