Singles Roundup: Metallica, Revolution Saints, Illumishade, & Ad Infinitum

Another week, more new singles. Oh, and one of these might be from the biggest band on the planet, so that's something.

Metallica - Lux Aeterna

Let's preface this by saying I've never been much of a Metallica fan. Even so, this is exactly the kind of song that keeps me from ever being more of a metal fan. The sound is fantastic, and the riffs are good enough. The problem comes when he hit that magic word; songwriting. They use the old standard form of writing where there isn't a real chorus, and instead they just shout the song's title a couple of times. Metal can still have melodies and hooks, but this kind of writing gives that the finger. As a songwriter myself, I hate this, because I know it's the lazy way of doing things. Writing hooks is hard, but I guess when you're at Metallica's level, you don't need to anymore. I would say this is a huge disappointment, but I wasn't expecting anything better.

Revolution Saints - Eagle Flight

If this was presented as a 'band' before, it certainly isn't now. Deen Castronovo remains, but the others are replaced by fellow members of the Frontiers assembly line. They don't say, but I'm assuming the song is written by the factory as well, so the changes don't make much difference at all. The song sounds like standard-fare melodic rock, and it once again fails to capture the charm the band's first album had. Ever since, everything has felt more and more generic, which continues on here. It's not a gripping or memorable song, and really, the biggest takeaway for me is that Deen's voice sounds like it's definitely aging faster than he can churn out records. I'm not impressed by this new incarnation yet.

Illumishade - Elegy

I really liked the music Illumishade had on their debut album, although I did grouse a fair bit about how there wasn't enough of it, and it felt more like a padded-out EP than a true album. When they stick to singles, there's nothing to complain about. Fabienne and her cohorts make beautiful melodic metal with a modern heaviness to it. They're able to put djent-ish riffs and crystalline vocals together in a way not many bands figure out. What I really love is the way the song's tempo slows, rather than go into a breakdown. As someone who have never abided by the click-track is God mentality, hearing the song use tempo as a dynamic is fantastic. I'm definitely down for more of this.

Ad Infinitum - Upside Down/Somewhere Better

The promotional cycle for the band's new record started more than months early, which sounds rather excessive. We've already got a few singles, and the record doesn't come out anytime soon. I'm not sure if anyone can hold my interest that long. Ad Infinitum is in an odd zone. I hear a ton of talent in their ranks, and I do like most of the songs they have delivered. However, I don't find myself ever being drawn to listen to them. I'm not sure exactly why that is, but there's a missing connection between me and them, and I'm afraid these two songs are falling into the same category. I like them, and I enjoy listening to them, but I have had to remind myself to go back to them. I wish that wasn't the case.