Search reviews by letter:
#'s
A B C D
#_E F G H I
J K L M
N O P Q R
S T U V W
X Y Z
Upcoming Reviews - see which reviews are on our list to be next
Partner and official
forum of
Adrenalin Metal Union
Recently added reviews:
January 11th -
Agathodaimon (gothic metal)
Disease Within
(doom metal/punk)
Fission (melodic metal)
Hammered
(thrash metal)
Izah (metal)
Slave Zero
(death metal)
November 11th -
Celan
(hardcore/rock)
Conquest Of Steel (power metal)
Dark Grave
(black metal)
Interrogate (metal)
Nexus
(technical/progressive metal)
Resurrecturis (thrash/death/industrial)
UFO (classic
rock)
November 2nd -
Devil
Driver (metal)
Drive A (punk)
Long Distance
Calling (progressive rock/metal)
Mass Obliteration (death metal)
Saga
(progressive/rock)
Valinor
(metal)
#
"4 WAYS
TO SCREAM YOUR HATE” - compilation (Extreme Sardinian/Calabrian Alliance)
Style: Compilation
Steve’s Review: This very entertaining compilation released
by Extreme Sardinian/Calabrian Alliance features four equally aggressive and
brutal bands that will have you banging your head throughout the entire
compilation. First, Land of Hate, starts off the CD with the oldschool ‘synthy’
intro for Gener(H)ate. This band produces a classic early Death
Metal/Proto-Black Metal sound that reminds me of bands like Early Sepultura,
Death, very early Immortal, and also Deeds of Flesh. A standout track, “Raped
Years”, starts off with a very Carcass feeling drum intro before kicking back
into the oldschool Black/Death sound again. Smashhead, the next band featured,
blasts into a more technical style of Death Metal. This is a good East-Coast
style Death Metal going all-out, featuring even the high ‘pigsqueal’ vocals. Not
the most original band but a good listen that will get you thrashing out. Next
in the lineup Deathcrush, who I’m guessing took their name from a Mayhem album
(not sure), is worth checking out especially for fans of Deicide. Florida-style
Death Metal all the way with vocals very comparable to those of Deicide’s
Benton. I’m very much a fan of these guys style that rips shit apart with great
guitar solos, leads, and rhythm work. The drum work is excellent as well with
some very creative blast beats and double bass fills. Check out the somewhat
melodic and definitely old-school “Eaten by Rats” which had me wanting to tear a
pit apart. Now I have no clue where the hell this band name came from but the
last band on the compilation, Zora, isn’t the most impressive talent-wise but
had me banging my head. Think of Cannibal Corpse meets Mortician, the guitars
are pretty straightforward but the drums are pretty bad ass. Throw in some
pretty brutal bass work and vocals from the love-child of George Corpsegrinder
and Chris Barnes and you got a pretty good mix. If you ever get the itch for
some oldschool influenced Death Metal check out any of the bands listed above.
The one thing that amazed me about all these bands is that, minus Land of Hate,
they are three-pieces. I have always enjoyed hearing what a three-piece Metal
band is capable and on this compilation you have three great examples.
www.landofhate.it ,
www.myspace.com/landofhateband
www.myspace.com/smashhead
www.myspace.com/deathcrushband
www.myspace.com/zoraexperiment
Land of Hate:
Vocals: 7/10; Instruments: 7/10; Production: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
SmashHead:
Vocals: 6/10; Instruments: 9/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 7.7/10
Deathcrush:
Vocals: 9/10; Instruments: 9/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 8.6/10
Zora:
Vocals: 8/10; Instruments: 8/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 8/10 A
AEONS OF ECLIPSE
- "The Hour of Desolation"
Style - Death Metal
Origin - Kentucky
Gus's Review - In the fairly new, yet quickly wearing out
genre of death metal with technical influences, Aeons of Eclipse doesn't do a
whole lot to distinguish themselves among the deluge of other emerging bands.
The first few songs on the album are fairly generic and aren't very appealing to
the ear. The vocals are very monotonal with the occasional higher-pitched
squeal. Occasionally, the vocals get lost beneath the fancy guitar work, making
it hard to discern anything but a low, breathy rumble. The second half of the
album, however, is far more worth listening to. The riffs get heavier, the drums
get heavier, and the solos get more complicated, creating a very nice
run-of-the-mill death metal sound. Still fairly generic, but less so than the
rest of the album. A few melodic incorporations make the songs interesting
enough to keep you listening but don't quite make up for the lack of engaging
vocals. With some fresh new vocals, Aeons of Ecplise could become quite a strong
band, but until that happens I don't see much changing.
www.aeonsofeclipse.com
Originality: 6/10 Production: 9/10 Performance: 9/10
Vocals: 5/10
Overall: 7/10
AGATHODAIMON –
“Phoenix” (Massacre Records)
Style – Gothic metal
Origin – Mainz, Germany
Dion’s Review – I wouldn’t exactly call my musical horizons
narrow, I just knows what I likes, is all. But because it’s my job, I’m going to
review a disc from a genre that I’m really not interested in. Despite my lack of
enthusiasm for the subject matter, just watch me fill my pre-determined length
with an informative review.
You watching?
Actually, to be completely honest, I’m full of good things to
say about this latest release from Germany’s AGATHODAIMON. This is the fifth
full-length feather in the band’s cap, so you’d assume they’d have it right by
now. At least “right” as far as they’re concerned. The production, first off, is
what grabbed me. ‘Pristine’ comes to mind. ‘Crystalline’ as well. Hell, ‘Fucking
awesome’ does it for me, too. Nothing’s in the red; everything’s audible;
nothing sounds tacked on, or separate, from the rest. You know, the karaoke
sound where one facet of the album just doesn’t mesh with the rest? Yeah: none
of that. Unless you include that irritating, yet gainfully employed, bloke who’s
voice busts in that the CD’s property of so-and-so. Instrumentally speaking,
these blokes are damned talented, too. Everything’s crisply executed, with some
interesting changes, off-time bars here and there, and even some
less-than-annoying industrial-type passages on the keyboard. Synths, to me, are
largely unnecessary, but this bloke does some cool stuff, and on the whole it’s
not intrusive like some, and not drowned out, and therefore obsolete, like
others. Fairly tasteful synthefication, if you ask me. If I were going to gain
an appreciation for gothic metal, AGATHODAIMON would be the band to do it for
me. My only (personal) beef with the disc is those quintessential 80’s
pop-sounding clean, melancholy vocals. I never liked ‘em. The main vocals, a
mid-range, throaty rasp, are pretty decent, and there’s a low bellow every now
and again, but those depressed cleans get on my tits.
Overall, this CD was not hard to sit through at all. With the clean production,
and obvious talent, my finger never itched for the eject button. Plus, I have to
thank these lads: I’m stoked there’s bands like AGATHODAIMON that are giving
keyboardists jobs to do. Otherwise, they’d be band-lacking, pan-handling buskers
annoying the piss out of us, and completely ruining our shopping experiences.
www.myspace.com/agathodaimon ,
www.agathodaimon.de ,
www.massacre-records.com
Production: 10/10; Originality: 7/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 8.5/10
ANGERPATH – “Forgotten
World” (Epitomite Productions)
Style – Death metal
Origin – Bielsko-Bia³a, Poland
Dion’s Review – It’s so hard to come up with an honest,
accurate style description, without putting people off the review before they
get to read it. I mean, this is most definitely death metal, but I nearly put
‘melodic’ in there, which it has more than a few moments of, but since there’s a
negative connotation a lot of people apply to that sub-genre, I forwent it. It’s
like hearing “Brazilian Fart Porn” and refusing’ to watch it with your
hysterically giggling mates; there’s a whole lot that goes on in those quality
productions besides the butt-grunts, right? So, you’re about to read a review of
a death metal band’s debut release. All farts intact.
I have to say first off, that it’s rare that you look up a band’s discography
and find that a full-length is also the band’s first release. There’s usually
demos, splits or compilation appearances. The ‘starter’ before the ‘main’.
Although this band is made up of members of NEWBREED, EGOIST, DREAM SYSTEM and
SPACEBRAIN, so you‘d figure they‘re rather studio-seasoned metal warriors.
Forgotten World is a really well-produced offering, too. Seven tracks of
mid-paced death metal that reminds me of a somewhat more aggressive IMMOLATION
and the slower parts of BEHEMOTH. I <I>nearly</I> wrote ‘BEHEMOTH breakdowns‘.
Phew! That’s grounds for instant dismissal right there! But this isn’t to say
that ANGERPATH are direct rip-offs. Those bands are just obvious influences… I
hope. The guitars are very notey, and are at times melodic, yet by contrast can
be very dischordant. The drums are tight and can be fairly imaginative. The
vocals are a rather monotonous low hardcore-like yell. He delves into a guttural
bellow every now and again, but there’s no highs to speak of. No real tricks of
the mic-strangler’s trade applied, to be honest. And ANGERPATH have joined the
growing list of bands that have forgone the employment of a bassist… sadly. I
good bassist can add a whole dimension to the sound… but you usually get someone
who’s quite willing to follow the guitar. I understand why they did it. I just
don’t like it. But the guitars are tuned low enough so that it’s not all that
noticeable, to be quite natural with you.
Overall, if you’re into IMMOLATION and BEHEMOTH, with a few of the newer death
metal tricks throughout, you might just get a kick out of this disc.
www.myspace.com/angerpath ,
www.epitomite.com ,
www.myspace.com/epitomite
Production: 9/10; Originality: 6/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 5/10
OVERALL: 7/10
ARTEFIX FRAUDIS
– “The Scarlet Womb” (Unsigned)
Style: Doom Metal
Origin: Italy
Steve’s Review: I don’t necessarily understand the Genre of
Doom Metal. Some bands are extremely slow Death Metal while others are an
extremely atmospheric blend of Black and Death Metal. It’s just one of those
genres that has a wide variety of different sounds. When it comes to Doom Metal,
Artefix Fraudis has something going that not every Doom band has. Of course they
have the Doomy depressing sound typical of Doom Metal bands but the acoustic
aspect they add really smoothes everything Doom-like about this band out. Every
thing about this band from the Rock-based drumming, to the low guttural vocals,
from the soothing bass lines, to the very production of this album screams Doom
Metal. I absolutely loved the way they are able to play a melodic style of Metal
without making it sound prissy and upbeat. The best word to describe this band’s
music is melancholy. If you are a speed freak looking for blast beats and
tremolo picking throughout this album you will be majorly disappointed. Artefix
Fraudis isn’t that type of band, instead their music resonates through the foggy
climate of Extreme Metal and leaves you feeling breathless, hungering for more
of the Doom that pierces your soul never once leaving until the disc is done.
Like I stated before, I don’t think I’m the only one confused by the genre of
Doom Metal. I still hear people referring to Black Sabbath as Doom Metal but
once you listen to the track, ‘Last Man Standing’. Starting off with a guitar
riff that reminds me of a supernova’s dying light then moving on to the
beautifully depressing acoustic progression. The sounds of the strings ring out
and the simplistic drums and vocals take me to a different level even as it
kicks into the more upbeat chorus, there can be no other definition for Doom
Metal. Artefix Fraudis is as beautiful in their simplicity as they are serious
of their sound. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and as I play the disc over and
again I’m 100 percent sure that I will never tire of this sound.
www.myspace.com/artefixfraudis
Vocals: 8/10; Instruments: 8/10; Production: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10
A THOUSAND
YEARS SLAVERY - “A Fury Named Spartan”
Style - Metal-core
Origin - Switzerland
Baird’s Review - Metal-core. My expectations are not high. In
fact, my expectations are lowered every time I see (insert genre here)-core
listed for a band. I find it unnecessary, and to be honest it seems to me like
the major record labels just decided one day, that if they took a perfectly good
existing genre band, dressed them up, and cut their hair, combing it all over to
one side of their head, and than slapped a new “-core” that they would sell more
records. I digress. None of these guys have that snappy haircut.
This is a really good ep. The drums are tight. The guitars
are tight. The bass is punchy and tight. The vocals are pretty good, but they
would be a lot better if this guy stopped trying to sing and do spoken word
parts. What’s the problem you ask? If I wanted to listen to The Black Dahlia
Murder, I would be. In conclusion: if you like B.D.M., and you want to hear more
music like them, go pick this up, you will not be disappointed.
www.myspace.com/athousandyearsslavery
Production 9/10, Musicianship 9/10, Vocals 7/10,
Originality 6/10
Overall 7.75/10
ATTICA RAGE - “Ruin
Nation” (Vanduara Records)
Style: Heavy Metal
Origin: Scotland
Steve’s Review: This year hasn’t been the greatest year for
Power Metal and Thrash. There has been some older bands releasing
great material this year, but for the most part most of the newer bands
are just coming out with watered down crap. That is until I heard Scottish
Thrashers Attica Rage. Bringing out the best from bands like Metallica,
Nevermore, and Testament, mixing it up with some Biker Thrash, and even adding
some Gothic Doom elements, Attica Rage has a sound that is fresh and
entertaining. I’m hesitant to call this Power Metal, considering all of
the other obvious influences, but that is pretty much what these guys are with
songs like, Attica Rising, In My Dreams, and Ghosts. The rest of the album is a
sonic force of great Heavy Metal guitar riffs, powerful drumming, and some
pretty decent leads. If it fails anywhere on this album it would be in the lead
guitar department. Not that the guitarist isn’t talented, he just plays some odd
sounding scales so to speak. Ruin Nation is not Brutal, Evil, Hate music in any
sense but it is a Melodic, Heavy, Aggressive blend of good Metal. If you are a
thrasher/rocker and enjoy listening to metal that has many different atmospheres
then Attica Rages’ Ruin Nation is a great pick.
www.myspace.com/atticarage
- www.atticarage.com
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 6/10; Production: 6/10
Overall: 8/10
AYREON - "TIMELINE BOX
SET" - (SPV/inside Out)
Style - Prog Rock/Metal
Origin - Netherlands
Rob's Review - If you've never heard of Ayreon before, think
70's prog ala Emerson Lake and Palmer, Yes and Jethro Tull updated to modern
times with the finest metal and prog musicians and vocalists on the planet. The
primary writer, founder and otherwise evil genius of this undertaking is one
Arjen Lucassen who has made quite a living out of putting out some of the best
progressive rock and metal out there over the last nearly fifteen years by
basically having a different line-up of musicians each time. Each CD is highly
conceptual and usually science fiction themed with many characters established
through the entire cd which is why the need for various musicians throughout.
Mostly, what is showcased on any AYREON CD are the vocals and the many talents
attached to them. Usually there is an average of 8-10 new vocalists for every CD
handpicked by Arjen and in most cases press released when the announcement is
made. As expected most of the talent is based in the Prog/Power world but not
always.
If you're looking to introduce yourself to this megalithic
endeavor, Timeline is probably your best bet at getting what you need to make an
informed opinion. This a major league retrospective totaling three CD's and a
DVD Chronicling everthing AYREON since 1995 as well as some new nuggets
intermingled in. Like everything Arjen lays his God-like hands on nothing is
done half way. Everything about AYREON from the crystal clear depth of the
production to the high class performance of the musicians to the unrivaled
packaging and art layout and production make anything you purchase from them
worth every penny. Only the most committed heart and soul could put these
efforts together with this much precision. I would advise any of you who take
the chance on this who've never experienced it to do so with open mind and a
pair of high end headphones. AYREON will take you through musical journeys
rarely attempted.
www.ayreon.com -
www.myspace.com/ayreonauts
Production: 11/10, Performance: 10/10, Originality:
10/10, Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 10/10 B
BENEATH A
BLACKENED SKY - “The Art of Suffering” (MEI records)
Style - Hardcore
Origin - U.S.
Baird’s Review - Do you like hardcore? Than you will probably
like this band. “The Art of Suffering”, this bands freshman release is about the
best I could expect on the merits of a genre based cd. Starting with an intro
that sounds like it belongs on a PS1 game, I was aurally assaulted with somewhat
cliché guitar parts, drum beats and standard “hardcore” vocals.
Then I got to track 4, “The Lonely Road“, and I was so
pleasantly surprised that I completely changed my opinion. These guys would have
done well to start the cd here and insert the first three tracks at the end. The
guitar work takes on a more original sound at this point crossing the standard
“hardcore” riffings with interesting melodic harmonies. Although the drummer
never reaches a clip above 170 beats per minute or so he manages to keep a nice
pace using creative half time applications executed nicely with the bass player.
The vocals sound very nice, albeit expected for this style of music. The
production sounds decent, however, the guitars are slightly back in the mix and
get muddled on some of the more complex parts. Their record label would have
been well advised to send this to a third party for mastering, instead of
sending to their other studio as stated in the cd liner. The compression levels
are not high enough and the bass levels are extremely hot. So be warned if you
have a big car stereo. As a whole this is a good hardcore disc, and as stated in
the bio, it is from a young band. I look forward to their sophomore offering.
www.myspace.com/beneathli
Production 7/10, Instruments 9/10, Vocals 9/10,
Originality 7/10
Overall 8/10
BEYOND THE VOID
- "GLOOM IS A TRIP FOR TWO" - (Endzeit Elegies/Avasonic/Rough Trade)
Style - Gothic Rock
Origin - Germany
Rob's Review: Another in a long line of European Goth bands,
this time from Germany. I thought Finland cornered the market with the 17th
century vampiric anthems of blood and love? I've slowly gained a favorable
opinion of this sound over the years but usually after you sift through the goth
superpowers such as Charon, Sentenced, Entwine, To/Die/For, HIM, etc, you find
that they are mostly pretty much the same. Most of them seem to have those low
baritone vocals coupled with 80's dark new wave keyboards, scattered female
vocals and a clean verse/crunchy chorus pattern. BEYOND THE VOID doesn't stray
too far from this formula except that they tend to sit on more of the dark
mellow dramatic side of the rainbow. It's very melodic and moody as are all of
the others so there is really nothing that sets them apart. Although good, it's
just the same sort of mid paced hypnotic vibe all the way through and doesn't
really stray too far over that creative edge. What more can be said aside from
if you get into the aforementioned bands you will probably get into BEYOND THE
VOID. In other words, "Gloom is a Trip For Two" is a good CD to get your blood
(or other things) sucked to.
www.beyondthevoid.com -
www.myspace.com/bevoid
Production: 9/10 Performance: 9/10 Originality: 6/10
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.75/10
BLACK LIGHT BURNS
- "Cover Your Heart"
Style - Pop/Rock/Industrial
Origin - California
Heather's Review - I am not exactly sure why this band chose
to send their cd to a metal zine. This 17 track collection includes 10 cover
songs, including "Hungry Like a Wolf" (popular song from Duran Duran) and 7
instrumental melodies in case you were tired of the covers. If I had to choose
one, I think I would go with the cover they did for "Lucretia My Reflection" by
Sisters of Mercy only because it sounded like something The Cure would do. They
get points for adding originality to cover songs, but again, I'm not sure many
of the Adrenalin fans will appreciate them. The instrumental songs included are
a cross between psychedelic and industrial. Combined with the creative edge they
show with the covers, it would have been nice to hear some originals as well.
Overall, I think this band has great potential for what they do and I would
recommend them to fans of Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, and maybe Tool. If you want
to know more about them, visit their website at
www.blacklightburns.com
Originality: 6/10 Production: 8/10
Creativity: 9/10
Overall: 7.67/10
BLEAKWOOD - "Demo" (An
Out Recordings)
Style: Black Metal
Origin: Australia
Taylor's Review: This is a very rough demo from Bleakwood
looking to join the evil in our world at hand. A one man band tackling all the
instruments in a almost painful array of sound.( A compliment not an insult.) He
travels through faster paced ideas to atmospheric playfulness. Bleakwood has a
strong understanding of what is takes to hold the blackhearted at attention
while listening. At 12 minutes this three track demo is way too short in my
opinion because I want more. My favorite track is "The Sight", out of all three
I think it shows what he is true talent he is capable of. The subtle keyboards
and melodic disharmony with chugging riffs is what really reaches out to me.
Bleakwood will see a strong future if we see more from him. I recommend this
band for obscure black metal fans everywhere.
www.myspace.com.aor000 -
www.myspace.com/bleakwood
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 8/10 Originality: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
BLOODSWORN – “All
Hyllest Til Satan” (Agonia Records)
Style – Satanic black metal
Origin – Norway
Dion’s Review – Apparently, the members of BLOODSWORN (who
shall remain anonymous… ‘cause they are) “were here before the first church in
Norway burnt to the ground”. That shows my ignorance of the scene, since I’ve
not heard of them, or any of the vast amounts of projects these blokes are
affiliated with. Bands such as URGEHAL, KVIST, ANGST SKVADRON, BEASTCRAFT,
VULTURE LORD and IN LINGUA MORTUA… to name six. From what I can gather this
band’s about more than just the music, being involved in Honefoss Militsen, a
Norwegian satanic circle. But, I’m hear solely to opinionate on the music.
All Hyllest Til Satan (or “All Hail Satan”) is pretty
much a mess. This is purported to be a re-recording of a ‘99 album. There were
problems with releasing the CD back then, due to labels folding, with these
seven tracks eventually seeing the light of release last year thanks to the good
folk at Agonia. This truly could be the ‘99 recording, or the ‘08. The guitars
are a steady barrage of trem-picked power chords, slowed down at times, but not
often, with countless noodley solos thrown in, sometimes at bizarre junctures.
The bass, for the most part, trem-picks the root notes of the guitar’s
note-progressions. The drums are an overpowering drum-machine; not the worst
I’ve heard, but certainly not the best, with some pretty uninspired programming.
And the vocals are a monotonous onslaught of yelled satanic preachings and
teachings, through what sounds like, to this reviewer, a soggy toilet roll
wrapped in tin-foil. Don’t ask how it got soggy. Just go with it. I’m not even
particularly slagging this album. It’s raw, pretentious black metal that‘s aimed
at those who are all about the entire image, more than just the music. This
lacks, thankfully, long keyboard passages (I counted one short intro), acoustic
guitar interludes, and annoying-as-fuck church-bell samples. So there are some
upsides.
So really, if you’re into black metal ‘cause it’s black, it’s
metal, and production values are low on the list of priorities, you should check
out the MySpace below.
www.myspace.com/bloodsworn666
, www.agoniarecords.com
Production: 5/10; Originality: 5/10;
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 3/10
OVERALL: 5/10
BYFROST – “Byfrostmetal
EP” (Byfrostmetal Records)
Style – Black/thrash metal
Origin – Norway
Dion’s Review - As I always do, through the first spin of the
disc I researched the band - or e-searched the band. Yup. My word smithing knows
no bounds, reader. Eventually I got around to looking up the definition,
thinking it a term for a specific layer of ice in a frostbitten land - or at
least a nasty trick involving a fistful of snow and the inside of an enemy’s
trousers - but it’s an alternate spelling of bifrost: the rainbow bridge of the
gods from Asgard to earth. No snowy undies, no millennia-old layers of frost.
Just a highway for the holy to come and slap mortals around like red-headed
stepchildren.
I truly cannot find anything else wrong with this four-track
EP except that each riff is played beyond the amount that I would let myself
play it. Now, I’m aware that - as a grinder/tech. deather my preferences lie in
the direction of short bursts and flurries of riffs. A five-minute track for
BYFROST involves a series of the same five or six riffs, and maybe a rhythmic
fill or two. For me, that same five-minutes would be a year’s worth of riffs,
two months of formulation and a vein or two bulging on my forehead. My roots,
however, are firmly entrenched in thrash origins - a reason that this album is
inoffensive to my ears - which were huge advocates of the
‘intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-interlude-verse-chorus-outro’ type
arranging. So I’m no stranger to it, I just prefer a little more creativity
these days. But the riffs themselves are thrashy black metal guitar driven by
solid drumming, with a fairly clean production, which allows even the bass to be
easily identifiable… and a personally appreciated lack of synthesizer. This is
all overlayed with a mid-range vocal attack that leaves the lyrics fairly easy
to pick out. The four songs are written at around the same beats per minute,
with no tempo-changes within the songs, which tends to lull the mind into a
state slightly above ignorance, making my awareness of the music dip in and out.
On the whole, the CD isn’t offensive, or talentless, and
that’s what really counts. If you’re into thrashy black metal, then there really
isn’t anything about this EP you wouldn’t like. Since I’m not a fan of the
genre, I can’t really give you any educated comparisons to help you out, but
thanks to MySpace, all you have to do is check the link below and hear it for
yourself.
www.myspace.com/byfrostmetal
Production: 8/10; Originality: 5/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 7/10 C
CABLE - "Variable Speed
Drive" (Translation Lost Records)
Style: Metal/Hardcore
Origin:Connecticut, USA
Heather's Review: When I first put this cd in, things sounded
ok. By the time I got to the 3rd song, I was getting somewhat distracted. The
band has talent, but the same gritty style and un-changing vocals on the whole
cd makes it monotonous. Would I suggest this cd to someone? Maybe. As far as the
music depicted, it is energetic,abrasive, in-your-face, and raw. With vocals to
match, I wouldn't give up on them. There are interesting rhythmic changes with a
slight melodic undertone, and this does give them a unique edge. They do their
own thing, and I give them credit for that. Now, if they could change things up
a bit, I would definitely pass this one on the metal fans of Adrenalin. For more
on them, check them out at
www.myspace.com/cablerock
Originality: 9/10 Vocals: 7/10
Production: 7/10
Overall: 7.7/10
CARBON 9 - "The Bull" -
(The Interface Entertainment Group)
Style - Modern/Alt Metal
Origin - Los Angeles, CA
Rob's Review: There are many elements in the music and vocal
of CARBON 9 that normally would force me to hate them in another life. First you
have your resurrection of the digital early 90's industrial fad, which I was
never a big fan of. Then you have a slight (very slight) touch of 80's new wave
(just enough to make you twitch). Mix that in with a mid 90's alternative rock
edge with vocals that teeter on the edge of being good or bad depending on your
mood that day and drive it home with a heaping portion of a hammering distortion
metal crunch for the final touch. These elements on their own (aside from the
metal captain crunch) don’t necessarily make for a good day in my little world
but then if you put it all together and call it CARBON 9 and somehow it fucking
works. Don’t ask me how, but there's obviously a good and bad way to do it and
by god they've figured it out because it’s pretty damn cool.
Any time a band comes along that does a little experimenting
in the metal genre I'm usually a big fan. Like most things there is a time and
place for everything and right now CARBON 9 is hitting the spot. The older I get
the more I seem to appreciate this kind of stuff. It breaks up the monotony
quite nicely. The vocals are tolerable if not above average, slightly raspy
delivery without too much of the alternative whine and more of a metal edge to
them. I hear a lot of Non-Fiction and Hades in these guys at least in the metal
parts and a little in the vocal department. A more rock-y comparison would be a
band called Beyond Surface if you’re one of the 13 people that have herd of
them. Overall a very good effort from a band that seems to have put everything
together perfectly.
www.carbon9.com -
www.myspace.com/carbon9
Production: 10/10 Performance: 9/10
Originality: 10/10 Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 9.25/10
CANOBLISS –
“Psychothermia EP” (self-released)
Style – Heavy/radio metal
Origin – San Diego, CA.
Dion’s Review - Okay, I’m aware that I’m not the best person
to be reviewing this self-released EP. I don’t listen to the radio, unless I
catch the odd BBC broadcast that my wife makes me listen to. I gave up on it a
long while ago. I even gave it a few years after it’d started disappointing me
before I wiped radio like a shitty-arse. It made it into the same list as
Metallica, aging and the McRib. Awesome at the beginning, followed by a few
years of frustration before leaving an awful taste in my mouth.
So, due to my lacking knowledge of current radio trends I
won’t be able to come up with qualified comparisons for CANOBLISS. They’re
decent heavy metal, with a majority of the same tricks incorporated by all the
radio metal greats. The vocals are a mix of singing, spoken word and some
mid-screams which are well-executed even if they‘ve already been overdone by
other acts. The drums are solid, but not flat-knacker fast, or technical. The
guitarists write some riffs that are damned good at times, too. While mostly
generic, the do try and make an effort into progressing. The bass follows the
guitar for the most part, but he does attempt to separate himself at times, and
it sounds pretty inspired when he does. Nothing about this release is annoying
or terrible, though. If you’re happy with what the media-gurus are serving to
the masses, then this should be kept for dessert. There’s some awesome wah-wah
solos that are very thrash-reminiscent, some riffs that have a heavy
chord-progression, a kick-arse bass intro that actually sounded a little
Primus-influenced for a moment, a few spurts where the drummer “kicked it up a
notch! BAM!”, and as much as I don’t appreciate the vocals, they’re never out of
key (that this tone-deaf reviewer can pick). He sings mostly, but roars or
screams every now and again to display aggression. The band’s obviously
talented, and apply themselves to their chosen style of metal.
If radio-metal bands don’t annoy you, then I think you should
check out the links below and pick up a talented one for your ever-growing
repertoire. Hand over your hard-earned McRib money for the CD, ‘cause I’m sure
the radio wouldn’t play the better tracks off it!
www.myspace.com/canobliss ,
www.canobliss.com
Production: 9/10; Originality: 5/10; Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 6/10
OVERALL: 7/10
CELAN – “Halo” (Exile on
Mainstream Records)
Style: Hardcore/Rock
Origin: Germany
Steve’s Review: You could consider this band as a super
group. It’s a super group consisting of members from bands I’ve never heard of;
Ari Meyers (Einsturzende Neubauten), Chris Spencer (Unsane), Niko Wenner
(Oxbow), and also Phil Roeder & Franz Xaver (both of flu.ID). The music itself
is definitely Hardcore but it’s a style that’s been broken down and rearranged
to the point that it has lost and gained new aspects. The aggressive sound of
Hardcore music is almost non-apparent in this style, what remains is the dirty,
grunginess. Unlike most Hardcore, there is a new atmospheric element that makes
this album much more enjoyable than most Hardcore bands. Surprisingly enough,
this band reminds me of an earlier Neurosis with some additional noise and
ambience. This is one of those listens that puts you in a zone and it’s hard to
snap back to reality afterwards. The musicians themselves aren’t really as
talented as the label makes them out to be but they do have creativity and
writing skills going for them. The guitar leads aren’t really your traditional
leads but more of a background noise for added atmosphere. Percussion section is
humble because the
drums are basic down to the bone, no speedy double bass or technical fills here,
but they do their job. The vocals are typical to the Hardcore genre, with harsh
screaming rather than guttural growls or raspy grim vocals, but they add to the
music and are mostly tolerable. Overall, this album is witty and clever and
covers ground that no band really has before. It’s not my favorite style of
music but this band definitely has a lot going for them.
www.myspace.com/celanband
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10; Production: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
CLERIC – “Cumberbund”
(Sound Devastation Records)
Style – Eclectic, grindy, doomy ambience
Origin – Philadelphia, PA.
Dion’s Review - So apparently cumberbund is a common
misspelling of the word cummerbund, which is the wide sash normally worn
with a tuxedo. I don’t know how correct I am, but this Pennsylvanian quartet
seem pretty damned clever, so maybe it’s a play on using cumbersome with
cummerbund. It’s possible I’m looking way too much into it, but it really
seems plausible considering the cumbersome nature of this release. And truly,
this is one of those bands that you have to hear to believe. But I’ll do my best
to make it believable…
CLERIC are a mix of grindcore, ambience, doom and
noisecore... sorta. It’s really hard to pigeonhole these fellahs, but if it’s
any help to you, they’re reminiscent of such acts as MR. BUNGLE, FANTOMAS,
MESHUGGAH and BOTCH (to name a minimal few) so if you’re into those bands you
might get this record (yup, I’m reviewing a download of a strictly vinyl
release). But you might not, either. I think deciding who would appreciate
CLERIC and who wouldn’t would be harder to pick than a busted nose, honestly.
This 12” is two tracks “Cumberbund” and “The Tower” - or Side A and Side B - and
in total runs for about 25 and a half minutes. It moves from avant garde
grindcore to ambient doom to passages of electronic, atmospheric noise. Somehow
the musicians know exactly what’s going on, but for the listener this album’s
unpredictable, out of the box, and certainly outside the square. The
production’s not crystal as it resides mostly in the red, but that in no way
detracts from the music and in fact would be a hand-rail for the path that
CLERIC are trying to guide you down (or shove you, depending on the musical
passage in question). This is some bizarre stuff, but it’s not “these blokes
need their heads read and some time in a padded cell” bizarre; more “it’s not
been done to this extreme before” bizarre. Despite the tuneless ambient
movements of this pair of songs, I like it. It’s somewhat background music for
me… ‘til one of the grindy/metal moments kick in to drag my attention back to
it. All the instrumentalists are talented as well as creative, with a couple of
them stepping up to create music on unmusical objects.
I’d get this release if… well, if you have a working record-player for one, but
also if you’re at least sometimes eclectic in your musical tastes, and as long
as it’s talented no matter what’s going on, you can still appreciate it.
www.myspace.com/cleric ,
www.myspace.com/sdrecs ,
www.sounddevastation.co.uk
Production: 8/10; Originality: 9/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 8/10
CONQUEST OF STEEL
– “Storm Sword Rise of the Dread Queen” (Prosonic)
Style: Power Metal
Origin: United Kingdom
Steve’s Review: This album starts off with a really ‘synthy’
intro. It reminds me of something from the movie Legend. Then it busts in the
pure Power Metal track, “Conquest Through Fire and Steel”. This is your typical
P.M band with steady drumming, and 80’s influenced vocals and leads. The leads
are worth mentioning, and maybe the only thing truly holding the band together.
This guitarist is clever and even incorporates leads in the background while the
vocalist does his thing, definitely something that should have been done more
often throughout this album to drown out this not-so-great singer. The vocalist
likes to sing about your average P.M bullshit like battles, prophecies, and
other medieval themes. Speaking of prophecies, the next song, “The Prophecy”,
starts out with steel acoustics. The acoustic lead transforms into an overdriven
electric before the rest of the band jumps in with a textbook ‘fast-paced’ P.M
fashion. “Scourge of the Land” is another track starting with medieval sounding
acoustics but this time jumps into the slower-paced heaviness. Another slower
one, “A People Betrayed”, is catchy but the vocalist really starts throwing me
off here. For the rest of the album you hear pretty much the same styles
mentioned above with some extremes like the track “Unholy Union”. This one
starts off once again with acoustics but instead is fronted by female vocals… at
least for a while until the lead vocalist takes his grab at trying to sing
‘operatic’. I almost turned it off at that point. You would think that when the
heaviness kicks in the song would get better but it only gets worse, what a
jumbled up mess! Nothing else is really worth mentioning. “Spirit of War” and
“Raise Your Fist” start out with just drums and bass, and “Jocasta Rising”
sounds like Iron Maiden, but do yourself a favor and skip “Lament of Steel”. The
last song is just a reprise of “The Prophecy” that features female vocals but I
like it better. Is this a bad album? Yes and no. The drumming is good, the leads
are good, the rhythm melodies are sometimes too cliché. Where this album falls
apart is the vocals. They aren’t good at all and way too cheesy even for a Power
Metal band. So this album is a 50/50. Not horrible enough to want to shit on yet
not good enough to even take a shit to. The question really is whether this is
worth checking out and, honestly, don’t waste your time.
www.conquestofsteel.co.uk
www.myspace.com/conquestofsteel
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 2/10; Production: 6/10
Overall: 5/10
CORONATUS - “PORTA
OBSCURA” - (Massacre)
Style - Gothic Metal/Rock
Origin - Germany
Rob's Review: A lot of people, including myself, tend to
label anything symphonic with a female vocalist as gothic when really it’s more
of symphonic power metal. This falls in line with that notion but also has a
similar resemblance to the AFTER FOREVER/WITHIN TEMPTATION skill set right down
to the operatic vocal style which I’m not a huge fan of in metal. CORONATUS is a
little different in that they enlist the services of TWO female vocalists;
Carmen Shafer, who handles said over the top opera tones and Ada Flechtner with
the complementing LACUNA COIL-ish style. Both of whom round out this seven
member outfit from Germany. There are so many bands playing this similar style
that it’s sort of lost its luster in my ears. The sound doesn’t differ too much
or surprise the senses anymore from band to band. The novelty has sort of worn
thin. After that you’re left to decide which one has the hottest vocalist
because, lets face it, they are the centerpiece in all these bands or they
wouldn’t be the focus of every promo and marketing campaign. It’s hard to pick
out anything bad about CORONATUS besides that point. If you’ve just been
introduced to this specific brand of metal and you’re in the process of getting
your grimy hands on as many other similar sounds as you can find this is a more
than worthy elixir to fill your syringe with.
www.coronatus.net -
www.myspace.com/thefabim
Production: 9/10 Performance: 9/10 Originality: 7/10
Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.25/10
CREMATORY – “Pray” (Blistering
Records)
Style: Deathcore/Gothic Metal
Origin: Germany
Steve’s Review: I have been a fan of Crematory’s past records
and it was a pleasure to review ‘Pray’, the German Goth-Metal giants 10th Studio
release and once again featuring both guttural and clean vocal styles
simultaneously. Any huge metal fan would look at the cover of ‘Pray’, read the
words, then wonder whether or not this is a Christian Metal album. I, myself, am
still pondering that but even while doing so I thoroughly enjoyed this album.
Overall the album follows the sound of their last release and falls more into
the Deathcore genre than Gothic Metal. The first track ‘When Darkness Falls’ is
a really good song starting off with quiet cymbal work, clean guitar picking,
and grim yet whispered vocals before building up into the powerful chorus
featuring distorted rhythm guitar and duel guttural and clean vocals. This is a
pretty catchy tune and has a cool breakdown towards the middle before hitting
the chorus again. I didn’t care too much for the tracks like ‘Left the Ground’
which had too much of a Linkin Park feel, and ‘Sleeping Solution’ which was too
bland, but even these songs weren’t too awful. There are also some songs that
have the ‘oldschool’ Crematory feel like ‘Burning Bridges’ and ‘Have You Ever’
if you don’t let the clean more mellower parts get to you. The entire album is
something that you can pop in if you don’t feel like listening to the super
heavy shit, and come on guys we all have been there. It’s not Crematory’s
greatest work but it’s a fresh take and a Godlike album compared to some of the
other Deathcore crap out there. Pick up ‘Pray’ if you feel like hearing
something new or if you just love Crematory.
www.crematory.de -
www.myspace.com/crematorymusic
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10; Production 7/10
Overall: 7/10
CRIMINAL - “WHITE HELL”
- (Massacre)
Style - Thrash
Origin - UK
Robs Review: Ridiculously awesome thrash/death from this
Chilean born (now in the UK) four piece juggernaut. I even hear that familiar
Gothenburg stuff in some of it. This is just balls to the wall aggression that
never gets into any redundant patterns of over played riffs or ideas song to
song. The guitars really stand out as the centerpiece. I think we may have found
another riffmaster in Rodrigo Contreras as well as a well accomplished soloist.
Great, great stuff. The best I’ve heard in a while. I’ll have to dig back a bit
into the CRIMINAL catalogue (which dates back to ‘94) to see the evolution over
the past 15 years or so. They have obviously honed their skills to a fever
pitch. Could have been a little more imaginative with the band name but if
that’s the only downside then its knit picking on my part. Not sure why these
guys aren’t included in the same breath as your more accomplished thrash legends
out there but they more than belong at the top of that group. Listen or die!
www.criminal1.com -
www.myspace.com/criminal
Production: 10/10 Performance: 10/10 Originality: 8/10
Vocals: 9/10
Overall: 9.25/10
CUNTSCRAPE/DEATHFUCKINGCUNT – “SplitRoast” (Prime Cuts Music)
Style – Grind/death/thrash
Origin – Western Australia
Dion’s Review – I fucken KNEW I was gonna love this CD! I saw
the word SplitRoast, figured it was a band’s name and knew I’d dig it. I didn’t
realise it was a split (get it?) between CuntScrape, who I’ve had the soggy
pleasure of reviewing before, and a new band DeathFuckingCunt. If nothing else,
these blokes are good for a gooch-wrenching giggle, and a reminder that it’s
been a few hours since your last stint into the seedy, sweaty world of internet
porn.
What do I say about CUNTSCRAPE that I didn’t last time? Well, plenty as it turns
out. They’re purported to be, and live up to the description of, “Gashtronomic
Gynecolocial Grindcore”. They are the cock-rockers of porno-grind, and are
damned proud of it. The production for their half of the split wasn’t as clean
as their debut release Thrush Bang Mania, but it’s still thrashy, glammy,
grindiness with a face-load of porn samples and a wet-spot for the sticky stain
of comedy. This is an 11-track aural gang-rape that includes “The Veiny Shaft Of
Justice”, “Breastaurant”, “Mayonasian” and “Uncle Nasty Fingers”. I honestly was
laughin’ my arse off before I’d inserted the disc to cop an ear-load from ‘em.
When you can get over the laughter induced by these perverts, they’re actually
pretty talented musicians. But grind is the flavour of the day.
Now that CxSx has left you bent over and gasping for breath,
your position is misconstrued as “presenting” and DeathFuckingCunt really let
you have it. This is actually pretty serious gut-wrenchingly low death/grind.
It’s not the comedy-soaked tunes I was expecting with the title “Extra Defective
Chromozonal Tech Slam”. I am by no means saying that these particular Western
Australians aren’t defective, since with their four tracks being “Flexus
Plexus”, “Hothorses.com”, “Light Beer = Intense Queer” and “Insane Cumsore”,
they’re all obviously a few sausages short of a bukkake circle. I have to
explain, however, that light beer back home means light on the alcohol content,
not on the carbs as it is here in the US. DFC are laden with gravity blasts,
low-tuned chord maelstroms and guttural vocals.
Both bands while very different within the grind genre
actually go together fairly well, in my opinion. And most grinders I’ve met love
all things grindcore, so you’re more than likely gonna be all over this like
sperm on a pornstar’s fa—
Well, you get the picture.
www.myspace.com/grindecologyst
(CuntScrape) ,
www.myspace.com/deathfuckingcunt ,
www.primecuts.com.au
Production: 8/10; Originality: 9/10; Instruments:
9/10; Vocals: 10/10
OVERALL: 9/10
CUNTSCRAPE – “Thrush Bang Mania”
(Prime Cuts Music)
Style – Pornogrind
Origin – Western Australia (it’s a state)
Dion’s Review - Yeah, I know. Australians got a little lazy
when they were naming states. Western Australia, South Australia, Northern
Territory, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
(named after the Queen at the time) and Tasmania (named after the Dutch dude who
discovered it). The US names 52 states - fairly imaginatively - and we have
trouble dubbing eight. We were gonna do it, and then decided we’d just wait for
CUNTSCRAPE to do it for us, and then headed to the pub for beer o‘clock.
As you can well imagine, that never actually happened. I
shudder to think what embarrassing titles they’d give our states, and besides,
THE SCRAPE are way too busy watching porn and composing romantic opuses to
rename the eight states of Australia. 20 romantic opuses including “Cactus
Sack“, “Womb of the Mutilated”, “Hurtin' the Beef Curtain” and “Fucked in the
Arse, Shot in the Face”. All 20 songs are completely caked in porn samples -
which I thought I was completely over - but these buggers managed to find a
couple that made me physically LOL. There’s even an instructional on the last
track “The End Cumplete!” that teaches you blokes how to find the G-spot.
Apparently it does exist, and isn‘t just an excuse for women to act unsatisfied!
This is crystal clear production if you compare it to other pornogrind that‘s
around, and it draws musical influence from death and thrash as well as
grindcore and grind ‘n roll. And with five members, five members, all doing
vocals there’s a great range of styles to keep you grinning. Vocally, bugger-all
tops the gang chant of ‘Tits! Jugs! Boobies!’ in “Thanks for the Mammaries”
though. There’s nothing about this CD I don’t like. From the penile pentagram on
the back of the slick, to the vagina around the hole in the disc, to the
horrific 80’s pop intro of “Tragic Tockley Terror”, to the gag-inducing,
disgustingly wet fart sample in the last track. I’m not usually a fan of
pornogrind because it’s mainly just an excuse for half-arsed, semi-talented
perverts to show off their porn knowledge, but there’s enough actual music in
Thrash Bang Mania to keep me listening right to the very end… and again. This
really makes me think of CUNTSCRAPE as the GWAR of Pornogrind.
I’d have to say that Thrush Bang Mania would get my vote for
Pornogrind CD Of All Time, if there was such a poll. Needless to say, If you
were offended in any way by this review, then I would recommend that you don’t
check out the myspace link below. But I do think that anyone who’s into extreme
metal and laughing, and isn’t offended by samples of farting, humping, gagging
or some bloke who’s in extreme, excruciating agony ‘cause there’s something
somehow stuck somewhere in his body, then you’ll get your jollies from this 2007
release.
www.myspace.com/grindecologyst ,
www.primecuts.com.au
Production: 10/10; Originality: 8/10; Instruments:
9/10; Vocals: 9/10
OVERALL: 9/10 D
DARKANE - "DEMONIC ART"
- (Massacre Records)
Style -Melodic Death/Thrash
Origin - Sweden
Robs Review: DARKANE is another is a long line of Swedish
metal bands that have single handedly revived metal in recent years in my
opinion. The so called Gothenburg sound which was put on the map by At The Gates
and spawned numerous other bands such as In Flames, Dark Tranquility, Arch
Enemy, Soilwork, The Haunted and countless others. Technically sound, guitar
based melodic death metal birthing dozens of accomplished soloists out of a
genre that shows no signs of letting up. In DARKANE's CASE the gears of the
machine are well oiled and clicking together at a frantic pace just as the
others are. But what sets these guys apart from the rest is...well...nothing
really. After this many years of listening and enjoying and trying to emulate
this Gothenburg thing it’s really gotten to be old hat. Don’t get me wrong it’s
still some of the best shit around with its nonstop barrage of unabashed
technically melodic masterfullness that it’s tough to figure out where they go
next with it. In the mean time I think we can just enjoy it for what it is but
it may need some sort of revolution at some point. At any rate, "Demonic Art" is
DARKANE's fifth full length effort and having dabbled a bit with their earlier
works I can say that this one at least is on par with the rest if not a bit more
robotic overall, sort of like a Meshuggah sound. Not sure about the vocals of
former Construcdead singer Jens Broman here especially in the clean parts but
his aggressive side sort of has that annoying edge to it that actually grows on
you in a hypnotic sort of way as the CD carries on. But it does mesh with the
music very well which is very precise with machine gun cohesiveness with a
superb production. The one complaint I have actually has nothing to do with the
band itself but with the record company. This business of planting voice overs
in every song really takes away from the listening experience and I really hope
it goes away for review purposes. I understand why it’s done with all the
downloading going on but give it a break with the promo copies. That being said,
nice job DARKANE. You carry the flag well.
www.darkane.com -
www.myspace.com/darkane
Production: 10/10 Performance: 10/10 Originality: 8/10
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 8.75/10
DARK GRAVE – “…The
Only Viable Path” (Self-Released)
Style: Black Metal
Origin: Wisconsin
Steve’s Review: It is very, very refreshing to finally see a
new Black Metal release from the north woods of Wisconsin. I’m a huge Black
Metal fan and I always love to say that we are virtually one and the same as the
country of Norway. We both live way up north and we both freeze our asses off.
Why, then, aren’t there more Black Metal bands like Dark Grave? This 3 track
disc took me a second listen before I was willing to show any enthusiasm. Like
many Black Metal bands this doesn’t have very good production. The drums are
often much louder than guitar and when I do hear guitars it’s difficult to grasp
any real tone from that. The vocals are below par and more of a Death grunt than
the beloved, piercing Black Metal rasps. I can’t hear any bass on any track
besides the title track “…The Only Viable Path” and at that point it is too
repetitious and loud to even want to hear. Okay then, with all negativity set
aside I must say that after the first listen and on to my second try I was much
more pleased. As stated before the production is bad but once you get past that
you can hear some truly good musicianship. The music itself is heavy and dark
with out using any of that overproduced orchestration that many Black Metal
force themselves to use. The drummer isn’t inspirational but he does the trick
and pulls of blast beats and crazy rhythms with the exception of a few minor,
yet noticeable time errors. To sum Dark Grave up, you have a really good Black
Metal band with a unique sound that stays true to the second generation sound of
the genre. I really did enjoy this band, now only if the can get out and play a
couple gigs they’ll be ahead of over 90% of Wisconsin Black Metal bands!
www.myspace.com/darkgrave
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 8/10; Production: 5/10
Overall: 7/10
DAWN OF WINTER -
“THE PEACEFUL DEAD” - (Massacre)
Style - Doom
Origin - Germany
Rob's Review: Now here’s a band with some seasoning. For
almost 20 years DAWN OF WINTER (formerly Cemetary-early in their inception) have
been churning out wrist slicing doom in that old school St. Vitas/Candlemass
style and sending the weak off tall suspended bridges everywhere. Unfortunately,
longevity doesn’t always equate to excellence. Beyond all the well earned
respect DAWN OF WINTER has garnered over the years they just aren’t doing it for
me. The music as a whole is pretty uninspiring even for a doom fan such as
myself. And vocally, it’s just very stale and lifeless, although I guess that’s
somewhat the point to most of the doom out there. In this respect it’s probably
closer to St. Vitas. Candlemass at least had the “Messiah” crushing your spirit
with his God-like warbles. It’s definitely not for me but I’m just one dumbass
reviewer with cramping keyboard fingers.
www.dawnofwinter.de -
www.myspace.com/dawnofwinter
Production: 7/10 Performance: 6/10 Originality: 5/10
Vocals: 5/10
Overall: 5.75/10
DAY WITHOUT DAWN
- "UNDERSTANDING CONSEQUENCES" - (Forgotten Empire Records)
Style - Progressive-experimental rock/metal
Origin - Matawan, New Jersey USA
Rob's Review: I believe I remember DAY WITHOUT DAWN making
its way through the hallowed doors of Adrenalin and into my arms the previous go
around for these guys. If I remember right I think the debut EP came away with a
glowing review. Standing out from the masses really helps a band like this.
Especially if the reviewer has been inundated with a number of other bands
beforehand that claim to have a different band name but suspiciously sound the
same. OK it’s not all that bad but a band like DAY WITHOUT DAWN tends to throw
the customary wrench into the big wheel of metal to shake things up on occasion
and force us to take heed. As before, the band is still heavy into the
progressive metal vibe but maybe even less heavy than before. They have leaned a
little more in the rock direction as their sound has matured. So consequently
you need to be in the right mood for it and unfortunately I am not today so it’s
starting to sound a bit tedious and a little on the pomp side as some prog tends
to get. But that’s not to take away from the talent which there is a slew of as
usual. Great musicians all around and a lot to offer in the unique musical
instrument department. Some strange sounds clawing their way through my
headphones at times even hinting of trumpets in one of the songs. If you like
your rock/metal to grab you and whisk you away into a heavy cloud of moodiness
and technical prowness this is your band. But if you desire not to think too
much when listening to metal you may need to wait for another day for this one.
www.DayWithoutDawn.com -
www.myspace.com/daywithoutdawn
Production: 9/10 Performance: 10/10 Originality: 9/10
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 8.75/10
DECADENCE – “3rd
Stage Of Decay” (Massacre Records)
Style – Melodic death/thrash
Origin – Stockholm, Sweden
Dion’s Review - If you’re into your grammar and diction like
I am, then you’ll be aware that the word ‘decadence’ can have both a positive
and a negative connotation. My good mates at dictionary.com assure me that it
means the act of falling into an inferior state - a negative definition - but it
also means excessive self-indulgence, which can be taken either way. Especially
with the long-standing efforts of extreme metal bands to have the worst name
possible. The badder then name, the gooder the band. There’s my grammar comin’
out for ya.
As the ‘style’ at the top of the review states, this Swedish outfit are melodic
thrash. They have some definite moments inspired by DEATH, KREATOR and even some
EXODUS, but they’re broken up by various movements with melodic overtones, which
somewhat lose my interest personally. They are an extremely talented unit, who
keep it together under a pristine production, but they’re not really pioneering
any new paths in the extreme music world. They do have a few oddly groovy
moments that I really dig, however. The guitars are crunchy, yet melodious, the
drums are tight and audible, the bass is indistinguishable for the most part,
and the vocals range from a mid-death roar to a mid-thrashy yell. There’s
actually nothing about 3rd Stage Of Decay to dislike, really. It’s just that I’m
not into the whole melodic movement. In fact, I “missed the meeting” on the new
sub-interim-genre when DECADENCE’s predecessors started the whole movement. I
hate it, but I feel obliged to let you know that this death/thrash outfit is
also fronted by one of the fairer gender. With the feminist movement demanding
that we treat women no different from men (which I agree with) I feel a little
sexist even giving it a mention. I understand it’s a male-dominated style of
music, but after the first few female-fronted metal bands, I think it stopped
bein‘ the anomaly it was. And besides, we don’t go around braggin’ about our
mate’s homemade curtains, do we?
“You don’t like these curtains, eh? What if I told you
that Derrick took time from his body-shop to stitch ‘em up for me then?” That’s
right. If you didn’t like the curtains before the statement, you’re not gonna
like ‘em any more afterwards.
http://www.myspace.com/decadenceswe ,
www.decadence.se ,
www.massacre-records.de
Production: 9/10; Originality: 5/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10
DEVIL DRIVER –
“Pray For Villains” (Roadrunner Records)
Short Description – Metal
Mike’s Review – This is another CD that has been played in my
CD player so many times that I almost forgot that I needed to review it. I think
I have heard this album from beginning to end about 20 times already. With
several albums already under their belt, it is good to hear them explore their
creativity a little more. Huge chunks of the album is filled with the familiar
Devil Driver sounds that we have been pounding through our speakers since they
formed in 2002. Other parts of the album contain elements that I haven’t heard
from Devil Driver much (such as clean vocals at times). Favorite tracks on this
CD are “Another Night In London” and “Bitter Pill”.
I have admired the musicianship of the band since day one and
really enjoy seeing them live (although it is a little hard to do that while I
am drawn into the mosh pits that form throughout every song). Music that is
catchy, brutal, and talented can always win me over.
Unfortunately, I cannot say all good things about Devil
Driver this time around. Even after hearing the album as much as I have. Track
one, “Pray For Villains”, cracks me up every time I hear it. The music is
awesome and starts the album out great, but the backup vocals throw me WAY off!
I just can’t take them seriously. It sounds like he is trying way to hard or is
beyond drunk when it was recorded. It totally ruins the whole song for me. At
least there are still 12 other great tracks on here for you to listen to.
www.devildriver.com
Vocals: 10 (except the backup vocals) Music: 10
Production: 9 Originality: 9 Overall: 9.5 / 10
DICHOTIC - “The Deepest
Rise”
Genre - Metal
Origin - Wisconsin, USA
Baird’s Review – “Sounds like: Pantera, Killswitch engage,
Iron Maiden, Hatebreed, Opeth”. That is a tall fucking order to fill.
There is a couple of my favorite metal bands right there. Unfortunately Dichotic
falls somewhat short of this illustrious list. These guys are so close, but
their brand of melodic metal has been done so many times before that it is truly
a difficult thing to stand out in a crowd here. With a multitude of break tempo
riffs and groove parts, the only thing missing from the equation are more
intricate harmonies. Many times through the course of listening to this disc I
found myself saying, “ok guys, you set up the pins, now knock them down”. but it
just never happens. They just go into another break tempo part.
The production is pretty decent, the guitars stand out clean
and legible. Their drummer uses some nice fills to break up the monotony. The
vocals sound like they went with the old school “scream in the bath room” trick,
utilizing some kind of plate reverb instead of the fairly (industry) standard
short delay. The only part that stands out in the negative to me in this
department is the triplet pattern that this guy uses on every song. The nice
part of being a vocalist in a metal band is the fact that there are thousands of
vocal patterns you can rip off from other bands without fear of a plagiarism
lawsuit. Hopefully Jester Exodus reads this and gets the idea for their next
release. There are a couple really painful guitar solos in this, notably a
whammy bar trick at the three minute mark of “A Sucker for Failure” and an
inexcusable finger tapping part in “desecrated” but the rest of them are fairly
well played. It seems to me that all the talent is here, but they need to think
out their composition better if they want to stand up with the big boys, in an
industry already flooded with thousands of other bands aiming at the same
market.
Production 7/10 Musicianship 7/10 Vocals 6/10
Originality 4/10
Overall 6/10
DISEASE WITHIN
- (Self-titled)
Style: Doom Metal/Punk
Origin: Maryland
Heather's Review: The first thing that grabbed my attention
when I got this cd was the very large press kit that accompanied it. It was very
impressive, with a bio of the band, a color photo, and other various documents,
including a printout of all lyrics. Very impressive. So, with this fantastic
kit, I was very excited to hear the cd. This is where my excitement died. The
intro (which I thought was very knowledgeable) consists of the definition of why
they call themselves Disease Within. While a little lengthy, I agreed with
everything that was said, things like fast food being the norm over home-cooked
meals, and girls thinking they need to look like super models, and how these
things contribute to an inward disease each of us faces. Then the music started.
What I noticed first was the completely aweful sound quality. It sounded like
something recorded out of a basement. While still giving them a chance, I then
heard the vocals. While the harsher vocals by far outweigh the background vocals
(that reminded me of that irritating fingernail on chalkboard noise) it was just
not very good. I do give them points for originality/creativity though. The
lyrics were written well. While the songs grow on you a little, there just
wasn't enough there for me to recommend this cd to anyone. One good note is that
while I was reading up on the band, I noticed that they have another cd out
called "Killing Time" and that it was getting good reviews. As for this one, not
so much. Sorry guys. If you wanna know more about them, go to
www.diseasewithin.com
Production: 2/10 Vocals: 2/10 Originality: 4/10
Overall: 3.75/30
DISSENT AND REVOLT - "Demo"
Style - Experimental/Hardcore
Origin - USA (Madison, WI)
Darren's Review - I've been listening to Dissent and Revolt
for quite some time now. What really caught my attention about this band was
what they deliver live. Having experienced many shows - few match the intesity,
sheer power and energy of a Dissent set. They found a way to instill that happy
feeling within that reminds me why I adore music so much. When I got word the
five song demo was going to be released, I was grinning from ear to ear. Having
cited Dillinger Escape Plan and Necrophagist and influences, Dissent finds a way
to put their unique spin on some fuckin' heavy and hardcore beats. This five
song demo does an excellent job showcasing the bands talent and creativity. One
of a kind vocals delivered by Aaron Miller that mimics an instrument itself. The
instrumental representation is tight and powerful. The demo tunes were recorded
at two points in time (winter 2006/summer2007) so there is some slight variances
in the sound recording. All five tracks are genius but I would have to give my
nod to "Dripping from our Tongues" and "Servants Erupt". I cannot wait to see
what comes next with this band - and I hope they find a way to embrace
longevity. Live, one of the better bands I have ever seen. Preview some tunes on
their myspace page - but better yet, go see them live - you will thank me later.
www.myspace.com/dissentandrevolt
Production/Engineering: 8/10; Originality: 9.5/10;
Instruments: 9.5/10; Vocals: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
DOWNRIVER – “Seethin‘
Heathen” (self-released)
Style – Heavy/Stoner/Doom Metal
Origin – Melbourne, Australia
Dion’s Review - Damn! I’ve been getting a lot of Aussie bands
to review lately. This is the second out of three in this batch, and I did four
in the last batch. It seems that I’m listening to more Aussie bands now that I’m
in the US than I did when I was back home! Isn’t that always the way, though? I
miss things I didn’t really eat back home, and I think I’m using more Aussie
slang now than I ever did. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. They
never mention the pining, though.
DOWNRIVER. Aussie hard rock band with some definite stoner
and doom influences. This really isn’t my chosen genre(s), but I have to say
that this band isn’t bad at all. To me it sounds like MOTORHEAD with a pinch of
SABBATH, and a bit of MAIDEN to garnish. Serve with a cold beer and a smoky
pool-table and you’ve got the full effect. This is definitely pub-rock feeling,
and I think my appreciation would be a lot stronger in that setting. A lot of
Seethin’ Heathen is up-tempo hard rock with some doomy moments interspersed. The
vocals are sung, however gravelly at times, and makes me think of a mix between
the first MAIDEN singer (Killers-era) and the UGLY KID JOE vocalist (I’m
terrible with names evidently). The guitars are heavy - or wailing - depending
on what part of the song it is. The drums are solid and easy to follow (not a
bad thing in the slightest). And the bass lends its feel, more than its sound…
the way it’s supposed to be when you follow the guitars. The production’s dirty,
making me think of a suffocatingly hot, carpeted rehearsal-garage, complete with
a smelly couch that people have bumped uglies on and a graffiti-riddled beer
fridge.
So if you’re into the bands that I’ve mentioned, plus others like ARTIMUS
PYLEDRIVER, ZEKE and even some MONSTER MAGNET, then you should most definitely
check out the link below to buy the CD. Even if it’s just something to chuck in
the beat up old CD-player in your drinkin’ space where you fix oily, greasy
things that aren’t really broken, while you sweat and swear.
www.myspace.com/downriverband
Production: 8/10; Originality: 5/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 7/10
DRAMMAGOTHICA -
"IRA"
Style - Goth/Metal
Origin - Italy
Heather's Review - If you blended together Midnight
Syndicate, Obituary-like vocals, and everything else from Nightwish, the result
is Drammagothica. This dark, melodic, orchestral band is aggressive (in a subtle
way) and I found myself really looking forward to hearing all the tracks. I
think that the goth crowd, as well as the metal crowd will feel the same way.
Dynamically, they definitely bring about some variety. I love the vocal offset
with the female voice intermingling with the low, death-metal male voice.
Although it's not an original idea, this offset works really well in producing
the gothic/metal mood the band portrays. They also have a 4-song demo titled
Inver No. Yeah, I would recommend checking them out.
You can find out more about them at
www.kickagency.com or
www.myspace.com/drammagothica
Vocals: 9/10 Originality: 7/10
Production: 9/10
Overall: 8.3/10
DRIVE A - “Loss of
Desire” (Dead Conflict Records)
Genre: Punk
Origin: U.S.
Baird's Review - Do we do pop punk? I don’t. I haven’t
listened to this shit since I was 15 and Green Day was playing songs off
Kerplunk. I have no idea if this is original because it sounds like every other
pop punk album I’ve ever heard. The singer say “fuck” and “Fucking” enough to
sound angst ridden and angry. There are a few rocky riffs on here that would fit
in an old guns and roses song.
The production is good. All the instruments are cohesive…man,
I just don’t know. I don’t listen to new punk. If you do, you’ll probably like
this. www.myspace.com/drivea
Production 8/10 Instruments 7/10 Vocals 7/10
Originality 5/10
Overall 6.75/10
DYSCORD – “Dakota”
(Prime Cuts Music)
Style – thrash/death metal
Origin – Perth, Australia
Dion’s Review - Firstly, this band is pretty bloody
kick-arse! Secondly, I wanted to classify this Aussie outfit as “deathcore”, but
for some reason, and I totally disagree with it, there’s a very smelly stigma
attached to that particular metal subgenre, and even any subgenre with the
syllable “core“ anywhere near it. So I didn’t stylise these blokes as deathcore,
just so you’d read this review before judging them. You’ll thank me for it.
Now that we’ve established exactly which genre DYSCORD fall
into, let me opinionate on this ‘08 full-length release. This is a well-produced
(with the sound engineer nominated for an unfamiliar award), tightly-executed
extreme metal CD. How’s that? Bands such as SLAYER, JOB FOR A COWBOY, and
CANNIBAL CORPSE are audible in this band’s sound, even if it is unintentional.
Dakota is 10 tracks of aggressive mid-paced, mid-range deathcore thrashiness
with an angry bloke mostly yelling (with some gutturals and shrieking) over it
all. There are a couple of tricks they pull out of their sleeves that I’m not a
fan of; a clean vocal passages in “Dakota“ and “The Picador” and some very
nu-metal parts where the guitars, bass and kick-drums do the same percussive
rhythm, but for the most part it’s a damned solid CD that I might even play on
my own time… if I ever get any more of that. There’s not a whole lot of
blasting, or flat-knacker foot-work from the drummer, with the guitars’
chord-progressions, which make it a little less death metal, and a little more
deathcore for me, but the overall effect is a very uncomplicated, easy to follow
CD.
If you’re a fan of any metal that sounds good and is played
well, no matter what over-populated, mostly-talentless, sub-genre it‘s stuffed
into, then you’ll probably get a kick out of this band’s second release; first
full-length. You know what? “DYSCORD: Style - Dyscord”. Wrap your aural organs
‘round it.
www.myspace.com/dyscord ,
www.primecuts.com.au ,
www.dyscord.com
Production: 9/10; Originality: 7/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10 E
EHNAHRE – “The Man Closes Up” (Sound
Devastation Records)
Style – Doom/grindcore
Origin – Boston, MA.
Dion’s Review - Damn! This CD moves like a bone-tired acrobat
suffering an epileptic seizure and lethargic listlessness all at once. Each song
palpitates like a somnolent heart. Each arrangement wriggles like a hyperactive
baby that’s been awake for a week. Descriptive enough for you reader? Have I got
you even just a little intrigued? Well, that’s two of us. “Ehnahre” could be
bloody Klingon for “intriguing” for all I know… or “what am I feeling, and why
isn’t this making any sense?!?”. Probably just means “the cheese is old and
mouldy” though.
There seems to be an underlying compulsion of manic death and grind-influenced
mania that’s trying to burst free from under the heavy, debilitating onus of
doom. As confusing as this concept album is, all of the components move in the
same direction, and are tighter than a nun’s nasty. There are all the usual rock
instruments, plus several people lending their necks for vocals, but there are
also credits for double-bass, custom percussion (you know. Shit you find to bang
on that’s not useful anymore) and even trumpet and violin. Considering the
music’s very discordant already, these orchestral instruments seem to augment
that to an even higher level. The Man Closes Up is five tracks, “Part I“ to
“Part V“, at a run-time of 44:26 that’s based on the writings of the poet Donald
Justice. I know dick about poets and poetry, but maybe that info’s useful to
you. The production’s not the greatest on this CD, but this is a predominantly
percussive album anyway. The drums, guitars, bass and whatever other instruments
sound at the same time in bursts, for the most part. It does burst out in solid
music every now and again, and that’s when it gets into the red, distorting and
crackling, which lends to the grind-feel of the CD. To dirty for death metal;
too fast for doom. The vocals aren’t a constant on this album, either (why
should it be the only one?). There are large gaps of voicelessness, but they do
range from a decent death-style that reminds me of old UNLEASHED, accompanied by
whispers, squeaks, croaks and various tricks, making the throat another
instrument. And then, right at the end of all that, they go and add female
operatically-trained voices who purposely hit bung-chords in their one outro
aria! Can you believe that?
All in all, this is a conceptual album performed by talented
musicians who want to offer you something different. If you’re a fan of any one
of the genres mentioned, then I really don’t think you’re going to get The Man
Closes Up. But if you’re into grind, death and doom, then you might just make
more sense of this than the average metal-enthusiast. Check out the links below
and judge for yourself. … And tell EHNAHRE I said QA TLHO‘.
www.myspace.com/ehnahremetal ,
www.myspace.com/sdrecs ,
www.sounddevastation.co.uk
Production: 7/10; Originality: 10/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 8.5/10
ELIAS: THE BAND
- "Our Sophomore Effort" (Blacktop Records)
Style: punk
Origin: Canada
Heather's Review: Hmm....This cd, the second one out for them
(the first one titled "Greatest Hits"), has the great music potential to conquer
the punk scene. One great need though is the incorporation of a different
vocalist. It was somewhat painful listening as it overpowered everything that
makes this band good. There is a small saving grace in the song "Best Of Both
Words" which incorporates a heavier vocal style, and that helped, but the rest
of the vocals can be compared to the sound of nails scratching on a chalkboard.
What's good about this cd, outside of that, is very catchy riffs and a solid
punk sound. You just have to get past the vocals to appreciate it. Production of
the cd was good and that also helps. If you want to know more, they can be found
on myspace at
www.myspace.com/eliastheband
Production: 8/10 Vocals: 1/10
Originality: 6/10
Overall: 5/10
EMPYREAN – “Quietus”
(Prime Cuts Music)
Style – Black/Death metal
Origin – Brisbane, Australia
Dion’s Review – Blacker than death metal; deather than black
metal. These Queenslanders have created some chunky blackened death metal… and
therefore a somewhat unique sound for themselves. I don’t claim to follow black
metal and its untrends, so it’s hard to come off as an authority on the matter,
and I’m gonna sound like a (bigger) cockhole if I try.
I’m trying to be creative about how I describe EMPYREAN to
you. It’s really a collection of some of the heavier, low-end black metal
moments you’ve heard, complete with synthesized orchestras, and a death-like
guttural vocal interspersed with a very Dani-influenced high shriek. I liked
CRADLE back in the day, so it’s actually not difficult for me to swallow. The
production’s pretty sweet on this release, with nothing being too loud, and
nothing too quiet. It’s all very polished, but anything else would have injured
the overall effect of Quietus. There’s parts of this I don’t like, but the
interesting arrangements and heavier riffage more than make up for it. I
wouldn’t say I’d but this CD, but my finger isn’t even tingling with an itch to
hit the stop button. My only major beef would be the clean vocals. They just
weren’t necessary. The music spoke volumes for the mood, and the clean vocals
weren’t all that great, nor inspired, especially compared to his phlegmy lows
and ear-piercing highs.
In a nutshell, I’d dub this release a “collection of black
metal breakdowns”. By no stretch boring or lacking in imagination. They just
kept it mid-paced, with some very interesting ways to join riffs into a complete
song. If you’re thinking in the direction of OPETH, then you’re probably not
going to be disappointed… unless you don’t like OPETH. If that’s the case,
you’re probably not even still reading this… are you?
www.myspace.com/empyreanband ,
www.primecuts.com/au
Production: 9/10; Originality: 7/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 8/10
ETERNAL DESCENT -
"The Phantom of the Opera" (Incendium Records)
Style: Metal/Industrial/Gothic
Origin: London
Heather's Review: This is by far, one of the most creative
bands out there. Multi-talented musician Lexi Leon unfolds most creatively the
musical version from the well-known story. The music combines industrial with
metal to recreate a range of emotions. With sound effects to top it off, this
bands gives you a musical "visual" if you will. And even though the last 2 of
the 3 total songs on the cd are instrumental, you definitely get a feel for all
that is going on. There is nothing about this cd that I didn't like. It had
great production, fantastic artwork, and beautiful vocals. Musically, it is
great to know that there are bands out there that are not afraid to fuse
different styles together. This cd is the second in a goth fantasy series that
supports a comic book that was released in 2008. They also put out a full-length
cd titled "Losing Faith". The band is now officially endorsed by Kahler USA.
Look out for Llexi's new ESP Custom Horizon-III guitar, featuring the Kahler
2200 tremolo as well. You can find out more about them at
www.eternaldescent.com or at
www.myspace.com/eternaldescent
Originality: 10/10 Production: 10/10 Vocals:10/10
Overall: 10/10
EXCITER – “Thrash Speed
Burn” (Blistering Records)
Style – Speed/thrash metal
Origin – Ottawa, Canada
Dion’s Review - Wow! These blokes have been doin’ what they
do only one year shy of the 28 that I’ve been drawing breath! You just don’t
have that kind of life-expectancy in most genres of extreme metal. Your body
(and your fans) just won’t allow it. From their formation in ‘80 to their
current-day existence, EXCITER has been an entity with a surprisingly small
amount of line-up changes, even for a band with a quarter of their life-span,
with only five ex-bassists, one ex a piece for guitars and drums and four
ex-mic-stranglers. It’s actually surprising, since most bands don’t really
survive one vocal-change, let alone five (first drummer did vocals too).
But EXCITER kept on keeping on, and here we are.
Thrash Speed Burn is the thirteenth release from these Canadians in their
sporadic discography which includes a demo, an EP, a live album and a best of in
2004. As far as the music goes, it’s really what you’d expect from the style
description “speed/thrash” from a band that was began when it was the most
extreme form of metal there was. The guitars are fast chords, the bass follows
the guitar, the drums are straightforward and the vocals are sung/shrieked
between the ranges of a mid-high to “are your ears bleeding too?”. They’ve kept
all the hallmarks of the genre alive, too. The slight reverb on really high
notes, the gang-chant chorus (which is usually also the track-title) and the
wanky, wailing solos. They did forego the stricture of an album ballad, however,
and I thank them profusely.
So if you were into metal in the dawn of the 80s, or just
really dig metal from that era like IRON MAIDEN and MANOWAR, there’s nothing to
dislike about this release from these musical old-timers. They even have a
regressive sound-production that could only have been crystalline in the 80s.
Truly old school.
www.myspace.com/exciterofficial
- http://listen.to/exciter ,
http://www.blisteringrecords.se
Production: 9/10; Loyalty: 9/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 8/10
F
FAIRYTALE ABUSE
– “Perversions of Angel VI” (Blistering Records)
Style: Blackened Death Metal
Origin: Denmark
Steve’s Review: Do you smell that? That’s right; there is no
bullshit here just fresh, reinvented Black Metal. I truly love it when bands in
the Black Metal genre aren’t afraid to embrace other genres, like Death Metal,
and create original, rare sounding music. Fairytale Abuse does exactly that with
2007’s ‘Perversion of Angel VI’. Some would argue if this is truly Black Metal
but that is exactly why I couldn’t have enough of this album. I have never
before heard of Fairytale Abuse but this album ripped right through my ear
canals and replaced the crap I’ve been listening to with some truly aggressive
Black Metal. The Black Metal genre has bands like Dimmu Borgir and Enslaved
worrying too much about sounding pretty but Fairytale Abuse isn’t afraid to make
brutality their priority and then add the pretty crap later. The drums bash
right through the mix you can hear everything and it all sounds amazing. They
are some of the most innovative drums I’ve heard and probably one of the best
things about this album. When you hear rock beats you are sure to have some
crazy fills mixed in and when it’s time to thrash the drums blast through with
unrelenting aggression and speed. The rhythm guitars are melodic at times and
technical as ever when they need to be. I absolutely love the leads and it’s
hard not to hum the tune with them while listening. The bassist does what he
needs to do and not a whole lot more but I really like the fact that you can
actually hear him, that’s a rare thing in metal today. Fairytale Abuse delivers
pure ass-kicking brutality and it’s common with more aggressive Black Metal
bands like that to simply remove synth all together but I like the fact that
Fairytale Abuse uses keyboards to add effects that improve their overall brutal
and evil sound. They don’t rely on elaborate string arrangements because they
are all about the beauty of their aggressive, evil, melodic Metal. Standout
tracks are ‘Vivid the Blood Ill-Natured’ with its grooves and simplistic song
structure and the epic closing track ‘Our Glorious Revivification’. Like I said
before I could not get enough of this album and I keep listening to it over and
over. Revelation VI is an album that you will play over and over again. It’s not
everyday that Black Metal offers something that can destroy some Death Metal
bands.
www.fairytale-abuse.com -
www.myspace.com/fairytaleabuse
Instruments: 9/10 ; Vocals: 9/10 ; Production: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
FALL FROM GRACE
– “Sifting Through the Wreckage” (Bunk Rock Music)
Style: Alternative/Punk Rock
Origin: Seattle, Washington
Steve’s Review: When I prepared myself to review this record
I must admit I saved it for last. Everything from the name of the band to the
way the band looked all screamed ‘DO NOT LISTEN’. I popped the record in and
tried with all my might to get through the entire disc. Surprisingly I made it
alive and the following is what I think about the torture I had to endure.
Fall
From Grace is your typical mainstream alternative rock band. I honestly don’t
know how, but they managed to beat 7000 bands in the Bodog Music Battle of the
Bands and from that they won a record contract with Bodog Music, now known as
Bunk Rock Music, a name the surprisingly fits the bunk music this band plays.
‘Hated Youth’, the first track on this record, Sounds like every other song
you’ll hear on your mainstream rock station. This is nothing new, nothing great,
and definitely nothing worth listening to. ‘King of Lies’ managed to annoy the
hell out of me with it’s more than simplistic structure and the extremely
annoying leads, if you would even call them leads since they are more like
additional noise. It was on this track that I noticed that the vocalist sounds
extremely close to Melissa Etheridge even while looking as emo as he possibly
could. The 3 chord progressions found in this song aren’t really surprising and
typical of mindless musicians. Next came the track ‘Wake Up My Friend’. Besides
being a really lame song title, this song is even lamer for ripping off the
guitar tones, the drum rhythms, and even the vocal style of Weezer, a lame band
to begin with. Next, here comes the thrashing tune of ‘The Last Straw’. They
really decided to tear it up here with some super cool double bass rhythms and
fast guitar riffs. If you can’t sense my sarcasm then please note that I’m not
serious. While ‘The Last Straw’ may be the heaviest track on the record it has
trouble keeping up with bands like Disturbed and simply proves how horrible this
band can really be. Less than halfway through the record I started to feel
jittery and began to crave my metal fix like some kind of junkie. I was feeling
extremely tortured by this cliché-crap music and at this point I was wondering
if I would ever make it through. The next 2 tracks, ‘Burned’ and ‘Destroy the
Champion’ are watered-down crap that we have all heard on the radio but I
started feeling sympathy after hearing their choppy guitars, misled bass lines,
and drumming a five year old could play.
I realized it’s not really these guys
fault that they suck so much. They won a battle of the bands. It’s the idiot
responsible for them winning and then signing them who should have his head
bashed in, not Fall From Grace. I really can’t help but to say that the rest of
the record sounds pretty much like the songs I have described above. The
musicians should be worried about playing music instead of making noise. On a
more positive note, if there is any stand out track on this record it has to be
‘This Sickness’. I actually enjoyed this track with piano accompaniment. It
really reminds of something that Sentenced would have written and something
along the lines of their ‘Killing You, Killing Me’. Just depressing, hard rock
that makes you wonder about suicide. If I didn’t already feel like shooting
myself from the rest of the album I would probably say it’s a good tune. Besides
copping off of other bands and creating a bland style of crap I don’t really
think Fall From Grace has too much going for them and they should highly
reconsider not writing anymore music in the future.
www.myspace.com/fallfromgracemusic -
www.fallfromgrace.us
Instruments: 5/10; Vocals: 4/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 6/10
FATTOOTH – Limited
Edition Debut Album (Reversed Records)
Style: Punk/Rock
Origin: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Mike’s Review – Wow, now this is an interesting CD! Labeled
as thrashy punk rock, this band also dives into other genres as well. With “The
Heathen” (Zimmer’s Hole) on vocals and Gene Holgan (Strapping Young Lad, drums)
in the line-up, you can count on some impressive music with that “I don’t give a
shit what you think” attitude. Complete with some comedic lyrics and plenty of
satire, this CD is sure to get your ass moving and your body flopping around the
room like a person who just tasered their self! Dance. Thrash. Bash your head
into the wall. Put your tongue in a blender. When you have Fattooth in your
player, it’s all good.
www.myspace.com/fattooth
Vocals: 8 Instruments: 9 Originality: 8
Production: 9
Overall: 8.5 (out of 10)
FIFTYWATTHEAD
"Fogcutter" (Signed by Force Records)
Style - Doom/Sludge
Origin - Canada (Ontario)
Darren's Review - I am quite the fan of slower, experimental,
yet aggressive band like Mastodon, High on Fire, ISIS, Transmission0, Bison
B.C., etc. (just to name a few!) When I found Fiftywatthead in my inbox, I
thought this album would feel right at home in my collection judging by name
alone...to my surprise, I was exactly correct. Fogcutter opens with max
horsepower on "Whiteout". Which is a perfect way to describe the track. The
vocals are clean with distorted overtones, the guitars thick and rugged. As the
album progresses, the tempo and mood slow down a bit, but not the heaviness my
friends. The band isn't reinventing the wheel, rather making subtle tweaks to
improve performance. The eight track epic is filled with mostly lengthy tunes
spanning in the five to seven minute range. The highlight for me was the closer
"Followed by Thunder", which again seems to be the perfect song title. Any fans
of aggressive, atmospheric, sludge metal deserves to check into them. Yet
another great one from Canada!
www.myspace.com/fiftywatthead
Production/Engineering: 7/10; Originality: 7/10 ;
Instruments: 7/10
Vocals: 7/10 Overall: 7/10
FIR BOLG - “Paganism”
(Unsigned)
Style: Celtic Black Metal
Origin: France
Steve’s Review: In times of old myths and legends the Fir
Bolg were people under slavery in Greece. They set forth to invade Ireland which
was the home of their ancestors the Nemedians. Today Fir Bolg is a one man
Celtic Black Metal band officiated by Vocalist/Guitarist Dagoth from French
Black Metallers ‘Assacrentis’. After many years experience of writing and
performing for ‘Assacrentis’ Dagoth decided to create a Black Metal band that
would focus on the story of our ancestors before the time of Christianity. This
mini-cd ‘Paganism’ is an excellent listen with good production. The lyrics focus
on myths and Celtic legends while the music is second-wave Black Metal with a
darkened atmosphere and acoustic folk elements. The entire disc reminds me of
old Satyricon and Darkthrone and is just the type of Pagan Metal that makes you
want to down a church. I really enjoyed the ‘oldschool’ Black Metal feel where
the music focuses more on vocals, guitars, and drums rather than large keyboard
arrangements. While there are some keyboards on this recording, you will find
that they are strategically placed in parts to simply create atmosphere. Even
though this CD is one the best Black Metal releases I’ve heard in a while, the
drumming could be better and falls short of what could have made this release
near perfection. It is often quite sloppy and takes from the mood that the rest
of the music creates. With that being my only complaint, I’m very pleased to
hear that in a world full of commercial Black Metal that true Black Metal still
reigns supreme. Now knowing that, I’m eager to hear what Fir Bolg has in store
for the future.
www.myspace.com/firbolgtruepagan
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 9/10; Production:
8/10
Overall: 9/10
FISSION – “Pain Parade”
(Aphotic Records)
Style – Melodic metal
Origin – Skellefteå, Sweden
Dion’s Review – This is some more well-produced melodic metal
that, while I don‘t get into, I can‘t deny the talent of. There is some
cool-as-shit stuff goin’ on here. Some kick-arse thrash, some pretty intense
folk passages, even some heavy-as-hell southern moments. “Southern?” You ask,
“From Sweden?” Yeah, I know. It’s happening a lot.
This is the project of some fairly active members of the
Skellefteå metal-scene. FISSION’s founding member (this was originally a
solo-project) is vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Andreas Hedlund from other
acts such as OTYG, BORKNAGAR, WATERCLIME, HAVAYOTH and COSMIC DEATH. And helping
him along on his journey is drummer, guitarist, bassist Benny Hägglund who also
spanks the skins for label-mates TME. From the sitar-intro of track one “Chains”
to the classically influenced outro of track eight “Mekanisk är Själen”, you
really can’t tell what’s coming next. This is not to say that <I>Pain Parade</I>
is filled with goofy, whacky changes of genre or measure. It’s just that this
pair of musicians are influenced by a lot of different stuff. The thrash is
predominant, for sure, but there’s melodic movements, classical pieces, even a
little melo-death. It’s all fairly kick-arse. I think it’s the clean vocals that
ruin this CD for me. Andreas can really sing, too! I don’t have a problem with
his abilities in the vocal department. Dude’s in key, and somewhat original with
his vocal patterns. He’s just too distracting when he hits the clean, and in my
ears, it doesn’t seem to fit all that often. His throaty rasp is awesome, as his
is low-end when he delves into it. I honestly think I’d like this band a whole
lot more if it weren’t for that, and I hate saying that, ‘cause I know there’s a
world of people out there who’d appreciate it, and even applaud it. It’d be
easier if I could honestly say that Andreas sounds like you’re choking a
Chihuahua in a rusty iron-works, but I can’t. His pipes are in fine working
order.
So, with that said, and my beefs out to be aired, FISSION is
some well-produced, kick-arse melodic death/thrash that stick their necks out a
little to attempt to bring you something different. Not shockingly different,
mind. It’s more like slowly wading into an ice-rimed fjord, rather than diving
straight in for that five bucks and half a sandwich that your mate put up as a
dare.
www.myspace.com/fissionsweden
, http://fission.se ,
www.aphoticrecords.net
Production: 8/10; Originality: 8/10; Instruments: 8/10;
Vocals: 6/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10
FLESH - "Worship the Soul
of Disgust" (Pulverised Records)
Style: Death Metal
Origin: Sweden
Heather's Review - If primitive death metal is your style of
choice , than this is the band for you. The music is raw, the vocals are
indecent, and the style is completely ruthless. With tracks like " Sadistic
Penetration" and "Feast on the Soul" this solo project by Pete Flesh (from
DECEIVER, THROWN, and MAZE OF TORMENT) will make your ears bleed for more.
Produced by Pulverised Records and recorded by Tagtgren at the Abyss Studio
(Hypocrisy, Dimmu Borgir, and Marduk), this album steers away from the technical
sound that is often heard nowadays and concentrates on delivering raw brutality.
I would recommend this to any fan of death metal and metal alike. You will not
be disappointed. For more info on the band go to
www.myspace.com/peteflesh.
Originality: 7/10 Vocals: 7/10 Production: 8/10
Overall: 7.3/10
FORESHADOW
– “Nations Of Failure” (Blastzone Entertainment Group)
Style – Thrash/metal
Origin – Tampa, FL.
Dion’s Review - If I had written this review after just the
first spin of Nations Of Failure, I would’ve dubbed FORESHADOW “musicians
of failure”. I wasn’t exactly gonna tear them a new’n, but I was going to be
harshly critical. But, the disc somewhat grew on me. I’m still not saying I’d
rush out to buy this CD, but that’s simply ‘cause it’s not my thing.
The first thing I noticed about these Floridians was that
their vocalist kicks arse. He has a decent mid-low and a damned good mid-high.
He doesn’t have a scream as such, but his natural range is in the upper mid
anyway. Plus he has a voice that carries spoken-word really well, and used
effects and panning creatively; not too often, and in the right places. After
this, the music settled in; the drummer’s decent, with a couple of really
creative parts; the bass is too loud for a bass-player that follows the guitar;
and the guitar solos are plentiful and really not that good. I mean he’s better
than me, but not a single soul has heard me solo anyway… unless you count when I
was learning the “Come As You Are” solo way back when, which I wouldn’t. The
production’s not that good either, resembling demo-quality more than it does
full-length release. I have to say it suits them on the second spin a lot more
than it did on the first. There are some interesting parts, I have to say, and
some pretty good chord progressions, and it’s all kept moving aggressively in
the right direction by the vocals. There’s a drum-solo-ish moment that I really
don’t like in “Obstruction Of Justice”. Ignoring the fact that I just don’t
appreciate drum solos, the drums sound fake; whether through triggering,
sampling, or being a decent-sounding electronic kit I don’t know, but it becomes
apparent in the solo.
That being said, I don’t normally relinquish advice all that
often, considering it a mild form of arrogance; preferring to approach from the
“humble” angle. But here it is: Drummer, keep the blasting up; you do it well,
and it lends an arse-load of aggression. Bass-player, drop the pick and become a
bassist. I know you want to… or turn down a little. Guitarist, drop the solos
and write more heavy-arse riffs into the songs; you do ‘em so well. Vocalist,
err… have a beer and think of more shit that pisses you off.
You don’t have to listen to me guys, most don’t, but that’s
my two cents. Now I just have to hunt down three hundred and forty-eight more
cents, and I can get myself one of those beers.
www.myspace.com/foreshadow76 ,
www.myspace.com/blastzoneentgroup
Production: 6/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 6.5/10
FOR THE SUFFERING
– “For The Suffering” (Crash Music)
Style: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: New Mexico
Steve’s Review: From the minute you start the record to the
minute you finish it your ears tingle with euphoria. It’s not everyday that the
Melodic Metal movement releases something with a fresh new take. For the
Suffering takes it back to the ‘old school days’ when bands like At The Gates
slayed the crowd and other bands like In Flames didn’t suck complete ass. What
they also do is add a more modern take to the Melodic Music I love. Vocalist
Kierston Graham bellows out a deafening growl that punishes Angela Gossow of
Arch Enemy fame. Kierston’s vocals are what surprised me at first. On the first
track ‘The Revolt’ Melodic Metal starts kicking my ass with fast drumming and
riffing and of course Kierston’s amazing vocals. I must admit that later in the
track when Kierston jumps out there with her clean vocals I got to say they
don’t do the band any justice. This band stands out where others fail. With
influences like Arch Enemy and Machine Head you see the band moving from brutal
Melodic Death Metal to parts where they try to play on the Nu-Metal or
Metal-Core movement with clean vocals and slower guitars that just don’t cut it
for me. I think this band should stick to what they do best which is annihilate
the listener with talented and original drumming.
Drummer Marty Williamson does a great job with the slams and
fills you would normally find on any Melodic Death Metal album but also adds
excellent blast beats and double bass rhythms you wouldn’t normally expect from
a band like this. Not once did I hear any sloppy drumming and that’s a plus. The
guitars are handled by Dave Williamson and while the leads aren’t the most
innovative and definitely don’t compare to anything the big guy’s can do, Dave
delivers great sounding riffs with good picking and chord progressions. I had
trouble hearing the bass at times, played by Bryon Little, but as a Metal head I
realize that pretty much common in all genres of metal. What I did hear Byron
play, he played with aggression adding the extra low-end that is a prerequisite
of any Metal. One of my favorite things about this band and this record is the
production. The drums cut through the music like a knife cutting through flesh
making this an album easily enjoyed. The guitar tone is great, although typical
of most Melodic Metal Bands, and it really does remind me of greats like At the
Gates. Besides the clean vocals that stray me away from the true aggression of
this band, For The Suffering is definitely a Band and disc that you must pick
up.
www.forthesuffering.com –
www.myspace.com/forthesuffering
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 8/10; Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
FRANKENBOK – “The
Last Ditch Redemption” (Prime Cuts Music)
Style – Heavy metal
Origin – Melbourne, Australia
Dion’s Review - My first thought? These blokes should be
called FRANKENBEARD. Or BEARDENBOK. I haven’t seen this many big-arsed beards in
one place since that Santa convention that left me rocking myself and sucking my
thumb in the corner of a toilet-cubicle for several hours. They haven’t all got
huge beards, but all have face-fungus in one form or another. I swear I can see
their roadies peeking out at me from under a couple of the larger specimens.
But moving right along. I’ve actually seen FRANKENBOK; when
they supported SLAYER in Melbourne in 2001... I think. The Last Ditch Redemption
is this Aussie outfit’s fifth release, but it seems quite different from their
impression on me in a live setting. Back then, FRANKENBOK somewhat reminded me
of early MR. BUNGLE, with a little less whackiness and a little more heaviness,
but this CD is definitely not what I’d expected. I haven’t kept up with this
band, and I was a little distracted at the show, avoiding MACHINEHEAD fans, and
waiting for SLAYER to kick my arse, so I guess I shouldn’t have had any
expectations. This release is actually a concept EP, with four songs, and five
sample-tracks, about a bloke who realises he’s a bastard, and tries to redeem
himself for bein’ a bastard by saving assorted loved ones, before realising his
biggest challenge is not reverting back to his old cuntful ways. I think there’s
something in that for all of us. This is awesomely produced, with everything
being crisply evident, the talent of the band aiding in the production quality.
This is fairly straightforward mid-paced metal, with some thrash tendencies, all
in a verse/chorus/verse chorus/solo/verse/chorus kind of arrangement. Kinda
reminded me of InVitro a teensy bit, actually. I don’t know why, but there you
have it.
I’d say you don’t have to be an Aussie, or have a beard to
enjoy this CD, but seeing as I‘m one, with the other, it might‘ve helped. This
EP’s available, as well as their recent full-length Murder Of Songs, from both
the band‘s and label’s websites, linked below.
www.myspace.com/frankenbok ,
www.myspace.com/frankenbokmusic
, www.primecuts.com.au
Production: 10/10; Originality: 7/10; Instruments: 8/10;
Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 8/10
FROST - "EXPERIMENTS IN
MASS APPEAL" - (SPV/inside Out)
Style - Prog Rock
Origin - United Kingdom
Rob's Review: I gotta say, I've always been a fairly big fan
of most things Progressive just because most of the time it’s just different
than a majority of what’s out there now. Although, sometimes it can be a bit of
a chore to get through some of it, prog at least dares to be different and
concentrates on songwriting a little more. The downside is the pompous nature of
it at times with all the long winding epic numbers. These days anything over six
minutes is too long for this dude. In Frost you get the very best of what prog
can be. Yes the songs do get a little lengthy at times but the variance of ideas
and resourcefulness of the musicians doesn’t allow the songs to get long winded
or boring. Musically, this is some very polished and well thought out material
that really seems to bring you to a good place while listening. There's sort of
a serene atmosphere to it all. And that’s not to say it’s a completely
melodramatic piece of drivel. There are those moments of soft passages that send
you into some downright dreamy states but there are great amounts of heavy
change ups as well. The vocals, I think have a great responsibility in the
overall feel though. Very subtle at times and as smooth as creamy Jif. Reminds
me a little of Ty Tabor from Kings X but with more of a refined style and feel
to the voice. Really fits the music perfectly. I've liked these guys ever since
their 2006 release "Milliontown" and have become even bigger a fan on
"Experiments in Mass Appeal". The later seems to be a little less aggressive
than its predecessor but with the same amount of texture and dynamics. Maybe a
little mellow for this crowd but well worth the shot if you have an open mind.
www.frostmusic.net -
www.myspace.com/planetfrost
Production: 10/10, Performance: 10/10, Originality:
10/10, Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
G
GEISHA – “Die Verbrechen der Liebe”
(Crucial Blast)
Style – Experimental/alternative
Origin – Bristol, UK.
Dion’s Review - That’s got to be one of the most difficult
style descriptions I’ve had to decide on for a review, and I still don’t feel
all that content with it, to be honest. These brits are GEISHA, and their
MySpace URL is GeishaNoiseResearchGroup. ‘Nuff said, eh?
Die Verbrechen Der Liebe is six songs in 60 minutes
and are, as far as I can tell, porn-themed. Track titles are “Prelude to Amber
Pays the Rent”, “Stop Talking, Let's Fuck”, “A Wilderness, Except by Sight”,
“Cocktown & The G Boys”, “Sportsfister” and “Theme from Diana”. I couldn’t swear
to the porn theme, but that’s what I’d guess. And it‘s a very avant-garde
approach if it is. Musically the tracks are a distorted recording of a
hodgepodge of styles. Experimental explains it, as does “progressive” and
“downright nutty”. There’s a lot of ambience and a lot of moods which leads to
mood swings as well; aided by the intermittent, highly-distorted vocals. The
production’s pretty good, although it resides almost continuously in the red,
which I’d have to imagine is exactly what the band wanted. As much as the sound
sizzles, you can still hear everything that’s going on that you need to. It’s
not really something you sit down to listen to with the intention of paying
uninterrupted attention to, but more a ‘soundtrack for you goings on’. You can
listen to this and get your day-to-day stuff done as well… like writing reviews.
Good thing for me, huh? There’s nothing about this to dislike, except maybe the
direction these blokes are trying to take you.
If you were to play CDs from THE MELVINS, PINK FLOYD, JET and
MR. BUNGLE all at once, and placed that awesome stereo lovingly into an empty
metal rubbish-bin, then… you’d probably do your fucken head in. But if you’re
head’s already “in” and that notion didn’t scare the voices out of your
head, then you’d probably really get what GEISHA are doing, and the noise they
are researching.
www.myspace.com/geishanoiseresearchgroup ,
www.freewebs.com/geisha ,
www.crucialblast.net
Production: 8/10; Originality: 7/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 6/10
OVERALL: 7/10
GET THRASHED - The Story of Thrash
Metal (DVD)
Darren's Review - As a documentary junkie (as some of you
well know), when I first heard about this project - I was already drooling. Get
Thrashed is the brainchild of Rick Ernst (Producer) who got his start as an
intern during the Riki Rachtman Headbangers Ball era, and Rat Skates (Associate
Producer) from OverkilI. I feel that I was pretty up to speed on the history of
thrash, as I lived a part of it. What the movie clearly indicated was I really
didn't have much of a clue. I learned so much about the history, regions,
worshipped "classic thrash" albums, and even some acts I had never heard of. The
film was beautifully assembled with tons of informative interviews from the
people that ate, slept and shit thrash! Members of Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer,
Megadeth, Exodus, Sodom, Death Angel, Stone Sour, Pantera all featured, not to
mention many more. I was mesmerized and wore a smile the entire length of the
film. The soundtrack of course is phenomenal. The DVD also features an
additional 90 minutes of bonus footage. I don't want to give too much away, but
trust me on this! Mandatory viewing for any metal fan, worldwide. Hell, even if
you aren't a metal fan it can be appreciated. In fact, I am fucking going to
watch it again right now!
Running time: 99 minutes
www.getthrashed.com
Overall: 10/10
GHOULS - “Until it
Bleeds”
Genre - Death Metal
Origin - Italy
Baird’s Review - This thing says promotional copy. It’s a cdr
in a single fold paper sleeve with the album art and track listing, stuffed in a
little plastic envelope. It doesn’t have the album title listed, and If I were
any lazier I wouldn’t even bother looking it up on the internet.
Well, besides my complaints about the packaging I can’t find
anything really bad to point out here. This isn’t the most original recording I
have ever heard, but cookie cutter death metal it is not. These days when
everything is metal/hard/crap-core it is good to see bands still playing brutal
death metal and looking the part, instead of playing “ken doll” for a record
label. The composition is a bit repetitive, and a I have a striking suspicion
that their guitarist(s) listens to a lot of Necrophagist. The bass sounds is
really good, and so do the drums. I really don’t like the guitar sound, but I
think this is probably more of a personal preference than a production flaw. I
would guess they were recorded on mesa boogie heads, and there just isn’t a lot
of gain in the tone.
In closing, if you like the old school death metal sound,
this disk will suit your preferences.
www.myspace.com/demonghouls
Production 8/10 Musicianship 7/10 Vocals 8/10 Originality 5/10
Overall 7/10
GOJIRA - "THE WAY OF ALL
FLESH" - (Prosthetic Records)
Style - Melodic Death
Origin - France
Rob's Review: I am slowly growing very fond of France lately.
Not sure what’s going on with the rest of that country but the dark seedy part
is pumping out some very inspiring talent in the music world. I feel somewhat
ashamed that this is the first time I'm hearing anything from this glorious band
called GOJIRA since they've been ruling France and probably half the world since
1996. I should have my metal credentials suspended for that little gaffe. These
guys sound like a mix of Meshuggah and Morgoth to me. I think the Morgoth
comparison involves the vocals which I didn’t really like at first but the more
I listen the more they are kicking my ass. They have sort of an airy death grind
feel to them yet fairly audible and consistent. Really fits the music which has
that awesome disjointed Meshuggah riffing like running a buzz saw through a
knotted piece of wood with railroad spikes jammed through it. And tighter than a
nuns...well...you know. C'mon this is a fuckin family metal zine! Anyway, this
masterpiece called "The way of All Flesh" could quite possibly be one of my
favorites of the year and is going to make me run out and experience the GOJIRA
past a bit. Maybe I can then reclaim my suspended Metal Head license and not
feel so bad about myself. You should do the same. If there are those of you out
there that need a little more push, preferably by gunpoint, to get you to listen
to something (gasp!) new and different other than all the other sheep like bands
out there, then here you go; Randy Blythe of Lamb of God also makes an
appearance along the way on the song "Adoration For None". Not that they needed
his help but they picked probably the best song to include his services. One of
the many "best" songs on the disc. Please forgive me Metal Godz-illa for not
recognizing the greatness of GOJIRA long ago. I shall not fail you again with my
ignorance!
www.gojira-music.com -
www.myspace.com/gojira
Production: 10/10 Performance: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
GRAND SELMER -
"God's Only"
Style - Rock/Alternative
Origin - Göteborg, Västra Götalands län-Sweden
Crystal's Review - You can't tell too much about Grand Selmer
as their main Web Site is not currently running any longer and their Myspace
page doesn't give you much information except a few pictures and some video.
Also the article on recording of their demo is only in Swedish which I am not
fluent in. Other than that the 6 Song demo released in 2008 sounds like the a
bit like the Foo Fighters with a Psychedelic touch added to it. I would consider
them to be a grunge type of band that hasn't been around for very long. The band
sounds okay though. Hopefully they will add some more news in English along the
way. I would be interested in knowing a bit more about them.
www.myspace.com/grandselmer
Production: 6/10 Originality: 6/10 Instruments: 7/10
Vocals 7/10
OVERALL: 6/10
GROTESQUE – “Museum
Of Human Disease” (Prime Cuts Music)
Style – Technical death
Origin – Perth, Australia
Dion’s Review - So, as the ‘origin’ states above, this is the
Aussie GROTESQUE. Don’t confuse them with either the Finnish, Swedish or
American outfits (they‘re the ones I could find. I‘m sure there‘s more). To some
extent they’ve asked for the confusion, or any band that has a horror word as
their name. But whatever. There’s only so many words, and only so many ways you
can warp or commingle them into a band name. There’s a few GROTESQUEs, a
DISGORGE or two. The world keeps spinnin’… for now.
So I’m sittin’ here, letting these Aussies’ debut full-length
kick my arse. It’s a very even mix of technical, sweeping death metal, and just
balls out brutal death metal. I find myself constantly thinking of them as a mix
of CATTLE DECAPITATION and ORIGIN. The CATTLE… more a musical comparison, while
ORIGIN is more a lyrical/theme comparison. They wax intellectual on things
related to the universe and theories of said universe - and death and disease
(it is death metal after all) - while they technically progress through 11
songs. I have to say that this band is tighter than a Scotsman’s money-clip, and
the technicality is more in the actual riffs than they way they’re arranged.
That’s not to say that they don’t fling out surprises. I’d just say that the
technical aspect of GROTESQUE’s music is dominated by discordant chords
(“dischords“?), bizarre trills, plenty of artificial harmonics and a fair
smattering of sweep-picking more than whacky amounts of repeats, mathematical
time-signatures and inexplicable tempo-swings. The vocal styles are mixes a
little, but all in the low ranges, and the production’s more in the vein of
brutal death metal, lacking the polished crispness of most technical death; not
necessarily a bad thing, just a thing. The drums sound a little “slappy” for me,
but it’s a damned good sound otherwise, and this CD will definitely make it onto
my hard-drive and CD rack.
If you‘ve got a penchant for bands such as SUFFOCATION,
CATTLE DECAPITATION, VISCERAL BLEEDING and DECREPIT BIRTH , this CD’s probably
for you… just make sure you purchase the right CD. If the bloke you buy it off
says “G’day”, “Crikey” or “Aveagoyamug”, he’s more than likely not Finnish.
www.myspace.com/grotesqueaustralia ,
www.myspace.com/primecutsmusic
Production: 7/10; Originality: 8/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Vocals: 9/10
OVERALL: 8/10
GROUND OF RUIN –
“Cloaked In Doctrine” (self-released)
Style – Thrash/black/folk
Origin – Carlow, Ireland
Dion’s Review - It’s kind of hard to take angry Irish people
seriously. It always sounds affected. Even when their threatening you, they
sound cheery about it. “Oi caahght you hoompin’ me woife, no Oi’m goona foock
you in yoor arse wit moi machete!” If you want angry-soundin’ look to Russians,
or the Scots. A Scottish gentleman could be offering to split his lotto-winnings
with you and you’ll cringe away from him covering your face. I’m not gonna make
any cracks about them being a miserly race of people and quite unable to split
said winnings with anyone. I heard that a Scot bought a complete stranger a beer
once.
GOR pull off pissed pretty well, though. Fairly aggressive
thrash fronted by angry vocals, mostly in a croaky black metal high, that are
regarding religion and its leaders, and GOR’s*to put it mildly*distaste towards
them. Cloaked In Doctrine is a twenty-three minute, four-song EP, with
one of the tracks being an acoustic guitar/cello instrumental intro with wind
blowing in the background. Pretty nice sounding, although I’ve always enjoyed
the dulcet tones of the cello. The other three songs are the thrashier side of
black metal (or the blacker side of thrash metal?) with some definite
folk-influenced note progressions throughout. This EP was not hard to sit
through, in fact, I really wish it had more material on it. This is these
Irishmen’s fourth release, the other three being two demos and a single/promo.
Their bio says they’ve worked tirelessly since 2003, but it obviously hasn’t
been in the studio. Not that I blame ‘em. Recording sucks arse. When they did
hit the studio, they were ready. The music’s tighter than a man’s
pre-machete-abused anus with an awesome production. They should be proud of
their, and their engineer’s, studio-work. I am. GROUND OF RUIN actually remind
me a fair bit of TME with some SATYRICON thrown in there. Not sure if they were
influenced by those bands, but I hear similarities.
If you’re into thrash and black metal, buying this EP would
be putting your hard-earned dosh to good use. Before you purchase, however, you
can check out tracks at the links below. Top of the mornin’ to ya!
www.myspace.com/groundofruin ,
www.bebo.com/GroundofRuin
Production: 9/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 8/10
GRUESOME STUFF
RELISH – “Horror Rises From The Tomb” (No Escape Records)
Style – Early death/grind/horror
Origin – Asturias, Spain
Dion’s Review - “GRUESOME STUFF RELISH”. It’s a damned cool
name. Sounds like something an Ebola-riddled zombie would request on his hotdog
at a charming little diner in Dis. Or something you’d intentionally create to
smother your in-laws’ (if all goes well) last meal.
But this isn’t what GSR are about at all. I’m sure they love
their in-laws… if they’ve got any. This early 90’s death-influenced grind outfit
are all about the 50’s - 80’s Italian horror films that they’ve grown up on
since they burst from their respective parents’ wombs. Formed by members of
REPUGNANCE (the Spanish one), and heavily influenced by bands such as IMPETIGE,
ENTOMBED and CARCASS, these lads hearken back to pre-millennium death, grind,
horror and gore. With catchy, down-tuned riffage, simple, easy-to-follow
drumming (recorded on a zebra-print kit… another lost 90’s phenomenon) and
unassuming bass (duties shared by the guitarists in the studio) they grind
through the album smoothly. The lyrics are screamed, roared, yelled, growled,
and even pitch-shifted, and are as simplistic as the music that backs them up.
Sometimes I like my grind whacky, unpredictable, and harder to pick than a
broken nose. But sometimes, just sometimes, I like my grind cruisy. Smooth and
creamy, if you will, without the chewy chunks of odd time-signatures,
syncopation and virtuosity. I’m not saying that Horror Rises From The Tomb is in
any way boring. There’s a couple of cool thrash solos, and an awesome
sliced-throat gurgle at the end of “The Dead Will Walk The Earth”. But overall,
it’s simple. Like listening to BLACK SABBATH after pummelling yourself with
CRYPTOPSY. Both bands still kick arse. GSR is a breath of cryptic air. This
whole album reeks of death, blood, rot and the grave. Song-titles such as “Love
Goddess Of The Cannibals”, “Z Is For Zombie” and “Feast Of The Tribe” conjure
mental images of all the bad (or good) horror movies you’ve ever weathered.
If you’re into 90’s death, grind and horror films, then this
CD’s for you. This should be sold with a packet of popping corn, and those 3D
glasses that we all love… nowadays.
www.myspace.com/gruesomestuff
, www.noescaperecords.com -
www.myspace.com/noescaperecords
Production: 8/10; Originality: 6/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10 H
HAELM – “Noses Bellum”
Style – Black Metal
Origin – Milwaukee, WI
Mike’s Review – This is Haelm’s debut release from 2008. A
second album has been written & recorded but is still waiting for mastering
(according to their myspace bio). The trio of Wyvernus, Xandregg, and Yorsh
create an old-school blend of death/black metal. It’s a blend that seldom gets
played in my player these days, yet is occasionally summoned back when the moods
fits. This particular album doesn’t interest me a whole lot. I think it is
because I cheated and listened to their new songs on myspace page before hearing
this album. The new tracks are more diverse and original. While I probably will
not ever listen to this CD again, I look forward to hearing their new tracks on
CD someday. www.myspace.com/haelm
Vocals: 7 Instruments: 8.5 Originality: 6.5
Production: 7
Overall: 7 (out of 10)
HAMMERED - "Gut Rot"
Style-Thrash Metal
Origin-Milwaukee, WI
Crystal's Review: Great to be able to check out the local WI
band Hammered. I still have yet to see these guys live, but I hear they are
pretty known in the southern Wisconsin area. Gut Rot is some good ol' thash
metal and Freddy Krueger inspired. These are some cool dudes! Love the album
name "Gut Rot". It reminds me of my dad saying that after consuming too many MC
D's gut bombs. The entire album was great beginning to end vox and instruments.
It was recorded at Howl Street Recordings, mixed and mastered by Shane
Hochstetler and produced by Dan Duchaine. Make sure to check them up or hit a
show if you can. Check em at
www.myspace.com/hammeredmetal
Vocals: 9/10, Instruments: 9/10, Production: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
HEAD ON COLLISION
-"Ritual Sacrifice" (Beer City Records)
Style: Thrash/Metal
Origin: St. Louis, Missouri
Heather's review: If you are into thrash, then this is the
band for you. It is loaded with straight-forward, aggressive riffs, precision
drumming, and fantastic vocals. They somewhat reminded me of a cross between
Kreator and Slayer. Mind-numbing riffs are ongoing throughout the cd beginning
with the first completely instrumental number "Arise From The Wreckage". Melodic
rhythms, tempo changes, and good lead guitar solos (not over the top, just
down-right aggressive), make this one that all thrash fans should have in their
collection. I'm certainly glad it's in mine! Production of the cd was also well
done and the cover art was drawn by Joe Petagno (who worked with Motorhead as
well). Make sure you check them out. You will not be disappointed. More info on
them can be found at www.myspace.com or
through www.beercityrecords.com
Production: 8/10 Vocals: 8/10
Originality: 6/10
Overall:7.3/10
H-GEORGE - "Neurotic" -
(Unsigned)
Style - Trash
Origin - Italy
Rob's Review: H-GEORGE is a dude spending way too much time
trying to sound like Jeff Waters and look like Kane Roberts. I thought
bare-chested unmuscular electric twanger fellas were reserved for 80's metal. I
guess it is making a comeback but I didn’t know it came in the form of drunk
Italians who can’t write songs (Wow, this is starting off well. I hope he
doesn’t send the mob after me for all this). I'm sorry but this is some pretty
unimaginative stuff. H-GEORGE has billed itself as Alcoholic Thrash Metal so I'm
sure you get a pretty good idea of what spins their wheels. Very little
redeeming structure to these four merry melodies of rough riffage other than
seemingly spending the better part of each song trying to get to the next
Annihilator inspired idea. Usually there’s a time and place for any style of
music but I really can’t think of one for this. Maybe while massaging your
grannies swollen bunyans. Or possibly bangin the babysitter. But definitely not
any other time. Unless thoroughly trashed. Which is maybe the idea here. If so,
they may have succeeded in their quest for world domination. If not, just
picture you or your buddy's first high school metal band and you have H-GEORGE.
www.h-george.com -
www.myspace.com/hgeorgemetalbeer
Production: 6/10 Performance: 4/10
Originality: 3/10 Vocals: 4/10
Overall: 4.25/10
HOLY MOSES - "Agony
of Death" - (SPV Records)
Style -Thrash
Origin - Germany
Rob's Review: After the over twenty years of existence for
HOLY MOSES I have to say this is the first time I've ever heard them. One thing
is certain though, this is the strangest sounding vocals I've heard from a
female in a while. Sabina Classen reminds me of a million other obscure below
average MALE thrash vocals from the 80's. A lot from the same country these guys
hail from. Crazy. Never saw that coming. But you do seem to grow accustom to
them after a while. Aside from that the music definitely has its roots firmly
planted in the 80's thrash craze that is recently experiencing a long awaited
revival this time with better production techniques and resources at their
disposal. The line-ups within the band have changed quite often over the years
with Sabina being the sole survivor since 1986. Countless bassists, guitarists
and drummers later (including at one point Danny Lilker), she has recruited a
nice cohesive outfit that sounds to be perfect for the new chapter of the band.
That good ol' thrash feel is abundant all through "Agony of Death" and gets you
feeling nostalgic as it sinks into your leathery metal tempered skin if you were
lucky enough to live through the first incarnation of this mayhem. By now you’re
almost in your forties and reliving your glory days through faded pictures and
puke stained jean jackets littered with patches, pins and specially designed
tatters and tears. Those were the days. I'm liking HOLY MOSES the further I get
into the CD and I think the Sabina machine is beating me into submission. A good
lesson in listening to the whole body of the work before forging that ever
impressionable opinion. I think I will investigate the early works a little
further to see what they knew back then. You should do the same, starting with
this one.
www.holymoses.de -
www.myspace.com/holymosesgermany
Production: 10/10 Performance: 10/10 Originality: 7/10
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 8.5/10
HUMAN DIRGE – “77
Times 7” (Unsigned)
Style: Thrash Metal
Origin: Italy
Steve’s Review: I wasn’t very impressed by this three track
promo by Italian band Human Dirge. If you have read any of my other reviews you
will know that I’m a harsh and cynical reviewer. I’m not an asshole but I do
tell it like it is and I try to pull both positive and negative aspects from a
band’s music. Truthfully there is nothing really that positive about 77 Times 7.
When I think of other bands to compare Human Dirge to I automatically think of
Slipknot. It is exactly the same type of low-caliber musicianship and writing
that has surprisingly moved Slipknot to stardom. While this band might follow in
that trend I don’t expect to see this band coming anywhere close to Slipknot
although both bands suck equally the same. Thinking more positively, these guys
do blow Slipknot out of the water when it comes to leads, but like I stated
above they are still not impressive enough to grab my attention. The drumming
isn’t up to par either, with simplistic rock-based beats and sloppy double bass.
There are even some parts on their last track “The World of Flesh” where you can
hear the drummer play off-time. The vocals are pretty bad. Even after a couple
listens I could not get myself used to his odd sounding wails. I personally
think that the vocals mirror vocalists from acts like Nevermore, Slipknot,
System of a Down, and even The Dead Kennedy’s. Not a very good mix for a band
that is supposed to be playing Thrash/Death based Metal. This is a fairly
original sounding band at least, if you want to give them merit on something. I
think that if they got rid of the vocalist and added someone with more of a
Thrash background they might have something going for them. Overall I stand in
the middle with “77 times 7”.
It’s not the worst band I’ve heard but definitely not
up there with what I consider good Metal to stand for. That’s the problem
though. You have too many bands copping off of others resulting in a “below
standards” release like this one. With bands like this there is never really too
much to complain about and nothing above average to praise them on. Human Dirge
needs some work before delving further into the vast atmosphere of talented
Metal.
www.humandirge.com -
www.myspace.com/humandirge
Instruments: 6/10; Vocals: 4/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 6/10 I
IMPIETY - “Dominator”
(PULVERIZED RECORDS)
Style: Blackened Death Metal/2nd Wave Black Metal
Origin: Singapore (Bedok Central)
Steve’s Review: Impiety’s Dominator is a prime example of how
the brutality of Metal with never die. This ‘Barbarian Horde’ has been at the
front-line of the Singapore Metal scene for 18 years ripping fans apart with
their Blackened Death Metal. Dominator starts out with ‘battle-like’ strings and
hellish chanting, add a battle scene complete with the gallops of war-steeds.
When the chaotic drumming begins you know that these guys know what they’re
doing. I enjoyed the EP with it’s ‘throaty’ black-death vocals spewing
blasphemies over ‘thrashy’ and fast-paced powerchords accompanied by aggressive
‘machine-gun’ blast beats, great doublebass drumming, and catchy-fills. The
leads, on the otherhand, weren’t too impressive. They feel like they take away
the brutality of the music but luckily there aren’t too many and they are very
short. I feel like the recording quality could be slightly better but it sounds
good enough and the rougher sound compliments the early Black Metal style. This
short little EP(about 15mins), featuring a cover from Brazil’s Sarcofago, rips
right through you and has you begging for more. If you haven’t heard of Impiety
this is a good time to start. This is a great release for any Death, Thrash, and
Black Metal fans.
www.mightyimpiety.com ,
www.myspace.com/impietyofficial
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 7/10; Production: 6/10
Overall: 7/10
INANE “Chronicles of
Poligonal Dusk”
Genre: Metal
Origin: Italy
Baird's Review: This makes me think of meshugah meets
mudvayne. Interesting eh? The bass work is really odd, and it reminds me a lot
of older mudvayne, but this guy has a tendency to “go off” a little far from the
song structure, and it almost sounds out of place, but he’s got a lot of talent.
If he applied a little more theory to his bass harmonies they could rival
primus.
The drum sound is spectacular, and I can understand why they
only released this as a 2 song promo, because getting your drums to sound that
good is not cheap. Inanes drummer has some tight feet. The guitar riffs are a
bit repetitive but with everything else going on it fills out nicely. I don’t
particularly like the vocals. He does that breathy “Korn” thing, but they are
executed well for the style.
www.myspace.com/inaneitaly
Production 8/10 Musicianship 7/10
Vocals 5/10 Originality 6/10
Overall 7.75/10
INFERNAL
STRONGHOLD – “Godless Noise” (self-released)
Style – Black metal/punk
Origin – Philadelphia, PA.
Dion’s Review – When you consider what genres this seven year
old band amalgamates, the title Godless Noise really just says it all. The
godlessness of black metal is notorious, and the noisy, unmelodic stylings of
punk is… well, par for the course, really. This is not the first time I’ve heard
punky black metal, but it’s always interesting when I do.
If you’re into punk and/or black metal, then I’m assuming
you’re the only people still reading this. And if you’re somewhat savvy on the
produce of this sub-genre mesh, then you’ve probably heard of INFERNAL
STRONGHOLD. These blokes are damned aggressive musicians, adopting the standard
chording of black metal, but giving them a crusty, punk edge. They lack the
consistent “white noise” of crustier black metal, and actually keep it to a
human pace that’s broken up by meter-change, and some interesting arrangements.
They don’t seem to be racing each other to the finish line. There’s no ambience,
no orchestral pieces, nor any female arias. Unabridged fury at god and his
followers. The production on this is actually half decent, too. Kinda surprising
considering it’s DIY nature, and especially considering the notoriety of the
production values of both of IxSx’s chosen genres. The needle goes into the red
at times (awesome!) and some things are drowned out by others at times, but that
just adds to the angst of this full-length. Vocals swap between a Nordic,
throaty high and a yell that would make a punk-rocker weep as he pierces himself
with safety pins. The band recently toured the US in support of this release,
which sadly I missed. I honestly would have striven to go and see these east
coast firebrands.
All round, I really dig this CD. I appreciate the unpolished
nature of the recording as much as I do their individual interpretations of two
well-publicised genres. Check ‘em out at the links below and see for yourself.
www.myspace.com/infernalstronghold ,
http://infernalstronghold.com
Production: 7/10; Originality: 7/10;
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10
INQUINOK - “Immortal
Dawn”
Genre: Black Metal
Country US
Baird's Review - When I was 15 I bought my first black metal
album, “In the Nightside Eclipse” by Emperor. To this day that album still
defines my concept of “real” black metal. Heavy reverb on the vocals,
Atmospheric keyboards, melodic tremolo picked guitar parts, and blast beats.
It’s just awesome. You can picture goblins in your head, pillaging the snow
covered country side, praising dark and ancient gods. Black metal before the
bands discovered polished production, vocals lessons, and fucking sweep picking.
Inquinok, has taken the same direction with their album
“Immortal Dawn”, which is a no frills aural assault of the classic black metal
formula. The production is very good for a self released title, which is
becoming very common with the affordability of recording gear these days. It is
nice to come across a band/engineer that knows how to use it. The guitar riffs
are catchy. I have listened to the first track “Legions” three times already.
The guitars sound exactly how they should, and the vocals are a spot on match
for the style. My only qualm is the kick drum sound. On the fast double bass
parts it “hums” and I have a sneaking suspicion that they used programming for
some of the kick drum rolls, although there are no programming credits on the
cd.
www.myspace.com/inquinok
Production 8/10 Musicianship 8/10
Vocals 8/10 Originality 6/10
Overall 7.75/10
INTERROGATE –
“Scarred For Life” (Distortion Project Records)
Style – Metal
Origin – Northern Ireland, UK
Dion’s Review – This is a tough one. INTERROGATE are from a
genre I have absolutely no interest in. Not that I think they’re tossers for
playing their chosen style; I just don’t get anything out of it. If you listen
to the radio, and don’t mind them telling you what metal you’re going to get
into, then you should probably check out this band.
There’s nothing really stand-out about the Northern Irish
act. They’re definitely talented, and play their music well, and tight. Yet,
despite paying no attention to the radio metal movement, I’ve heard it all
before. They’re aggressive… and then they’re not. But then here comes the angry
part… oh; maybe not. And here’s a ballad buried in amongst the track-list. Like
any genre, a lot of the music within it does get stale, and it’s getting
exceedingly difficult to come up with new tricks to create your own identity. I
understand all this. And reading these blokes bio, they’re playing exactly what
they want to be playing; which is awesome. You can’t blame ‘em for playing what
they want just ‘cause it’s what’s popular at the moment. It’s like slagging
someone for eating the oh-so-popular chocolate ice-cream when there’s strawberry
to be had. They want the chocolate ‘cause they like chocolate. Or they just hate
pink food. Besides, that means more strawberry for me.
But I digress. INTERROGATE are talented radio metal that gets
to a comparable level of aggression at times. And I’m sure they will tear more
than a few Europeans some new arses during their impending travels.
Mmm… ice-cream…
www.interrogate13.com ,
www.myspace.com/interrogate
Production: 9/10; Originality: 2/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 5/10
OVERALL: 5.5/10
IRONWOOD –
“:Fire:Water:Ash:” (Unsigned)
Style: Progressive Metal
Origin: Australia
Steve’s Review: Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Ironwood is a
Progressive Metal band with major emphasis on nature and the Earth. I am going
to immediately state that Ironwood is not a Black Metal band whatsoever. While
they might have some Black Metal elements this original sounding band can be
strictly classified as Progressive Metal. :Fire:Water:Ash: begins with the
acoustic track ‘Ond Ascending’. While listening to this opening track I become
extremely nauseas with the horrible vocals emanating from my speakers. The
entire track, acoustic based, is not what I would have opened the record with.
Just when I thought I couldn’t be any more displeased with the vocals, comes the
next track, ‘The Oncoming Storm’. Over a pretty catchy guitar riff is an overly
annoying tone similar to that of horrible Grunge rock. Atmosphere is definitely
the strength that this band beholds as the music morphs from Metal to Folk and
back again but the vocals really steal from the ethereal essence that this bands
music brings to life. There are some songs that I really enjoy but once again
the vocals ruin the whole feel I could have from this music. I do enjoy them
much more when I ignore the vocals, but quite honestly these vocals are
difficult to ignore. It’s not ever day that you hear backup vocalist’s singing
much better than the lead vocalist. It’s also hard to pinpoint who is doing
vocals because every musician, minus the drummer, takes part in some vocal
activity. I will say whoever is doing the lead vocals needs to be fired. My
attention is never fully averted to this music until it progresses to the more
Blackened Metal aspects which brings me to the song ‘Jarnvidr Gallows’. This
track is over twelve minutes long and begins with Dark guitars and vocals. I
find myself feeling like I can actually stand these vocals until it hits the
2:12 mark. At this point I find myself struggling to ignore the annoying vocals
once again as the track builds up to the heavy part that resembles a sound like
Enslaved and Immortal. The guitar solo in this track starts off sounding odd
then makes it’s way into frantic fretting comparable to Black Metal greats. If
you rid this track, or the entire album, of the Jello Biafra sounding vocalist I
would consider this a work of art. This record could have been much better and
I’m not going to try to make this band sound like anything more than what it is.
Opeth fans would love this album if they could get around the bad vocals and
Immortal fans would love it if Ironwood didn’t foul it up with their unnecessary
Folk elements.
There are many songs
that I could have enjoyed but if I have to work to enjoy a band (ex. struggling
to ignore really bad vocals) than most likely that band isn’t doing anything for
me. There are many moments that can be enjoyed if you can make it past the bad
parts but, as a whole, this record doesn’t have enough Metal for Metal fans, not
enough Folk for Folk fans, and definitely a poor approach of melding the two
genres for those who enjoy Folk or Progressive Metal. For a band whose name
sounds like industrial strength furniture polish,Fire:Water:Ash: is not a
complete utter failure, but Ironwood should definitely rethink their approach,
or at least hire a vocal coach before writing anything else.
www.ironwoodsound.com.au –
www.myspace.com/ironwoodband
Vocals: 4/10; Instruments: 8/10; Production: 7/10
Overall: 6/10
I WAS HERE -
(Self-Titled Demo)
Style - Metal / Crossover
Origin - Italy
Heather's Review - This 33 minute demo is heavy, the vocals
are strong (the harsh vocals were preferred over the clean style), and
musicianship shows that they have what it takes to make it to the next level.
There is nothing that stands out, but that is just fine. Bands that want to
show-off all the time kinda irritate me anyways. They have good melodic
variation, and that was enough to keep my interest. I would love to hear more
from them as they progress. The production was well done as was the cd artwork.
If you want to learn more, check them out on
www.myspace.com .
Originality: 6/10 Production: 8/10 Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
IZAH - "Finite
Horizon/Crevice"
Style: Metal
Origin: Netherlands
Heather's Review: The first thing I noticed immediately was
that this EP only has 2 songs on it, and each one is over 11 minutes long. I
wasn't sure what to expect. I was half expecting something I could listen to for
a bit and then be extremely uninterested until the next 11 minute song came on.
What I got was completely different. The music is very dynamic, with flowing
tempos and addicting vocals. I was quite impressed. Each song is unique,
blending creativity with various musical styles, while at the same time
incorporating hardcore riffs, and every other element that makes us the metal
fanatics we are. They somewhat reminded me of Iced Earth, with their ever smooth
transition between slow and heavy tempos. And to top it off, you can download
both songs for free! Highly recommended and very addicting! To find out more,
check them out at
www.myspace.com/izahband or at
info@izahband.com
Production: 9/10 Vocals: 9/10 Originality: 9/10
Overall: 9/10 J
JEWISH JUICE – “In Memore”
(self-released)
Style – Black metal
Origin – Tuscany, Italy
Dion’s Review - As you can tell by the band name, JEWISH
JUICE is an anti-Semitic, National Socialist (or NS) black metal outfit from
Italy. I’m not going to dwell on their beliefs, because beliefs have never
deterred me from anything that has decent music. I’ve reviewed and enjoyed
misogynistic or racist music before. Or even bands that preach hatred to all who
like metalcore, new hardcore or any other scene music. I’ve even reviewed music
from a genre called rapecore. Some bands preach hate of one type or another;
some don’t; I like mustard; let’s move on.
This four-track EP is nowhere near the worst black metal I’ve
ever wrapped my aural organs around. In fact, it’s actually fairly decent.
JEWISH JUICE is a three-piece BM project that doesn’t incorporate any of the
romantic trappings of the popular side of black metal. This is just guitars,
drums and bass screamed and roared over. Hatred-fuelled BM is fairly rare for
me, and good-sounding BM even rarer. I can hear everything that’s going on in
this EP. The guitars progress through chords and riffs that don’t resemble
white-noise in the least. The bass, while mostly following the guitars creates
his own presence and the drummer stays in time, with all drums being audible.
Everything’s audible. This isn’t blazing fast white noise. This is music. It’s
fairly slow in comparison to its genre, and has some definite thrash flavour,
and even a little death metal in the vocal stylings. Ahh the vocals! I’m just
overjoyed that they don’t resemble a Chihuahua being throttled before getting
dropped into a cauldron of bubbling fondue… or what I‘d imagine that would sound
like. This band actually try some tricks that aren’t generically common, which
I’ve always appreciated. This is probably the best black metal I’ve ever
reviewed simply because they’ve tried new things, and have a decent production.
I mean I can handle raw, demo-quality recordings, but black metal usually tests
that to the limit. JJ have a more recent EP from ‘07 which I’d like to check out
just to see if they’ve gotten even better.
My only problem with this CD would be their message. I’m not saying that I don’t
dislike people. I just dislike them because of what they do, not what they are.
I don’t avoid drive-through attendants because they’re drive-through attendants.
I just avoid them ’cause they keep screwing me over and are terrible at their
job. I mean, how bad do you have to be to get labelled terrible in an industry
that hires you on the premise that you’re slightly more helpful than an
ambulatory coma patient?
www.myspace.com/jewishjuiceband ,
http://jewishjuice.cjb.net
Production: 6/10; Originality: 8/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 7/10
JOHN WILKES BOOTH - "Sic
Semper Tyrannies"
Origin: New York
Style: Rock
This 4 member New York based band rips it up on their 15 song
EP with Rage Against the Machine style riffs with a bit of a Soundgarden style
added to the mix. You could say they are a bit old school stoner rock based with
a unique twist. Their main theme is based on the American stage actor "John
Wilkes Booth" who assassinated Abraham Lincoln in 1865. The CD cover is also
genuinely neat as it's cover is a penny reading in Rock We Trust. The band
abides by a strict "no-pay-to-pay" policy, refusing to financially compensate
venues in order to be added to the bill which is pretty killer to say the least.
If your into Rock it would definetaly something worth checking out. Recorded at
54 Studios -www.myspace.com/trak54
You can check the band out at:
www.myspace.com/jwilkesbooth
and www.jwbooth.net
Originality: 9/10; Vocals: 7/10; Instruments: 8/10
Production: 9/10; Overall: 8/10 K
KATEDRA -"Ugnikalnis" (Atra Musica
Records)
Style: Metal
Origin: Lithuania
Heather's Review: Meaning "cathedral" in English, Katedra has
been around since 1986. With a sound like that of Iron Maiden, as well as a
large fan base, this band has played countless well-known festivals. They were
also the band chosen by the Lithuanian government in 1994 to represent the
country in Lithuanian Culture Days. Wow. Not a lot of bands can say that! The
music is very technical, and dynamically, they are very well-rounded. Vocally,
it would be great to hear some more variation, but overall, I would definitely
recommend them. This cd, which came out in 2008 after they signed a contract
with Atra Musica records, is one of 3 other recordings that the band has made.
To find out more about them, visit
www.atra-musica.com or
www.myspace.com/atramusica
Production: 7/10 Vocals:7/10 Originality: 7/10
Overall:7/10
KREATOR - "HORDES OF CHAOS" - (SPV/Steamhammer)
Style - Thrash
Origin - Germany
Rob's Review - If you haven’t heard of KREATOR yet than you
for sure have a Terrible Certainty coming your way of Endless Pain and Extreme
Aggression. Because they are Enemies Of God with a Pleasure To Kill and they
will usher you Out Of The Dark and Into The Light to fly the Flag of Hate for
metal. You will be deemed an Outcast if you refuse which will give them Cause
For Conflict, for your Endorama will soon be near and you will become another
victim in their Coma of Souls. But never fear young naives, your lesson well
learned will be cause for acceptance and Renewel into the metal community at
large and you will soon be a blood brother of KREATORS Hordes Of Chaos! (that
was... A-W-E-S-O-M-E!)
KREATOR has yet again proven that they will never stray too
far (ahem...TOO far - hello...Renewal???) from the force of hateful energy that
bought them the keys to the Thrash kingdom for the past nearly 25 years. Out of
the big thrash three in the early 80's (including Sodom and Destruction) KREATOR
is by far my favorite. I'm sure there have been many drunken arguments in
stinking back alley pubs on the subject over the years but as soon as everyone
figures out I'm right the better off we'll all be. It seems like the older Mille
gets the closer he gets back to his heyday of "Extreme Aggression". Hordes of
Chaos is one step closer but not quite there yet. Still ass kicking though with
that trademark Petrozza snarl with the moshy change-ups and tried and true
pedestrian solos. Definitely nothing new here but if it was there could quite
possibly be some metal civil war as a result. It’s not like these guys are going
to turn around and be the Scorpions. You get what you get with KREATOR and
that’s just fine for everyone. Except you damn Sodom and Destruction lovers. Why
don’t you just marry them...
www.kreator-terrorzone.de -
www.myspace.com/officialkreator
Production: 7/10; Performance: 8/10; Originality: 6/10;
Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 7.75/10
KYLESA
– “Static Tensions” (Prosthetic Records)
Style: Psychedelic / Metal / Rock
Origin: Georgia
Mike’s Review: Well, I gave this CD a few listens. I thought
a while about how I wanted to review them. I often get overly critical on vocals
and dock some major points if they suck. There are some exceptions though.
Sometimes you get so absorbed into the music that you forget what the vocals
even sound like. This happened to me the very first time I heard this CD. The
psychedelic rock was pure sugary candy to my ears from the very second the CD
begins to the very last second of the very last track. I definitely got sucked
into the groove on this one. I could play this CD quite a few times in a row and
still get into it. After applying a few quick slaps to my face though, I
realized that I need to concentrate on the vocals as well. Some people worry way
too much about vocals while others just let them blend in with the music as if
it is its own instrument. Anyway.....
Here’s a separate review for those vocals……THEY DON’T SUCK! I
love it. Great music and great vocals together on the same album! What a
concept! It’s hard to believe more bands haven’t thought of that. Ha ha. I find
way too often that musicians seem to get so caught up on their music they don’t
step back and realize that their band’s vocalist is horrible. This band has it
all though. Towards the middle of the CD I think the monotonous screaming vocals
got a little boring, but during the other 90% of the album (which features both male and
female vocals) the variety of vocal styles compliment the music very well. I definitely get more excited
over the music than the vocals, but they create a great blend together.
If you like psychedelic-influenced music or have the need to
check out a band that has the ability to control your head like a puppet and
force it to bob up and down repeatedly, then this is the band for you! Just type
www.myspace.com/kylesa into your
favorite web browser and prepare to get a small taste of the sweetness that you will
experience when you go out and buy their CD with excellent production and
quality! And that’s all I have to say about that.
Instruments: 10 Vocals: 8 Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 9 (out of 10) L
LAAZ
ROCKIT - "LEFT FOR DEAD" - (Massacre Records (EUR)/Blistering Records (USA)
Style - Thrash
Origin - Oakland, California USA
Rob's Review: Another long lost 80's metal band coming back
to life for another run at the glory days of yore. I first heard these guys back
in '87 or so when "Know Your Enemy" came out. It was the song "Euroshima". I
still love that song to this day. This Bay area thrash was the shit back then.
But with most of them coming back now, unless their name was Testament or Death
Angel I pretty much left them where they died. Hence the title of LAAZ ROCKIT'S
comeback effort "Left For Dead". Because that’s pretty much what I did. When I
first heard of the reunion my first question was...WHY? Didn’t think they were
all that popular back then to begin with. The good thing though is all the
original members are back except the old drummer so it’s kind of cool in that
respect but what can they possibly do to recreate a fire that really was never
there aside from a little nostalgia. This one is right up there with what Exodus
and Metal Church are doing now. Pretty basic familiar riffs with an updated old
school feel, if there is such a thing. And Michael Coons vocals were and still
are awful. Only now it’s twenty years older awful. For this reason I would stay
away from songs like "Desolate Oasis" and "Ghost in the Mirror" if you knew what
was good for ya. He's tolerable on the heavy material but you get him in the
mellow mood and its game over. On the other hand the guitars are sounding better
than ever. The solos are shredding like never before benefitting, I'm sure, by
superior recording technology compared to what they had in the 80's. It’s not a
bad effort overall but really, what is expected in the first place. I guess you
can’t fault them for wanting to rekindle that old thrashing feeling again. I'd
probably do the same.
www.laazrockit.com.com -
www.myspace.com/thelaazrockit
Production: 8/10 Performance: 7/10 Originality: 6/10
Vocals: 4/10
Overall: 6.25/10
LAHMIA -
"Forget Every Sunrise"
Style - Melodic Black Metal
Origin - Rome, Italy
Gus's Review - Rome, Italy, being a religious capitol of the
world, isn't exactly the first place you'd expect to produce a black metal band,
but there's an exception to every rule. In "Forget Every Sunrise," Lahmia
combines acoustics, classic black metal, and melodic undertones to create a
dark, flowing masterpiece. Each song is like a painting, with many layers and
colors, accentuated with intricate solos. Each song transitions smoothly from
one to the next, creating a liquid smooth listening experience that invigorates
as well as calms. The only flaw on this otherwise flawless album is the clean
vocals, Now, while I'm not a huge fan of clean vocals, I do not utterly despise
them and I can appreciate them when properly used. In "Forget Every Sunrise,"
however, the clean vocals often seem random or misplaced, and the singer's
delivery is far below satisfactory. Aside from that, "Forget Every Sunrise" is a
nicely structured album in which each part of the band comes together to form a
beautiful yet powerful machine, which I very much hope to hear more from soon.
www.myspace.com/lahmia
Originality: 9/10 Production: 9/10 Performance: 9/10
Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
LEGION OF THE DAMNED - “CULT OF THE DEAD” -
(Massacre)
Style - Thrash/Death
Origin - Netherlands
Robs Review: LEGION OF THE DAMNED has that sort of thrashy
black metal sound that hits you like a bullet belt wrapped upside down cross to
the cranium. Very fast paced high energy metal that harkens back to 80’s Bay
area thrash as well as incorporating some of that modern blackened melo/death
approach sort of like a Dimmu Borgir. The vocals have that same kind of hybrid
mix and the music could fit into either genre nicely. LEGION OF THE DAMNED hold
a nice controlled yet frantic pace throughout “Cult of the Dead (their 4th
release since 2006) that keeps your feet tapping, left hand air fretting and
makes you forcibly hold your head back from banging. The songs are mostly in the
3 to 4 minute range which I am consistently looking for in most of the heavier
forms of your aggressive metal. If it gets to long winded it seems to get a
little boring. Give me those short bursts of organized chaos and I’m a happy
camper. Nice solid effort form these four evil minded Netherland-ites.
www.legionofthedamned.net -
www.myspace.com/legionofthedamned
Production: 10/10 Performance: 9/10 Originality: 8/10
Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.75/10
LEGIONS OF FIRE “The Mark Of Power”
Genre: Rock/Metal
Origin: U.S.
Baird's Review: I wonder what this guy recorded his guitar
through? I really like his guitar tone, too bad I am a little bored with the
song structure. Legions of fire is straight up, no frills, rock/metal. Even
though Matt Goble sounds a lot like James Hetfield he has a decent voice. I
don’t feel like I am getting punished right now, as is usually the case with
this vocal style.
The production is really good, and even through my shitty
laptop head phones I can hear everything that is go on. The drums tracks are
tight, and the bass is audible. My biggest complaint as I listen to this falls
with the rhythm guitar composition. They have a standard verse, chorus, bridge
formula going on here. And the riffs drag out for a long time, however that’s
kind of characteristic of the genre. The solos are really good, but the rhythm
tracks playing behind them don’t change up at all and seem to go on forever.
These guys would be really good if they enlisted a talented rhythm guitarist who
could put some harmony to the guitar section.
All in all this is a pretty solid cd, classic metal. I would
like to see these guys live because I imagine it would be a good show.
www.myspace.com/legionsoffire2
Production 8/10 Musicianship 8/10 Vocals 6/10
Originality 4/10
Overall 6.5/10
LONG DISTANCE CALLING “Avoid The Light”
(Superball Music)
Genre: Progressive rock/metal
Origin: Germany
Baird's Review - This is fucking fantastic. I was listening
to Blotted Science yesterday and saying to myself, “It’s too bad more bands
don’t have the balls to play without a vocalist”. And now I find one on my
review pile. While Long Distance Calling is nowhere near as heavy, it is really
good. All the instruments are well mixed and the ambient keyboard/ computer
generated sounds are just loud enough to be audible, while not overpowering the
rest of the composition. While some of the riffs are repetitive I think that
pretty much comes with the “post rock” genre.
If you like music that takes talent to make go check this out.
www.myspace.com/longdistancecalling
Production 9/10 Instruments 9/10 Vocals -/-
Originality 9/10
Overall 9/10 M
MAGNET SCHOOL – “Tonight we drink…
Tomorrow we battle the evil at hand”
Style - Alternative Rock
Origin - U.S.A.
Taylor’s Review - This album brings back fond memories of my
pre-metal days full of 90’s Alternative Rock, back when good music was still on
the radio. Magnet School is a solid rock group with great songs. Two of them
that stand out from the already amazing cod is “XX” and “Sweetheart In German”,
sticking to a rock base while dwelling in a slight experimentation zone that
makes alternative rock so good.
Magnet School will lead a musical revolution of great rock
that was forgotten with such current killers of good music as Nickelback. This
talented group is worth keeping an eye on, I’m sure they will have a bright
future.
www.themagnetschool.com or
www.myspace.com/themagnetschool
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
MAN MADE MAN “Your
Punishment Begins”
Genre: Death core/ Hardcore
Origin: U.S.
Baird's Review: I should just make a generic rant about
deathcore / metalcore / new wave American metal because I get at least one of
these fucking cds every month. Sean Virgin (vocals) needs to put down the
microphone and never, ever pick one up again. The album title is fitting with my
experience listening to this, because his vocals make for truly painful
listening. What’s worse you ask? The chorus on “The Brutal Truth”. As if the
vocal style wasn’t completely played out and cliché already they just had to
throw in the “sing song” Chimera part. Fuck.
Besides the vocals everything else here is good, Albeit it
unoriginal. Typical break down laden “Black Dahlia Murder sounding” new wave
American metal. If that’s your thing maybe you can get past the poor vocals and
enjoy this. Sorry guys, I hope the first 4 tracks are the best, because I’m not
sitting through the whole album.
www.myspace.com/manmademan
Production 8/10 Musicianship 7/10 Vocals
3/10 Originality 4/10
Overall 6.5/10
MASS OBLITERATION
-"Fratricide"
Style: Death Metal
Origin: Italy
Heather's Review: If you take old-shool death metal and add a
dash of prog, the result is Mass Obliteration. With a very brutal feel, this
band steps it up by adding flashier riffs and drums that will make your eats
bleed for more. Every song is unique in some fashion and you will definitely not
get bored. The vocal style is mainly the fun-loving growling type, but the
addition of another vocalist as well as singing about topics such as
ever-changing conflicts and rage against all types of authority give them a
uniqueness on this demo. Having been around since 2006, they also have a
self-titled ep called "Abrahamithic Curse" which they ended up posting for free
on the internet. Production on the cd was very well done thanks to Stefano
Morabito. I would recommend this band to all lovers of death. For the
old-schoolers, it will feel like home. For everyone else, you are in for a death
metal treat! Yummy!!!! For more info, check them out at
www.myspace.com/massobliterationdeathmetal or
www.massobliteration.it .
Production:10/10 Orginality: 8/10 Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.666/10 (yeah I left it as 666 on purpose!! Cheers!!!)
METAL CHURCH -
"This Present Wasteland" (SPV Records)
Style: Metal/Thrash
Origin: U.S.A
Heather's Review: Since 1984, Metal Church has delivered an
impressive display of musical talent and ambition. With aggressive guitars and a
melodic appeal, they have enhanced our love for metal. Today, after many albums
and numerous line-up changes, Metal Church has shown that they are stronger than
ever.
Released on September 23rd, 2008, with a bunch of tour dates,
the new album aims to please. With songs like "Meet Your Maker" and "Crawling to
Extinction" we are reminded why we loved them in the first place. The music is
still heavy, the themes are still dark, and I love the fact that they stayed
true to the original style. I would recommend this album to everyone that liked
the old stuff, as well as anyone that loves metal. You will not be disappointed!
Check them out at
www.metalchurchmusic.com or at
www.myspace.com/metalchurch
Originality: 9/10 Vocals: 9/10
Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
MOMMY S3Z NO –
“Hotwaterburnbaby”
Style: Punk/Rock
Origin: Twin Cities, MN
Mike’s Review – Punk Rock music that will make you want
to shake a leg or two. When I first popped this CD into my laptop, I first
sensed a weird mix of GWAR and Dead Kennedy’s. As the CD plays on though, those
influences seem to fade and you are left with a catchy pile of sleaze and images
of some kind of animated zombie clown party dance. Yeah, why do I have a feeling
these guys watch a lot of cheesy horror films? Picture a cheesy horror film with
a punk/rock soundtrack. That’s what this album sounds like to me. I bet these
guys have a lot of fun at every show they play. So check it out, shake a leg,
and take a bath in tub full of jell-o. When these guys come to your town, you’ll
wanna be ready!
www.myspace.com/mommysezno
Vocals: 7 Instruments: 7 Originality: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 7.5 (out of 10)
MONGREL - “Fear, Lies, &
Propaganda” (Locomotive Records/Screaming Ferret Wreckords)
Style: Punk
Origin: New Hampshire & Massachusetts
Steve’s Review: I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say
it again. I absolutely loathe Punk. I can’t stand the immature lyrics, the rebel
attitude, and the cheesy music that most Punk bands display. In that sense
Mongrel is nothing special. With a music style copped off of Punk bands like The
Misfits, Black Flag, and Dead Kennedy’s, I tried to take them seriously but just
couldn’t. They sound like the average punk band you can hear in any venue or
washed-up bar across the world. Although I was mostly disappointed with this
album that follows a dead and tired trend, I actually was able find within it
some really good surprises. Like the song ‘Bound to Crash. It’s a slower less
‘punky’ song sounding more like Danzig than the Misfit’s and I actually enjoyed
rocking out to this one. The next song ‘Shut Up, Get Dead’ was just odd. It
didn’t flow like the other songs but skipped from Blues to Punk then to Rock and
left me feeling extremely dizzy. The rest of the album is sporadic. There are
Some more pleasant surprises like the Guns and Roses inspired songs ‘Houdini
Act’ and ‘Immolation’ but add the other cliché punk crap and it’s back to utter
disappointment for me once again. To sum it all up Fear, Lies, & Propaganda is a
slightly better release than what the average Punk band has to offer with clever
lyrics, guitar work, and bass lines but other than that it’s just another punk
release that everyone has heard already.
www.myspace.com/mongrel
Instruments: 5/10; Vocals: 5/10; Production: 5/10
Overall: 5/10
MOTORHEAD -
"MOTORIZER" - (SPV)
Style - Classic Metal
Origin - UK
Rob's Review: It's 'eavy me'al blokes. Damn. Motor'ead is
back. How old is Lemmy now sixty something? I tell ya what he hasn’t lost a
step. In fact he and his band sounds better than ever on this one. It’s been a
long time since the Ace of Spade days but MOTORHEAD has aged like a fine
wart...oops...WINE, and even seems to have really brought in a little more
groove to their music much more so than the early days in my opinion. Was never
a huge fan but I always appreciated them for what they brought to metal and
where they stand in the history of it. I can’t imagine all the images
(wonderful, deranged and otherwise horrific) stored over the years in the head
of Mr Kilmister. At least in what brain cells are left. What is there to say
about MOTORHEAD that hasn’t already been said? It would be easy for a band like
this to ride on the coattails of its name and reputation and get complacent.
Fortunately, unlike most genres, this seems to be a pretty rare occasion in
metal. Bands like MOTORHEAD are around this long because they stay true to what
has worked for them and respect what the scene has done for them and the rest of
the metal world (cue patriotic background music now). Rise from the gutters of
society and jack those fists and studded arm bands in the air in triumph fellow
metal veterans and pledge allegiance to the immortal devil's chord. Amen.
www.imotorhead.com -
www.myspace.com/motorhead
Production: 9/10 Performance: 10/10 Originality:
7/10 Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
MYSTIC GRAVE -
"DOOM, DEATH,DARKNESS" - (Unsigned)
Style - Blackened Death Metal
Origin - Finland
Rob’s Review: At first listen MYSTIC GRAVE is a pretty
pedestrian effort with a sub-par recording, below average vocals and a lack of
fire and originality in the writing. But then that’s the technical reviewer
outlook. Like having Rolling Stone reviewing The Toxic Avenger. Of course
everyone knows that Adrenalin is the sister company for Rolling Stone so...OK
maybe not. But you get the idea. Do you ever notice that sometimes when you
actually get to know and are somewhat intrigued by the behind the scenes of a
certain band that might not be that attractive of a listen at first they somehow
appear to be better? Or at least more interesting. Kind of like if you have a
buddy that plays in a really shitty band but you like them because you know what
they're about and what their niche is. You go to every show because he's your
buddy but because you get it when others might not (Yes Dan Marr I'm talking
about Monument). Well, that is the feeling I get with this band. The deeper I
dug into their myspace page the more I got it. Make no mistake it’s still
pedestrian but it’s sort of cool pedestrian. Right down to the oh so darling pet
black metal names and cutesy descriptions of what they do (see myspace page). Oh
those little wisecrackers! All kidding aside its actually cool shit in a raw
sort of way. MYSTIC GRAVE consists of two members of normal descent and one with
a zombie looking devil dude descent with a perpetually angry and scary evil
comic book thing going. Even the logo has a sketched on ruled notebook paper
look to it. This is one of those bands that would really take off if everything
was polished up and they really ran with the idea. But maybe they like the
rawness of it and to be honest it might not have the same appeal if it wasnt. It
may not show in the rating but MYSTIC GRAVE is worth the listen and look. Go
check these guys out. They will make "wet, fierce demons crawl out of your ass!"
www.mysticgrave.com -
www.myspace.com/mysticgrave
Production: 6/10 Performance: 7/10 Originality: 8/10
Vocals: 5/10
Overall: 6.5/10 N
NECROBLASPHEME –
“Destination : Nulle Part” (Agonia Records)
Style – Death/black metal.
Origin – Paris, France
Dion’s Review – On
www.metal-archives.com these blokes are listed simply as death metal. I
disagree with such a simple summary of what NECROBLASPHEME are about. To be
completely natural with you, I was totally expecting some gross-as-all-get-out
gore/grind that was going to make me giggle, puke, laugh uproariously,
puke-burp, then suffer a massive case of the hiccups before looking at the
cover-art and giggling with a persistent gag-reflex rising. You know, like any
other Friday afternoon. But instead I get talented blackened death metal from
France with some thrash undertones.
This album’s pretty damned technical. I mean they settle into
their groovy, breakdown moments betwixt note-laden riffs, but the album’s
chock-a-block full of mental time-signatures that, if you’re nodding your head,
would throw it completely out of whack, thereby making you look like a
rhythm-lacking toss-pot. Well, that’s what all your friends would call you,
anyway. The production for this CD is just as tight as the musicianship, with
everything being audible except for the bass which sits low in the audible
register, but can be felt when necessary. Even those massive bass-drops - or
‘sonic booms’ don’t make the music itself suffer. The guitars flit from rhythmic
chugging, to some octave-harmony chording to melodic trem-picked progressions.
Drums are blasting when necessary, but can lay back and do a simple beat when
the other instruments step up. The vocals, while not breaking any new ground,
are fairly aggressive, sitting in the mid-register with a throaty roar. They’d
be the only downside to this full-length, but only in that he doesn’t really
experiment with different vocal tricks. The one he does, he does to a tee,
however, so it’s not talentless. Just monotonous.
All in all, this CD’s pretty damned aggressive. If you like
technical extreme metal that’s welcome in the death genre as well as black,
thrash and just plain heavy, then you should definitely check into this release.
Even if it’s for the massively distorted PHIL COLLINS’ “Sussudio” sample at the
end of “Wounded”: it definitely left this reviewer feeling that way.
www.myspace.com/necroblasphemeband ,
www.agoniarecords.com ,
Production: 9/10; Originality: 8/10;
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 6/10
OVERALL: 8/10
NETHERBIRD - “The
Ghost Collector” (Pulverised Records)
Style: Gothic Black Metal/Theatrical Black Metal
Origin : Sweden
Steve’s Review: Netherbird, hailing from Sweden, begun their
careers in 2004 releasing two EP’s entitled “Blood Orchid” and “Lighthouse
Eternal (Laterna Magicka)” before signing to Pulverised Records and releasing
their first full-length album “The Ghost Collector”. Following the
Gothic/Theatrical Black Metal style of bands like Graveworm, Hecate Enthroned,
and of course Cradle of Filth, Netherbird has a very well put together album
here featuring lovely female singing, deadly screeching guitars, heart-throbbing
bass, nicely placed keys, a vast assortment of vocals ranging from ‘Dani-like’
screeches, Glen Benton sounding bellows, and our course very impressive
drumming. While not all their songs hit me that hard the ones that do are better
than anything COF have done in their entire existence, especially now. The first
seven tracks of “The Ghost Collector” flow flawlessly into one another creating
an epic atmosphere that makes it feel as if they were one very long song ending
with dark strings of “The Beauty of Bones”. After a quick pause “Forever
Mournful” begins with bells and slower paced guitars until it blasts into
melodic gothic mayhem once again. The next two tracks, “Adrift Towards Eternity”
and “Blood Orchid” flow from the aforementioned “Forever Mournful” creating that
epic feeling for a second time. The end of this beautiful album is quite a
disappointment with the last three tracks. Stealing music from other bands is a
disgrace, especially when you do the same thing a band has already done. For
example “Ashen Nectar” is a complete COF ‘rip-off’ especially with the familiar
yet slightly altered piano arrangement at the end of this track stolen straight
out of COF’s Midian. The unnecessarily 14:06 long track “Boulevard Black”
isn’t a prize either. Not only do the ‘oldman’ sounding vocals bother me but the
song itself is like listening to 8 songs in one and can be very confusing. This
song could have been a great 5 minute song. The album ends with a reprise of
“Boulevard Black” played on the piano. It’s not a bad track but it doesn’t do
the album any justice as an outro. Besides these minor letdowns “The Ghost
Collector” is an excellent album displaying a bright future for Netherbird. It
has definitely made me a fan and I’m sure to follow this band closely. The
production is great, other than the fact that the drummer’s cymbals could be
louder. Because of the ‘story-like’ arrangement of this album, it must be
listened to from start to finish to fully experience the way the band intended
it to be heard. An excellent listen at the top of my list. Do yourself a favor
and pick up a copy of “The Ghost Collector” now!
www.netherbird.com ,
www.myspace.com/netherbird
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 8/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
NEXUS – “The Paradise
Complex” (self-released)
Style – Technical/Progressive metal
Origin – Perth, Australia
Dion’s Review – Oh god! I know I’ve just put a lot of you off
with the style description. I fervently wish that the word progressive didn’t
have the negative connotation it does amongst the extreme metal world. In their
day, the greats were progressive. CANNIBAL CORPSE, SUFFOCATION, even BLACK
SABBATH were all attempting levels of brutality that their peers weren’t even
close to approaching. Doing something new and largely unheard is progressive;
not bein’ a wanker with an instrument and a flagrant disregard for
time-signatures and meters.
So anyway, those of you who have read on after reading the
style should know that these blokes are wanky with a flagrant disregard for
time-signatures and meters. But they’re damned interesting, and still keep it
fairly aggressive. NEXUS has a definite black metal influence, but think more
along the lines of grabbing six black metal CDs from six different bands,
throwing them in a massive tumble dryer ‘til only one CD falls out. Then take
that CD, scratch the absolute bejeezus out of it ‘til it skips all over the
place. Now you’ve got your own piece of NEXUS. A very clean production allows
you to hear what everyone’s doing. This is the kind of music that doesn’t need
vocals. We’re just all better off for having them there. A lot of people don’t
take instrumental bands seriously. The drummer does all the neck-work anyway, so
they didn’t even have to hire someone else to get it done. Reading the
influences on their MySpace gave me a fair indication of what insanity I was in
for: IMMORTAL, FRANK ZAPPA, DEATH, PRIMUS, NILE and DREAM THEATER being amongst
them. I tend to think of it as OPETH recording after ingesting someone else’s
medications.
Check into this Aussie act if you’re into music that’s cutting some edges and
doin’ something different. Technical enough to be interesting, yet backs off
enough to keep you nodding your head, if not swinging it around maniacally in an
effort to maim those around you.
www.myspace.com/nexusmetal ,
www.nexusmetal.com
Production: 7/10; Originality: 9/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 8/10
NIHILITIA – “Nihilist
Militia” (Keya Records)
Style : Progressive/ Punk / Rock
Origin : Washington, D.C.
Mike’s Review – Yes, yes, yes. I definitely like what I am
hearing. But, can I describe it well? Probably not. With the band only existing
for a few years, this is an impressive debut album! You like heavy bass-driven
rock? You like female-fronted avante-garde chaos (I mean that in a good way)?
Looking for something that doesn’t follow the currents trends? Nihilitia is for
you! With me being a fan of Isis, Mike Patton, Clutch, and heavy rock, I will be
spinning this disc in my player on a regular basis for awhile.
www.myspace.com/nihilitia
Vocals: 10 Instruments: 9 Originality: 9
Production: 10
Overall: 9.5 (out of 10)
NOCTIS – “For Future
Past” (Prime Cuts Music)
Style – Melodic/doom
Origin – Perth, Australia
Dion’s Review - Ever had something that you just know is
awesome, yet it’s just not for you? Like those woollens that your Nanna used to
knit for you every Christmas. You just know they’re kick-arse and
well-constructed, but just not your thing. Whether it’s the colour, the design,
or that you just don’t like teddy-bears (no matter how many hints you drop in
that direction. No Nanna! Koalas aren‘t any better!!!). Ahem! Anyhoo, I really
like everything about NOCTIS… except NOCTIS. Doesn’t make sense? Then read on!
My thoughts through the first spin of this CD was “OPETH”.
That hasn’t changed in the slightest. These guys are heavily influenced by those
blokes, as well as KATATONIA and NOVEMBER’S DOOM to name a few. Their
production’s fairly crisp (except the kick-drums seem to distort a little when
the rolls kick in). The talent’s most definitely there, as well as their
songwriting/arranging abilities. They write awesome songs, and can back it up by
playing them. The tempo doesn’t really change all that much, a mid-fast doom
pace, but the arrangements keep it interesting enough without having to resort
to whacky time-signatures and tempo fluctuations. There’s a fair share of
acoustic and orchestral instrumentation throughout these six tracks. The
vocalist has a decent low roar, as well as a very talented singing voice. The
drums are moderate, and not too flashy. Bassist does his own thing without
relying on the guitarists to do his writing for him. The guitars are both
harmonious and chuggy. It’s all just not my thing. The CD seems to drag on a
little long, despite only being six tracks, but I can appreciate the talent and
creativity that’s put into it, and I can honestly say that they haven’t
misplaced their efforts in this endeavour. And the end of the whole disc, the
clicking of a car’s blinker, is actually a damned good idea. For some reason, it
gives me a sense of loneliness, whether that was their intention or not.
So, with that all said, if you’re into the bands I mentioned
earlier, or just melodic, emotional mid-paced metal, I think you’ll appreciate
For Future Past. Go ahead and buy it, if for no other reason than as your next
Christmas present for Nanna. Make her have to fake a smile and gratefulness for
a change.
Bah! Who are we kiddin’? She never liked your macaroni art, either!
www.myspace.com/noctis1 ,
www.primecuts.com.au
Production: 7/10; Originality: 5/10; Instruments: 8/10;
Vocals: 9/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10
NOISM – “±” (Crucial Blast
Records)
Style – Grindcore/noise/breakcore
Origin – Tokyo, Japan
Dion’s Review - Just from reading the name NOISM my first
thoughts were “and now for something completely different!” And lo, my
expectations weren’t in the least disappointed. You know, it’s like looking at a
pile of vomit, completely expecting to see carrot, and when you look, as much as
you want to add to the puddle, deep-down you’re comfortable with the fact that
yes, there was carrot. Now, just wipe your shoe off on the grass, and be on your
way.
"±" is NOISM’s fifth release - yet first full-length -
and is a maelstrom of twelve psychoses-inducing tracks of organised, grinding,
noisy chaos. From the techy-grind fret-wailings and balls-out death metal
riffage of guitarist Yoshiro Hamazaki to the mind-bendingly impossible
drum-programming of Tomoyuki Akiyama, this is truly not for the faint of heart,
weak of bowel, or anyone prone to seizures of any description. If you could
imagine PSYOPUS tunes thrown into some kind of midi-blender with ORIGIN tunes,
and then poured out onto a blank CD for insertion, then "±" might come close to
what you’re imagining. And if you’re still reading this review after that
bizarre metaphor, then I really think you might just be cerebrally open to what
NOISM offer the world of extreme music enthusiasts. You can check out one track
on their GrindSpace “BPM”, which is off this release and make up your own mind…
or have it broken for you.
Oh, and before I forget; concerning the midi-blender - PATENT
PENDING!
www.myspace.com/noist ,
www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~noism ,
http://www.crucialblast.net
Production: 7/10; Originality: 10/10; Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: n/a/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10
NUESTROS DERECHOS
- "Struggling with the Dark"
Style: Thrash
Origin: Utrecht, Netherlands
Crystal's Review: Nuestros Derechos (meaning "Our Rights" in
Spanish), consisting of two guys and one girl, deliver engaged and very
energetic thrashcore which sounds like a crossover similar to the '80s when punk
and metal first met. With vocals coming from all three members through out and
the constant fast thrash rhythm that flows together great it puts it to the top.
The CD was very well produced and mastered and the cover art is pretty cool too.
What more can I say but a great CD that I am happy to have in my collection and
share with a few others.
All tracks were recorded at the Bunt Studios in Utrecht, The
Netherlands under the guidance of well-known producer Menno Bakker.
Mastering duties were handled by the critically acclaimed Alan Douches at West
Side Music, who previously offered his services to Sepultura, Shadows Fall, God
Forbid, Sick Of It All, Converge, From Autumn To Ashes, Dillinger Escape Plan,
Hatebreed, and Unearth among others.
You can check them out at:
www.myspace.com/nuestrosderechos -
www.nuestrosderechos.nl
Production: 8 Performance: 8 Originality: 8
Overall: 8 (out of 10) O
OKOSU – “Okosu” (Poveglia
Records)
Style – death metal/deathcore
Origin – Kingston, NY
Dion’s Review - I don’t think I’ve ever come across anything
that knit’s the old and the new so seamlessly. There have been some horrific
blunders with people attempting some anachronistic pairings. Mixing the old with
the new like hula hoops on a futuristic foil skirt, or 80‘s pop remakes of
classical opuses - you can’t tell me you don’t remember those. Or even the
bell-bottom pants/fishnet shirt ensemble. Well… I made that last one up, but
wasn’t the mental image horrendously puke-inducing?
But OKOSU are definitely a well-executed marriage of past and
present. Their new-wave leanings are evident by the clean production, a
multitude of those new-school percussive riffs - you know, the guitars, bass,
drums and vocals all working to the very same rhythm - and the dead giveaway is
the numerous bass-drops (or “sonic booms”). But they create some truly
old-school measures too, flitting between what’s been done and what’s to come in
what seems like an effortless manner. No sooner have they slipped comfortably
into something that JOB FOR A COWBOY could’ve written than they rip out with a
riff inspired by the greats like CANNIBAL CORPSE, MORBID ANGEL and even a little
MALEVOLENT CREATION. These New Yorkers are audibly inspired by what I personally
love about death metal, and are as open to what’s currently happening in some
circles of death metal. There are a few metalcore and melodic-metal moments that
I’m not a fan of, but they’re easily forgivable and just as quickly forgotten
amidst the ensuing ferocity. They have ‘grindcore’ as a listed genre, which I
don’t personally get, except for maybe the odd sample, but they’re definitely
death metal, and - as much as the description makes me nervous and apprehensive
- are obviously progressive.
This self-titled CD’s due out in January (I’m reviewing a
pre-release download), and you should keep an eye out for it if you’re into
death metal no matter who’s doing it and how, as long as it’s brutal and
vicious. This new-school-sounding old-school full-length should be bought as a
reminder that it could be a lot worse. You could be toting a faded and
shredded Altars Of Madness t-shirt and girlie-shaped bleach-stained
boy-jeans. www.myspace.com/okosu ,
www.myspace.com/povegliarecords
Production: 8/10; Originality: 7/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10
ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET – “Grim Tales” (Massacre Records)
Style – Melodic death/thrash
Origin – Gothenburg, Germany
Dion’s Review - This is the second CD from Massacre Records
that I’ve reviewed this batch. They’re second - not by accident - but because I
alphabetised them, as I always do. Point and laugh all you like! At least I know
exactly where all my CDs, books and chip-flavours are! Well, I was kidding about
the last one… or was I?
Anyhoo, as the last Massacre band, these Germans are a
melodic and deathy thrash band. They’re a little more thrash, a little more
death, and a little less melodic that their label-mates. The production’s just
as awesome, just as crisp, except for some annoying German guy piping up at odd,
vocal-less moments that completely extract any aggression from the build-up
moments. Just when there’s a prelude to an angst-ridden crescendo you hear,
clear as a bell “you are listening to a new promotional CD which is property of
Massacre Records”. You know what? That really gets on my tits. For one,
possession is nine tenths of the law, and it’s in my bloody computer tower!
Secondly, the actual CD is the only fringe benefit of being an unpaid reviewer.
Most music’s ruined for us since we have to train such a critical ear upon what
we’re listening to, taking all the fun out of it. And now Massacre Records wants
to rob us of even that small reward. I’m definitely not biased against ONE MAN
ARMY… because of their label’s shenanigans and goings on, but I just want the
Massacre crew to know they’ve taken my one perk. Despite that, I got into most
of Grim Tales. There’s was a lot of thrash, and a little death, and the melodic
moments didn’t drag on too long for me, and there was some thrashy solos, yet
sparingly placed. There was actually a fair amount of aggression involved too,
and the vocals seem to amplify it, since you can understand a fair bit of what
he’s on about. There’s a particular “bitch” that he’s not happy with, a
“sonofabitch“ he want to take down, and you can hear the hard ‘P’s in his
pronunciation. I can just see him red in the face with cranial veins visibly
throbbing, and spitting into the mic with every ‘P’, ‘B’ and ‘F’.
So if you like melo. death and thrash, and bands with bizarre names, but like
getting pissy about stuff too, then this CD’s probably for you. Just do yourself
a favour and buy the disc. Don’t get a rip of the promotional copy, or it’s not
going to be the music that gets you balling your fists and shrieking at the gods
of metal for vengeance.
www.myspace.com/onemanarmyandtheundeadquartet ,
www.massacre-records.de
Production: 9/10; Originality: 6/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10
OVERALL: 8/10
O.S.I. -"Blood" (inside
Out Music/SPV)
Style: Rock/Progressive
Origin: New York
Heather's Review: The third album from the band, O.S.I.
combines a musical fusion between rock and progressive in a way that really
works for them. With Jim Matheos from Fates Warning and Kevin Moore from Dream
Theater at the lead, you know it's gonna be good. With amazing musical
diversity, this band uses synthesizers and keyboards, along with guitar and
drums (Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison) to create one of the most
dynamically emotionally sounding albums I have heard. And to top it all
off, the song "Stockholm" was co-written and sung by Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth.
Displaying the immense vocal diversity he has, this song is the perfect addition
to the musical expression this cd offers. While not as fast as typical
progressive, and not as heavy as one would expect, they truly showcase their
amazing musical abilities and I would recommend this cd to all lovers of music
no matter what genre you prefer.
www.osiband.com
Vocals: 10/10 Production: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10 P
PANIK - "A Page Torn" (Shrunken Head
Records)
Style-Modern Hard Rock
Origin-Canada
Panik is a modern melodic hard rock band based out of Canada.
Their sound reminds me of bands such as Nickelback, Soundgarden and maybe a lil
Alice In Chains style mixed in. Something I would listen to if I was just
chilling at home or taking a long road trip. A more relaxing atmosphere compared
to just metal. The band came together after 2 previous bands fought it out at a
battle of the bands contest and members joined together to form Panik. It's a
good thing they did because they do sound pretty good. They are signed to
Shrunken Head Records at:
www.shrunkenheadrecords.ca Website:
www.panikweb.com and
www.myspace.com/panikonline
Production: 8 Performance: 8 Originality: 8
Overall: 8/10
PATHOLOGY – “Incisions Of Perverse Debauchery”
(Grindhead Records)
Style – Brutal death metal
Origin – San Diego, CA
Dion’s Review - Oh man! Another band that needs their country
of origin in parentheses after their name. There’s more than a few of this
example, having just reviewed GROTESQUE (AUS). I think that there should be an
international protocol to sort out which one (1) band gets to keep their name,
while all other contenders have to think of something else to call themselves.
Each band chooses its representative to run at the other band’s representative
with rubber gloves donned (so as not to scratch) and slap the absolute bejeezus
out of each other ‘til one cries “Mummy” or some derivative. The protocol should
be called “fisticuffs” ‘cause I really dig that word.
So this is the American PATHOLOGY, not the Dutch, Polish, or
OTHER American one. Being comprised of current and ex-members of some greats
such as CATTLE DECAPITATION, DISGORGE (US) and THE LOCUST (to name three), a lot
is expected from these lads. I have to say that they don’t really deliver. I’ve
listened to this CD any number of times, yet I always get the same “blah”
impression. The production and music’s brutally beefy, but I think the riffs and
arrangements are fairly unimaginative, without breaking any new ground, and
there’s not really anything to chop it all up. No little bass, drum or guitar
solo moments. No vocals outside of the guttural range. What they do is
kick-arse, but after two or three songs, you’ve heard everything the album has
to offer. I’m not even really saying that Incisions… is repetitive, exactly.
It’s just way to constant, making the songs blend together.
So without having heard any of the other PATHOLOGYs, I can’t
pick my favourite one to win “fisticuffs”, so I’m not even going to hazard a
guess. And I’m well-aware that it’s a little hypocritical that I can have a name
that several thousand other people have, yet PATHOLOGY can’t be one of four, I
doubt there’s more than one Dion with my surname though. Besides, if fisticuffs
is never instigated, I could just follow my name with where I came out of in
parentheses. So go check out PATHOLOGY and make your own mind up. Tell ‘em Dion
(LOIS) sent ya.
www.myspace.com/pathologydm ,
www.pathologymetal.com,
www.grindheadrecords.com ,
www.myspace.com/grindhead
Production: 8/10; Originality: 5/10; Instruments: 6/10;
Vocals: 5/10
OVERALL: 6/10
PREY FOR SLEEP -
"A Bitter Beginning"
Origin - Austin, Texas
Style - Hardcore/Melodic Thrash
Crystal's Review - Man these guys are something. Everything
happens so fast! Very fast hard thrashing with added brutal screaming vocals
from singer Hunter Townsend. There is also pretty dynamic guitar work to top it
all off. Reminds me a lot of Pantera. The tracks are all pretty damn quick. They
bust up their ten song EP in less then 30 minutes. Great quality production from
Grammy nominated producer Tim Gerron. Make sure to check the song "Bridges Were
Meant To Be Burned" if you get to purchase this disc. One of my favs. You can
see why these guys burn it up! Great job! You can check them out at:
www.preyforsleep.com
and www.myspace.com/preyforsleep
Originality:7/10 Production:9/10 Vocals:9/10
Instruments:8/10
Overall: 8/10
PRICKROTT
- “Total Fucking Meltdown”
Genre: Black Metal
Origin: Netherlands
Baird's Review: What in the fuck is with this
techno track (“The Destruction of Ephemerel Faith”) I am listening to? That has
to be one of the worst attempts at cross over I have heard in a long time. The
programmed drums on this disc leave me asking for a LOT more. Ouch, it’s not
often that I wish I hadn’t gotten something for free, but in this case I would
have to say I was better off before this disc showed up in my mailbox.
Not that it is devoid of talent. The vocals are well executed
black metal, and behind the absolutely inexcusable guitar tone there is some
talent. Maybe awful production is what these guys were going for, but even those
classic “low production value“ black metal albums top this. If you’re a black
metal fan and you can tolerate shitty production check this out, as for me, I am
having trouble finishing it.
www.myspace.com/prickrott
Production 2/10 Musicianship 7/10 Vocals
6/10 Originality 4/10
Overall 4.75/10
PROJECT:
FAILING FLESH - "The Conjoined"
Style: Thrash/Death/Industrial
Origin: Virginia/France
Heather's Review: With ex-vocalist of Voivod, Eric Forrest
and the musical talents of Kevin and Tim Gutierrez, the result is mind-numbing,
aggressive metal with hints of thrash, death, and industrial all rolled up into
one. Musically, look for ever changing drum tempos, raging guitar riffs, and
vocals that have no end. The music is innovative with great dynamics and a
unique mixture of sounds that you would not expect. Thanks to Burning Star
Records, the production was well done, picking up on everything that makes this
band's originality stand out even more. Musically, the band quotes many
influences, but cannot be compared to any one band. They have a style all their
own and that's just how we like it. The band signed in 2003 with Karmageddon
Media and with them released "A Beautiful Sickness" which is also definitely
worth checking out. Look for them at
www.projectfailingflesh.com ,
www.myspace.com/projectfailingflesh
Originality: 9/10 Production: 9/10 Vocals: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
PUT HER IN THE
TRUNK - Self titled demo
Style - Metal
Origin - Wisconsin, U.S.
Baird’s Review - I’m a lazy guy. Far too lazy to do research
here, so I really have nothing to go on. I am listening to a fairly good four
song demo right now. It came in plain white envelope and it didn’t have anything
else with it. The track listings are printed on the cd, which is in my cd player
right now.
I hear a lot of different influences here, they definitely
have a “hardcore” sound, but they change things up enough to keep it from
sounding cliché. The vocal style fits nicely in with the guitar work, and it
seems like the singer really put some thought into the modulation of his
different techniques. The production is decent. The kick drum is a little hot,
but everything else is blended nicely. My only complaint is the clean vocals
(which only appear on one song for a few lines). They are pretty out of tune,
and it sounds like the guy is singing from his throat instead of his diaphragm.
The song structure is entertaining, and I am not bored. And with the length I
will give it another listen. Since I am sure they are just giving these out free
I would advise anyone to check it out, or go to their myspace. I look forward to
a full length with label backing.
www.myspace.com/putherinthetrunk
Production 6/10; Musicianship 8/10; Vocals 8/10;
Originality 8/10
Overall 7.5/10 Q R
RAZOR WIRE SHRINE – “The Power
Of Negative Thinking” (PMM/Lone Wolf Records)
Style – Metal/Instrumental/Experimental
Origin – Erie, PA
Dion’s Review - I’ve never really gotten into this kind
of metal. The instrumental, avant garde side of extreme music. You almost expect
goateed beatniks wearing Psyopus shirts and berets sipping iced-Chai debating
their favourite poets to this kind of music. It’s kick-arse musicianship on
awesome instruments that, in my opinion, leaves their talents ill-employed. It’s
like a stand-up comedian writing for that Jimmy Kimmel’s show, or that chick at
school who could breathe through her ears becoming Donna Deep Throat. It’s
awesome that you’ve found your talent, but be careful how you use it. But that’s
just my opinion.
RWS are fucking gifted, no matter what I think of what they do. Think of bands
like BEHOLD! THE ARCTOPUS, PSYOPUS, MESHUGGAH, DREAM THEATRE, PRIMUS etc. Just
talented musicians that make me feel like I should be demoted to tapping
cardboard boxes and bin-lids with used chopsticks. The Power Of Negative
Thinking is seven tracks, mixed and mastered by people as talented as the
instrumentalists are. To be honest, they don’t do anything I don’t like. There’s
metal (or else I wouldn‘t be reviewing it) that dips into almost death metal
moments, some funk, some jazz, and even this weird country moment that failed to
get on my tits. But whatever style they feel like adopting, it’s always the
heavier side of that genre, and incorporates tricks of the virtuoso’s trade such
as mathematical time signatures, syncopation and genre-tourettes. In my humble
opinion, RWS don’t have to be an instrumental outfit. It would just be
frustratingly difficult to find someone who’d have the talent, and the
creativity to pull off something that would compliment the band’s style. MIKE
PATTON could do it, but I think he’s run out of fingers to stick into pies.
You’re invited to tell me that vocals, no matter how gifted and eccentric,
wouldn’t work, and that I’m wrong, and that my Nanna told you she really doesn’t
think I’m cool, but that’s how I feel.
At any rate, if you dig the bands I’ve mentioned, which are only a few that are
called to mind, I think you should quit googling Donna Deep Throat (‘cause I
know you are), and check these blokes out, linked below.
www.myspace.com/razorwireshrinemusic ,
www.pickledbeast.com/pmm/rws.htm
Production: 9/10; Originality: 7/10; Instruments: 10/10
OVERALL: 8.5/10
REALM EX - “Comprehension of SELF”
Genre - Metal/Guitar rock
Origin - Russia
Baird’s Review - “Where’s the vocalist?” That’s pretty much
what you are going to be asking yourself the entire time you listen to this
disk. I just can’t help myself from hearing some guy singing “I am a Viking” in
the back ground or something. Although it could just a s easily be Laiho
spouting off about suicide attempts at the points where it gets heavy.
This cat has some talent, and it appears that the 1980’s are
most definitely alive and well in mother Russia. I hear a LOT of Joe Satriani
here as well as Malmsteem and to a lesser extent Laiho and Rhoades on tracks
such as “In the grip of fire”. So basically it comes down to a simple question,
do you like instrumental guitar rock/metal? Because that’s exactly what you are
going to get from Realm. Well played with decent production values. The drums
are ALL programmed, as well as the synths, and I think the bass, although it is
hard to tell. In fact I think the only part of this recording that was not done
with a machine is the guitar. Take from that what you will.
www.realmxmusic.com
Production 7/10 Musicianship 9/10 Vocals 0/10
Originality 6/10
Overall 5.5/10 *Overall rating would have been a 7.3 if
vocals were included with the music.
RESURRECTURIS –
“Non Voglio Morire” (Casket Productions)
Style – Thrash/death/industrial… kinda.
Origin – Piceno, Italy
Dion’s Review – This band is very confusing. Not that cool
“ooh, I wonder what’s comin’ next” confusing, either. More the “I wonder if I’m
gonna like the next part or not” confusing. The album kicks off with a rapid,
yet heavy track that’s very promising, and throughout the CD there’s some
cool-as-fuck parts that just kick serious arse! Some death, some thrash, some
black, even some cool kinda proggy stuff goin’ on. But then there’s some
unpalatable material that I have to endure ‘cause I want to hear what comes
after it. Plus I’m a reviewer and have to listen to all that’s offered even if
I‘d rather not.
The packaging for this release is excellent. Cardboard
gatefold with a bonus DVD with the film-clip for “The Fracture“, a making of,
and some live footage. Which compliments the superior production. It’s
damned-near flawless, even. Everything’s crystal clear, with the vocals sitting
in the mix, not over it. Vocals are a mix of a death metal low, a black metal
mid, and some bizarre clean vocals that are hit and miss on whether they fit the
music backing it. The guitars are crunchy when necessary, and wailing when a
break is needed. Drums are solid, and not obviously triggered since they still
sound like drums. Bass doesn’t really stand-out except at particular points, but
the music gets by without it being prominent. It’s there in the mix, but more
felt, than heard. The music itself flits from harmonic black metal, into
disharmonic thrash, to balls-low death. And then there’s an industrial track
that left me scratching my melon, and the odd ballad/radio metal parts that made
me scratch a little harder. This is techy, but more in the genre shifts, rather
than arrangements and tempo-shenanigans. RESURRECTURIS do some cool as hell
stuff, and it’s not too difficult to sit through the questionable stuff whilst
waiting for the next cool part. Their obvious talent and awesome production
sweetens the deal somewhat. Like a teaspoon or two of sugar to help the medicine
go down.
If you’re into metal full stop, even the cheesier parts, then
you probably wouldn’t regret checkin’ into these dudes. I think being a musician
will help you appreciate these blokes a little more, too.
www.myspace.com/resurrecturis
, www.resurrecturis.com
Production: 9/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 6/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10
ROYAL BLISS - "Life
In-Between"
Style: Rock
Origin: Salt Lake City, Utah
Heather's Review: This modern rock band from Salt Lake City
is one of the best rock bands I have heard in a long time. Results of real-life
struggles evokes a great deal of emotion in their music. Their single titled
"Save Me", the first song on the cd (my fave as well), is climbing in sales, as
it should. This song is the beginning of the musical passion that is heard
throughout the cd. There was not one song on this cd that I didn't like. I am
glad to see there are still bands out there that are doing their own thing
instead of trying to fit in with the rest of today's modern rock that simply all
sounds similar. With their music airing on stations in South Carolina, XM radio,
California, as well as others, I'm sure this is just the beginning of a great
career for them. Having been noticed by Virgin Records and signed to Capital
Music group label under EMI, I don't think this is the last we are going to hear
from them. Find out more about them at
www.royalbliss.com or at
www.myspace.com/royalbliss .
I normally don't do this, but I am going to end this review
with a quote from the band. "The elements of life lie in the process and the
adventure, these songs are the result of that journey, a place where tragedy and
beauty can exist side by side, where every emotion is valid and every emotion is
need. Such is the essence of Royal Bliss."
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
RYCHUS SYN -
"Rebirth"
Style - Metal/Thrash
Origin - New York
Heather's Review - "Rebirth" is a great name for this
album. It brings you back to old-school metal and how things used to be before
all this 'new metal' came about. The style is from the 80's but with their own
thrash/power metal twist mixed in. Overall, the tempo is steady and the sound is
well rounded. Vocally, there are not many changes in pitch. There are no flashy
guitar solos or screams that last an eternity either. It's pure, 80's old-school
metal. Nothing more, nothing less. It's great to know that there are still bands
out there that do this style. Be sure to check them out at
www.myspace.com/rychussyntemp
Originality: 7/10 Vocals: 7/10
Production: 7/10
Overall: 7/10 S
SAGA - "The Human
Condition" (Insideout Music)
Style: progressive/rock
Origin: Canada
Heather's Review: If you are into progressive rock, you will
definitely like this band. Having been around since 1977 (formerly called The
Pockets) the band has sold around 10 million copies or their cd's worldwide.
This latest one is the 31st album for the band. And what of the music? The music
is full of melody and style, making it easy to want to hear more. Keyboards are
very prominent in the music, and the incorporation of a clarinet player makes
them all the more interesting. The first song is the title track, and although
the vocals are a bit robotic for me, it is a fast-paced song that showcases the
talent this group possesses. Vocally, I loved all the other songs. He has great
range and tone, and I would love to hear it live. Not all the songs are fast
paced though, and even the slower ones have that progressive edge that we all
love. The production of the cd was great, and the artwork is very eye-opening as
well. The current tour, which has them playing alongside Queensryche ( a great
honor if I say so myself!!), may have them playing over here. So, look out for
them. You will not be disappointed! More info on the band can be found at
www.sagaontour.ca or at
www.myspace.com/sagaca
Originality: 10/10 Production: 10/10 Vocals:9/10
Overall: 9.67/10
SAXON - "Into the
Labyrinth" (SPV)
Style - Rock/Progressive
Origin - England/France
Heather's Review - This was a really charismatic cd to say
the least. If you blended together rock and progressive, you are getting close,
but the unique style that they have makes them hard to describe. While very
melodic, the music is also very powerful. I personally loved their energetic
guitar solos and wide vocal range. The songs themselves were also very
entertaining. Some were very rock orientated, like "Live to RocK" while others
like "Valley of the Kings" took on a completely different aspect. (This one is
about the grave opening of a Egyptian pharaoh). To make things better, they are
offering the limited edition of the album which contains a 70-minute bonus DVD
that includes a documentary and a video. Overall, this is a well-rounded band
and I think they will go far. Look for them on tour in 2009. For more info on
them, check them out at www.Saxon747.com
or at www.spvusa.com
Vocals: 8/10 Originality: 9/10 Production: 8/10
Overall: 8.33/10
SCALE THE SUMMIT
– “Carving Desert Canyons” (Prosthetic Records)
Style – Instrumental/Progressive/Metal
Origin – Houston, TX.
Dion’s Review - Oh man! Yet another band with a sever
misuse of their talent. This really isn’t my bag baby. I’ve tried to like it,
but just can’t. If you’ve written and/or directed a movie about a metalcore
kid’s life, trauma and travesty, then I’m currently listening to the perfect
soundtrack for it. Even if you just let it play while the end-credits roll.
Thank fuck that SCALE THE SUMMIT don’t have any
vocals, since these eight tracks are made up of the kind of music that supports
all the clean-sung bits in any metalcore, deathcore, prog., melo. song you’ve
ever heard while you‘re standing in a sticky, stench-peppered bar trying to get
drunk enough to appreciate the semi-brutal headliner for the show you‘re at…
under duress. I know that’s mean, and I’m actually a little rueful that I wrote
it, but this music’s frustrating the bejeezus out of me. If the bathroom wasn’t
occupado I’d be bleeding myself in one of its corners. This isn’t my
thing, and so I’m not going to over-opinionate on it.
STS are definitely talented musicians, that have gained a
superior production for their release. They never slip out of time, and I didn’t
recognise one covered-up error. They’re not over-triggered, they don’t employ
too many effects, and everything’s audible. The packaging of their CD is even
kick-arse. If you dig metalcore and prog. metal and all the solos and
widdly-widdlyness contained therein, you’d probably get into this. That’s if you
don’t care one way or the other whether there’s vocals over it. I hope anyone
who checks ‘em out below enjoys them.
www.scalethesummit.com ,
www.myspace.com/scalethesummit
, www.prostheticrecords.com
Production: 9/10; Originality: 5/10; Instruments: 8/10
OVERALL: 7/10
SCREAMING ANGEL
– “The Inner War” (Label)
Style: Punk Rock
Origin: New York
Steve’s Review: The other day my friend and I were having a
deep conversation. He asked me, “If there really is a god then how do you
explain evil?” I should have replied, “If there really is a god then how do you
explain Screaming Angel?” This is utterly horrible. I can’t believe someone even
dreamt this up. There must be some explanation for this atrocity… Insanity,
drug/alcohol abuse, too much Zoloft or maybe demonic possession? Whatever it is
that inspired this E.P I don’t know but I can tell you that the world became
much more painful after this release. Hopefully no one has heard this yet but
just incase some of you might still have the desire to check out Screaming Angel
I’ll let you know what you have to look forward to. The Inner War is supposedly
about pain, oppression, self-infliction, and rage. If that is the case then why
would you inflict pain and oppression on the masses with this crap? This is not
self-infliction it’s sadism. This abomination sounds like something created if
Dethklok sodomized both Weezer and Blink-182 resulting in an immaculate
conception of ungodly bad, wannabe Metal Punk Rock. This compost pile is
steaming full with over-simplified guitars and bass, horrible emo-style wails
with some amateur death-grunts thrown in; drums that sound like something Animal
from the Muppets would play, and even some piano arrangements. Actually the
piano was the only thing keeping me sane while listening to this. Each of the 4
tracks follows the protocol of garbage mentioned before and leaves the listener
feeling like they no longer have a brain. For the love of God, no scratch that,
for your own well-being, do not listen to Screaming Angel’s “The Inner War”
unless you have some deep-seeded issues that can only be remedied by suicide.
This E.P will definitely give you your death wish as it is the worst record I
have ever reviewed.
www.screamingangel.com
Instruments: 3/10; Vocals: 2/10; Production:
3/10
Overall: 3/10
SEIZURE CRYPT -
"Under the Gun"
Style - thrash/hardcore/punk
Origin - New York
Heather's review - Having recorded this in only a few days to
produce 20 minutes of music, I am not surprised that it was not very good. The
music is simplistic, the vocals are all over the place, and the tempo is yet to
be found. Even the cover art is terrible. You even have to turn up songs 4 and 6
just to hear what they are saying, since they both begin with them just talking.
I am sure they have a following in New York since they are very comical in
nature, but if this is all they have to show for it, I am concerned. If you must
check them out the website is
www.seizurecrypt.com
Production: 3/10 Vocals: 2/10 Originality: 2/10
Overall: 2.3/10
SEPULTURA – “A-Lex”
(SPV/Steamhammer)
Style – Hardcore punk/thrash
Origin – Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Dion’s Review – Let me just start this review by stating that
I haven’t kept up with SEPULTURA. I got into Chaos A.D. then back-tracked
and became a massive, undying fan of these Brazilian thrash gods. Then I heard
what Roots had to offer, turned <I>Arise</I> up full-blast and did my
neck in bangin’ my head. Since I’ve never heard anything from The Derrick Green
days, I’m treating this as just another CD. No expectations. If you want this to
compare the disc to other SEPS albums, you might want to read a different
review.
Apparently “A-Lex” is a Russian term meaning “no law”, and is
an album heavily influenced by the movie A Clockwork Orange. “A-Lex” is a
series of four instrumentals that pop up periodically during these 18 tracks of
really well-produced ultra-violent hardcore. I coined that term for the
reference to the movie, and because I hear a lot more hardcore/punk influence
than I do thrash. They do some thrashy moments throughout, and there’s a little
bit of the tribal work that SEPS are known for, and a flamenco-sounding moment
that I really liked. They even do their own rendition of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s
<I>Ode To Joy</I>. You may not know the name, but you’ve definitely heard a
passage or two. It was a little too “Hooked On Classics” (classical pieces
re-written à la 80’s pop) but it was entertaining nonetheless. The vocals are
fairly aggressive, but are kept to the same mid-range hardcore yell with rare
exceptions, such as a clean-ish spoken/sung style. The drums, courtesy of Jean
Dollabella are fairly simple, but hard-hitting. More in the slower thrash style
minus the exorbitant double-kick work. The guitars are chuggy, sometimes
dischordant and with more than a couple of noodley interlude melodies and the
odd solo here and there. The bass, while not all that audible is felt in the
mix.
To be completely honest with you, it really wasn’t that hard
for me to ignore the old while I perused the new. I couldn’t do that for
METALLICA and refused to do it for SLAYER. If you’re expecting anything
resembling pre-Roots SEPULTURA, you‘re going to be disappointed. If
you’re searching for an album filled with aggressive, thrashy hardcore fairly
different, then definitely check into I.
http://sepultura.uol.com.br ,
www.myspace.com/sepultura ,
www.spv.de
Production: 9/10; Originality: 9/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 6/10
OVERALL: 8/10
SEVEN PLAGUES -
"The Dawn Of Brutality"
Style - Metal
Origin - U.S.A.
Taylor's Review - This band rides along well with the
breakdown driven metal/hardcore vibe of current U.S. metal. For an upstart band,
Seven Plagues is taking huge step in the right direction along the murky lines
that is the Wisconsin metal scene. Where "The Dawn Of Brutality" stands above
the rest riding this sound is the retaining of a aggressive style while having
memorable and intelligent song structures. Seven Plagues is definitely unique.
The thing that won me over to this band is their live presence. I have seen this
band numerous times, and not only are they entertaining to watch, but the crowd
response surpasses most bands from the area. This album is a great start for the
band by letting the world know it exists, hopefully the band will seek a more
professional production down the road to really capture their amazing vibe.
Seven Plaques is one of my favorite local Wisconsin bands, and I think they will
see a bright future.
www.myspace.com/7sevenplagues7
Instruments: 7/10 Vocals: 8/10 Originality: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
SEVENTH AVENUE –
“Terium” (Massacre Records)
Style – Christian power/speed/melodic metal
Origin – Wolfsburg/Lower Saxony, Germany
Dion’s Review - Alright. Let me start by saying that this is
really not my thing. I seem to have “gotten the black egg” and drawn this German
power metal outfit’s most recent CD. So, I’m going to be completely objective
for this review. SEVENTH AVENUE are in no way talentless, so it’s really not
that difficult for me to put my opinions aside and write about the facts. It
would be impossible for me to be impartial if this full-length was terrible, but
<I>Terium</I> isn’t a garage recording on a mono tape deck played by “musicians”
I wouldn’t trust to sit the right way up on a toilet seat, let alone lend them
my musical equipment because their dead-end McDonald‘s job doesn‘t allow them
the means to buy their own. Phew! Now that I’ve got that out of the system,
let’s move forth fellow metalhead.
SEVENTH AVENUE are a faithful replication of music that began 30-odd years ago.
Inspired by greats such as IRON MAIDEN, HELLOWEEN and GAMMA RAY, with
Christian-inspired messages, everything you love about power/speed metal is here
for the offing. The wailing, harmonised guitar solos. The high, sung vocals. The
steady, uncomplicated drums. The easy-to-sing-to choruses. There’s some acoustic
guitar moments, some piano and orchestral-keyboard passages and some insanely
falsetto notes from the vocalist Herbie that were just this side of painful and
even a (bile-rising) power-ballad or two. No matter what I feel about this CD I
have to say that it’s damned good! Well-executed with a superior production. If
you’re into the bands I’ve mentioned, then you should really get a kick out of
this release. You might want to check out the link below which features two
songs off the new’n plus some older material.
I truly wish I appreciated this CD more than I do, to be
honest. And to make it worse, I only got a promotional copy (no cover) of
Terium. I can’t even hock my copy for some Pringles and Alf pogs. Now that
really hurts!
www.myspace.com/seventhavenueband ,
www.massacre-records.de
Production: 9/10; Originality: 5/10;
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 9/10
OVERALL: 8/10
SHELTER RED -
"Strike a Mortal Terror"
Style - Metal/Experimental/Instrumental
Origin - Oregon
Darren's Review - Sometimes, when you least expect it,
serendipity punches you right in the gut. I hear a lot of current music, a lot
of it... most of it is crap, some good, some great, and some excellent. Speaking
of excellent... I was at my Brother in law's partying a few weeks ago. Everyone
else had turned in, and him and I were up having some cocktails. I was so
excited to play for him the new Mastodon album, which has taken me to places no
drugs could even imagine! After listening to "Crack the Skye" (twice), he turned
in, and I was left drinkin' alone. I had a ton of albums at my disposal, but I
decided to give Shelter Red a spin. I like to listen to an album I review a few
times, in different states to give it a fair shot. I hesitated due to the fact -
"how could anything follow up what could be the best album of all-time"! But,
then it happened, I pushed play. I wore a grin the entire time "Strike a Mortal
Terror" jammed. I keep saying to myself "wow!" and "no way!".. I wish I would
have written that! Later on, I found out the band was a two piece, what the
fuck!!!!! Wow. I love the fact that they are instrumental. Usually instrumental
bands are a nice change of pace, but tend to get old quickly... not with these
guys. I am a huge fan of Tool, and I could hear that come through loud and
clear. Deron Miller (CKY/Foreign Objects/World Under Blood) is one of my
favorite guitar players, and I happen to hear a little of his style mixed in as
well. The album has 7 tracks - all of which do a great job of telling a story
without a single spoken word. I have listened to this album over and over, and I
am really proud for the guys. I am telling you - it doesn't matter what type of
music grooves you - you owe it to yourself to pick up this release. Fans of any
types of metal will get into it, hell even country folk can knock a few back
while grooving out to Shelter Red. Perfection! Now I just have to get a hold of
their previous release "Masters of the Universe"
www.myspace.com/shelterrock
Originality: 10/10 Production: 10/10 Creativity: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
SIEBENBURGEN –
“Revelation VI” (Blistering Records)
Style: Gothic Black Metal
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Steve’s Review: I remember picking up Siebenbürgen’s 2001
effort entitled ‘Plagued Be Thy Angel’ and I couldn’t stand it, in fact, I gave
it to a friend who offered me 5 bucks for it for free. I didn’t think it would
be worth his money because it was so completely horrible I never wanted to hear
or see the words Siebenbürgen again. Well here I am reviewing Siebenbürgen’s 8th
effort ‘Revelation VI’ and their resurrection after disbanding 2006. At first I
was very reluctant to even listen to this album even mocking it as I listened to
the introduction track ‘Awaken’ which featured ritualistic sounding percussion
and effects. I laughed at how cheesy it was then actually realized it wasn’t
cheesy at all. The intro sounded really dark and epic and finally it kicked into
‘Rebirth of The Nameless’. The drums weren’t too fast but fast enough and the
music wasn’t anything spectacular but it was some pretty good black metal. Then
I asked myself, “Wasn’t this a female-fronted band?” I knew that it used to be
but what I heard were some pretty good grim vocals performed by a guy named
Marcus Ehlin. Finally I heard her in the background and it didn’t sound bad. No
longer did Siebenbürgen hide grim Black Metal vocals behind a horrible female
vocalist. I was definitely surprised and I was happy to experience this great
Black Metal album. ‘Revelation VI’ is Gothic Black Metal to the max minus the
cheesy string arrangements and bloated female bullshit. Everything on this album
surpasses mediocre, although not extraordinary. The female vocals appear on most
tracks but only add to the Gothic-metal soundscape and like most Gothic Black
Metal the guitars are simplistic yet practical and well written. The keyboards
aren’t flashy and provide the necessary strings and effects that make Gothic
Black Metal so epic. I like the overall sound that Siebenbürgen provides for us
on this extremely surprising release but what really shines out on this album is
the drumming and most of all the grim vocals. While many bands try to accompany
Gothic Black Metal with Dani Filth like screeches or throaty vocals this guys
keeps simple, evil, and therefore perfectly adding to the atmosphere that this
album provides. I am proud for Siebenbürgen; they finally released an album that
can compete with other bands in the vast genre of Black Metal. I will definitely
check out any of their future releases as this is an album that most Black Metal
fans should check out and enjoy.
www.siebenburgen.net/ -
www.myspace.com/siebenburgenband
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 9/10; Production: 7/10;
Overall: 8/10
SIEGES EVEN -
"Playgrounds" (Inside Out Records)
Style - Progressive Metal/Rock
Origin - Germany
Taylor's Review - This is the first live album from Sieges
Even. They rely more on the rock aspects of their sound than the metal. The
heaviness does make appearances though. All of the instrumentation is executed
by well trained musicians only showing off their talents as needed. No pompous
fretboard theatrics taking away from the overall product like so many of these
current progressive metal/rock bands do. My favorite track off this release is
"The Waking Hours" showcasing their strong song writing ability. In this song
they travel between both a mellow and exciting vibe leaving you uneasy with the
beat, but wanting more. The singer is the only member of the band that is
lacking for me. I know it must be hard to construct a solid vocal hook over such
complex music, but he fails to draw me in at all. He has a decent voice but I
would be just as happy if Sieges Even was an instrumental band. Check them out
cause almost anything off Inside Out Records is awesome.
www.myspace.co/siegeseven -
www.siegeseven.com -
www.insideout.de
Instruments: 9/10 Vocals: 6/10 Originality: 5/10
Overall: 7/10
SILENT FATE -
"Burned, Buried and Forgotten" (MEI)
Style - Metal/Rock
Origin - New York
Crystal's Reviews - This is the second Silent Fate CD I
got to review. Their first main EP in 2007 was "The Autumn Machine". With their
new album "Burned, Buried and Forgotten" not too far after they have change it
up a bit but not much. They add in a lot more keyboard style effects and it
seems the riffs are a bit more faster on this disc then the last with the
exception of some slow break downs. They still have the mixed in high pitched
screams with awesome low brutal death metal growls. Again another well produced
CD from the makers. The album inside art is filled with blood splat effects
which is sweet to me as well. Very well done again for round two.
www.silent-fate.com -
www.myspace.com/silentfate1 -
www.meirecords.com
Production: 9/10 Originality: 8/10 Instruments: 9/10
Vocals 10/10
OVERALL: 9/10
SIX SIX CRUSH -
"On A Path"
Style - Punk/Metal/Rock
Origin - Minneapolis, MN
Crystal's Review - Six Six Crush draws its inspiration
from punk, heavy metal and classic rock. They derived from the Minneapolis music
scene in 2004 and they released a five-song demo in 2005. With the success of
that it leaded them further to release their first full length album "On A Path"
in 2008. They are currently signed to an indie label called Evil Twin Records.
The band bases most of their song titles from comic book inspired horror with
songs like "Bucket of Blood" and "Evil Goblins". They mostly sound like
punk to me. The closest thing I could put them to rock or metal would be
Motorhead and the riffs that sound like Ace of Spades. The album is not very
long. 13 tracks under 25 minutes long and each song is about 2 minutes long. I
do appreciate punk and give them credit for being in the scene without cutting
loose for so long. You can check them out at:
www.myspace.com/sixsixcrush
Instruments: 7/10 Vocals: 7/10 Production: 7/10
Originality: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
SNEW - “Snew You”
(Unsigned)
Style: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Origin: Hollywood, California
Steve’s Review: I’m not sure what I should say about this release. I’ll
start by stating that it is not modern metal by all means. It’s more like what
the hippie generation called Heavy Metal. For fans of AC-DC, Jackyl, Motorhead,
and other rocking bands like these, Hollywood’s Snew is the kind of hard-rock
that I don’t mind listening to every now and then. Following in some of the
previously listed bands’ styles, Snew’s music is quite simple. Simple guitar
riffs, simple drum beats, your typical ‘Cock-Rock’ vocals, and not so simple
leads and guitar solos. Within this simple formula for rock lies some great song
writing that makes a good rock album you can actually bang you head to. Though
the guitars are great, I wasn’t ecstatic about this album. I didn’t find myself
starting the disc on fire either though, so although I have no clue what the
hell ‘SNEW’ means, this a decent album that will rock the pants off of any
oldshool metalhead. So whether you like big hair and leopard print leotards, or
you simply just enjoy listening to some good old classic rock to tone things
down a bit, then go find yourself a copy of Snew You.
www.snewyou.com/ -
www.myspace.com/snewmusic
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 5/10; Production: 9/10
Overall: 6/10
SLAVE ZERO - "
Exempt From All Tolerance"
Style: Death Metal
Origin: Dublin, Ireland
Crystal's Review: Slave Zero kicks it in with fast riffs and
lower brutal breakdowns. With slayer like vocals, high pitch screams and nice
background gutteral growls embedded in; Exempt From All Tolerance is some great
headbanging entertainment. Their 4th album and follow up to the album 'The Pain
Remits' was produced by Ivan Jackman & Slave Zero at Silverline Studios Co. in
Wicklow. It was mastered by Richard Dowling (Wav Mastering) who worked with
Carcass, Entombed and Napalm Death. The band has also been listed in mags such
as Terrorizer, Metal Maniacs, Brutallica and BWBK. If your looking for and into
some good death metal as I am, I'm sure you will enjoy them just as much. Be
sure to check them out at: www.slavezero.net
, www.myspace.com/slavezerometal
Vocals: 9/10, Instruments: 9/10,
Production: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
SOCIETY 1 - "Live and
Raw"
Style - Industrial/Thrash Metal
Origin - Hollywood, California
Heather's Review: Recorded live on 6/6/06 in L.A., Society 1
describes themselves as "a social experience and cult art statement forcing one
to understand that nothing is as it seems." Headed by Matt "The Lord' Zane, that
is exactly what Society 1 is. They bring back the sex,drugs, and rock and roll
theme, but pursue it in a manner that invites you along on the journey with
them. There is an intelligent feel to the music, and that only adds on to why no
other band comes close to them in terms of originality and style.This live
recording is a must for anyone looking for something out of the ordinary. As far
as the sound quality goes, I was somewhat impressed that that music never
sounded blurred or uneven. My only complaint would be that sometimes it is
difficult to pick up the electronics used. The song variation also keeps you
interested. "Everyone Dies (Rock Star's Don't Count" is an example of a song
that leaves you wondering what they going to do next. This song can also be
found again on the cd as a bonus track featuring Jay Gorgon of Orgy on vocals.
Two tracks of this album are also available as a free download from itunes. If
you need more info on the band, check them out at
www.myspace.com/Society1music
or at www.Society1.net You are in for a
journey from which there is no return!
Originality: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Production: 9/10
Overall: 9.6/10
SOS - “Adult
Situations”
Genre - hard rock
Origin - U.S.
Baird’s Review - I should have done this review last night
when I was drunk. This is drinking music. It is not metal though, it’s hard rock
at best. Normally I find myself picking apart vocalists like this, but it seems
this guy can hold his own. He hits all his notes on key. The guitars change it
up enough to keep me from boredom, and it’s apparent that the drummer is
experienced enough. He uses a good amount of fills and odd beats that compliment
the Spartan composition.
Think 80’s rock/”metal” meets jam band and you have
SOS. If that’s your thing check them out. I know I would if they played a bar
near me. www.sosnyc.com
Production 8/10 Musicianship 7/10 Vocals 7/10
Originality 5/10
Overall 6.75/10
SPITFIRE - "Cult
Fiction"
Origin - Richmond, Virginia
Style - Progressive Hardcore
Crystal's Review - I don't know if I should call this disc
interesting or whacked out. The music flows pretty well all instruments are
pretty good but I really disliked the rough dying like scream vocals. To me it's
pretty much God aweful. Sounds like something the high school kids would listen
to when they whale their arms around and do those lil jump kicks. There are
times when the singer actually slows it down like David Grohl (Foo Fighters) and
it sounds way more better. Maybe he should of stuck to the slower stuff. Not
much else I can say about this album. The only thing pretty nice is the unique
cardboard packaging/artwork and CD insert artwork.
www.myspace.com/spitfirerock
Originality:7/10 Vocals:3/10 Instruments:8/10
Production:9/10
Overall:6/10
STIGMA – “Solitude
24/7” (Tyntis Records)
Style – Melodic heavy rock
Origin – Trondheim, Norway
Dion’s Review - I’m just not getting a lot of metal this
batch! I know it’s not from a lack of metal acts. There are STIGMAs from the
Czech Republic, Spain, Greece, The Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Italy and this
outfit from Norway. That’s not a typo, by the way. There are two from Italy.
This particular STIGMA has elements of metal, but are mostly heavy rock with a
folk, melodic feel. You can’t call a meat pie a meat pie when there’s elements
of meat, and a lot of that protein slop that the herbivores are clambering for.
I’m sorry for the swing in the vegetarian/vegan direction, but if I want a meat
pie, then meat’s half of my needs.
I’m in no way saying that these Norse Folksters aren’t
talented. In essence, this is a two-piece outfit that employs the talents of
what I assume are various local musicians. The metal tie-ins would be a sparing
death-metal voice to give contrast to the numerous and predominant clean vocals,
and distorted, sometimes even palm-muted guitars. That would be it for the
metalheads to feast the aural organs upon. Solitude 24/7 is this band’s fifth
release, but is purported to be the follow-up to their second CD released in
2000. With a mostly ponderous, low-BPM tempo, it’s lent a doomy feel in addition
to the melodious sometimes Viking and Celtic chord progressions These folksy
moments, I think, are aided by the use of nylon-string acoustic guitars instead
of the less effective steel-stringed. Well, they’re effective during
flamenco-inspired music; just not ancient European, in this humble reviewers
opinion. It is a little hard to opinionate on the production, however, since the
bio states that this is actually a release mixed and mastered specifically for a
vinyl release, with the CD included with your LP purchase.
Overall, this CD’s on time and in key. It’s just not my cup
of mead. I can hear, and appreciate the talent of STIGMA; I just can’t get
behind it. If you’re already pre-disposed to folk metal and melodic
death/black/metal, then you might want to investigate Solitude 24/7. This maybe
the answer to your desired “kick-back”, “maxin’ and relaxin’” or “playin’
solitaire” soundtrack.
A footnote for this review is that the final track “Epilog” doesn’t play to the
end due to some malfunction. I’m hoping that it’s just my promo copy and not an
indicator of a bigger problem.
www.myspace.com/stigma ,
www.stigma247.com ,
www.myspace.com/tyntisrecords
Production: 7/10; Originality: 6/10;
Instruments: 6/10; Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 6.5/10
STONED - demo
Genre - metal
Origin - Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Baird’s Review - Try as I may there is absolutely nothing
positive I can find to write about Stoned. From the completely cliché name and
logo (a bloodshot eyeball with a pot leaf in the pupil) to the terrible
production. Nothing. The singer is horrendously bad, and whoever writes the
lyrics relies on the single device of rhyming the last syllable of every other
line (which got old two minutes into their first track). Every track has the
same theme, describing some act of violence or this person maliciously imposing
their will on someone else. The whole thing just reeks of stale beer and redneck
sweat.
The drum sound is in complement to the these negatives I have
already pointed out, and I would guess that the “studio” they recorded this in
did not have a surplus of microphones, and the guitars aren’t much better. The
only notable part is the clean intro on the (4th?) track which they promptly
ruin by recycling it with the distortion turned on.
Lay off the weed guys, it’s not helping your cause.
www.myspace.com/stonedmetal
Production 5/10 Musicianship 5/10 Vocals 2/10
Originality 3/10
Overall 3.75/10
STRAIGHT LINE STITCH -
"WHEN SKIES WASH ASHORE" - (Raging Nation/Koch Records)
Style - Modern Metal/Metalcore
Origin - Knoxville, TN USA
Rob's Review: 9:19 Monday morning. Writing my first review of
the day and hoping it will be the lucky one that kick starts my day for me.
Something that will supplement the coffee kick and pull me through until lunch.
I gotta say this approach has never really been my cup of tea with its
Mtv-ish/Ozzfest sort of feel and by that I mean that heavy verse into
clean/melodic chorus thing that everyone looking to make a million dollars in a
month is playing. All the power to them for seeing the trend and grabbing it by
the nuts though. Thats just good business sense I guess. It definitely is for
the younger fans out there though, hence the MTV reference. The CD is very well
done with plenty of tight fairly imaginative riffs and melodic breaks which
gives it a little variety at least. The vocals for me are the strong point. As
far as I can tell Alexis Brown takes care of all of them, aggressive and clean,
and pulls it off with flying colors. They have quite a talent there. So many
times when women attempt the aggressive vocal style it tends to sound a little
forced but not here. She has a very controlled and smooth delivery and it flows
nicely into the clean parts which to me have a little Lullacry/Skunk Anansie
sound to them. So nice job there. Like I said its not something I would throw in
often if at all again but I do appreciate the talent. So, congratulations you
have successfully supplimented my caffeine kick. Onward to the obliveon that is
a Monday.
www.kochentertainment.com/artists/detail/?Artist=Straight+Line+Stitch -
www.myspace.com/straightlinestitch
Production: 10/10 Performance: 9/10 Originality: 6/10
Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 8.75/10
SUIDAKRA - "13 YEARS OF
CELTIC WARTUNES" - (SPV)
Style - Melodic Black/Pagan Death Metal
Origin - Germany
Rob's Review - Retrospective CD's are sometimes hard to
tackle as you are trying to sum up a whole career in a paragraph or two based on
a collection of tunes that, depending on when they were put out initially,
really have a different sound and style based on when they were written and at
what progression the band was in at the time. On the other hand for a band like
Suidakra (Arkadius spelled backward-referring to vocals/guitar and founding
member Arkadius Antonik), who has been around for almost fourteen years now,
they have managed to stay pretty true to the roots they grew over that time in
the Celtic/Pagan/Metalized Folk road they chose. A number of bands have sprouted
from the seeds Suidakra have planted since 1994 but few have stayed committed to
the ideals that initially made them prevalent. Even though the style Suidakra
plays is not considered the most original any more they clearly have a firm
grasp on how to do it right by really getting down into the past with a variety
of instruments such as bagpipes, flutes and tin whistles as well as the familiar
Irish folk harmony standards, choirs and orchestral arrangements. All this mixed
in with the black and sometimes death metal overtones really give the music a
nice texture that stands the test of time.
On "13 Years...” they have handpicked a collection of some of
their best material, re-recorded or re-mastered them and unleashed them unto the
world making it a pretty complete retrospective of their careers thus far. Those
of little knowledge of the band will benefit the most as is the case with most
collection. One advantage of checking out a best of release, at least now days,
is that they are usually packed with some kind of extra perk to liven up the
otherwise rehashed material. In this case, it is a DVD that gives a glimpse of
their live performance from a couple different angles. One show is from the
famous Wacken Open Air in Germany and the other is an entire acoustic set. But
wait! There’s more. Also on the DVD are bonus interviews from Wacken and a
couple video clips of the songs "The IXth Legion" and "Forth-Clyde". All this
should give even the most ignorant a decent piece of Suidakra to chew on.
www.suidakra.com -
www.myspace.com/suidakra
Production: 8/10, Performance: 9/10, Originality: 7/10,
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.75/10
SUREFIRE MACHINE
- "SureFire Machine"
Style - Rock/Blues
Origin - Toronto, Canada
Heather's Review - If you took the vocal style of Lemmy from
Motorhead and you fused that with the guitar style of ZZ Top, the end result is
SureFire Machine. With the motto "Have a Good Time, All the Time", this Toronto
based band has a 80's rock attitude with a 70's twist. There is nothing
technical or complex about them. They play down and dirty rock with a blues
influence that is quite addictive. With the combination of fast-paced riffs
combined and melodic vocals, they bring a unique twist to modern rock. I think
this band is definitely headed in the right direction. Check them out on
www.myspace.com/surefiremachine
or at www.surefiremachine.com
Originality: 7/10 Production: 7/10 Vocals:
7/10
Overall: 7/10
STRAIGHT -
"Jacket-Vices" (Shrunkenhead Records)
Style - Rock
Origin - Toronto, Canada
Crystal's Review - Straight Jacket is another Shrunken Head
Records Release. I'm not into cover bands very much so this band just barely
pulled it off for me. They remind me of the local WI band Vic Ferrari. The only
thing that kept me going was the old school 80's covers. I'm an 80's chick what
can I say. Everything was put together great on the disc with great production.
Phenomenal guitar riffs and the higher pitched vocals were exactly on key. All I
have to say is hopefully in the future they try some originals. I might even buy
a disc then.
www.shrunkenheadrecords.ca
Production: 8 Performance: 6
Originality: 5
Overall: 6/10
SWINGSHOT - "There's
Nothing Like A Beating" - (unsigned)
Style - Modern/Alt Metal
Origin - Knoxville, TN
Rob's Review: As the opening track to "Nothing Like a
Beatdown" dance between my ear canals, I get a funny tingly feeling that made my
arm hairs bristle with excitement of what may be in store. The first track,
"Fifteen", is an instrumental and not an overly fantastic one at that but it has
that classic build up to it that really keeps you on the edge of your seat for
what awaits. Kind of reminds me of the old 80's thrash instrumentals that seemed
to open every band's cassette back then. I was getting pumped up. Ready to get
my ass kicked. Track two, "From a Memory" opens. So far so good. Getting more
excited. Patiently awaiting vocals. Uh...wait a minute...Something doesn’t fit.
dammit! Not the metal core vocals and choppy one note riff runs! Say it isn’t so
metal Gods. Don’t worry SWINGSHOT dudes, I'm not going to destroy you for simple
lack of judgment. I realize this is the big thing and everyone needs to be a
part of this seemingly fading genre so I guess I'll have to grin and bear it
until it finally dies a horrible and humiliating death somewhere down the line.
All these bands, including SWINGSHOT are really good at what they do and I
commend them for their efforts, but really, how much more of the same things can
hundreds of bands do? I mean, it really has a lot of promise in the music
department even with the boring runs of minimalist riffing. But it's really the
same formula; Promising intro/build up followed by predictable, metal core wanna
be death metal grunt, growl and scream verses over the "I just learned my guitar
last week" E string hop, to the sickening dread of the clean vocal pre-chorus or
chorus or worse yet for SWINGSHOT, the hip-hopp-ish Sublime breakdowns
(ughh...kill me now). Wash, rinse, repeat. What started out as an intriguing bit
of anticipation really had zero payoff for me. It’s just the same gift in a
different package.
www.swingshotmusic.com -
www.myspace.com/swingshot
Production: 9/10 Performance: 8/10
Originality: 3/10 Vocals: 3/10
Overall: 5.75/10
SYMPHONY X - "PARADISE LOST" -
(SPV/inside Out)
Style - Symphonic Power Metal
Origin - New Jersey, USA
Robs Review - Ahhh, SYMPHONY X. A brilliant band that nobody
seems to like much. At least in this black hole of the metal universe called the
US of A. When you hear them you could swear it was European born with all its
pomp, symphonic power metal glory. Everything about SYMPHONY X is over the top
starting with the production value and ending with guitar virtuoso Michael
Romeo. The man is not a man. He is a robot. I'm convinced of it. Like I said, I
don’t think a lot of metal guys that would normally read our stupid reviews are
particularly fond of this style but you can’t really help but at least be
respectful of it for its technical prowess and cohesive dexterity. Think Dream
Theater played a little faster and a little heavier in both the music and vocal
departments. In fact the vocals, which are sometimes annoyingly soaring through
the music are very gruff here and more metalized than most bands of their ilk.
Don’t get me wrong Russell Allen has his moments of pretty passages but the
overall tone and feel of his voice is definitely more on the gravely side.
Hopefully that will win some of you over that release a techicolor yawn to the
sounds of James Labrie from Dream Theater. I am heading that way. What really
makes SYMPHONY X what they are besides the previous points is the overall movie
soundtrack feel to their music. You could swear sometimes that John Williams
(c'mon, you know him right? - Star Wars, Indiana jones, etc) was scoring the
music. Therefore the music more than lives up to the band name.
Paradise Lost is the band's seventh studio release since 1994
and continues quite nicely on the SYMPHONY X tradition of extravagance. Once
again Michael Romeo drives this machine with great precision. The guitars are
definitely the centerpiece on any of their CD's but each album they seem to get
a better sound and mix out of them and personally it kicks my ass every time.
What really sets this band apart from the rest of the many many many out there
are the songwriting skills and arrangements. Top notch all the way. They pretty
much can do no wrong. SYMPHONY X decided long ago what they wanted to be and
concluded that staying the course was the best road. They have thus perfected
the genre.
www.symphonyx.com -
www.myspace.com/officialsymphonyx
Production: 10/10, Performance: 10/10, Originality:
9/10, Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 9.75/10 T
THANATOS - "Justified
Genocide" (Deity Down records)
Style: Death/Thrash
Origin: Netherlands
Heather's Review: If you are into straight-forward,
in-your-face metal, then you are going to be quite happy with Thanatos. With
many bands going back to this style, it is hard to achieve that original edge,
but this band does a great job in keeping you interested. The music, which is a
combination of old-school thrash and traditional death, is loaded with energetic
riffs, brutal vocals, and drumming that makes you cringe. Melodic changes and
good dynamics make them stand out a bit. Apparently, the lyrics have the
potential to be quite controversial as they have included a whole separate page
explaining the meaning behind many of their songs. Songs such as "March of the
Infidels" a song I kept going back to because it is very addicting) and "They
Feed on Fear" are examples of such songs. Even the title track "Justified
Genocide" is on the list. Production of the cd was great as well as the artwork.
This is definitely a cd I am glad to own. And with the other cd's they have out
as well dating back to 1984, I am sure this isn't the last we are going to hear
from them. Check them out at
www.thanatos.info or
www.myspace.com/thanatos666
Originality: 7/10 Production: 9/10 Vocals:8/10
Overall:8/10
THE BURNING -
“REWAKENING” - (Massacre)
Style - Thrash/Death
Origin - Denmark
Rob's Review: This started out very metalcore-ish especially
in the vocal department and I almost had to immediately hate it. But then those
crazy little guitars flared up and I was hooked in the back of the head like a
runnin salmon. The riff work is pretty damn creative and groove laden and the
guitars are sharp enough to put both eyes out. The BURNING is a mixture of old
school thrash, death metal and, yes, a touch of metalcore but not enough to
drive me crazy. In fact, this could be a near perfect CD if it weren’t for the
vocals. To be fair his style does grow on you as you grow accustom to the flow
of the music but it seems to be somewhat of a weak point in the band. Nothing
flashy. Just typical. Otherwise this is an awesome display of the modern thrash
revival going on right now. Give it a shot and see what you think.
www.theburning.dk -
www.myspace.com/theburningdk
Production: 8/10 Performance: 9/10 Originality: 6/10
Vocals: 5/10
Overall: 7/10
THE FUTANTS – “Pass
Me The Butter” (Dino Viking Records)
Style – Rock
Origin – Kansas City, MO.
Dion’s Review - I’m still trying to figure out why this CD
was sent to a metal e-zine. It’s definitely rock - even a little grunge - but
there really isn’t any metal in this debut full-length from FUTANTS. We all know
the ancient Chinese adage: “Distorted guitar does not the metal make. Ahh-so”.
Rumour has it that Ike Turner discovered distorted guitar by using a split
speaker cone despite his better judgement, and he ain’t metal. “Nutbush City
Limits“ may have created a dance phenomenon, but it‘s not metal. “River Deep,
Mountain High“, whilst being up-vibe, is not metal. “Private Dancer”… well. I’ll
give you that one, but that was after Ike anyway.
But I digest. THE FUTANTS, as you may have guessed, have a
moniker that’s the fusion of future and mutants. I don’t really know what to say
about this Missouri act. It’s heavy rock, with a Primus-influenced bassist, and
a bare-bones, but solid rock drummer. It’s all sung over by both the guitarist
and bassist, one of which sounds a hell of a lot like David Cross. Pass Me The
Butter is fairly well-produced. Actually it’s really well-produced since it was
recorded in the guitarist’s basement, and then professionally mastered at Oasis
Mastering in LA. The music’s tight, without any wanky solos by anyone and the
singing’s in key. I’m having a hard time coming up with appropriate comparisons
in my head. It’s rock, with some hard rock, grunge and maybe even a little blues
chucked in for good measure. There are a couple of metal moments, but they’re
fleeting. If you’re into metal but like a mellow break every now and then, you
might want to check out the links below and find out for yourself if you dig
these blokes.
After all is said and done, I’d have to say my major
complaint would be that it’s not metal. I’m aware that that sounds narrow-minded
and biased, but I do write for a metal fanzine after all. You wouldn’t ask
Martha Stuart to repair your stairway. You wouldn’t get Tim The Tool-Man Taylor
to cobble your shoes. Therefore it’s a little inappropriate to ask a
metal-reviewer to review non-metal. Right?
Right.
www.myspace.com/futantsrock ,
www.sonicbids.com/futants
Production: 7/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 6/10
OVERALL: 6.5/10
THE GREAT KAT –
“Beethoven’s Guitar Shred” DVD
Style: Classical speed metal?
Origin: New York
Mike’s Review – I have been a fan of The Great Kat for 11 or
12 years now I think. With taking that into consideration, it is my honor to say
that her music videos are even more warped and gory than they were when I first
started listening to her music! 7 videos and some bonus material fill this DVD.
For those who don’t know who the Great Kat is, search this website for the two
interviews and multiple CD reviews that I have done. She’s known for awesome
guitar shredding, playing classical songs at fast speeds, screaming, and being
worshipped. If you’re a pussy, her material may be too much for you to handle.
To find out if you are, go to www.greatkat.com
Videos on this DVD include:
“The Flight Of The Bumble Bee”, “Torture Techniques”, “Pagani’s Caprice #24”,
“Blood”, “Beethoven’s 5th Symphony”, “Islamofascists”, and Bach’s “Brandenburg
Concerto #3”. Check out her website for more details on obtaining this DVD.
www.greatkat.com
Overall: 7.5 / 10
THE PRICE OF HATE
- "The Price of Hate"
Style - Thrash/Death Metal
Origin - Manitowac, WI
Gus's Review - Classic thrash elements mix with modern death
metal/deathcore characteristics in this first demo from The Price of Hate.
Unfortunately, as is the case with so many new bands, the production quality
reduces the overall quality of the album, in this case nearly muting the bass
guitar and bass drums. Even so, The Price of Hate has managed to come out with a
decent demo that is definitely worth listening to. From the very beginning, each
song comes at you with the force of a tank. While the guitars aren't as polished
as they could be, they provide the intense, gritty feel that most metalheads
have come to love. The vocals, while clearly not professional, are dynamic
enough not to bore the listener. With a little bit of work, though, his guttural
screams could go from decent to amazing. This is the kind of music that gets
mosh pits started and makes headbangers' necks sore.
www.myspace.com/thepriceofhate
Originality: 8/10 Production: 6/10 Performance: 8/10
Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 7.5/10
THE UNDER -
“Mercurial”
Genre: Rock
Country: US
Baird's Review - Man this guy really
sounds like Geddy Lee when he sings. I hate Rush. I know that’s almost
sacrilegious considering the fact that I am a bass player, but I just can’t help
it. Either Daniel Costa needs to take some vocal lessons, or The Under needs to
solicit the skills of a Vocalist that knows how to sing. There are some parts
that are just completely out of key, and I have no idea how their studio
technician couldn’t convince him of this fact. I know if I was in the booth for
this one I would have called him on it. It’s just painful.
Besides the vocals this is some pretty damn good rock music
here. I can hear the Rush, Kyuss/Queens of the stone age, Black Sabbath, etc.
there are some parts where it sounds like the drummer is playing with a third
arm, and the bass player does a good job standing on his own with only one
guitarist. There are a couple heavy parts where Costa screams the lyrics that
sound really good. The guitar riffs are quite innovative and the guitar solos
seem very well thought out, using a good combination of theory and soul without
relying on lame “tricks” and arpeggio runs. I always enjoy listening to a 3
piece band when they can make it sound complete without the use of many overdubs
and studio tricks, and these guys pull it off well. This is a solid cd, and
hopefully these guys solve their vocal issues because there is a lot of
potential in this band.
www.theunderband.com
Production 8/10 Musicianship 8/10 Vocals 3/10
Originality 8/10
Overall 6.75/10
THEM PHILOSOPHY
– “Thought Before Action” (UK Division Records)
Style: Alternative/Nu-Metal
Origin: Italy
Steve’s Review: This album starts off with an Electro intro
track which in some sense defines what you will hear throughout this album,
dull, watered-down, unoriginal Nu-Metal. The track please sounds like
Kittie-meets-Korn with a surfer-rock wannabe breakdown. Other songs like ‘Mother
S.” have you wondering, for a split second, whether this band might actually be
able to thrash before getting into to the real groove of the song which is
immature punk. With songs like ‘Sense of Absence’, ‘En-sof 1&2’, and House of
Mirrors you can really hear that this band is way too disjunct and unpredictable
for any serious Metal fan to enjoy. On a plus side this chick, Elissa D’Andrea,
can really scream. I see her fronting a much heavier band if it wasn’t for her
cheesy clean vocals and plain utter weirdness, like in the middle of the track
‘Vertigo’. The melodies on this entire album are simplistic and don’t do much to
keep the listener interested and the lyrics, those that are in English, make
little sense and leave the reader feeling stupefied. To be brutally honest this
isn’t really that bad of a band for Nu-Metal but if I were this band I would
have done myself a favor and sent this disc to get reviewed by an Alternative or
Modern Rock magazine definitely not a Metal Magazine. Therefore, by making that
statement , I think it’s fair enough to say any of you Metalheads that can
co-exist in the Nu-Metal world, if there is such thing, might enjoy this
release… maybe. The rest of us will definitely want to stay clear of putting
this disc anywhere near our CD players.
www.myspace.com/themphilosophy
Vocals: 7/10; Instruments: 4/10;
Production: 7/10
Overall: 6/10
THOSE
WHO BRING THE TORTURE - “Tank Gasmask Ammo”
(Pulverised Records)
Style: Death Metal/Grindcore
Origin: Sweden
Steve’s Review: A brutal concoction of soul-crushing Death
Metal, potent Power Grooves, and Grindcore rhythms that rip your face off like a
saw. Those Who Bring The Torture have a great old school sound melded with the
more modern Death Metal/Metal core elements. While most of Tank Gasmask Ammo is
straight double-bass blasting in your face aggression, I find myself
occasionally banging my head to their catchy grooves as well. TWBTT has a
definite apocalyptic feeling to them, especially after viewing the gasmask-clad
warriors on the cover art. This carries on over to their music with the opening
track “Napalm God”. With skin melting riffs and brutal drumming that radiates
right through you. The rest of the recording follows this fashion with some
unexpected variances. By unexpected I mean songs like the heavily punk
influenced “Expecting a Search - Visibly Hiding the Flesh”. I’m not a big fan of
Hard-core or Punk but these guys do it well with their metal influences backing
them up. The album continues to pick up pace, speeding maniacally like Paris
Hilton after a night of clubbing. That comes to an end with the almost
‘Clutch-sounding’ stoner groove of “Upon the Bonethrone”. A nice track that
keeps it heavy yet slows it down a bit for good measure. After that it’s back to
grinding it up with the last 3 tracks. I would have to say that my favorite
track would be “All Hail the Goat”. With it’s melodic guitars and driving
rhythms it reminds me of
Carcass a bit. This album is a great listen all the way through. The only thing
that didn’t agree with me was the vocals. The vocalist has a great range of
guttural and grim vocals but it definitely sounds like he’s forcing them out.
Not a good sound. Other than that, this album definitely doesn’t break the
boundaries but it is an enjoyable Death/Groove release that should keep you
entertained spin after spin.
www.myspace.com/twbtt
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 5/10; Production: 9/10
Overall: 7/10
THROUGH TERROR -
"From Shadows We Rise" - (unsigned)
Style - Thrash
Origin - Illinois
Robs Review: THROUGH TERROR appears to be, at first glance, a
traditional thrash outfit with a smattering of modern feel beaten into the
mixture. I would compare them quite favorably to The Haunted in the music
department by virtue of the liberal use of the guitar to render you unconscious
with a flurry of technical yet melodic short bursts of finger dexterity. This
concludes the clinical description of the review. Now on to the other shit.
Nothing new here to report in terms of originality or extreme writing skills.
But if your hunger is a non-stop barrage of heavy riffs followed by anvils of
more heavy riffs, than THROUGH TERROR will feed you by the shovel full. They
could use a better recording and better performance all around - it seems as
though they're a tad over their heads with some of what they're attempting - but
overall it’s not a bad effort. On a side note, if you want a good laugh, go to
their myspace page (see link below) and check out the band pics. Especially
those of a fellow named Brooks the Look. What is this man trying to tell us? And
what’s with the group claw poses? At any rate, if your into your mindless thrash
(like me...some of the time) than you should eat this up.
www.myspace.com/throughterror
Production: 7/10 Performance: 6/10
Originality: 5/10 Vocals: 5/10
Overall: 5.75/10
THUNDERTALE -
"Milzinai"
Style - Metal/Progressive
Origin - UK, Lithuania
Heather's Review - I'm very glad when I come across a cd that
makes me remember why I love to write about music. This cd is full of
originality, style, and musicianship. The style is a combination of metal and
progressive metal (think Hammerfall), but they possess a style all their own as
well. They even incorporated a hornpipe player into the mix. It is no wonder
that they were signed in 2008 to Atra Musica Records. Vocally, the range is
superb. Musically, the tempo ranges from very fast to slow, but no matter what,
they kept me interested throughout the entire cd. This band has a lot of talent
and I hope they continue writing music for many years to come. They have been
around since 2004, and already have 2 albums and a dvd out. I would recommend
this band to all fans of metal!
www.myspace.com/thundertale
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
TIME TO KILL -
"Insanity" (Turkey Vulture Records)
Style - Thrash
Origin - U.S.A.
Taylor's Review: Time To Kill is a four piece trash metal
band offering a healthy dose of punk emotion as well. It is no surprise that
this band is signed to a label such as Turkey Vulture Records, Time To Kill has
that raw sound and attitude that I would expect from that label. Formed in 2006
the band spent a majority of that time writing and touring preparing for the
release of their first album "Insanity". The instrumentation of this release
relies heavily on punk structures with subtle trash riffing and a prominent bass
overlapping the guitars. The production is nothing more than the beautiful
crusty sound I would expect from a punk band, but nothing spectacular. The one
thing that stands out as a flaw to this band is the vocalist who tends to
irritate me with her delivery. The song "Drop of Blood" especially stands out as
an example of a vocal idea that ruins the music for me. Time To Kill has
ambition and would appear to have a strong work ethic and if the band could just
step it up in the vocal department and try a different style of delivery, I
would like the band more.
www.turkeyvulturerecords.com -
www.myspace.com/ttk2007
Instruments: 6/10 Vocals: 2/10
Originality: 3/10
Overall: 4/10 U
UFO – “The Visitor”
(Steamhammer)
Style: Classic Rock
Origin: United Kingdom
Steve’s Review: This is a good rocking album! When I found
out I had to review a new release for UFO I was like, “You gotta be kidding
me!”. For all of you other bands out there that make this common mistake we are
a metal-zine… you know “Adrenaline Metal Union”, so I don’t understand why bands
send in non-metal music. This is borderline but when you really think of it,
where did Metal come from? It came from kick ass Classic Rock that had you
banging your head and this is a great example of how that feeling will never die
for some, especially UFO. This album starts off with a kicking southern rock
guitar and vocals to match. Once again for those of you who aren’t familiar with
UFO, they are a Classic Rock band so you know what to expect. Bluesy guitars,
vocals sung with soul, groovy bass lines, drums hit hard with a standard 4/4
beat, and oh yeah!… plenty of cowbell. Every song on this album is an energetic
blast of good ol’ rock’n’roll. It’s not something that I could listen to every
day, it’s more like small-town bar tunes but I really didn’t mind listening to
it and I’m sure I’ll pop it back in one day. So pick up a copy, head down to
your local pub, and rock out the rednecks!
www.ufo-music.info
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10; Production: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
UNLIGHT - “DEATH
CONCECRATES WITH BLOOD” - (Massacre)
Style - Thrash/Black Metal
Origin - Germany
Rob's Review: Ahhh, Black Metal. That wonderful sound of
demons that most of the time grates on my every last nerve (sorry Bill) and
makes me want to pull a “Gates of Hell” and produce a technicolor yawn of my own
jellied innards. The key words there are “most of the time”. In very rare
instances I can find the beauty hidden in all the blasphemy. UNLIGHT comes close
but I still don’t think I could make it through more than three songs without an
exorcism. This is definitely not your so called “RAW” Black Metal. More on the
lines of all the more trendy bands out there that all the “RAW” fans seem to
hate. Very well produced to the point of almost over-produced. I love the
aggression and the change-ups within the songs. None of the “Blast beats through
the whole song” mentality. Great guitar work that sounds like 18 chainsaws sent
through a Metal Zone pedal. Vocals (by a dude named Blaspherion - of course) are
at a mid-toned gravely pitch and very consistent which is rare for something
this evil. Overall a very good band and an excellent CD. I just wish I could sit
and listen to the whole thing without repeatedly saying “Your mother sucks cocks
in hell!”
www.unlight.org -
www.myspace.com/unlightblackmetal
Production: 10/10 Performance: 9/10 Originality: 7/10
Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.5/10
USDF - “In God We Crust”
(Unsigned)
Style: Crust Punk
Origin: Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin
Steve’s Review: When I think of Punk music two ideas come to
mind. Either a group of 40 year olds purposely playing out of their asses to
sound 15 again, or a group of drug addicts that spend more time trying to get a
fix then trying to fix their sound. I don’t like bashing on bands from my home
state of Wisconsin but I question whether USDF even takes their own music
seriously. Starting with “Hidious Warewolf Transfromation” I really can’t tell
if they are trying to bash on metal or embrace it. Whatever their goal is, it
sounds like absolute crap. “No One’s Home” uses about 4 chords throughout the
whole song and the guttural vocals only prove that they don’t know what they are
doing at all. I don’t have very much to say about “Time to Die” except for the
fact that it sounds like everything else on the record. “Kill The Hicks” was
actually quite entertaining. Making it
seem like the bassist can actually play a little, and of course there is nothing
better than listening to a bunch of Wisconsin hicks hate on themselves. “Iron
Fist Of The Oil Imperium” was extremely painful. This time the vocals sounded
like something that comes out of my ass(if you don’t believe me you should hear
me drop one sometime). Also enjoy the little ‘Star Wars’ lead on this track
because it’s the only lead you’ll get on this CD. USDF takes an ‘oldschool punk’
take on their song “Stop The Cops!!!” making a musical improvement until you
hear the ‘fake-ass’ British accent, then it’s back to plain old crap again. If
you ever wanted to hear just how shitty metal vocals can get than
“Resist/Refuse” is the perfect showcase for that. I seriously wanted to jab a
pen through my ears. Their last track “Power Violence War” is a collaboration of
really bad Punk and once again really, really bad vocals. The dueling vocals
sound more like they are playing ‘Battle Shits’ and someone is horribly
constipated. I can’t believe I actually listened to it all, but to wrap it up,
USDF’s In God We Crust is a release for those amused by mediocre musicality,
meaning any Punk-Rocker. So if you enjoy guitarists who know only 5 chords,
extremely sloppy drummers, simplistic bassists, and lastly two vocalists
sounding like murdered chickens then check out USDF’s In God We Crust.
ww.myspace.com/usdfstopthecops
Instruments: 5/10; Vocals: 3/10; Production: 6/10
Overall: 4/10 V
VALINOR - “Hidden
Beauty” (Apocalypse Productions)
Genre: Metal
Origin: Poland
Baird's Review - This reminds me of old Dark tranquility with
a slightly more death metal twist. The guitar sound is good if a little thin.
The keyboards are a little loud as with most bands that involve the instrument.
While the keyboard work itself is very good some of the samples seem to be of a
lower quality, whether it is from a older “quality” instrument or a new “cheap”
version I cannot tell. To be cited in particular is the organ sound, which could
easily fit into the soundtrack bad horror film. The vocals are sung in English
with a strong polish accent that almost seems to lend it self naturally to
metal, although being a big fan of early vader I’d imagine I am somewhat biased.
On the down side for me the rhythm work is somewhat repetitive, even with the
extensive harmonies.
While this style of metal has been done before and in just
about every possible configuration, it sells and there is a good market for it.
Valinor pulls it off well, and could easily have a bright future given the right
backing. Definitely worth a listen if you like old school melodic death metal.
www.valinor.com.pl/
Production 8/10 Instruments 9/10 Vocals 9/10
Originality 5/10
Overall 8/10
VARIOUS ARTISTS
– “4 Way to Scream Your Hate” (Extreme Sardinian/Calabrian Alliance)
Style: Compilation
Origin: Variety of Areas
Steve’s Review: This very entertaining compilation released
by Extreme Sardinian/Calabrian Alliance features four equally aggressive and
brutal bands that will have you banging your head throughout the entire
compilation. First, Land of Hate, starts off the CD with the oldschool ‘synthy’
intro for Gener(H)ate. This band produces a classic early Death
Metal/Proto-Black Metal sound that reminds me of bands like Early Sepultura,
Death, very early Immortal, and also Deeds of Flesh. A standout track, “Raped
Years”, starts off with a very Carcass feeling drum intro before kicking back
into the oldschool Black/Death sound again. Smashhead, the next band featured,
blasts into a more technical style of Death Metal. This is a good East-Coast
style Death Metal going all-out, featuring even the high ‘pigsqueal’ vocals. Not
the most original band but a good listen that will get you thrashing out. Next
in the lineup Deathcrush, who I’m guessing took their name from a Mayhem album
(not sure), is worth checking out especially for fans of Deicide. Florida-style
Death Metal all the way with vocals very comparable to those of Deicide’s
Benton. I’m very much a fan of these guys style that rips shit apart with great
guitar solos, leads, and rhythm work. The drum work is excellent as well with
some very creative blast beats and double bass fills. Check out the somewhat
melodic and definitely old-school “Eaten by Rats” which had me wanting to tear a
pit apart. Now I have no clue where the hell this band name came from but the
last band on the compilation, Zora, isn’t the most impressive talent-wise but
had me banging my head. Think of Cannibal Corpse meets Mortician, the guitars
are pretty straightforward but the drums are pretty bad ass. Throw in some
pretty brutal bass work and vocals from the love-child of George Corpsegrinder
and Chris Barnes and you got a pretty good mix. If you ever get the itch for
some oldschool influenced Death Metal check out any of the bands listed above.
The one thing that amazed me about all these bands is that, minus Land of Hate,
they are three-pieces. I have always enjoyed hearing what a three-piece Metal
band is capable and on this compilation you have three great examples.
www.landofhate.it ,
www.myspace.com/landofhateband
www.myspace.com/smashhead
www.myspace.com/deathcrushband
www.myspace.com/zoraexperiment
Land of Hate:
Vocals: 7/10; Instruments: 7/10; Production: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
SmashHead:
Vocals: 6/10; Instruments: 9/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 7.7/10
Deathcrush:
Vocals: 9/10; Instruments: 9/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 8.6/10
Zora:
Vocals: 8/10; Instruments: 8/10; Production: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
VESPERS DESCENT
– “Reality Dysfunction EP” (Prime Cuts Music)
Style – Melodic death/black metal
Origin – Perth, WA, Australia
Dion’s Review - Perth, it seems, is a hotbed of extreme music
at the moment on the world’s largest island - or smallest continent - depending
on your school of thought. Fair enough all the releases from the western shores
of Oz that I’ve reviewed are from the same label, but the bloke got off his arse
and sent these releases to us, so I’m even willing to go so far as to say that
Prime Cuts is the aforementioned hotbed I mentioned. I appreciate this label
even more since - if you look - he (they) cover a large range of the genres in
metal. There’s been bands influenced by genres of grind, death, black, doom,
thrash and even some good ol’ heavy metal. I don’t think Prime Cuts has left
anything out, and they get a huge “Cheers big ears!” from yours truly… That’s
me.
So VESPERS DESCENT are very melodic, with some definite death
and black metal influence. The band calls to mind bands from the melodic side of
metal, including CRADLE OF FILTH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, and OPETH. COF is more in
the vocals at times, and some of the vocal rhythms. COB with the wanky,
power-metal guitar solos and riffs, and OPETH with the moments of “folksy”
amongst the angry. There’s a couple of somewhat discordant, amelodic moments
that I really noticed because of the contrast they gave the melody of the EP.
It’s all so well-produced that it gleams, with everything that’s supposed to be
audible… well - audible. They’re pigeonholed as melodic death, but they
definitely, on a personal standpoint, are very black, which I’ve decided is in
the vocal stylings more than anything else. Standout for me was the fact that
the vocalist knew how to shut his word-hole, and not inflict clean vocals upon
me during the folksy parts. It made the acoustics easier to swallow without some
twit trying to caterwaul about his (or a guest “her“) sadnesses and melancholies
- talentlessly executed - over some well-written, albeit artsy interludes. I’m
not against singing per se, but there’s a time and a place, and I‘m sick of
mic-stranglers creating those times and places for the express purpose of
showing off. This is the third release from these Aussie melody-enthusiasts,
with a debut EP in ‘03, and a full-length in ‘05. Their experience in the
rehearsal room, and recording studio, is immediately evident.
If well-produced melodic metal is your bag, baby, then you
should definitely check out VESPERS DESCENT at the link below. This is damned
impressive, well-constructed music, that I may not have bought, but will listen
to - now that I own - whenever I get into my “Mood Most Melodious“. And if
you’re into all forms of metal, so long as it’s fucken awesome, then stick with
Prime Cuts. Add their myspace, linked below, to stay updated on what’s going on
down under. Those folks will look after your metal needs.
www.myspace.com/vespersdescent
, www.myspace.com/primecutsmusic
, www.primecuts.com.au
Production: 9/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 8/10;
Vocals: 10/10 (extra points for not singing)
OVERALL: 8/10
VOETSEK - "Infernal
Command" (SelfMadeGod Records)
Style - Metal/ Punk/ Thrash
Origin - California
Heather's Review - When I first started listening to this,
the first thing I noticed was that this very fast and very raw cd has 17 very
short tracks. And within that short amount of time, they were able to pull off a
degree of variation that kept me wanting to hear more. With the combination of
punk, metal, and thrash, they have a very wide range of sound potential, and
they use this to their advantage. It's old-school thrash/punk with a bit of a
twist. Vocally, they are consistent, which is good and bad. It's good because
you know what to expect. It's bad because sometimes you want to hear something
new. That is an individual choice and not one that would sway me in choosing to
like or dislike this band. They are a talented group of musicians (hats off the
the kick-ass guitarist and the great artwork) and I think that we will be
hearing more from them. Check them out at
www.myspace.com/selfmadegodrecords
Originality: 7/10 Vocals: 7/10 Production: 8/10
Overall: 7.33/10 W
WALDHEIM - "Fight
Against Time" - (Unsigned)
Style - Power/Symphonic Metal
Origin - Spain
Rob's Review: For an unsigned band, WALDHEIM really have
their shit together. Cant say it's to the breathtaking stage writing wise but
the performance throughout the CD is pretty much dead nuts. The style they are
pulling off with flying colors is definitely nothing new, in fact it’s quite
trendy now and has been for a while. The name Nightwish comes to mind. Or Within
Temptation...or After Forever. The formula is the same; start with heavy power
metal, add in keyboards/synth for symphonic feel, throw in dashes of aggressive,
almost death metal inspired riffing coupled with those familiar gruff male
vocals and top it off with the one hot frontwoman and you have yourself a
growing trend, even before a band like Evanescence came along and made it
fashionable.
What may set WALDHEIM apart from the aforementioned bands is
the consistent flow of aggressive parts and yet still seem to keep the mood
flowing nicely through the songs. The verses in "Lost in the Rain" are a prime
example of some of their heavier approach. The vocals switch from the (see above
trend) better than average death grunts, mostly through the verses, to the
clichéd female vocals through the more melodic runs and the choruses. Keyboards
are prominent through each song but not dominant. Just the right amount of
background texture to cut through some of the aggressiveness.
Not quite sure what I think of Mina's vocals though. She's got the right tone
for my ears but not necessarily the right feel or phrasing over the music at
times which is an important and underrated skill I think. She is hot though,
which follows the pattern quite nicely (see above trend...again). Just once
though I'd like to see a woman the size of Aretha Franklin up there who can sing
her tits off and emit a different kind of beauty. (awwww). JUST ONCE. But I
guess, until then, I'll have to "suffer" through the external beauty show.
www.waldheim.es -
www.myspace.com/hogardelbosque
Production: 10/10 Performance: 8/10
Originality: 7/10 Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
WEEPING BIRTH -
“Anosognosic Industry of The I” (Conatus Records)
Genre - Blackened Death Metal
Origin - Switzerland
Baird’s Review - The best thing to come out of Switzerland
since Samael? Maybe. Completely unexpected from a one man band? Absolutely. With
the easy access to computer recording and programming these days I have learned
not to expect much from them. But Weeping Birth has really impressed me.
Although it stays very true to the stated genre “extreme black/death metal”
through the use of continuous blast beats and double bass, there is just enough
counterpoint and dynamic to keep it from being repetitive. The guitar work is
well polished and very technical, fast, and extreme. And there are some
interesting keyboard parts as well. The drums sound is good for being
programmed, and Vladimir took the time to program in the monotony breaking
fills, cymbal changes, and rolls. As such I am going to deduct a point on
musicianship, but this album would have got a ten with a real drummer. The
production falls just a bit behind similar albums that I would expect from
labels like Century Media or Metal Blade. The guitars seem to get lost in the
mix in a few spots, but it is still very good.
“Refusal of an existence reduced to a thing state, critic of
the mechanization of bodies and human relations, resentment, death drive.” ~from
press release
The lyrical theme is a nice touch, adding some
continuity to the album, and in a break from the norm they are all printed in
the cd liner, although a few are not in English. They all have an esoteric theme
to them, and I managed to read through them all while listening to this cd,
which is out of the ordinary for me.
www.weepingbirth.com -
www.myspace.com/weepingbirth
Production 9/10, Musicianship 9/10, Vocals 10/10,
Originality 9/10
Overall 9.25/10
WITHERED - "Folie
Circulaire" (Prosthetic/Lifeforce Records)
Style – extreme metal
Origin – Atlanta, GA
The Dezzz’s Review – Listening to the sounds of Withered
offers an exceptional experience and journey into a world filled with awe-struck
guitar riffs, intricate intros and heart wrenching bass beats! The 10 songs on
the album Folie Circulaire show a deep dependence on one another. Having the
benefit of a bio fact sheet of this band, I see that they origin from
grindcore/crust punk roots, which to me is a representation of some highly
talented musicians who are capable of pushing the mark in the world of extreme
metal music. This CD is one that I could easily put into my CD player and take
along on any journey in my future, as the sounds can be termed as something that
drives you to move into the next phase of this adventure called life. The deep
complications of the music itself shows styles that are still yet to be explored
by the connoisseurs of music and metal that we know of today. I do find that the
vocals seem to easily get lost or over trodden by the extreme instrumental work
going on with this album! The album art offers every bit of brutality that a
band today may require, I would merely suggest that they consider ensuring the
text and important parts of the cover art be easily readable by the un-educated
eye. www.myspace.com/withered
Production: 9/10, Performance: 8/10,
Originality: 9/10, Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.5
WIZARD - “THOR” -
(Massacre)
Style - Thrash/Speed
Origin - Netherlands
Robs Review: Here’s some old school speed metal to
sharpen your arm spikes to. Apparently these guys have been bumpin around
Germany for the past 20 years but never really seemed to take off in the US.
Most likely because they hoped the bullet train a tad too late in the thrash
revolution for anyone here to care. By that time the snot nosed kids were
smelling like Teen Spirit. I’ve never heard the early incarnation of this band
but I may investigate the back catalogue after hearing “Thor”. This is
comparable to Primal Fear, Sinner, Rob Rock, Metallium and any other highly
produced European speed metal out there right now. Tons of machine gun double
bass, melodic guitar noodling and Halford-esque vocals to make an old metalhead
weep. Nothing groundbreaking but then again nothing much is these days. WIZARD
is perfectly Old School with modern day production value. Like a remastered
version of the 80’s. So dust off those old leathers and acid washed jeans and
lace up those old beat up white high tops and get to moshing. Because this time
there will be no mother pounding on your bedroom door. ‘Course, I guess you
never know....
www.legion-of-doom.de -
www.myspace.com/wizardband
Production: 10/10 Performance: 10/10 Originality: 7/10
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 8.5/10
WORKING
CLASS ROCKSTAR – DVD
Documentary (Unstable Ground)
Click here to read both Mike and Darren's review
Z
All the older reviews for Adrenalin can be
found on the following pages by using our
SEARCH function:
For reviews posted from
-- Issue #13 go
HERE
-- Issue #11 go
HERE
--
March 2006 to November 2006 go
HERE
-- January 2005 to March 2006 go
HERE
-- March 7, 2003 to December 17, 2004 go
HERE
-- January 31, 2003 to March 1, 2004 go
HERE
-- prior to January 31, 2003 go
HERE
CD Submission:
We review almost all the CD's we receive and we will review them in the order in which we receive them
(or as close as possible). Check out the list of CD's
to review to see what CD's we have lined up. If you would like to submit a CD or demo for
review send it (along with a bio) to:
ADRENALIN METAL UNION
PO Box 296
Waunakee, WI 53597
USA
Don't send us a CD unless you are willing to deal with what we say (either good
or bad). Sending us an email to say you don't agree with what we wrote is pretty
much pointless (but I will read it anyway).
