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Dyscord (thrash/death)
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Grotesque (technical death)
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Pathology (brutal death metal)
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Carbon 9 (modern/alt metal)
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Prey For Sleep (hardcore/melodic thrash)
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Cavalera Conspiracy (thrash metal)
Dub Trio (experimental/instrumental rock)
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Cradle Of Filth (black metal/metal)
Forbidden Son (metal/rock)
Gnaw Their Tongues (doom/black)
Obituary, Best of (doom)
Nadja (doom)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (avant-garde/metal???)
Trees (Doom)

 



#
21 LUCIFERS - "IN THE NAME OF..." - (Pulverised Records)
    Style - Death/Grind
    Origin - Sweden
    Rob's Review: I get hot pants now-a-days every time a band from Sweden graces my review rotation (maybe I'm sharing too much with you people) and I'm forced to write a plethora of kind words and gushing accolades. Someone much more important and uglier than I should stand up someday and anoint this country as the shrine to metal and build a statue of a giant metal hand sign to commemorate the event. It would be like the Metal Hall of Fame and you would ride through the museum on a giant flying V guitar.
    At any rate, there hasn't been many, if any, Swedish metal recently that has disappointed me and 21 LUCIFERS is just another example of the excellence that flows from the loins of that country. They're calling this death/grind which is a label that has come to mean much more than just your father's Napalm Death sound. No, that label is much more diverse and almost requires sub-genres to weed everyone out. In 21 LUCIFERS' case, their "death/grind" has the familiar Gothenburg twist to the music inspired by an At the Gates and The Haunted style. Which is really a great combination with the classic grind sound throughout and is tighter than my short and curley's on a chilly day. There are 21 tracks (ooh, creative) to this CD and not many clock in over 2:00 in length.
There is absolutely no filler here and the songs bump along at a frantically brutal pace which is also comparable to that Gothenburg aura. One of the highlights here is the vocals which have a healthy array of Lamb of God-ish dirty death style mixed in with a more controlled black metal thing with a few drive-bys of some old school death gurgles as well. Very diverse and never boring especially considering the abbreviated length of most of the songs. Me likey long time.  www.21lucifers.com  - www.myspace.com/21lucifers 

Production: 10/10;   Performance: 10/10;   Originality: 8/10;   Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 9.5/10

286 - "THE VIEW INSIDE" - (Innerlight Records)
  
Style - Hard Rock
    Origin - Los Angelas, CA
    Rob's Review: It's good to see 286 is forging ahead into a bright future. I seem to remember reviewing their first three-song EP called "Profile" a couple years ago to a somewhat glowing review and a hope for a full length soon after. We now hear from 286 again only to be graced with one less song than its predecessor. But alas, they do include a video this time. My opinions haven't changed much on the music of 286 from the last time. The band JUNKYARD is still pretty evident as an influence (intended or otherwise) and the performance is filled with high energy liveliness that would make any fan of dirty, sleazy rock 'n' roll want to run out and throw a few beer bottles at them out of pure love. But c'mon man give us some more to chew on. I think maybe the whiskey and beer are taking its toll on the 286 rehearsal space out in Tinseltown to only accomplish a two-song EP in the two years after releasing a three song-er. Can't wait for the one song EP to arrive. www.286music.com - www.myspace.com/286music 

Production: 8/10    Performance: 9/10    Originality: 7/10    Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.75/10

40 BELOW SUMMER - "Rain" (Crash Music)
   
Style - Metal
    Origin - New Jersey
    Heather's Review -  In this day of metal, it is difficult to try to find a way to excel amongst the masses. With their aggressive melody, powerful riffs, and a vocalist that can jump between vocal styles like it was nothing, 40 Below Summer pulls it off. The music sounds like a combination of Tool, Shadow's Fall, and Faith No More, but what emerges is a completely original sound that will take them far in the music business. Why go and buy this? The music kicks ass!
    Recorded at Crash Records, Inc, the overall sound is suburb with great dynamics and an ever changing melody. All of the songs are backed by defined riffs, powerful drumming, and a creative vocal style that leaves many bands in the dust.
The band also had other albums. Their first demo, "Sideshow Freaks" , was the demo that got them noticed by No Name Management. (think Slipknot and Fear Factory ) Not long after, the band was invited to sign on. The band eventually signed a deal with the London/Sire Records label. They then released their second album with Razor And Tie Records in 2003, and sold over 100,000 albums with the two releases! With Crash Music, the band released 9 new tracks plus a bonus dvd. The new album is called "The Last Dance".
    For more info on the band, check out www.40belowsummer.com  or www.myspace.com/40belowsummer

Originality: 9/10   Vocals: 9/10   Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

40 BIRDS - "Shotgun Therapy"
    Style - Hard Rock/Metal
    Origin - Canada
    Heather's Review - It is so nice to come across a band that would be great for radio without falling into that "new metal" category. 40 Birds delivers a hard rock/metal blend with hints of progressive metal as well as thrash. The music is not overwhelming, making them great candidates for radio play, which is not a bad thing, considering most people at some point in the day tune in. Every song on the cd features a new melody, with vocal style variation(clean as well as harsh), and you come away with a vibrant feeling after you realize that you liked every song on the cd. (11 songs of goodness in all). The guitars and bass carry a vibrant edge while the drumming keeps you interested in that non over-powering progressive feel. They are a very talented band that you won't get tired of listening too. The Canadians already know this as they played during Canadian Music Week. They also became the 2008 Samson Jammie Winners for Best Group Performance, which gave vocalist Matthew Pelletier the honor of being an honorary Samson endorsee for the Samson Stage 55-VHF True Diversity Wireless System for the month of February 2008. Make sure you check this band out! You will not be disappointed!
Find them at www.myspace.com/FORTYBIRDS , at www.FORTYBIRDS.com or at BAND@FORTYBIRDS.com

Originality: 9/10;   Vocals: 9/10;   Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10  A 

ABSTRUSE - "Transgression"
    Style - Weird/Progressive/Metal
    Origin - Greece
    Taylor's Review - Abstruse is a musical vision of two members Veiler and Substant to bring forth an entity that encompasses both the visual and musical art.
The musical aspect of Abstruse takes on a more progressive sound similar to
King Crimson at times and something totally unique at others, using the instrumentation as the driving force and vocals only as filler.
    The visual part of Abstruse I am very sad to say I was unable to witness due to the incompatible nature of the dvd and my dvd player. I think it would have added another dimension to the music.
    An enjoyable listen from a unique band. www.abstruseweb.com or www.myspace.com/abstruseweb 

Instruments: 7/10;   Vocals: 4/10;   Originality: 9/10
Overall: 6/10

AIRBOURNE - "Runnin' Wild" (Roadrunner Records)
    Style - Rock and Roll
    Origin - Australia
    Darren's Review - Pedal to the metal full on rock and roll assault is an excellent summary of what this band is all about. From the opening anthem "Stand Up For Rock and Roll" to the closer "Hellfire" and all 9 tracks in between, this album will punch you in the mouth and come back to sucker punch you in the gut. If I didn't know any better, you would swear this album is from the 80's. Obviously influenced by AC/DC and hair metal retro bands (good ones) - sums up the Airbourne experience. Full throttle rock and roll friends! Most tracks are excellent, however there are a few fillers. Another album that you can party with and doubtful you will find any guests asking you to turn it off, if so, they don't belong at the party anyway! They are doing a ton of touring at the moment, make sure you check them out. Great for a good time and for listening to while on the road.  www.airbournerock.com or www.myspace.com/airbourne

Production/Engineering: 8/10;   Originality: 6/10; 
Instruments: 8/10;  Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

A NEW REVOLUTION - "RISE" - (Koch Records)
  
Style - Modern Hard Rock
    Origin - Austin, TX
    Robs Review: Usually, when a band is presented to me for review by comparing themselves to bands such as the slit your wrists favorites Lincoln Park, Disturbed and Staind and has former members of the band Slaves on Dope it ends up being a lesson in self control to not want to turn the disc into a flying saucer before ever listening to it. Luckily for A NEW REVOLUTION I had to expose my senses to this possible life ender of an album or risk losing my lofty status as king dipshit of the Adrenalin review board. And if I lose that I lose what's left of my low self esteem (sniff). But like other recently reviewed, prematurely prejudged bands lately I was pleasantly surprised by what I feel is the lack of parallels to previously said bands. Sure, there is an obvious commercial value to the music but not so that it makes you play Godzilla to its Japan. Although, every once in a while the inevitable radio friendly vocal atrocities creep into the songs and make the fists slightly clench but ultimately the catchy melodies and jumpy riffs shroud any unforgiving vocal deficiencies. And their damn lucky I have a nostalgic spot in my heart for some obscure 80's pop because that cover of "True Faith" by NEW ORDER could have sealed their fate. I think A NEW REVOLUTION has benefited greatly from the stars in my crazy little universe aligning at just the right time to hear their catchy little ditties. But maybe there just pretty good. Judge for yourself but don't prejudge if at all possible. If you get into bands like Stone Sour or Soil you'll probably dig these guys.  www.myspace.com/anewrevolution 

Production: 10/10     Performance: 8/10    Originality: 6/10    Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.75/10

ANMOD - "Monstrosity Per Defectum" (Deity Down Records)
    Style - Death/Grind
    Origin - Brazil
    Heather's Review - If you blend together grind and death metal, the result is Anmod. The music has a brutality that is clean, yet powerful. I would recommend this band to anyone into aggressive death metal. Formed in 2005 from a prior band called Fornication, this trio displays an extraordinary amount of talent and song writing skills. Recorded under Deity Down Records, Anmod portrays the elements needed for death metal, and the skill required to expand that to another level. Vocally, it is mainly death, but the guitars and drums give this band a whole new element that makes you keep coming back for more. Check them out at www.myspace.com/anmod  or www.anmod.com.br  for more information or to check out their other cds under the Fornication name.

Originality: 7/10;   Vocals: 8/10;    Production: 7/10
Overall: 7.3/10

APOKALYPSE - "...Too Far Back"
    Style - Thrash
    Origin - Peabody, Massachusetts
    Heather's Review - I would love to tell everyone that this cd is great, being that one of their main influences is Moonspell, whom I absolutely love, but I can't. The recording is poor, which is never a good thing. Despite that, I was hoping to have liked the songs. With good musicianship and talent to boot, bands have been known to make up for a lax recording. But, the songs were not impressive either. The first song was ok, but nothing that made me think they had what it takes to make up for the recording. Vocally I think they have a chance. They were strong at times, even. Musically, I think they need to concentrate on variation and dynamics. The second song isn't even really a song. It is more
like a conversation, that is not even clear at times, with music in the background. I did find it humorous that the conversation going on stops when the music is about to change. The third song was very similar to the first song in terms of musicianship, which is ok, but I am not jumping up to go see what else they have. The cd art looks like a little kid did it. It is drawn, not colored, and looks very non-professional. I have never seen them live, nor heard anything else that they have done so I will not totally discredit them, but this cd needs some work.
If you wanna check them out, they are at www.myspace.com/apokalypsetheband or at www.apokalypsemetal.tk 

Originality: 2/10;   Production: 2/10;   Vocals:4/10
Overall: 3.75/10

A SECOND FROM THE SURFACE - "The Streets Have Eyes" (This Dark Reign Recordings)
    Style - Hardcore/Thrash/Metalcore
    Origin - Minneapolis, MN
    Jeremy's Review - A Second from the Surface. This battering ram of a band dishes out insanely fast and pummeling hardcore in the vein of SYL. As the band name suggests, there is something seething and boiling, but it's only a second away, as you can see the skin bubbling and bursting out from within. Anger, malice, frustration, and paranoia form the black liquid that spews forth from this urban monstrosity.
www.myspace.com/asecondfromthesurface

Production: 6;    Performance: 6;    Originality: 5
Overall: 6/10

ASHEN REIGN – “Immortality” (self-released)
   
Style – Hard rock/heavy metal
     Origin – Atlanta, GA
     Dion’s Review - ASHEN REIGN. Somewhat of a cool name, although if you use your imagination, it can call to mind an anaemic king, an alabaster queen with the flu, or an emperor that’s on his death bed and demanding the sacrifice of his favourite stallion. But, I’m not that imaginative.
     Brent McDaniel is, however. Brent is ASHEN REIGN. Vox, bass, drums, guitar and keyboards. He’s the heavy metal Dick van Dyke. Except with technology being what it is, he didn’t have to play all the instruments at once. Playing guitar with his toes, with a bass and drum sampler strapped to his back, playing one of those kick-arse keyboard guitars that I wanted as a kid. But speaking of technology, he recorded himself, too, with the credits for tracking and mixing going to Brent van Dyke. Brent intentionally hearkens back to a day of metal when it was ‘heavy”; before it became black, thrash and death. Before it became black with a little thrash, and death-throat. Or death/grind with punk-metal intros and a twinge of hardcore, heavy blues/southern rock. Remember those pre-metal sub-genre days?. Brent does all of this… just not very well. I’m trying not to just outright slag this CD. Think OZZY vocals over JUDAS PRIEST, and MOTORHEAD when they were learning their instruments… drunk, high and deliriously tired from drinking and drugging. Brent can play the instruments, but he’s stale, not progressing the genre at all, which from what I gather is what he’s all about, although he has “progressive” as one of his myspace genre-listings. He also can’t keep time.. .with himself. The drums seem steady, but quite often the guitar will be slightly out, or his vocals seem to have to spurt to catch up with the rest of the music. He solos a lot, and reasonably well, but his vocals try (and strain audibly) to reach higher notes. The toms on the drums sound like they’re skinned with Glad Wrap and I have a sneaking suspicion that he tried that old 80’s trick of going back and recording fills over the beats. I could be wrong however.
     For some reason, the CD seems to get better as it goes along. Well, not better, but it’s more in time, and his vocals have better effects. There’s also a cover of “Sometimes When We Touch” by Dan Hill. I can’t say it’s good or bad. It just… happened. Pretty much what I think of the whole production. I’d just check him out yourselves and make your own judgement.
www.myspace.com/ashenreign , http://www.ashenreign.com

Production: 6/10;   Originality: 2/10;   Instruments: 4/10;   Vocals: 3/10
OVERALL: 3.5/10

ASHES OF YOUR ENEMY – “The Undying” (Crash Music Inc.)
    Style – Heavy metal/Nu-Metal
    Origin – New Jersey, USA
    Dion’s Review – Have you ever been jumpin’ around your bedroom, bangin’ your head for Satan, aiming haphazard spin-kicks at your innocent little brother, and suddenly stopped and thought “I wonder if Tom Araya has a sensitive side.”? Feel free to exchange Tom for any of the greats. Hetfield; Barnes; Benton; A fourth metal vocalist. Well, if you’re anything like me (and never admit to that) you didn’t care two shits about the side of Tom’s personality that only his wife should see, flipped your SLAYER mix-tape to side B, and started rampaging your bawling brother again.
Don’t get me wrong, reader. I don’t believe that men don’t have emotions, or have to drink until they can’t experience them any more. I‘m quite a sensitive bloke, myself, hence why I‘ve never submitted my reviews for review. I just don’t see that you can accurately portray your emotional side in a chorus, before launching into an angry-as-hell verse again. ASHES OF YOUR ENEMY are damned good at what they do. They seem to be mixing thrash-based metal with nu-metal influences quite well. I definitely hear METALLICA, and PANTERA in there. They use a wah-wah pedal for these kick-arse, quick runs that smacks of old thrash. There are some riffs and arrangements that are a bit too radio-friendly for my tastes, but I have to say that the lads of AOYE are bloody talented. They’re tight with a damned good production. I just can’t stomach that fucken singing! He’s not even that bad at it. I’ve heard much, much worse, and will remember that ‘til the day I die. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I’ve mentioned the term ‘bipolar metal’ before. This is more of it. We’re expected to believe that they’re pissed and all about the metal in the verses, but forgiving and harmonious for the 30 seconds of chorus. That would be my only real beef with AOYE, ‘cause “The Undying” is a damned good album, otherwise.
    So my advice to the vocalist (if he accepts any) is: “Take your medications, mate, and get back in that rehearsal room and do it better! If you want people to know you have a sensitive side, go out and save a penguin or something. Adopt a disease like a real celebrity would.”  www.myspace.com/ashesofyourenemy , www.crashmusicinc.com

Production: 9/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 7/10; Vocals 4/10
OVERALL: 6.5/10

A TORTURED SOUL - "KISS OF THE THORN" - (Eyes Like Snow)
    Style - Traditional Metal
    Origin - Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
    Rob's Review: Here is a band that hails from the very backyard of the Adrenalin Metal Union and is quite interesting in that my previous band had been put on the same line-up with them at a couple shows and had actually had some run-ins with a couple of the members in the band over a rumored faulty fog machine that seemed to have been "mistakenly" left on to the tune of full nebulous cloud engulfment for about our first 4 or 5 tunes. The result was pert-near a night's stay in the Waukesha County Jail for a pissed off bass player looking for some revenge. But cooler heads and a persuasive girlfriend prevailed and we got through the rest of the evening without anyone coming unglued. Needless to say first impressions of A TORTURED SOUL were tainted to say the least and we really didn’t think much of the music either but by then we had the pissy goggles on magnify.
    So when I got my batch of CD's to review this month and saw the familiar "A TORTURED SOUL" moniker gazing bitterly at me, I was at the very least "disappointed". The guys actually turned out to be pretty cool the next time we shared the stage with them. Even our bassist played roadie for them upon realization that the previous encounter was all a misunderstanding. But we still werent impressed with their performance. The word on the street had them pretty comparable to PRIEST and KING DIAMOND and they just weren’t pulling it off live. So in goes the CD with all the personal excitement of a festering boil on my ass. First song...hmm...hmm hmm...alright...so far, so good...not bad...actually alright...borderline pretty good.........WHAT THE FUCK! Were the hell was this when we played with them?? The PRIEST/DIAMOND comparisons were a little more evident, the vocals were pretty damn close to being a spot on clone of referenced bands and now that they've had studio seasoning you can actually hear the intricacies of the old-school riffs and dual guitar harmonies and, of course, the now seemingly in key vocal attack. Gotta love that studio magic! It sure strips away that "standing straight legged at the front of the stage with arms sternly crossed staring blankly at a rival band" attitude real quick. Nice job guys. You have made me a believer. Maybe next time I see you I'll stand straight legged with arms sternly crossed but instead nod my head in unison with the newly appreciated beat.
www.myspace.com/torturedsoulmusic 

Rating: 7/10  B

BABYLON MYSTERY ORCHESTRA - "Axis Of Evil"
   
Style: Metal
     Origin: U.S.A.
     Taylor's Review: One man band can either be a hit or a miss with few exceptions that are universally known among metal fans. I find that the final product is better when there are multiple collaborators. I found Babylon Mystery Orchestra lacking. Despite the scary message that he chose to send with this release, the music is predictable in nature followed by an uninspired vocal delivery. The positive thing I can say about "Axis of Evil" is a decent production job, very crisp and clear. Music is a great vehicle to move beliefs and thoughts, and though I find Babylon Mystery Orchestra treading dangerous ground with his anti-Islam preaching, I commend him for utilizing his freedoms.
www.babylonmysteryorchestra.com 

Instruments: 3/10   Vocals: 1/10   Originality: 8/10
Overall: 4/10

BACKDRAFT - "The Second Coming" (GMR Music)
    Style - Southern Rock/Metal
    Origin - Sweden
    Darren's Review - When I got a hold of Backdrafts previous release Here to Save You All, I was a changed man. Being a huge fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet and a slew of other southern rock gods, Backdraft made me realize how much I appreciate southern rock. In this business, you really don't come across a lot from this genre There are plenty of bands that were influenced, but virtually none that would proudly call themselves southern rock. What I think is absolutely GREAT about them is they are from Sweden! Can you get much further from the south? Second Coming comes six years after Here to Save You All. All I can say is good things come to those who wait. The album comes out firing, offering a catchy, mid-tempo rockin' tune "Just Ain't Right". Next comes a quick tempo'd hard and heavy hitting track "Backstabbin' Bastards" - featuring a catchy chorus along with matching guitar riffs. Track 3 is my personal favorite, "Cannonball". A southern fried, get your ass up and rock and roll... ah - distorted banjo never sounded so good! Track 4 "Oldtimer" is a smooth flowing number with a relaxing feel. "Game of Life" picks things back up and adds a little attitude and aggression. "Gypsy" is an easy to love acoustic tune. "Sugar Mama" I think everyone could benefit from! "Hog Tied" is tune that one could sing along while not spilling your beer. "Rising" pours equal parts heart and soul into it. "Lady" sings about every rock and roller's favorite gender. "Rise and Shine" closes things out with a seventies feel-good style jam. This album is solid. Excellent sound production, fantastic vocals (clean), talented musicianship, and can please almost all rock fans. Please do yourself a favor and score this release. And, make sure you check out Here to Save You All!

Track Highlights: All

www.backdraft.se or www.myspace.com/backdraftse 

Production/Engineering: 9/10;  Originality: 9/10;  Instruments: 9/10;   Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

BEYOND TERROR BEYOND GRACE – “Extinction|Salvation” (Grindhead Records)
    Style – Progressive (Mountain) Grind
    Origin – Blue Mountains/Sydney/Adelaide
    Dion’s Review – Any gore/grind freaks out there kinda bored with listening to the same oratorical prattle? You know, the short and bitter ditties about “Yeah, I took this slut’s entrails, and I stuffed ‘em in my gingivitis-riddled mouth while I had my pimply cock in this other whore’s maggot-eaten arsehole ‘cause she was dead ‘cause I choked her with the hundred dollar note I owed her for suckin‘ my pus-drooling beanbag in front of my Viagra-fuelled Grandpa! Yeah!”. Not that there is anything wrong with that! I’m a fan of such classics as “I Cum Blood”, “Knee-Deep In Menstrual Blood“, “Anally-Injected Death Sperm” and “Leaking, Reeking Pregnant Cunt”. I’m quite the gore/grind freak… hence why it only took me a couple of seconds to come up with that lyrical scenario.
But for the sake of a new (and much-needed) option in grind’s direction, I introduce you all to BTBG. I classify them as progressive grind, but only in the lyrical sense. The music is awesome grind/death/punk. Old-school feeling, old-school sounding, and yet a refreshing, revitalizing breath of fresh mountain grind… air. “Extinction|Salvation” is 19 tracks (26 minutes) of ungorificated, sample-less death/grind bursts with unusual lyrical messages. Messages written with metaphors and similes so that you have to consider and digest the messages included, as opposed to having it spelled out for you, with you learning nothing more than a few more medical terms for newly exposed body parts coated in a cocktail of bodily secretions. Just to give you an idea of the direction BTBG takes the listener in, song-titles include “Smiling In The Face Of Despair“, “Reinvention Ghost”, “Born And Raised”, “Unattainable” and “Apathy And Acceptance”. Don’t have any idea what the song’s could be about? Then order the CD from the band’s MySpace (PayPal accepted!!!) or from Grindhead Records. Invest, ingest, digest. Repeat. You’ll be the envy of all your grindmates.  And besides; how many times can you hear about some depressed guy jerkin’ his gherkin’ into the soup that he made out of his dead ex’s uterus before serving it to her grieving parents? 12; 13 times?
www.myspace.com/beyondterrorbeyondgrace , www.grindheadrecords.com

Production: 7/10;    Originality: 10/10;    Instruments: 9/10;    Vocals 9/10
OVERALL: 9/10

BLAKAGIR - (Pulverised Records)
    Style: Instrumental
    Origin: Poland
    Taylor's Review: Blakagir is the instrumental project of the man behind Hellveto. I do like this far more than his black metal project. He seems to have stronger take what he wishes the overall outcome of this music to be. For someone that likes dark instrumental music, this would be a winner for you.  www.pulverised.net

Instruments: 7/10;   Originality: 8/10;   Vocals: n/a
Overall: 8/10

BLESS THE FALLEN – “Eclectic Sounds Of A City Painted Black & White” (Crash Music Inc.)
    Style – Metalcore
    Origin – Poughkeepsie, NY.
    Dion’s Review – So it seems that my most pressing question has been answered! The one that would keep me up at night. “What would Robert Smith sound like if he were in a metal band?” I know I’ve got you curious now. You’re either intrigued by the result of this concept, or wondering who Robert Smith is. BLESS THE FALLEN’s vocalist doesn’t always sound like THE CURE’s frontman. Only when he attempts to sing. Which, if you know anything about metalcore, is quite often.
    He does all the usual metalcore vocal trickery. Screams, roars, yells, and sings… for whatever reason. I can’t get over how much Robert Smith I hear in his caterwaulings. It’s not all his fault, I expect. The guitar harmonies behind him sound fucken atrocious!!! The two axes sound like duelling violins at the New York State’s “Band Camp for Beginners & The Aurally-Impaired“ (Whoops. Nearly wrote “Deaf“!). I don’t know how they got their guitars to sound like violins, bad or good, but they did it. They just separate into their harmonies too often, and they don’t blend. It just sounds like two guitarists who forgot what octave they’re supposed to be playing in (“It‘s s‘posed to be G minor you douche!!”). The only reprise from this wailing is a surprising acoustic track called “Eclectic Sounds”. Three and a half minutes of awesome acoustic guitar that blends. It’s a diamond in the rough, really. And then it’s back to the same old disharmony with “The Fine Art Of Pretending”. There’s nothing about this album I like, to be honest. Anything that lies under the radar of atrocity, is just uninspired and obviously not noteworthy enough to have caught my attention.
    I think the whole operation would be better served if the two guitarists started their own acoustic duo with constant appearances at a musician’s retirement village. The vocalist could instigate a THE CURE cover band if he shaved his face, bird’s-nested his hair and purchased some lipstick. What about the drummer and bass-player you ask? They could look at an illustrious and exciting career in the fast food industry, I suppose.
www.myspace.com/blessthefallen , www.crashmusicinc.com

Production: 5/10; Originality: 4/10; Instruments: 3/10; Vocals 2/10
OVERALL: 3.5/10

BLIND THARM - "Morbid Visions" (Tyntis Records)
    Style - Metal
    Origin - Norway
    Taylor's Review - This album is one that I really want to like, but due to the quality of the recording I am having a hard time. "Morbid Visions" lies in that irritating zone where the song writing is quality but the sound it just a hair away from a decent production, especially for the vocals. I am left then listening to it over and over again hoping it will grow on me.
    My other complaint is how Blind Tharm chose to write their biography. I never saw the soap-opera antics of band drama appealing. Why hang your dirty clothes out for everyone to see, all it does is let everyone know how much you stink from a distance.

www.myspace.com/tyntisrecords or www.myspace.com/blindtharm

Instruments: 6/10;    Vocals: 4/10;   Originality: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

BONE SHAKER - "BANG...YOU'RE DEAD" - (Turkey Vulture Records)
    Style - Hard Rock
    Origin - Waukesha, Wisconsin USA
    Rob's Review - BONESHAKER plays a fairly predictable brand of traditional hard rock that may be good for the fine folks in Waukesha but I'm not sure it will go far in the outer reaches of this cold, cruel world. This kind of reminds me of those stereotypical small town bar bands that build up a local fanbase of legendary proportions and ultimately never leave town. This may or may not apply to BONESHAKER but they sure carry most of the symptoms affiliated with this disease. I feel kind of dirty slagging a local band from right down the road because I'm sure their busting their ass like everyone else but there just isn’t much to chew on here. "Bang...Your Dead" is a pretty un-inspiring collection of stripped down predictable rock that I would find myself retreating for the bar for a bevy of mind numbing substances and perhaps an overly salted basket of stale popcorn until the next band of local hero's hit the stage. Hopefully the next effort will be a step in a better direction.
www.boneshakerinfo.com  - www.myspace.com/boneshakerinfo 

Rating: 3/10

BOURBON BREATH – Self-titled
    Style – stoner/southern rock
    Origin – Quad Cities, IA
    Mike’s Review – Slow…….sludgy…..stoner…..southern rock goodness. I take this album. I pop it into my CD player. I grab a beer. And I just chill. And I chill some more. I stare into space and think about those little things that you usually don’t ever stop to think about. Why do you we spend so much time thinking about all that other shit? We all just need to pop in a CD, grab a beer, and chill.
    Thanks to Bourbon Breath’s self-titled album, I had a chance to bob my head to some good ol’ southern rock tunes tonight. The 4-piece from the often overlooked state of Iowa take their Clutch and Soilent Green influences and meld them into a solid presentation of hard crunchy riffs and mental bliss. At first listen, I was quick to judge the initial simplicity of a few of the tunes. But when I tune out the rest of my surroundings and tune into Bourbon Breath’s music with some quality headphones, I slip into some kind of trippy rockin relaxation mode. I checked these guys out live a couple months ago and pretty much experienced the same effect. I like it. Check them out.  www.myspace.com/bourbonbreath 

Vocals: 8.0   Music: 9.5   Originality: 7.0
Overall: 8.5

BURIAL RITUAL – “Last Rites EP” (self-released)
   
Style - Death Metal
     Origin - U.S.A.
     Taylor's Review: Death metal and not that much more. Bits and pieces of the "Last Rites" e.p. are descent, especially when they reach their faster tempos. At these times the drummer really shined. The guitar work is to repetative and predictable for my tastes, they never really venture outside the box and stay in rather sterile territories. The vocals are done well with a strong and vicious belting of death metal goodness. If Burial Ritual took a little more time utilizing the obvious talent they possess, I think they would make a more convincing sound for themselves.   www.myspace.com/burialritualband  www.trig.com/burialritual 

Instruments: 5/10   Vocals: 7/10   Originality: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

**oops....I accidently had two people review this CD.  Here's the other review:

BURIAL RITUAL – “Last Rites EP” (self-released)
    Style – Thrash/Death metal
    Origin – Milwaukee, WI
    Dion’s Review – Okay. I’ve listened to this CD a few times through now. That’s not hard; there are only four tracks. But I cannot really come to any definitive opinion on BURIAL RITUAL’s EP. I can’t put my finger on anything. I feel as if I couldn’t pick my nose for fear of jamming that unplaceable finger in between a pair of my toes.
    There’s really nothing I don’t like about this Milwaukee outfit, but there’s nothing that gets me excited, either. I wouldn’t even call them mediocre. That’s not it, at all. It’s pretty much happy-sounding thrash, with some definite Slayer-influenced riffs, add a teensy-tiny bit of black metal, and it all accompanies death vocals. Well, not all death-neck. There’s also some shrieking/yelling, and this insanely high-pitched screech that is ripped out every now and again. I can nearly taste the blood in the back of my own throat whenever he does it. The production’s snappy and clean with a well-polished drum-sound… that sounds like drums (have I mentioned that I like drum-sounding drums before?). In fact it’s so clean, that it squeaks. Maybe what I’m feeling is that the “Last Rites” EP is a conglomeration of things that have all been done before, and isn’t particularly original in its approach and presentation. Or I’m just in a death/grind mood. That happens a lot.
    I definitely recommend these lads to any thrash-junkies out there that have a slight penchant for death metal. Not into it enough to scare the kids that walk past when you play your CDs loudly, or convince their mother’s they should be contacting some form of authority, but enough to give “the man” “the finger”.
www.myspace.com/burialritualband

Production: 9/10;   Originality: 4/10;   Instruments: 7/10;   Vocals 8/10
OVERALL: 7/10  C

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

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY - "Inflikted" (Roadrunner Records)
   
Style - Thrash Metal
     Origin - Brazil, USA
     Mike's Review - Since I specifically requested this CD for review, I was praying not to have my hopes smashed once I finally got a chance to listen to it all. I am a huge fan of all the Sepultura albums, so finding out that Max and Igor Cavalera were together again ( and making new music ) really got my blood flowing. Max's vocals are definitely similar to his Sepultura days and the music has a definite Sepultura influence to it (more like sound on "Arise" and "Beneath The Remains"). The differences are great enough though, so that I can honestly say that this isn't just a continuation of the Cavalera Brothers' venture of their previous bands. Along with guitarist, Marc Rizzo and bassist, Joe Duplantier, this album is an evolution into another chapter of their careers and a step into a slightly different direction. Overall, it's a great CD for both fans and for newbies to metal (who may have no idea who Max and Igor Cavalera are). I look forward to checking more of these guys in the future. I imagine they will continue to explore their sound so one day people like me won't feel the need to constantly compared them to Sepultura.  I just had the urge.  Go check them out! www.myspace.com/cavaleraconspiracy or www.cavaleraconspiracy.com 

Vocals: 8    Instruments: 9     Production: 10     Originality: 8
Overall: 8.5 (out of 10)

CLUTCH - "FROM BEALE STREET TO OBLIVION" - (DRT)
    Style - Alt metal/stoner groove
    Origin - Maryland, USA
    Rob's Review - I can't believe I actually get to review this CD since our staff's senior CLUTCH specialist, Darren, usually engulfs everything from this band as soon (or earlier if he hijacks the mailman) as it arrives in our mailbox and will probably be buried next to Neil Fallon upon his departure from this sad sack of a planet. But I digress. CLUTCH has been quite an enigma for me since their early 90's inception. I never really gave them a chance until "Elephant Riders" came out and even then it was just a passing, "yeah, I guess their kinda cool" reaction to them. Then they fell off the map again for me until a little album called "Blast Tyrant" came along in 2004 and blew the doors off my top ten list forever. To this day it is firmly planted into my desert island discs. It is that good. I believe it may have been because I think that specific disc was recorded digitally whereas the others, including the releases afterward, are done analogue. There was a completely different sound to "Blast Tyrant" but the songs where that much better as well. Its like they sold their soul for one album. So naturally, the bar had been set pretty high for each succession of albums and of course the follow up, "Robot Hive: Exodus" failed to produce in my eyes aside from a few winners here and there. But thankfully, with "From Beale Street to Oblivion" they just may have captured a little bit of that magic again. The songs are once again consistently catchy and thick with groove and as always consumed with the articulate bassy toned Neil Fallon who continues to amaze with his unique lyrical prowess. He is truly gifted. Analogue or not this is a nice return to form in my opinion. Still doesn't knock off "Tyrant" but you cant win them all. www.pro-rock.com - www.myspace.com/clutchband 

Rating: 8/10

COLD MEAT SOCIETY/ KONVOI - Split CD
    Style - Stoner Metal
    Origin - Finland
    Heather's Review - These two bands from Finland have created a cd that features 2 songs from each band. First up is Cold Meat Society. This stoner metal band brings forth a very unique sound with metal guitars turned down very low and an alternative feel. The music is very melodic with a heavy tone without the fast-pace. There are even some acoustics to keep you interested. The vocals are also very unique and somewhat reminded me of Blind Melon. Overall, this band that formed in 2006, is music for the fan that is willing for something new and refreshing. Next up is Konvoi. They deliver a much heavier sound, with rough vocals, and heavy riffs. The music is mostly made up up broken melodies with that stoner feel, but they have also added a gloomy, doom feel. The result is a hypnotic sound that is sure to be greatly loved by fans of stoner metal. Even though they offer a very different sound from their predecessors, this band is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are into the heavier sound. The production was great, bringing out the unique attributes that each of these bands has to offer. The cover artwork was also well done, with a very unique drawing that gives equal emphasis to both bands.
Check them out at www.myspace.com/coldmeatsociety 
and at www.myspace.com/konvoiband

Originality: 7/10;   Vocals : 7/10;   Production: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

COMMON GRAVE – “Dehumanized” (Twilight)
    Style – Death/thrash metal
    Origin – Regensburg, Germany
    Dion’s Review – I just can’t help it! Every time I think of “German metal” I think of filthy-lookin’ nut-bar thrashers toting denim jackets with the sleeves ripped off at the last show they attended, jeans that both genders have to be lubricated into and studded belts that double as weapons against would-be car-/truck-/bus-jackers on their trip home.
    Before you demolish your keyboard typing up hate-mail to me, my European friends, please rest assured that I know it’s not like that anymore. You metallers grew with the rest of the world, and look back on those days with the same mix of reminiscence, envy and humor that we all do. And the lads of COMMON GRAVE progressed with us. This mid-paced death ensemble’s sound is awesome. Both talent-wise and production, with the latter being accredited to Stephen Fimmers and Muhammed Suicmez, bassist and vocalist/guitarist of Germany’s NECROPHAGIST respectively. See! Members of another Deutch band that have all their jacket sleeves, and don’t have to peel their jeans off! I’m hip! I’m with it! NECROPHAGIST have always had one of the crisper death metal sounds that I’ve encountered, and they’ve used their knowledge to make COMMON GRAVE sound professional. While they’re a decent death metal band, I can’t help but feel that they sound at their best when they slow it down. I understand that the faster bits give contrast to the well-written tempo-dives - I’m not a complete dummkopf after all - and I’m not asking them to stop the speedier moments in the least. I just prefer these lads when they’re chugging it out. They have such a great palm-mute sound.
    Check out the links below if you’re into old-school death metal with a new-school production. Hell, you can even tear the sleeves off your best jacket if it’d make the experience more organic-feeling.
www.myspace.com/commongrave , http://www.commongrave.de 

Production: 9/10;   Originality: 6/10;   Instruments: 8/10;   Vocals 6/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10

CRADLE OF FILTH - "Harder, Darker, Faster: Thornography Deluxe" (Roadrunner Records)
    Style: Black Metal/Metal
    Origin: England
    Heather's Review- This well known black metal band composed of vocalist Dani Filth, guitarists Paul Allender and Charles Hedger, bassist Dave Pybus, drummer Martin Skaroupka, Keyboardist Rosie Smith, and female vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva are on a mission to dominate. Already very sinister in nature, this album proves that this band is out to conquer the scene. The album is as the title proclaims. It is a harder, darker, faster Cradle of Filth, and it is more brutal than anything I have heard from them in the past and I loved every minute of it! They even bring on a guest vocalist for the song "The Byronic Man" (This song features HIM's Ville Valo). This deluxe cd also features a bonus disc with videos, behind-the- scenes footage, as well as other goodies that is a must have for every fan. I would recommend this cd to current fans, as well as those that have never heard them. You will definitely be impressed!  www.myspace.com/cradleoffilth  or www.cradleoffilth.com

Originality: 10/10    Vocals: 10/10    Production:10/10
Overall: 10/10

CRIMSON ORCHID - “Chapter XIII: Nightmares and Fairytales”
    Style - Metal/Rock/Prog
    Origin - U.S.A.
    Taylor’s Review - This band has a strong ability to bridge the gap between pop music and extreme metal. The pop melodic style of the vocalist is well matched by the intense instrumentation. Where Crimson Orchid falls short is the singer’s tone, which detracts from his great vocal melodies. With some concentration on bringing out the fullness in his voice Crimson Orchid would be a very strong and complete unit.
The backdrop of sound created by the rest of the band is impressive and well constructed, leaving them set up to do great things. www.myspace.com/crimsonorchidband or www.justrockpr.com/crimsonorchid

Instruments: 8/10   Vocals: 5/10   Originality: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

CRITICAL BILL – “Downtown The World” (SMC/Westbound Records)
    Style - HipHop/Rap/Rock/Metal
    Origin - Mount Clemens, MI
    Mike’s Review – Hmmm…..as much as some people would love to see rap metal go away, some groups such as Critical Bill and standing up strong against the haters with a big “I don’t give a fuck what you think” type of attitude. As a fan of the old-school crunchy rock guitar sound, I am drawn to some of the music of Critical Bill. I am also strangely drawn to the Rap/HipHop vocals. It brings me back to the days when I would simply listen to whatever music MTV was pounding into my brain. Buuuuuut, at this point of my life I search for music that is more original. The Linkin Park/Dope/Rap Rock/Nu-Metal sound has gotten old quite awhile ago. About 25% of this album gets a 9.0 in my mind. The other 75% is below average due to lack of originality and the weak sound. That leaves me confused on how I want to rate this album….
www.critical-bill.com  or www.myspace.com/criticalbillmusic 

Vocals: 7   Music: 6.5   Originality: 2   Production: 8
Overall: 6.0

CURSED - "Three" (Good Fellow Records)
    Style - Metal/Punk
    Origin - Canada
    Taylor's Review - Cursed is a Canadian metal band that is anything but pretty. There are no sing-along choruses wooing the pop fanatics. No trendy angst-driven teenage rage. Just noisy distorted aggressiveness, screamed in an awesomely raw fashion.
    The vibe carries a dirty rock/metal sound that is very guitar-driven in a simplistic yet effective array of primitive skull cracking sonic pleasures.
The mid-paced doom assault of my favorite track "Unnecessary Person", conveys a musical equivalent of the slow peeling of flesh. Songs such as "Magic Fingers" and "Dead Air Pulpit" could have a punk comparison to Nausea from New York. (Could just be me) Cursed is a band who harness a sense of distorted brilliance. Check em out.

www.your-funeral.comwww.goodfellowrecords.com  www.earsplitcompound.com 

Instruments: 9/10   Vocals: 9/10   Originality: 9/10
Overall: 9/10  D

DEADEN – “Displaying The Art Of Carnage” (Epitomite Productions)
  
Style – Brutal death metal
    Origin – Chicago, IL
    Dion’s Review - I’ve had this CD for a little while now. Not quite as long as its release in 2006, but it feels like it. I’m just not the biggest brutal death metal fan, and I’d heard DEADEN before, and knew them to be balls out, by-the-book gory death. It’s not that I don’t appreciate death, I just like some twists; a little flavour. I’m not really the kind of tea-sipping twat who wants a twist of lemon or a drop of honey. Or a Corona enthusiast who can’t drink it unfiltered by a lime-wedge. In fact, if anyone tried to stick fruit in my beer, I’d quaff that beer, and bang ‘em about the knees with the empty bottle ‘til they promised never to do it again. I will not waste beer to punish a fruit-toting lunatic.
    So we’ve established that I take beer ungarnished and DEADEN are brutal death metal. I actually like this Chicago outfit. They’ve got a clean sound, and they never lose time, which I’m starting to get a little pissy about bands that do. The drummer is metronomically solid, without tricky flair, except some awesome high-hat work spattered through this full-length. I don’t really care for his snare-sound, but that’s just me bein’ a bit picky. The bass work is pretty good too, executed by Jake Lahniers (credited for backing vocals) who’s also in HUMAN ARTIFACTS and ARMOROS. He has his moment or two in the sun, which really shows what he can do, and then pretty much follows what the guitars are doing with a couple of somewhat memorable exceptions. But he keeps in time, and isn‘t fore in the mix. Good enough for me. The guitars are fairly straightforward, but do come out with a couple of whacky ideas that are definitely out of the box. A couple of black metal sounding moments, and even an intro that would belong more on a thrash album than a death release. With the sample they chose playing over it, it creates a certain amount of apprehensive atmosphere though. The vocals have a fair range, and are performed by guitarist/vocalist Von Young, also of LIVIDITY and PUTREFACTION. He bellows out shattering highs, guttural lows, and phlegmy mids. There’s even a croaky low style he does. All completely unintelligible.
    If you like your death metal brutal and gory, with more than a couple of samples of a lot of heavy breathing and panting, then Displaying The Art Of Carnage might be your lemon-free, honeyless cup of tea. And with song-titles such as “Perverted Fecal Embodiment”, “Vomiting Felch” and “Only Genitals Remain” you know you’re going to get your gortastic money’s worth.
www.myspace.com/deaden , www.deaden.net , www.epitomite.com 

Production: 8/10;   Originality: 5/10;   Instruments: 8/10;   Vocals: 9/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10

DEADNIGHT – “Messenger Of Death” (Rotting Corpse Records)
    Style – Blackened thrash.
    Origin – Chicago, IL
    Dion’s Review - Okay. So I think I’ve got this right. There were four members in DEADNIGHT, then when it came time to record, there were only two. John on bass, and Mike Thrasher on guitars, drums, vocals and keyboards. And now the drum-slot’s been filled by Jeremy and they have a session guitarist in Tom. This was recorded between ‘04 and ‘06, mixed in ‘07 and released in ‘08. Phew. I hope that’s right, or I’m going to be up for nomination to replace Adrenalin Rob as King Dipshit. I’m already the “imported worker who works for no pay”. There’s a more concise and notorious name for that, but I’m not gonna go there… girlfriend!
    DEADNIGHT; Chicago thrash metal with some definite black metal tendencies. This is rather good for a “Devilish Duo Of Deathness And Stuff”. The production’s clean, with the kick drums being a little too prominent being my only complaint. They’re just not in the mix. They kind of sound slapped on top of the rest of what’s going on. The music’s tight, the keyboards sparing and nothing is drowned out by anything else. The solos, I have to say are definitely the high point of this CD. I’m not even into solos all that much, thinking them “stringed wank-fest ego-stroking”. I appreciate the talent, of course, but there’s no I in band. Despite my opinion of them, Mike Thrasher’s solos are well-written, well-executed and thrashy. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot that sticks out about this band. Vocals have the one range, although I appreciate him not busting out into clean vocals just to break up the monotony. The drums are called percussion, but to me they’re just drums. And the bass doesn’t step out on it’s own. At least not audibly. Fairly unprogressive as far as thrash and/or black metal’s concerned.
    There’s really nothing to complain about on the CD if you’re a black/thrash fan. Eight misanthropic-, death-, Armageddon-themed tracks of tight, thrashy goodness. Available for purchase from their NightSpace, link below. Tell ‘em Adrenalin Metal Union’s Mr. Slave sent ya.
    No! Wait! That’s not right…
    Jesthsusths Christhstt!
www.myspace.com/deadnightthrashmetal , www.myspace.com/rottingcorpserecords 

Production: 7/10;   Originality: 3/10;   Instruments: 7/10;   Vocals: 5/10
OVERALL: 5.5/10

DAEMOS - “Surface”
    Style - Metal/Hardcore
    Origin - U.S.A.
    Taylor’s Review - Daemos is a four piece metal band from San Diego that has reached a few accomplishments that any band starting out would be proud of, the building of a solid fan base and openings lots for touring acts.
    This e.p. titled “Surface” has shining moments in the riffing department. I enjoy their simple yet articulate musical approach to songs. Their biography states: “A Daemos show is one of the few places where you’ll see an old die-hard Iron Maiden fan head banging next to a kid in a Slipknot hoody.” I couldn’t agree with them more, they combined the best of these two worlds into one. Simple yet intelligent.
www.daemos.com or  www.justrockpr.com/daemos

Instruments: 7/10   Vocals: 6/10   Originality: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

DAWN OF RETRIBUTION - "Blood Drunk - Demo"
    Style - Thrash/Death
    Origin - Geelong, Victoria - Australia
    Darren's Review - I've come across some decent Aussie music lately. Seems as though the exposure is greater or the country is starting to put its stamp on the metal world. Dawn of Retribution makes quite a statement with their 3 song demo. I am impressed with the pure aggression captured on just 3 tunes. Guitars are massive and create such a full sound in the mix. Props to the recording engineer too by the way! Vocally I wouldn't call it clean, however it is pretty apparent what the bloke (Clint Williams) is saying. These folks have been dosin' heavy on the testosterone and in many ways represents just what metal needs. I'm very impressed and am looking forward to a full length in the near future.  www.myspace.com/dawnofretribution

Production/Engineering: 9/10;   Originality: 7/10;   Instruments: 8/10
Vocals: 7/10;   Replay Value: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

DEATH MENTAL - “From The Archives OF The Asylum” (Bloody Carnage Music)
    Style - Thrashing Death Metal
    Origin - U.S.A.
    Taylor’s review - I am a firm believer in using art as a means to cope with personal issues. That is what I believe Ian Aiken has chosen to do with Death Mental. Thrashing guitars and pained growls screaming the “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” and Panic Attack/Drug Induced Dream” from mere song titles to the fore-front to be dealt with in true metal style. Music is a form of mental therapy, and if this is what Death Mental is all about, I am glad he is using it. If you like old death metal from the early nineties you’ll appreciate Death Mental.

Instruments: 8/10   Vocals: 8/10   Originality: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

DAYMARES - "Can't Get Us All" (Selfmadegod Records)
    Style - Hardcore punk/Metal
    Origin - Poland
    Heather's Review - If you took Entombed and combined it with hardcore punk, you have Daymares. Formed in 2006, this band combines various styles of raw riffs and vocals to produce a sound that is intense, melodic, as well as emotionally heavy. Most of the vocals were close to a death metal sound, but the clean vocals really gave this band originality. And from not being around very long, this band has the potential to excel.The cd contains 11 examples of why this band is going places. This cd, as well as a previously recorded demo, got them signed Self Made God Records. They play out often to get more exposure, and continue to devote their time to producing more music.
Check them out at : www.myspace.com/yourdaymares  or www.daymares.org

Production :8/10   Vocals: 8/10   Originality: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

DEADSEA - Self Titled (Chrome Leaf)
    Style - Metal/Experimental
    Origin -Columbus, Ohio
    Heather's Review - If you are a fan of Sabbath, Voivod, and Mastodon, you will love this band. Their unique style and interesting dynamics make them one to watch out for. The songs are lengthy,with one lasting as long as 16:20 minutes, but it is worth it. With mood-changing riffs and vocals that ring on in your mind long after the song is over, DEADSEA is a little bit of everything we love about metal. There are hints of black metal, prog-metal, thrash, death metal, and even some jazz to keep you interested. It is a versatility that few bands have, and this band is overflowing with it. It is aggressive music at times, but with an intellectual feel, and that is what kept me wanting to hear more. The bands has other cd's as well, including a demo in 2002 and "Desiderata" that was released in 2005. Check them out at www.myspace.com/deadsea or www.deadsearising.com and for contact/booking find them at deadsearising@gmail.com

Originality:10/10;   Vocals: 8/10;   Production: 8/10
Overall: 8.7

DELIVER US FROM EVIL -"Behold a Pale Horse"
    Style - Metal
    Origin - Indiana
    Heather's Review: Ever since I saw this band live, I have appreciated what they can do musically. After I got the cd, I was convinced. They are a fast paced, technical band with melodic attributes that make them difficult to classify. With the addition of movie-type clips and other sound effects, the cd is downright evil. With the soaring guitar solo riffs combined with the heavy, dark vocals, this band is definitely portraying their talents to the fullest. Playing with well-known acts such as Diecast, In This Moment, DAATH, Goatwhore, and Drowning Pool, among others, they are trying to gain a larger fan base. And by playing 2007 Milwaukee Metal Fest, Indianapolis Metal Fest, and in many other states as well, they are looking to expand their music to the masses! Don't just get the cd. Go and see them live! You will not be disappointed! Look for them at www.myspace.com/deliverusfromevil   

Originality: 8/10    Vocals: 8/10     Production: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

DEMON DOG SPERM – “Hopeless” (Open Grave Records)
    Style – Stoner/Death Metal
    Origin – Pennsylvania
    Mike’s Review – Demon Dog Sperm. Great name. Great sound. I love stoner rock. And I love death metal. These guys blend these two genres together as if it was meant to be. Sludgy death metal with a lot of pissed-off aggression. The trio of vocals styles (growl, clean, and screeching) are all done well and keeps the monotony away. That definitely adds to the originality and overall sound of the band. This is their debut album and an impressive one it is. I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.
www.deomdogsperm.com - www.myspace.com/demondogsperm666

Vocals: 8.0   Music: 9.0   Originality 8.
Overall: 8.5

DEN OF GERMS – “Beer And Anger” (shopping for a label)
    Style – Drunk metal punk
    Origin – Baltimore, MD
    Dion’s Review – BOTTOMS-UP TO THIS FUCKEN BAND!!! Den Of Germs sent lyrics! I unfold the bio with “Beer And Anger” crankin’ in my headphones, and lo-and-behold! The third page: lyrics! The printed lyrics (or the lack thereof) can, and will, decide whether I hand over my hard-earned beer-allowance for a CD or not. No lyrics? No sale!
    But moving right along. D.O.G, self-proclaimed drunk metal punks, actually live up to their proclamation. Well… musically and lyrically, at any rate. They could be jolly bus-drivers, mild-mannered reporters, or that old bloke down the road who has two poodles called Queenie and Buttercup-Snugglebear for all I know. But considering they’re ex-members of Fear Of God, Have Mercy and Jakkpot, I somehow doubt it. And besides, that old bloke probably listens to Liza Minnelli and Charlie Pride anyways. Not Venom, Black Sabbath and Carnivore like these guys. D.O.G are fans of, and perfectly recreate, old-school heavy metal and punk. This 8-track promo of their 13-track full-length (that’s a lot of hyphens!) include songs such as “Cocktail”, which is about drinkin’ yourself into a booze-fumed oblivion and bumping uglies with a barmaid in the carpark. Or “Row House Stomp”. A timeless ditty about bein’ a Baltimore-bred grog-sponge with a penchant for Natty Boh and fisticuffs… although I put it a bit more eloquently than they did.
    So if you’re fond of Maker’s Mark with the Misfits, or Black Tooth Grins with Black Sabbath or just plain punchin’ the bejeezus out of unsuspecting victims, then Den Of Germs should be your cup of tea… hard-tea, obviously. And if it’s just struck you like a well-thrown beer-bottle that you don’t have enough (if any) booze companies in your myspace friends, then check out D.O.G’s top 20 mates. Maker’s Mark, Newcastle and Crown. All the companions a self-respecting drunk metal punk needs. Well… them, metal and punk.
    AND THEY PRINT LYRICS!!!
http://www.myspace.com/denofgerms , http://www.denofgerms.com

Production: 7/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 7/10; Vocals 7/10
OVERALL: 7/10

DESTROY EVERYTHING - "Freedom Of Speech Means Talk Is Cheap" (Trent City Records)
   
Style - Punk
    Origin - U.S.A.
    Taylor's Review: Destroy Everything is a punk band from Chicago that understands catchiness. They have common ground between the new and old punk sound. The abrasive sound of the classics meshed with the semi-pop sing-a-longs of the non-commercial currents. The one thing that stood in the way of this being a phenomonal  album is the vocalist. His use of a nasally high registered sound was mildly distracting from his strong ability to properly place his lyrical delivery in the music. I believe this is just a personal preference in punk vocals, and many others could easily see he is good at what he does. The band doesn't stray too far from traditional punk chording, the bassist holds his own though constructing solid catchy bass lines over the rest of the band's sound. Check them out, they really are quite good at what they do.
www.destroyeverything.com  - www.justrockpr.com 

Instruments: 7/10   Vocals: 7/10   Originality: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

DEVASTATOR - "Morbid Force"
    Style: Black Metal/Thrash
    Origin: N/A
    Heather's Review: Starting with the name Avathar and then changing their name to Devastator in 2003, this band is out to revive the old school black and thrash metal sound and style. The music is compelling, evil, aggressive, and addicting. The production quality of the cd was well done, and the quality of the music reminded me a lot of Kreator (A band that they actually played a show with at one point) The vocals have more of a black metal feel and the music that follows has definite thrash dynamics. The band also has other recording you can check out including "Infernal Devastation", and an album titled "The End". Following that, the band recorded a split cd with the Black Metal band, Blasphemer. In 2005, they recorded "Nuclear Proliferation" which was created in honor of the old days. Their newest creation is "Morbid Force", and they are working on the next assault, "Conjuring Evil" as we speak. Check them out if you a ready for a trip back to the good old days!   Find more info on them at www.morbidforce.com.

Production: 7/10    Vocals: 7/10    Originality: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

DISARRAY - “Edge Of My Demise” (Inner v.o.i.d. Records)
   
Style: Metal/Rock 
     Origin: U.S.A.
     Taylor’s Review: Disarray is a band from Tennessee that bridges the gap between rock and metal nicely. Taking gritty guitar driven tones laced with raspy vocals that move along at a mid to fast paced onslaught reminiscent of 70’s rock and 80’s thrash. The music on “Edge Of My Demise” is catchy with no shortage of attitude enhanced by a production that is anything but crisp, it’s dirty, and that’s part of the charm. Disarray has a strong work ethic and believes that anything worth doing takes hard work and drive. At 13 years of existence they show no signs of letting up. They have the talent to compliment their drive and I hope they succeed. Check them out. www.disarrayonline.com    www.myspace.com/disarray

Instruments: 7/10   Vocals: 9/10   Originality: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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

DOMINICI - "O3 A Trilogy - Part 3" - (Inside Out Records)
  
Style - Power/Prog Metal
    Origin - New York
    Robs Review: Once upon a time in, Charlie Dominici had stock in a band that would come to be the pinnacle in the world of progressive metal, inspiring a bevy of similar bands along the way and commanding respect throughout the metal world for years to come. That band was Dream Theater and the album was "When Dream and Day Unite". Unfortunately, Charlie cashed out his stock one album too early and was left floating in limbo for the next 15-20 years becoming a somewhat anonymous former member of a now famous band. There were reasons for his demise in the band and the split had been amicable. Sounds like the band decided a different singer would be a better fit and the rest was history.
    So what has Charlie been up to? Well, he ended up on skid row eating out of dumpsters and wearing old ladies shoes with no help at all from his former band mates and just about the time he was ready to give up and cash in his next stock for the afterlife a beacon of hope reaches down to him in the gutter and....wait a minute...that's not how it went. No, in fact, none of that happened. Although it would've made a better story. In the real story Charlie fell out of the music business for a fairly long stretch working as an automobile finance manager at one point. Then a few years back he managed to get back with his former bandmates for some onstage appearances for the 25th anniversary of his day in the sun. This then inspired him to get his ass in gear, so to speak, and return to what he was meant to do. To be honest I never like his voice in Dream Theater so I always thought it was a good move on their part to go another direction and we all know how that worked out. But enough about them....
    DOMINICI...I gotta admit I've never heard the first two of this three part trilogy O3. I've read that they were mostly on the acoustic side rather than the full on progressive metal that O3 A Trilogy - Part 3 has morphed into. And goddammit if Charlie's voice isn't anything like I remember. This guy has somehow gathered up the many storms above his head over the years and released them unto the world with F5 status. Its damn near a flawless performance for a dude his age. I guess when you're out of commission like he was you don't spend a lot of time wasting your pipes. It also helps that the rest of the band (former members of the band Solid Vision from Italy) is phenomenal and really was the perfect choice to compliment his voice. It does have slight similarities to the Dream Theater in parts but then most prog metal does these days. Mostly it's just aggressive as hell and really, very well written. There's not a wasted track on the album. You can tell this final installment in this three part conceptual undertaking was painstakingly thought out and mapped out exactly how they intended.
    So, no, it's not a "gutter to glory" story but by god its good enough in my mind. A lot of respect is deserved to Charlie for never giving up and realizing what he had. Nice job!! www.dominici.com - www.myspace.com/charliedominicimusic 

Production: 10/10    Performance: 10/10    Originality: 9/10    Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 9.5/10

DROWN IN HATE – “Promo 2007”
    Style - Modern Metal/Thrash Metal
    Origin - Finland
    Taylor’s Review - Finland has no shortage of talent. There has to be something in the water that feeds the musical prowess of their country. Drown in Hate play a style similar to a thrashier version of Machine Head with a little Grip Inc. thrown in. A strange American metal influenced release from a country that has its own sound for the most part. This is music that inspires both mosh pits and energetic stage shows, but really does not stand out too much. Drown in Hate is a talented metal band that with good music, but doesn’t hold my attention as much as the American metal bands I believe they try to emulate. www.myspace.com/drowninhate 

Instruments: 6/10   Vocals: 5/10   Originality: 5/10
Overall: 5/10

DUB TRIO - "Another Sound is Dying" (Ipecac)
    Style - Experimental/Instrumental Rock
    Origin - Brooklyn, NY
    Darren's Review - Dub Trio offers a release of hypnotic, instrumental rock and roll in varying fashion. The band is signed to Mike Patton's Ipecac records, and Mr. Patton does make an appearance on "No Flag", delivering the only vocal track on the album. This is their fourth album (three studio/one live). I can't comment on how their sound has or hasn't changed, but judging by this release, I think I will be inclined to explore earlier albums. The album opens up with a heavy hitter "Not For Nothing" that uses the guitar, bass and drums as a foundation as it loses you into mid-tempo bliss. As the album progresses it does a great job of graduating ambiance from track to track. Some resemble a calm and collected mood, while others get wild and crazy in parts and groovy and jazzy in others. The listener is left with a fresh feel by the time each track is finished. You aren't going to hear any blazin' solo's or riffs, but you will get a chance to experience something unique. I love instrumental albums, and this one is pretty good. Some tracks take awhile to develop, and some don't develop at all, and some are great.

www.dubtrio.com or www.myspace.com/dubtrio

Production/Engineering: 7/10;   Originality: 9/10 ;   Instruments: 7/10
Vocals: N/A
Overall: 7.5/10

DUST IS EVERYWHERE -"Attics and Catacombs" (Creeping Vine Productions)
    Style -Black Metal
    Origin - Creeping Vine is located in PA
    Heather's review - After the first note, I was addicted. This band kicks ass! With King Diamond inspired vocals (he once screamed, "Every Night To The Attic Shrine") and the primitive Gorgoth sound, D.I.E. is taking black metal to the next level. The gloomy feel of the music, the shrieking vocals, and the funeral-like drumming invite you into the attic with no hope of return. The cd is divided into 2 parts: Attics and Catacombs. With songs such as "Horrid Places"(Attics) and "Inhaling Cryptic Air" (Catacombs) the intoxicating rhythm and feel keeps you wanting more. This band is black metal at its finest. The cd production was very well done, and each creeping note is noticeable. The artwork for the cd, provided by Mike Hrubovcak (vocalist of Monstrosity, Vile, and Devine Rapture) has also done work for bands such as XXX Maniak, Mortician, Revolver Magazine, and the Relapse Slimewave Series. Check them out! Look for them at www.creepingvine.net

Vocals: 10/10;    Production: 10/10;   Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

DYING REGRET – “The Price Of Human Ruin” (self-released)
    Style – Metalcore/Bipolar Metal
    Origin – San Diego, CA
    Dion’s Review – You know what? I like everything about this band… except for the music! Isn’t that odd? I’m still scratchin’ my melon trying to nut-out why I really dig these guys, yet constantly fight the urge to hit the eject button. Am I a bad metalhead? Am I an intolerant music-fascist? I really don’t know. I just know that I don’t like this. I love the band name - even amongst all the other metalcore bands out there with variations of either ‘dying’ or ‘bleeding’ in their name… and there are just a couple - the album title’s awesome, the CD packaging, although a little lacking due to it’s self-released and promotional nature, promises to be professional, and the bio was well-written. I’ve just heard these guys plenty before. And I loathed it when I heard their predecessors doing this, too.
    It really is that bland, flavourless recipe of “Bipolar Metal” that we’re all used to, even if we change the station when we hear it. “We’ll roar and heavy it up for the verse, then I’ll sing for the chorus while you guys become tender. Then the bipolar meds will wear off, and we’ll do that all over again, then have a meaningful interlude before we do that verse/chorus for a third time. Then it’s valiantly onward to the passionate outro. Cool? Band meeting adjourned, then.” That meeting happened completely in my own imagination, but it comes with an hilarious picture of them jealously eyeballing each other’s Celtic/tribal tattoos and sipping iced chai, which I really wish you could all see. I know that was uncalled for, but I’m trying to make this review interesting enough so that you’ll make it to the ratings at the bottom. If you’re into As I Lay Dying, Between The Buried And Me, Bleeding Through, Everytime I Die, Bleed The Sky, After The Burial, Dead To Fall, bleeding, dying and being buried (or going to funerals), then you should check out the links below, too.
    And I can’t, in all good conscience, take credit for the term “Bipolar Metal”. That is thanks to my lovely wife. The poor woman weathers enough drama with my mood-swings. She doesn’t need to hear it when she flicks through radio stations too.
www.myspace.com/dyingregretmusic , www.dyingregret.com which takes you to their myspace, anyway.

Production: 10/10;   Originality: 2/10;   Instruments: 6/10;   Vocals 6/10
OVERALL: 6/10

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.auwww.dyscord.com

Production: 9/10;    Originality: 7/10;    Instruments: 8/10;    Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 7.5/10

DYSFUNCTIONAL BY CHOICE - "Travelling In Travel"
    Style: Grunge/Metal
    Origin: France
    Heather's Review: It has been a long time since I have heard a band that can pull off the grunge style well. This band makes a good attempt at it, and I can say that I was somewhat impressed. The music is full of heavily distorted guitars, contrasting song dynamics, and apathetic lyrics. Vocally, it is somewhat raspy, but it works. This is not the most original grunge band I have heard, but they have the talent to make that jump. The sound quality of the cd was ok, and I can imagine that this band would put on a good live show as well. I would recommend this band to anyone that is into hardcore grunge. Check them out at www.myspace.com or at www.DYSBY.com 

Originality: 7/10   Vocals: 7/10    Production: 7/10
Overall: 7/10 E

ERA VULGARIS -"What Stirs Within"
    Style - Progressive/Metal
    Origin - Ireland
    Heather's Review - With the ever growing style of progressive metal, "What Stirs Within" is just what the scene needs. The music is fast, the guitars are heavy, and the overall heavy metal melodic tone gives them originality.
    With their own label titled Open Your Ears Music, formed in order to gain the attention of those that choose to pass by unsigned musicians, as well as a full UK & Ireland distribution deal with PlasticHead/Code7 in order to line up more shows, they are one to look out for. With Rock Sound Magazine calling them "prog-metal overlords in waiting", Era Vulgaris is on the way to becoming one of the top progressive metal bands. Opening for bands such as Amon Amarth, Candlemass, and Entombed,their goal is to play their music live in front of their fans. As "one of the top 100 acts you have to know in 2007", you will sure to become a fan as well. Check them out at www.eravulgaris.com or www.myspace.com/eravulgaris

Production: 10/10;    Vocals: 10/10;    Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

EREBUS – “Prey For Our Nation” (self-released)
    Style – Heavy/thrash metal
    Origin – Green Bay/Madison, WI.
    Dion’s Review – “Erebus”. Interesting name for a band. It’s both the darkness the dead must pass through before they get to Hades in Greek mythology, and an active volcano on Antarctica’s Ross Island. Now I hope you’re all thinking either “these guys must be all about the majesty of death in battle with a band-name associated with Hades”, or “He’s gonna say that Erebus sound like a plane crash”. I have one thing to say to you all… “PSYCH!!!”
    This local thrash outfit are neither heroic, or a soundtrack to an aerial accident. They’re straight up thrash, with tinges of rock, and/or roll. For me the standout is the vocals. It’s all there; death growls, spoken-word that sounds Pattonesque, yells, squeals, whispers, and even a little raspy singing. I’m not trying to slight the band, though. The guitars are balanced in both the mix, and their tone. Not too much high, or low. The bass is there, and even gets a few of it‘s own moments, and the drums are tight and unpretentious. It’s everything a good heavy metal band needs. Nothing seems to drown out the other. I’m not saying the production’s as crisp and clean as unsoiled undies, but it’s well-balanced. There’s a couple of really kick-arse riffs, and a vocal build up in the opening track “Failure” (I think) that really impressed me. There’s even some groovy (dare I say “funky”?) moments as well that fit tighter than an 80s thrasher‘s jeans. I am told however that their live performance outshines their recording more than a really shiny thing does. Maybe some tin-foil, or a halogen lamp? They’re pretty shiny.
    At any rate, this is a solid heavy metal album that‘s not (in my opinion) even an obvious “let’s get back to our roots“ album. For all I know, these guys have been doin‘ heavy metal since before all the cool kids were doin‘ it. The same cool kids that thought women were selfish for keeping all the make-up for themselves, and discovered you can get high on cans of whipped cream.
http://www.myspace.com/erebuswi  ; http://www.erebusband.com 

Production: 6/10;   Originality: 6/10;   Instruments: 7/10;   Vocals 9/10
OVERALL: 7/10

ETERNAL DESCENT - "Losing Faith" (Incendium Records)
    Style: Metal/Industrial/ Experimental
    Origin: London
    Heather's Review: By far, this is the most interesting cd I have come across. The cd is based on a story, and each track represents a comic book. The music is surreal, with a lot of melody and rhythm, combined with hints of metal and an industrial feel. With emphasis on each individual story, vocalist Elysha West changes her tone and feel with each emotion that is expressed. She does an amazing job getting the listener to feel as the "characters" feel. With that, there are also sound effects, such as rain, to get the mood flowing. This 2-member group, headed by Llexi Leon, has split the cd into 3 chapters with 4 tracks. Each chapter is to be released separately as a 4 issue "mini-series". The cd sleeve itself portrays an anime picture of the main character, accompanied with artwork telling more of the story.
    The story, and the music, is very well done, and I recommend this to metal and Industrial fans alike. This is definitely a cd worth picking up. You can find more info on them at www.myspace.com/eternaldescent  or at www.eternaldescent.com  (which contains anime, games, videos, and more to further entertain)

Vocals: 10/10;   Originality: 10/10;   Production: 10/10
Overall:10/10

EVANGELI DVD - "...in sin"
    Style - Black/death metal/folk
    Origin - Sweden
    Heather's Review - After reviewing this DVD, the only thing I found wrong was the lack of participation from the crowd. The band kicked ass, with heavy riffs, pulsating drum sounds, and violins to keep it interesting. The clarity of the DVD was very well done (loved the graphics) and I loved the fact that the band added the song title on screen before the song begins. There is even a photo of the band included when you open it up. What distracted me was that fact that it's not until a multitude of songs go by that the crowd made any visible interest! There was no headbanging or anything....which is surprising because the band played great!! That's not a reason not to get this though, I would Definitely recommend getting this!! It is well worth it!!!! Check them out at www.evangeli.se , info@evangeli.se  or they can be found at www.myspace.com/evangeli

Clarity: 9/10   Production: 9/10   Creativity: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

EZURATE – “An Ending To Revela