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Feb2007 ~ April 2007
A Prelude To Our Demise
Corporate Punishment
Montreal's 3 Mile Scream unleash 10 songs (not including the 1 minute "Prelude") of unrelenting and brutal metal on their debut, A Prelude to Demise. They blend various types of metal, from lightning fast thrash, to brutal death, to a healthy dose of melodic metalcore thrown in as well.
The assault starts with "Mourning the Lost", a quick paced affair with lots of chug chug riffing mixed up with some good melodic bits as well. Vocalist Matt McGachy showcases great range with his voice, at times screaming with all his might, other times singing clean, finally throwing in some guttural growling. Guitarists Alex Delis and Kyle Kozlan play well together, keeping the riffs tight and the melody's smooth, showcasing some good leads as well. The rhythm section of Mike Marino on bass and Norm Geneau on drums keep the pace going, including throwing in some nice time changes. "Our Blackened Sun" is mostly a straight forward metalcore ditty, complete with the requisite breakdown midway through the song.
By the time we get to "Escape the Irony", things start to drag on for me a bit. It seems as if I've heard most of this already on the disc. The riffs start to blur, the chugging riffs especially, and I started to tire of McGachy's voice a bit, too. Maybe I just need to listen to this in small doses.
3 Mile Scream have some great stuff here, but it starts to get muddled up a bit to my ears. If you are a fan of metalcore (especially Shadows Fall, who 3MS tend to remind me of), you should definitely have this disc.
B- -Goz
Eschaton
Season of Mist
Britain's Anaal Nathrakh are a two piece band (although there are some guest musicians on this disc, most notably bassist Embryonymous - I am sure you can figure who that is), that play a style that is best described as black grindcore. Lightning fast beats (from programmed drums, although they sound better than a lot of the sampled/triggered drums on some current releases do), eardrum shredding screams, and total chaos reign on Eschaton from beginning to end.
Let's pick out a couple of songs here. "Between Shit and Piss we are Born" wins not only best song title, but is also one of the standout cuts. Chock full of blast beats, lot's of ear piercing screechy vocals, and lightning quick guitar runs, it also features some clean singing parts to try and balance things out a bit. "The Yellow King" slows things down a bit, compared to the rest of the disc, anyway. We get sections of almost mid-paced riffs for a bit, still some blast beats as expected, but not straight through as in most of the other songs. There's even a hint of melody in there at times. "Regression to the Mean" ends the disc, and is the most industrial sounding track here. Slow, plodding, heavy as can be, and completely mechanical sounding.
Don't let the "industrial" tag this band sometimes get scare you away, as only the last track has an industrial feel to it. The programmed drums might be what lead people to mention the industrial tag when talking about the band, but they sound just fine and fit the music well. If you want some all out chaotic grinding black metal (or black grindcore, or whatever), then get this disc and be prepared to leave some of your hearing at the door.
B -Goz
Black And White
BombWorks Records
Behind an amateurish album cover is a solid disc of blackened, folk-tinged "elf" metal, courtesy of this Ukrainian 2-man project band. Plenty of thundering double kick drumming, guitar/keyboard heroics, and raspy, melodic black vocals. All of this is infused with a lot of folky instrumental melodies. It's heavy throughout, and a cool hybrid of elements. It also has a strong production, especially for a self-financed/produced effort. You can check out an mp3 at the BombWorks website.
The lyrics are sung in their native tongue; the lyric book contains an English translation so you can get the gist of what they're talking about. Aside from one bizarre twist where the tune becomes an orchestrated 1950's doo-wop song for several bars before an apocalyptic text recitation (in "Babylon Will Fall"), the chemistry works well.
B- -Mark Fields
The Upcoming Terror (re-issue)
Marquee Records
In addition to its catalog of recently-recorded offerings, Brazil's Marquee Records has licensed early titles by a couple of cult thrash acts from the 1980's. The Upcoming Terror is the first of two Assassin titles slated for reissue. Back in late '86/early '87, this debut was somewhat overlooked in a bumper crop of other (more) amazing thrash offerings by more established contemporaries. And although Assassin never ascended to the royalty of their countrymen Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator, the bands' original two albums were nevertheless worthy and deserved more recognition than they received.
The music on TUC is completely manic, breakneck Germanic thrash. If you've heard Riders Of Doom by Deathrow, then you have a general idea: songs played with much speed, energy, talent, and conviction...but, as a young band, not quite to the same caliber of the top tier. To their credit, vocalist Robert's lyrics were exceptionally good, incorporating a healthy amount of social content (alongside a lot of sci-fi) well ahead of the curve. The production was a bit thin on the original version, but Marquee's remastering job has really helped bring bite out on the guitars and beefed up the low end considerably, so it's a much heavier experience this time around.
I should point out that this reissue FAR surpasses the original version in all other respects, as well: the booklet has doubled in size, full color with lyrics, liner notes, and tons of photos and flyers; the remaining artwork, while faithful to the original, has been tweaked for a much more impressive visual impact; and, most importantly, the original 9-track album has been supplemented (across a 2-disc set) with 11 early demo tracks and a 10-song live set from 1987! It's safe to say that no version of The Upcoming Terror will surpass this. Given Marquee's loving treatment of this minor classic, along with the early Sacrifice albums, the forthcoming reissue of Interstellar Experience, Assassin's 1988 follow-up, should be well worth your money as well. Totally mandatory for all German thrash aficionados. The "B" grade below is for the actual album. For the "criterion edition" treatment, Marquee gets an "A".
B -Mark Fields
Monument Bineothan
Candlelight
Norway’s Benea Reach chug their way through their debut, Monument Bineothan, with the power of three guitarists. With three guitarists, you’d think the music would be quite heavy, and for the most part it is. That said, most of the heaviness is obtained with standard metalcore chug-chug low string riffing that gets old fairly quickly. They do offer some pretty nice melodic riffs(also pretty standard for metalcore) such as the opening riff in “Purge” and some parts of “Torch” to pick out a couple highlights. With its repetitiveness, it’s tough to make it through the whole disc at once. If you do make it far enough, the overlong “Venerate” and spacey instrumental closer “Drapery” will probably lose you, as they did with me.
While certainly not breaking any new ground here, Benea Reach will probably appeal to fans of metalcore looking for something new to play in between listening to All That Remains, Killswitch Engage, and The Devil Wears Prada.
D+ -Goz
Here Come the Waterworks
Hydra Head
It's amazing, really, how hard this record rocks. I'm tempted to write the issue's shortest review and just tell you go to out and get this CD because it rocks so hard. But, I guess that wouldn't be responsible of me, now would it?
Admittedly, I had my doubts about these guys at first because I've never been a fan of the duo approach of just bass and drums (along with some added "guitar noise", as they describe it in the liner notes), but I have to say, you'd never know by listening that there's such a minimal
set-up behind this mammoth rocking sound. Bassist/vocalist, Jared Warren,
and drummer Coady Willis have concocted a brash, heavy, in-your-face sophomore offering worthy of widespread attention. Thing is, as heavy and pummeling as this record is, there's a significant amount of melody that hooks you, and keeps you humming along, which is something a lot of metal and heavy rock bands seem to overlook. Melody was...is...and will always be what separates memorable music from the stuff that sort of just fades out of the memory banks and Warren and Willis clearly understand that fury and
heaviness can happily co-exist with melody.
If the name Big Business is
familiar to you, perhaps it's because both members of BB are also current members of the legendary Melvins and play on their latest release, "A Senile Animal" (might I add that this is the best Melvins record in years...incredible). The Melvins connection actually makes a lot of sense, because when listening to "Here Comes the Waterworks", the Melvins influence is obvious, and their sound does come to mind. The Melvins, of course, are very adept at using the secret weapon of melody and mixing it in with their incredibly heavy sound. After listening to this superb record, it's easy to understand how these guys may have helped breathe a little bit of new life into the Melvins. Since picking this one up, I've had a hard time keeping it far from my car's CD player. In particular, track four, "Grounds for Divorce" keeps me coming back for more with it's incredible drumming and chorus that's so contagious, I find myself singing it to myself at odd times during the day. "I'll Give You Something to Cry About" (hey, who's dad didn't use that line when growing up?) is a brooding, menacing melodic
masterpiece that swings and stomps all over the place.
Ok, so like I said
before, go out and get this CD...because it really does rock so hard.
-Chuck Ferreira
Thrash Metal
Candlelight
Classic thrash invades Norway again thanks to former Emperor drummer Bard “Faust” Eithun. Blood Tsunami comes out all guns firing on this 8 song debut, the quartet showcasing a love for the 80’s scene in Europe as well as abroad, especially for the early Bay Area/ LA thrash movement. Songs like “Rampage Of Revenge” and “Devoured By Flames” take huge inspiration from Slayer’s “Reign In Blood”, Exodus’ “Bonded By Blood” and the catalog of Destruction. The production befits their raw, uncompromising attitude about the music they play- you won’t hear a wimpy mosh breakdown or a tender ballad taking the ferocity away. You can close your eyes and move back into 1983-1986 with your studs, bullet belts and denim jacket filled with your favorite band patches…even the 10 minute instrumental epic "Godbeater" will stand toe to toe next to your old Metallica favorites.
If I were rating this merely on music, Blood Tsunami would get an above average grade. However, the raspy black metal delivery from guitarist/vocalist Pete Evil severely detracts from my normal enjoyment.
Don’t get me wrong- I like Mille’s style sandpaper throat burn as much as I enjoy a Chuck Billy presentation. I just feel that his rough and tumble approach could use some refinement to match the precise riffs and arrangements. Good for when I need to kick out the aggression inside of me- but not a permanent lifetime act as of yet.
C (B for music, D for vocals...meeting in the middle) -Matt Coe
Apparitia - Sumptuous Spectre
Paragon Records
Celestia’s Apparitia – Sumptuous Spectre was originally released in 2002 by Full Moon Productions. Paragon Records presents it here in a completely remastered state, with all new artwork, to celebrate the bands signing to Paragon Records.
On Apparitia… Frances Celestia gives us 8 tracks of unrelenting, moody black metal. Slightly more melodic that the standard old school Norweigan black metal (e.g. Dark Throne), the band still works at a break-neck pace most of the time, and Noktu’s vocals tend towards a mostly raspy style. Speaking of the vocals, they are mixed very low, at times buried by the wiry guitar and lightning fast bass lines.
The opener, “The Awakening of the Dominant Fiancée”, presents the bands abilities strongly, with a super fast opening, ear shredding vocals, and the aforementioned ultra fast bass lines. They slow things down for a bit mid-song, with a nice little guitar solo and a bit more atmosphere in place of pure brutality and speed. This song structure is repeated in some of the other tracks, which can get a bit monotonous. “Wandering Through the Past Memories” is probably the standout track here. It’s a mid-paced track, with a somewhat catchy and melodic main riff, and some interesting drum parts and vocal lines as well. It’s a departure from their basic song structure used in many of the other tracks.
Overall, Apparitia – Sumptuous Spectre is a decent record, and will probably be well received by black metal fans everywhere. It does show some promise, so we’ll have to wait and see what Celestia does with their next full length, due sometime later this year.
C+ -Goz
From Beale Street to Oblivion
DRT Entertainment
Point:
First I'll tell you what Clutch sounds like. Then I'll tell you why From Beale Street to Oblivion is a great album to start with. I'm assuming, of course, that all the veteran Clutch fans out there have already made this purchase. Unless they work too much or something.
I tend to think of Clutch as blue-collar metal, but it's impossible to fit Clutch into any one genre. They do it all. If I could, I would dub thee drinkin-beers-in-the-woods-dancin-rings-around-the-fire music. To simplify, Clutch is good old rock n' roll but at the same time fresh and new. You know those timeless classics that get played for decades upon decades? Like Sabbath, The Doors, Zeppelin, The Beatles and such? Clutch sounds like all that and then some. They have this extraordinary ability to take their beloved influences, partnered with their soulful multi-talents, and invent what is some of the sweetest things in life. It's almost otherworldly. To top it off, the lyrics accompanying their unusual sound are such delicious mind candy, you can't help but become lost in it. Amazing art on their many albums as well. For more information visit Clutch's website pro-rock.com.
Though usually prominent in the signature Clutch style, blues is the major influence of From Beale Street to Oblivion. Along with plenty of punk, southern-rock, soul, funk, and the kitchen sink even. The opening two tracks, "You Can't Stop Progress" and "Power Player," are fast paced, Bad Brains-influenced, empowering songs that'll instigate wonder and make you laugh at the same time. Primarily upbeat, most of the tracks have a catchy, sexy groove to them with lots of twang in the guitar and riffs that you find yourself still humming hours later. I can't even explain in words how phenominal Jean Paul Gaster is on the drums, just know that he has other rock stars stalking him because he's THAT good. You get the idea.
Guest artists that joined Clutch on the songs "White's Ferry," "Electric Worry," and "Mr. Shiny Caddylackness" (the latter two are my favorite on this album) are Bryan Hinkley on guitar and Eric Oblander on harp. The harmonica puts some added sweet emotion into these songs. "Electric Worry," starts off slow (half cover of Mississippi Fred McDowell's "Fred's Worried Life Blues") and builds to a clap-happy soul festival (half Clutch) before slowing again to a tease. I love songs that climax and this one has not one or two, but three. Then it goes straight into the newly re-recorded, "One Eye Dollar," from Jam Room. "Mr. Shiny Caddylackness" has a hypnotizing sexy sound and that preacher-like singing style Neil Fallon can pull off like no other.
With that said, From Beale Street to Oblivion is an excellent choice to begin your initiation to the Clutch fandom. As every fan knows, a new Clutch CD is like the next book in your favorite book chronicle being released. A whole new story to enjoy. Different but with the same strong backbone you already know so well. Constantly expanding and maturing to bring you new flavors to luxuriate in. Indulge yourself in Clutch's latest bundle of gifts and you might end up in oblivion.
Clutch appeals to even the people who normally can't stand the music I listen to. Every metal head knows how closed-minded most non-metal heads can be, so that says a lot. Clutch puts the soul back in music. I can guarantee that Clutch will be influencing musicians as long as there are instruments to play with. I can't wait to see what their influence spawns in coming generations. I guess I should admit that my opinion may be a tad biased. The reason being that Clutch is in fact the ONLY band that can make me dance in public. Bravo.
A -
Alesha Brunell
Counterpoint:
I should have seen this coming. I should have seen this coming a LONG time ago...Clutch has made it official--no more are they bringers of heavy stoner-style, metal-esque heavy rock. Instead the once mighty Clutch have plunged headlong into the sound they experimented with on their last (and very disappointing) release, Robot Hive/Exodus. What exactly is this sound, you may be asking yourself. While not simple to describe, we've all heard it before--Clutch has the blues and they're ready to dole it out by the truckload.
To be fair, Clutch were never really a metal band, per se, rather incorporating elements of heavy rock, hardcore (in the early days), and mixing it with a dose of boogie-metal stomp, a la Black Sabbath. With the release of From Beale Street to Oblivion, though, Clutch have gone down the path of Americana-blues-rock n' roll...not that it's necessarily a bad thing, it's just that for those of us who grew up with the "heavy" version of Clutch, the new sound is, well...a bit disappointing. If you're a big fan of classic rock radio, then you'll love this new record. Clutch seemingly have taken a time machine back to the early 70s and are now playing along side bands like Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Uriah Heep, and Mountain. The Hammond Organ-through Leslie speaker sound that showed up on Robot Hive (courtesy of new member, Mick Shauer) is ALL over this new release. I'm a personal fan of the Hammond organ sound, but not on a Clutch record. It seems that they were, perhaps, a bit too influenced by retro-stoner stalwarts The Spiritual Beggars a few years back when they toured with them. There are moments when the organ parts are just plain annoying because the songs would sound much better without the "cha-cha-cha"
sound of the whirling Hammond forcing its way each moment of every song. I won't even begin to get into all the silly harmonica parts on this record (and there are plenty).
There ARE moments when you hear that old, powerful Clutch and long for them to rock hard again, in particular the title track, ironically called "You Can't Stop Progress" and track number two, "Power Player". Tim Sult's guitar work, backed by J.P. Gasters swinging Bonham-esque drumming (note to all, Gaster is one of the best hard rock drummers in the business, regardless of the weak record), bring to mind those classic Clutch moments. Neil Fallon's lyrics are still a work of art, and his vocal delivery is always strong and never boring. But, in the end it's just not enough to save this record from tumbling down the slope of retro-rock mediocrity. It's just not that good, plain and simple.
As a longtime Clutch fan, having seen them countless times, I'm not happy about having to come to terms with the fact that these guys are simply getting older...mellowing out...and morphing into a bluesy, beer-bar, fun-time rock n' roll band. If this is progress, I want no part of it.
-Chuck Ferreira
The Morrigan's Call
Candlelight
Cruachan are the epitome of Celtic folk metal. They take elements of brutal metal, namely heavily distorted guitar riffs, huge drums, and growling vocals, and add them to folk elements, including a tin whistle, mandolin, banjo, and other various stuff you wouldn't normally find in typical metal songs.
The opener, "Shelob" kicks in like you would expect a metal album to kick in - heavy and fast, then slows down and gets quieter about 40 seconds in, when the more folk influenced part starts. The band is adept at mixing the two very different sounds, going from one to the other almost seamlessly, and often combining the two flawlessly (as in "The Old Woman in the Woods", for example). They even cover the old Irish standard "The Wild Rover", renamed here to "The Very Wild Rover", and do a great job at it.
I'm usually not a huge fan of folk metal bands. I typically lost interest in them after a song or two as it just seems to get old and boring to me. Cruchan's The Morrigan's Call has something that kept my interest. Quite possibly, it's the beautiful voice of Karen Gilligan, which plays in perfect contrast to the gruff growling of Keith Fay. Possibly, it's just that it's good, and all the other folk metal I've heard is crap. If I owned a bar, I would play this for the unsuspecting patrons on Saint Patrick's Day.
A- -Goz
Breath of the Demiurg
Mascot Records
Demiurg is the new band from Ribspreader/Paganizer frontman Rogga Johansson, also featuring Johan Berglund on bass and Dan Swäno on drums and lead guitar, as well as handling the production. Demiurg was put together by Johansson to showcase some of his more melodic music ideas, and it shows right from the start on Breath of the Demiurg.
From the opener, "The Dreams Without End", to the closer, "Sarnath", you are treated to some brutally heavy, yet still melodic, death metal here. Most tracks are slightly faster than mid-paced, with huge and memorable riffs being the anchoring theme for each song. Vocals are mainly growled and gruff, although "Monolithany" and "Monolithany Pt. II" feature more of a black metal style raspy singing (along with some almost blast beats), and "The Primitive Machinery" has dual tracked hi-low vocals in parts.
Recorded at Unisound and produced by Swäno, you should know what to expect in the sound department - that is top notch all the way. Heavy, clear, and superb are the first things that come to mind about the production here.
There is nothing overly surprising here, but if heavy, melodic Swedish death metal is your thing, then Breath of the Demiurg is for you.
B+ -Goz
In Sorte Diaboli
Nuclear Blast
Norway’s Dimmu Borgir bring us their first concept album (the bands eighth release overall), In Sorte Diaboli, a decidedly tough to categorize release. Dimmu Borgir mixes elements of black metal (their musical foundation) with classical and symphonic elements, clean vocals giving a slightly gothic feel, and powerful riffs that could fit well into a straight rock n’ roll song.
“The Serpentine Offering” begins with a well orchestrated bit that sounds as if it could be part of the soundtrack for a major motion picture. From there, the heaviness kicks in, and brings us one of the best riffs on the album, and leads us into a nice clean vocal part towards the end of the song. A great opener, showcasing all the different moods the band offers, as well as setting the stage for what is still to come. “The Chosen Legacy” follows, and it’s another great track. This one features a bit more keyboards than the opener, and again has some great catchy riffs and good vocal melodies (including a chant-along chorus that is sure to go over well live).
If I were forced to pick a favorite track (it’s a difficult task since they are all great), it might be “The Conspiracy Unfolds”, with a good combo of fast beats, melodic riffs, and some eerie spoken word parts to keep things fresh. The album continues on, unrelenting in its power and precision, all the way to the closing track “The Foreshadowing Furnace”, a crushingly heavy cut that is a great ending to a masterful recording.
Dimmu Borgir show an amazing amount of talent on this disc. The songwriting is top notch, as is the musicianship presented here. Songs are full of catchy riffs, good vocal lines, numerous time changes, all while retaining an unmatched heaviness. In Sorte Diaboli is very likely to be in my top list of the year.
A+ -Goz
Infernal Rise
Candlelight
Diskreet bring us 7 songs of pure techno-grindcore frenzy, straight from Topeka, Kansas, on Infernal Rise, their debut EP. This will be a quick and dirty review, much like the EP itself. From the onset, we get brutalized with insanely fast blast beats, ripping guitar lines, and insane high-low grind vocals. You basically get the same thing for the whole 26 minutes here, with a brief respite for a couple Sin City quotes ("Worth dying for, Worth killing for, Worth going to hell for", "Blood for blood, and by the gallons").
Usually when I like a disc that is short like Infernal Rise, I wish it was longer so there was more to enjoy. In this case, I am glad it it's a short piece, because the repetition and sameness of each song doesn't bother as much as if it was a full release and twice as long. With a bit more work and dare I say "polish", this bands next release could be something great.
B -Goz
Rise and Conquer
Red Steam
Right out of the gate, Rise and Conquer comes out and grabs you, with an amazing riff to the opening title track. After a brief spoken bit, the vocals kick in, proclaiming "This is a call to arms, This is a call for darkness, This is a call to victory, this is a call to WAR!". That, my friends, is a chorus that should have everyone that sees this band live screaming along - totally brilliant.
From there, they don't let up much for the length of the disc. Mixing brutal death metal music (with a tinge of blackness) with mostly black metal style vocals, Forest of Impaled show that they can create heavy, yet catchy riffs, and the vocal lines are all impressive, with nearly every song having a chorus like the first song - that is, something you can envision a packed house screaming along with while throwing horns in approval.
Forest of Impaled have created a vicious slab of music with Rise and Conquer. Seek this out and get it, you won't be disappointed.
B+ -Goz
We Must Obey
Liquor and Poker
Already being hailed by many as their best release to date, We Must Obey
is a welcome breath of fresh air in scene cluttered with mediocrity. The great thing about Fu Manchu is that you know what you're going to get when they release a new CD...big fuzzed out guitar-hook laden exercises in stoner meets skater rock from the West Coast. These guys invented this sound, and nobody does it better (that includes YOU Nebula)...nobody.
Another band slapped with the "stoner rock" moniker, Fu Manchu are actually much more than that. Oh sure, they're definitely the "poppy" alternative to the crushing heaviness of fellow desert rockers (albeit defunct for a long time) Kyuss, but there are equal parts punk and straight-up rock with enough energy to power a small country, and We Must Obey takes it up a couple notches from their underrated, and largely ignored, 2004 release Start the Machine with vigor and authority. This sounds like a band renewed and confident in their ability to seriously bring the rock, and that's what they do. Don't get the wrong impression, though...there are still some great psychedelic, bonged-out slow burners to be found here, but the the difference is that those moments seem more focused and never extend their welcome. There's not a weak moment in the song sequence with the record kicking off with the swagger and "smack-you-in-the-head" stomp of the title track, into the ultra cool riffing of "Knew It All Along", and continuing to the end with the trippy, but accessible, "Sensei vs. Sensei".
Worth mention here is that these guys pull of an excellent cover of the Cars classic, "Moving in Stereo". I'm usually not a big fan of including cover songs on an official release, but this one works well within the context of the entire sequence.
With some big label support from Century Media, We Must Obey could turn out to be a second break-out record for these guys...ushering in a new, and better, period of the mighty Fu. Here's hoping. Long live Fu Manchu.
B+ -Chuck Ferreira
From These Wounds
Candlelight
Funeral's From These Wounds is an epic doom disc, full of melancholy and sadness, giving the listener a truly somber feeling from beginning to end. This is no surprise, as Funeral is one of the bands that started the so-called "funeral doom" sub-genre.
Rarely (alright, never) getting much pace to the music, the 8 songs here plod along, leaving in their wake a massive feeling of morosity. The guitars are ultra-heavy, downtuned way low, and lay a solid foundation to the music. There are also layers of keyboards thrown in, adding to the melancholic state that this music is likely to put you in. "Pendulum" is my pick for best song here. Starting at an almost stand-still pace, the first two minutes of this 9+ minute beast are all about laying down atmosphere and preparing you for what is to come. While it takes a while to get there, the final 2 minutes or so offer some pummeling riffs, and some good twin guitar lead work that brings the track to a close.
Funeral show why they've been around for 15+ years (albeit with a recent 4-year hiatus), creating a masterful collection of music that comes From These Wounds.
B+ -Goz
UTD
Candlelight
Where do I start with this, Furze's first US release. Well, it's called UTD, and it's split in two parts. The first 4 songs are referred to as "Beneath the Odd-Edge Sounds of the Twilight Contract of the Black Fascist", and the final 4 are "The Wealth of the Penetration in the Abstract Paradigms of Satan". It's too bad they didn't put the same effort into writing and recording the music as they did in writing the titles for the two parts of the album (or the song titles, for that matter, as they are equally wordy).
The sound on this is quite poor, even for an old-school black metal record. It sounds as if the band is playing in a remote location, with a cell phone propped up in the room, and the bass player is on the other end with a recorder putting it all onto the tape. The drums, guitars, and vocals are atrocious sounding, while the bass is annoyingly loud and overshadows everything else. On top of that, there just isn't a whole lot of anything memorable going on in the music. It is mostly blast beats, trebly guitar riffs, and vocals with way too much echo effect (must be from the bad cell phone reception while recording).
Furze just doesn't do anything for me, aside from making me find something else to listen to.
F -Goz
Second War in Heaven
Fudgeworthy
Gonkulator is a Boston based band, playing what could best be described as black noise. What you get is a noisy soundtrack to the armageddon, complete with indecipherable vocals sung through a pitch shifter type effect that gives them a low, distorted sound.
"Full Moon Over Schlagen" is the instrumental opener, which almost sounds as if it could be the soundtrack to a zombie movie. From there, we get "Banish the Holy Trinity", a mostly slow, doomy and moody bit with bunches of distorted guitar being the main focus. Most of the songs here are similar in layout, with mid/slow tempo, droning guitars, and gargling vocals.
If you are a fan of the noisy stuff, get Second War in Heaven, and "Hail the Black Noise".
B- -Goz
Considered Dead & The Erosion of Sanity (re-issues)
Metal Mind
I remember when Considered Dead came out in 1991. The vocals, somewhere between Chuck Schuldiner and Martin van Drunen, were positively sick. The music, although inspired by Death, was not derivative of it. Considered Dead incorporated more time changes than the Death albums that preceded it, and the uglier form of death metal Gorguts was churning out on its debut disc was even more of a drastic backdrop for some of the eerie melodies that leader Luc Lemay laid down in his solos. The confidence, skill, and style of these leads belied the fact that he'd only been playing guitar for 4 years or so at the time the disc was recorded. It's been some years since I last heard this album, but I'm glad to have it again. It takes some effort to decipher the riffs through Scott Burns' slightly murky guitar production (it only sounds adequately clear on one of 3 good stereos I've spun it on), but track after track is chock full of a surprisingly accomplished marriage of memorable writing and technical prowess. Considered Dead was a great start! The two bonus tracks on this reissue are pre-production tracks for the album.
Hearing some of the more technical (and then-new) Morrisound projects while recording Considered Dead there, Lemay returned home with fresh inspiration for new songs. The resulting Erosion of Sanity album - helped out by a quantum leap in mix quality - delivered in spades, and saw the band
going to further extremes in terms of time changes and dynamics. Additionally, the songs  themselves were even more memorable. Everything good about the debut came into full bloom on Erosion. Few death metal bands in 1993 were churning out music so simultaneously brutal, technical, progressive, and memorable. A freaking classic slab of death metal. Every song a killer. The two bonus tracks on this reissue are pre-production tracks for the album.
Given the demand for these vintage Roadrunner titles, Metal Mind could easily have cheesed out and slapped together a second-rate, bare bones campaign for a quick buck and gotten away with it. Instead, no effort was spared to give the fans the definitive presentation: liner notes and bios (by Luc Lemay and Deron "CKY" Miller here, respectively), full-color expanded booklets, bonus material, and individually numbered digipak cases (full color inside and out) with a handsome flood coat of dull varnish. I no longer have my original copies to which I could compare the sonics of the remastering, but these sound fine. For the limited production run (2000 of each title) and fair price, Metal Mind earns top marks for going to such lengths to deliver.
B+ (Considered Dead)
A (The Erosion of Sanity) -Mark Fields
Baptised in Fire
Black Mark
This Swedish power metal troop originally started their label dealings with Black Lotus who released their debut “Mark Of The Warrior” in 2004.
Following the demise of this Greek company they spent the majority of 2005 and 2006 working on the follow up while breaking in a second guitarist Carl Berglund as well as a new bass player in Mats Vassejord. Black Mark took the initiative to re-sign the group and now we have the 14 song follow up Baptised In Fire ready for analysis.
Vocalist Stefan Embretsson will make an immediate impression because his commanding screams and sustained note propensity will either delight you or drain you- the former occurs in my eyes during faster tracks like “Demon Dealer” while the latter seems to take place in the slower movements like “Sorrow”. Picture an Edguy/Tobias Sammett-like delivery but taken to more of an extreme in the higher range and you’ll get the idea. Musically Haterush play power metal with an 80’s affiliation- intertwining say the German sound of a Helloween with the American precision of Liege Lord during their “Master Control” days. My favorite songs include the mid-tempo anthemic monster “The Chalice” as well as the barn burner “Danger”. The vocals and snare drum command in the production department, leaving a lot of the guitar riffing and bass playing to more of a shadow in their arrangements.
Overall I would say that this has a heavier emphasis on the metal portion and not as flowery as you would expect from most newer generation acts. I believe a third album will see their ship steered on the right course as the riffing, songs and talent is there.
C+ -Matt Coe
In Concert: Out of the Shadows (DVD)
MVD Visual
This concert DVD of a David Brock-led version of Hawkwind is an interesting look at what Hawkwind has been up to for most of the last decade. It is filmed at the Newcastle Opera House in Newcastle, England on December 4th 2002. The line-up consists of founding member David Brock (guitar, synths, vocals), Alan Davey (bass, vocals), Hugh Lloyd Langton (guitar, vocals), Timothy Blake (keyboards, vocals), Richard Chadwick (drums), as well as recently added member Arthur Brown (of sixties hit fame “Fire”, you know that song, “Fire, I’ll teach you to learn/Fire, I’ll teach you to burn!) on lead vocals. Although Arthur’s voice sounded like it has seen better days his presence added an extra psychedelic addition to the sound, even though they didn’t do his aforementioned hit “Fire”.
The setlist covered an impressive 35 year cross section of Hawkwind’s body of work, with a concentration of the In Search of Space through Doremi Fasol Latido period of the early 70’s – the Lemmy years - made all that much more convincing with this lineup reinforced by bass player and Lemmy protégé (clone?) Alan Davey, who gave an excellent impersonation of both Lem’s vocals, stage presence, and bass riffs. Even as an impersonation, Alan Davey proved that he’s equally adept as the mighty Kilminster in giving this line-up both the hypnotic propulsion and the impenetrable space anchorage that was at the core of the Hawkwind sound during the Lemmy years.
The overall sound of the band was decent and gave the guilty pleasure of watching a Hawkwind gig a strange respectability, despite the fact that the set lacked the rawness of the Nik Turner led Space Ritual lineup. The one big bonus to this DVD is the extensive hour-plus Dave Brock interview. He gives many insights into the timeline of Hawkwind and even delving into each member and how they came into the Hawkwind fold over the years, the best story being Lemmy’s time with the band and the feud between Brock and Nik Turner, whom he said he hasn’t talked to since the court case (that Brock eventualy won to stop Nik from touring under the Hawkwind name).
Overall this DVD is a good time capsule of a 21st Century Hawkwind and I would recommend it to anyone mildly interested in hearing what the pioneers of space rock have been up to in the last 10 years or so!
B+ -Matt Smith (with contributions from Matt Caswell)
There's No 666 In Outer Space
Ipecac
Hella is one of those unclassifiable bands, please let me explain. If you took Les Claypool and had him take singing lessons from Mike Patton and had him sing for a band consisting of members of the Jesus Lizard, Primus, and King Crimson you would have a band called Hella. Original in their sound due to the fact they’re heavy but in the prog rock sense not a metal sense.
“World Series” kicks off the CD with a frenetic riff that is backed by sporadic yet methodic drum rhythms and eventually crashes and burns into a mish mash of saxophone and noise before coming back to the song. “Let Your Heavies Out” sounds like Alice in Chains, at some points resurrecting Layne Staley on vocals. “The Ungrateful Dead”, “Friends Don't Let Friends Win” continue the overall sound of the album and “The Things That People Do When They Think No One's Looking” slows the pace down a bit. “Hand That Rocks The Cradle” gets my vote for catchiest sounding song on this record and “2012 And Countless” has a nice noise intro that segues into lyrics repeating “There's No 666 In Outer Space” which leads one to think it’s the title track (tricky stoner trick, but I didn’t fall for it! ; ). “Anarchists Just Wanna Have Fun” has a different vibe from the other songs in the approach to the guitar sound and playing, almost a rusty string! vibe. “Dull Fangs” keeps with the general flow where “Soundtrack To Insecurity” has my vote for second catchiest sounding song on the record with some backwards tracked sections of the song for an added demented touch. The title track “There's No 666 In Outer Space” ends up a heavy jam and then sneaks in a hidden section that you must keep listening for (a trick that is overused now but always fun!).
Hella apparently didn’t have a lead vocalist before this record so I really don’t know how different they were before, but all I know is this CD is one of the most interesting discs I’ve heard in awhile!
B -Matt Smith
Conqueror
Hydra Head
Perhaps one of the most-anticipated releases of 2007, Conqueror is everything it was expected to be. Equal parts "metal-gaze", dense-wall-of-guitar, and melodic, Conqueror is a huge sounding, heavy, lush, and beautiful offering from the one-time Godflesh mastermind, Justin Broadrick. Where Godflesh melded the cold heavy industrial sound with doom metal, Jesu instead chooses a warmer, but equally dense sound to get across lyrical output that certainly seems more personal.
What's amazing about "Conqueror" is that a record can be so heavy (does anyone tune their guitar lower than Justin Broadrick?) and beautiful at the same time. Fans of My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" will appreciate the obvious nod of respect Broadrick gives to the enigmatic Kevin Sheilds, but beyond the huge, dissonant layers of guitar lies a compositional style more akin to pop sound, as opposed to an avant garde electronica and tape loop web.
Employing the services of former Prong drummer (who also played on the last Godflesh release) Ted Parsons and bassist Diarmuid Dalton (also on the last Godflesh record), the chemistry is perfect, and throughout the massive and dense sound there's a beautiful melodic quality to Conqueror that can only be described as addictive. Title track, "Conqueror" literally spills out of the speakers with an near-epic ascending guitar line that sounds like lava flowing up hill, while the third track, "Transfigure", will have you remembering what you liked about Godflesh without sacrificing the aural beauty and melody so prominent in Jesu. Repeated listens to "Conqueror" are rewarding, to say the least...the sound is so dense that new elements reveal themselves, and the tapestry of sound literally bathes you in that before-mentioned warmth.
Who knew music so heavy could also be so beautiful?
-Chuck Ferreira
Cycle Repeats
Candlelight
It seems that every few years a heavy band will come along with a distinctive sound (Black Sabbath, Slayer, Napalm Death, Suffocation, Korn [sorry], At The Gates, Killswitch Engage, etc.) and - for better or worse - inspire a legion of imitators which bring very little new, until the next widely-recognized innovative band comes along and (wait for it)...the cycle repeats.
And so we have Japan's Lost Eden's appropriately titled debut full-length CD. The cycle is definitely repeating here, but unfortunately Lost Eden is not the band bringing the next distinctive sound. A few of the "comparison artists" the one-sheet cites include In Flames, Soilwork, and Killswitch Engage. And what we have in this album is a competent recycling of stuff already done quite well by those artists and others. Everything you've heard in "modern" metal is here: chugging, mid-paced riffs, mid/high-growled vocals with the occasional melodic part (used sparingly, which is a positive aspect), melodic leads, twin harmony leads over mid-paced double-kick work, and some keyboard work to spruce things up a bit.
Production-wise, it's adequate. Some of the early cymbal hits on disc opener "Seed" sound a bit bright, but then it's smooth sailing. The kick drum sounds a bit boomy and sampled. The producer did a couple of cool tricks with Norio's voice, especially on "Planetoid." However, as a vocalist myself I don't like the obvious use of multiple tracks on some of Norio's busier vocal parts, where the listener can hear him begin the next phrase before his growl comes down off the current phrase. I know that working in the studio is different than working live, but please try to fool me a little bit!
So if you just can't get enough of the "modern" styles, invest confidently in Cycle Repeats knowing that it doesn't offer anything you haven't heard already. Otherwise, wait to check out their next album, which hopefully will see this young band find more of its own sound.
C -Mark Fields
Black Horse
Bhurr Records
Given the fact that albums are the culmination of a lot of creative energy and effort, I will start off with the strong points of this disc from Windsor, Ontario hard rockers LODOWN. The guitars are warm and thick and the drums sound equally massive. The vocal production is nice overall, too, employing plates and other effects fitting Mike Edwards' gruff-but-melodic voice to the big-riffed songs (except for album closer "Dirty Heshan," which, although containing some absolutely massive riffage, also showcases some god awful heavy-breathing that Ross Robinson wouldn't have let out of the studio on his most self-indulgent day). The respective performances are tight and the mix is good, and when LODOWN goes a little into stoner territory here and there, I think it really works well for them - minute 3-4 on "Century," for example.
The problem is that I've heard mid-paced, grooving, drop-tuned (all strings down a full step and then the top string dropped to C, in this case) heavy rock equal to or better than this from even relatively unknown Boston area bands, some dating back 10 years. The low C/high C-based riffs kind of begin to sound similar a few tracks into this, and the material doesn't vary enough otherwise to hold my attention for a full album's worth of it. After a few numbers, I kind of keep hoping that each track will be the last. And this isn't to begrudge the style - like I said, even a regional band from here like CROWNEVICT delivered massively with last year's A Method To Feel Alive - as much as it is to say that Black Horse doesn't succeed as a standout disc.
The label's one-sheet said, "they might just be the most important rock band to come a long (sic) in quite some time." Maybe someday, but not yet.
C -Mark Fields
ROM 5:12
Regain Records
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned"
Marduk's tenth studio album, ROM 5:12, sees Marduk as a still unrelenting force in the Black Metal world, but also sees the band isn't afraid to branch out a bit from the standard fare.
"The Levelling Dust" kicks things off in fine form, with a mid-paced tempo and some incredibly good guitar lines laid down behind Mortuus' insanely painful sounding vocals, which at times sound more like he is gargling than singing. "Imago Mortis" is an even more progressive track for the band. A slow paced track clocking in at 8 and a half minutes, it has a very melodic guitar line, and some crazy echo effects on the vocals, this is an epic song, and maybe the best of the disc. "Vanity of Vanities" is the best of the fast paced tracks, with an unforgiving blast that only slows for a few seconds, and an amazingly good riff to close out the song. The rest of the album is just as unrelenting and entertaining, offering a well varied mix of fast and slow songs, ensuring that there is something for everyone to like here.
Production is top notch, with everything crisp and clear, the only slight drawback is the clanky sound of the bass at times, but that is a very minor point. ROM 5:12 is a standout disc.
A- -Goz
MK II
Candlelight
Originally developed when guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch left the Helloween fold following “The Dark Ride” effort, Masterplan gained quick critical acclaim with their self-titled debut as well as the follow up “Aeronautics” due to the stellar power offerings as well as the one of a kind classic rock delivery from vocalist Jorn Lande. Changes have been afoot in the Masterplan camp though, as Jorn and Uli have left for different musical ventures and in comes former Riot vocalist Mike DiMeo and journeyman drummer Mike Terrana (his credits include Axel Rudi Pell and Rage in recent years). MK II represents their third full length but first with the new members in tow, so it’s tough to fully expect Masterplan to be settled in at this venture.
The guitar sound of Roland Grapow definitely aims for more of the Euro melodic meets neo-classical flair, seamlessly taking his Michael Schenker, Gary Moore and Yngwie Malmsteen into account on tracks like the epic “Lost And Gone” or closing Rainbow-esque “Heart Of Darkness”. Mike DiMeo stretches his normal expressive bluesy voice to higher heights on the faster “Warrior’s Cry” while serving up his best performance mid-way through the album on “I’m Gonna Win”- a possible contender for song of the year with its catchy keyboard/guitar refrain. As a whole Masterplan haven’t really varied their formula much- which can be a good thing if you expect a band to repeat their style album after album (I.e. AC/DC, Running Wild)- but I believe at this point with the veteran musicians at hand the group needs to start stretching at times to keep the full interest for an entire album. There are always a couple of songs that stand out amongst the bunch- yet at times their German power sound can be relegated to background music rather than energetic or exciting.
“Aeronautics” for me still leads the pack in their short discography, but I believe with some solid touring and time to gel together the fourth album could be their high water mark to date.
B- -Matt Coe
Blood Mountain
Reprise
Mastodon is a new breed of metal. Just when you think you can pinpoint who they might remind you of, they go into a totally new direction and cause you to drop that idea.
I'm drawn to Blood Mountain significantly more than Leviathan and Remission for three reasons. There's a lot more guitar melodies on this album. It doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard before. And my third reason is just a guess, but I think after touring so much with Slayer, Mastodon decided to break out the artillery and show those punks what they were made of. Those punks I'm referring to are those impetuous jerks, present at every Slayer concert, that have to yell "Slayer!!" while the opening bands are still performing.
Mastodon's single "Colony of Birchmen" was nominated for a Grammy Award, alongside Slayer, for "Best Metal Performance." I feel that "Colony of Birchmen" is the only song on the album that sounds a bit 'mainstream' and I wonder if they did that on purpose. Just to prove they could nearly beat Slayer to a Grammy the easy way.
Music-wise, Blood Mountain is extremely well constructed. Imagine if you will, Slayer and Pink Floyd had a kid, it's name is Mastodon. Mastodon can climb mountains and their music can show you what that feels like. I did find the vocals rather monotone for my tastes, but that did give the overall effect a creepy, horror vibe if you like that sort of thing.
Their song "Hand of Stone" is reason enough to get this album. I could listen to that one ALL DAY. There are also two elaborate instrumentals "Pendulous Skin" and "Bladecatcher." The latter track has a special guest appearance of the Tazmanian Devil eating R2D2 (just kidding but a part of that song sounds like it). Other real guest artists include Josh Homme, Cedric Bixler, and Ikey Owen. The deluxe edition has a DVD which includes the "Capillarian Crest" video, a 45-minute documentary, photo gallery, and expanded artwork.
B - Alesha Brunell
METAL'S DARK SIDE II: THE DEEPLY DISTURBED (DVD)
MVD Visual
Given the roster of featured interview subjects--Shadows Fall, Exodus, The Black Dahlia Murder, Arch Enemy, and Suffocation - I thought this might be worthwhile and somewhat informative. How mistaken I was. From the outset this is an endurance test.
The artists, overall, are cool subjects who offer up what they can in response to hostess Jasmin St. Claire's strings of mostly meaningless questions that don't cover anything new except to the most clueless of all metal neophytes.
The first featured band interview with Shadow's Fall (sic) suffers from an annoying buzz in the right channel and a ton of background band noise (Brian and Paul are questioned in a backstage room at a House of Blues).
Bona fide legends Frank and Terrance from Suffocation follow in another hospitality room elsewhere, and this is actually the closest to a meaningful segment as the program gets: the evolution of Frank's vocal technique is discussed. Following this is the complete "Surgery of Impalement" video. Nice to have that on DVD.
Intro to next segment: "I'm Jasmin St. Claire, here with the fuckin' awesome...most awesome death metal Bay Area thrash band, Exodus!" Exodus...death metal?!?! It degenerates with Jasmin questioning Gary and Rick about how often they shower, and multiple choice questions about women they would go to bed with if each had a gun to his head. The only things that rescue this segment are a couple of wisecracks by Rick and Gary and the complete "War Is My Shepherd" clip at the end.
3 members of Sacramento's Deconstruct, a lesser known band influenced by Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, are the next subjects. They handle the "gun to the head" multiple choice test brilliantly, but it's more of a funny conversation than any legit interview. A live cut of theirs follows the conversation.
Trevor and Brian from The Black Dahlia Murder are the heroes of all the interviewees, "a few beers deep" and offering some amazingly funny answers to Jasmin's queries.
Jasmin plays the "gun to the head" game with Sharlee from Arch Enemy, too. Not much else to report on this segment.
The extras are mostly forgettable except for some extra Suffocation interview footage and "Jasmin's Asylum," where Jasmin responds to one particular fan's email:
FAN EMAIL-Jasmin, I noticed that you do a lot of modeling for B.C. Rich and Coffin Case, and are the definite definition of a 'metal babe.' Is there any chance you'll ever be on the cover of Guitar Player magazine? Because they always have those hoes and I'd much rather see you...
JASMIN (absolutely straight-faced, without even a hint of self-deprecation)-Well, thank you...that's not up to me, unfortunately, but (with disdain) I guess maybe if I spread my legs for money like some of those girls, maybe they would put me on the cover. Who the fuck knows?
?!?!?!
It is important to note here that Jasmin is a FORMER PORN STAR credited at iafd.com as appearing in 55 non-compilation porn videos, and according to Wikipedia.org is "best known for her appearance in World's Biggest Gang Bang 2...in which she performed a record-breaking 300 sex acts with about 51 men."
Am I the only one who finds Jasmin's response even somewhat bizarre? Sure, she's not in skin flicks these days...but ISN'T SHE POSING SPREAD-LEGGED IN A SEE-THROUGH BLACK BIKINI BEHIND A GUITAR ON THE COVER OF THIS VERY DVD TO SELL IT?!
I'm so glad I'm done with this review so I don't have to watch this disc again. Apparently, Part III is already in the works, although I can hardly understand what merited this franchise reaching beyond its first installment. The aforementioned highlights are the only things that save St. Claire's puerile and jejune product from an absolutely failing grade.
D+ -Mark Fields
Aberrations Of The Mind
Black Mark
Ah, another album from this Swedish veteran metal act. While Hammerfall may have garnered all the traditional power attention in the late 90’s, Morgana Lefay helped revitalize that scene when the death boom exploded earlier in the same decade. Originally developing their style on a steady diet of King Diamond and Savatage the quintet have churned out six original full lengths which all seem to slightly expand upon these inspirations with whatever seems to hit the stereo of primary songwriter guitarist Tony Eriksson at the time of creation. Their 2005 album “Grand Materia” hinted at a changing of the guard in terms of a slightly down tuned approach- while Aberrations Of The Mind sees the transformation complete as they siphon in plenty of current American gloom and groove to the proceedings.
Songs like “Delusion” and “The Rush Of Possession” contain that pummeling guitar churn that Machine Head followers love. Conversely Charles Rytkonen still sings and screams like the first 4 Jon Oliva led Savatage albums, so enjoy his chilling delivery on more traditional Morgana fare like “Depression” and the album closer “Over And Over Again”. My favorite track out of the 12 would be the Nevermore-ish “Caught In The Tread Wheel”- a solid mid-tempo offering that features some key snare to double bass timing turns from new kit man Pelle Akerlind and a slower wah wah inducing solo that burns. Probably to match the newer direct Morgana Lefay the production seems quite raw and under-produced- losing points with this reviewer as I know these songs will sound slightly fuller live than what you sonically get here. On the up swing, the cover art continues to feature the hourglass trademark with ghoulish creatures surrounding a mythical spirit- another intriguing Kristian Wahlin concept.
Dissenting opinions abound throughout the message boards about whether Aberrations… will be the death knell for the group or represents the best move they could have made at this juncture in their existence. Plant me in the second category, as they haven’t tarnished their reputation in the slightest while not re-treading their previous discography.
B+ -Matt Coe
Stuck Here On Snakes Way
Candlelight
The Finnish sextet Omnium Gatherum certainly weathers change and disruption to come out stronger and better for the cause. I’ll save the novel length explanation but sum it up succinctly- Candlelight is their third label in their career with Jukka Pelkonen becoming their third vocalist on this new third album. In these larger groups I would imagine the chance for personality clashes or arguments over musical direction go up about tenfold. For Omnium Gatherum take a healthy dose of their inspiration from the Gothenburg melodic death scene, twisting in their outside love of thrash, traditional and technical metal and you’ll get a semblance for the diverse Stuck Here On Snakes Way.
The newest member of the band Jukka roars throughout in a gruff throaty bellow but gives you a chance to experience his gothic melodic manner in a softer track like “Just Signs”. The follow up “Truth” gives you an eerie keyboard refrain from Aapo Koivisto that quickly succumbs to the ripping dual Harri Pikka/ Markus Vanhala guitar exercises that inspired many a musician during the final 3 Death studio efforts. Most of the 12 songs clock in between the 3-5 minute mark, leading the listener with sharp, compact and tight arrangements that keep the pace of the album firm. “Into Sea” and “Drudgery” are two examples of tracks that should easily get pits going in the live environment while also becoming fierce sing a longs for all Omnium Gatherum tours.
Being my first exposure to this act, I believe they’ve released a fine slab of potent death which may sustain their career for hopefully a few albums on the same label. Time (and sales) will tell the full story…
B+ -Matt Coe
Killing Peace
Candlelight
UK thrash veterans Onslaught return after more than 15 years since their last disc.
Let's start with the positive. For a bunch of "old guys," Onslaught is still kicking ass and thrashing like kids half their age. They sound genuinely pissed. The production and mix by Andy Sneap is just killer, pulling a super-tight performance out of the band, and placing every instrument in just the right place. Sonically, this certainly eclipses the band's earlier works. Really crushing productions weren't nearly as commonplace 20 years ago, so good on them for hiring Sneap for the job.
However, there are several drawbacks. To my ears, Onslaught never really brought anything that would set them apart from the pack. They were - and still are, with this album - a competent thrash band...nothing more or less. Sy Keeler's vocals are maybe the most remarkable element of the disc, sounding vaguely like a meaner David Wayne with slightly less range (but still a nice cross between gravel and tunefulness). The songs themselves are chock full of 1983-1990 Exodus and Slayer-isms delivered mostly at mid-pace with the occasional burst of adrenaline. And the opening riff of "Burn" is a dead ringer for "All Hail Satan," a thrash metal send-up recorded in 1989 by (Western Massachusetts hardcore legends) Bloodbath. That isn't to suggest that Onslaught plagiarized, but it's one specific example that the songs sound dated. Most of the lyrics are also of the dated 1980's variety ("Spitting blood in the face of God," etc.) that could've been written and discarded by Slayer or Destruction back in 1985.
Killing Peace doesn't re-invent anything, nor does the press release suggest that it does. If old school thrash is your music of choice, then rejoice, especially with the recording quality this good. It doesn't have to be particularly fresh or inventive to be enjoyable. If you seek something less derivative and/or more stylistically evolved, however, take your money elsewhere.
C+ -Mark Fields
Mind Reflections: The Best Of Pestilence (reissue)
Metal Mind
Originally released in 1994 as a retrospective, Metal Mind has reissued this disc, which really is a must-have for a couple of reasons.
If you are unfamiliar with Pestilence, then you need to be introduced to this excellent and influential outfit, which began life as a thrash band (Malleus Maleficarum debut LP), and then conquered death death metal with the all-time classic Consuming Impulse album before evolving further with more progressive elements on their third full length (Testimony Of The Ancients) and ending life as a highly progressive death metal band on their fourth and final album (Spheres).
If you are already familiar with Pestilence, then this is where you can round out your collection and get a rare track ("Hatred Within," only previously available on a compilation album) and a killer 6-song live set recorded in 1992. This live set is freaking heavy, even if the older material is played tuned back up to E(?).
If you already have the Roadrunner version of this disc, this new version also includes a conceptual video clip of "Mind Reflections."
I have to admit that I wrote these guys off after Consuming Impulse. I got Testimony Of The Ancients when it first came out, but by that time Martin van Drunen, one of my favorite vocalists ever, had left the band. The guitars were tuned up and, as they were beginning to incorporate more progressive elements, it was heavy but not AS heavy as Consuming Impulse. Spheres came out in 1993 and, being even more progressive and less death, I gave it a poor rating for the old G.A.S.P. magazine. Listening again here, it seems that I made an error in my previous judgment. On its own merits, the later material stands pretty well on its own.
If you're new to Pestilence, after starting here, you can find online reviews of the individual albums to guide you a bit further; 1-3 tracks off each might not be quite enough for you to make up your mind, especially the way Roadrunner decided the running order on this Best Of (which does include what are probably the strongest tracks off the first two albums, at least), which is random and won't really help the new listener figure out what's what without paying close attention to the CD booklet.
Given the demand for the vintage Roadrunner titles they licensed, Metal Mind could easily have cheesed out and slapped together a second-rate, bare bones version for a quick buck and gotten away with it. Instead, no effort was spared to give the fans the definitive presentation of Mind Reflections: liner notes, band bio, full-color expanded booklet, individually numbered digipak case (full color inside and out) with a handsome flood coat of dull varnish, and the bonus video. This was also remastered, but I don't have an original pressing of it to tell you what, if anything, has been improved compared to it; but the tunes pulled from the first two albums do sound heavier and fatter in the lows than the original full-length CD's did. All in all, for the limited production run (2000) and fair price, Metal Mind earns top marks for going to such lengths to deliver a worthwhile product.
A great introduction to a great band.
A- -Mark Fields
Circle Of Power
Nightmare Records
Kentucky isn’t exactly a fertile breeding ground for the metal scene- so I was immediately shocked to find out this pure heavy hitting quintet call this state their home. Forming in 1996 and releasing their debut album in 1998, it’s been many years to develop the follow up Circle Of Power.
Brothers Michael and Ronnie Duncan started Pownd, a singer and guitarist with a vision to marry melodies with hook-laden riffs. Joining the brothers are second guitarist Rick Sargent, bassist Steve Watts and drummer Clint
McMaine- but I’m struggling to really stay focused on the task at hand when analyzing this record.
If you can’t get artists like Pownd by the second spin, you’ll never get them. Sure the singing can rival Ray Alder and some of the riffs in “Blind”
or “The Stand” could stack up well with the best Queensryche moments- but all is amiss when they seem to go for the more groove oriented rhythmic approach. I didn’t mind this when I heard the second Quiet Room album, but with Pownd I sense they seem to be going through the motions in their arrangements and songwriting.
Those who are happy with clone-type acts may appreciate Pownd more than I did. I’ll stick with the originators this time around though.
D+ -Matt Coe
Endless War & Suiciety (reissues)
Metal Mind
I remember when Endless War originally came out. And, like many others I'm sure, the most memorable moment for me was the band's supercharged, faithful cover of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." I didn't pay too much attention to them beyond this track, but it was memorable enough (in a good way) that I jumped at the chance to grab both recent reissues of Realm's albums for review. 17-19 years after the fact, I've finally come to a proper appreciation of two wall-to-wall technical thrash-a-thons that deserved my proper attention before now. Guitarist Takis Kinis describes their approach as incorporating "the progressiveness of Rush, the harmony guitars of Maiden, the rapid fire quick lead exchanges of Judas Priest, and the speed and power of Slayer." That's a fair approximation, and the musical prowess on display is pretty much undeniable.
After multiple listens to Endless War I'm still getting used to Mark Antoni's often OTT high-pitched melodies. He's got a pretty dramatic vibrato that may be the dealbreaker for some listeners...somewhere in the neighborhood of Savatage's Jon Oliva but without the slightly rough edge. And sometimes it almost sounds like he's going for any high note to finish off the lyric. The rest of the band, however, churns out some remarkable and progressive thrash with plenty of cool time changes, heavy riffs, and tasteful leads. When I say "progressive," though, don't panic; the songwriting is economical, with only 2 tracks exceeding 5 minutes in duration. And "Mang," a :46 ditty, sounds like it might be just as at home on an early Whiplash album. The low end on this recording is a little dodgy (particularly the kick drums), but for a 1988 indie budget--Roadrunner then was hardly the big label it is today--the results are perfectly within reason.
1990's follow-up, Suiciety, corrects the shortcomings of the debut and documents the band's strengths coming into fruition. The extra time they were allotted on this project shows up quite dramatically in the final product. This is the Realm album you should check out first, as the mix is much bigger and clearer, the songs (still progressive but economical) more memorable, the performances more authoritative, and Antoni's melodies are slightly reined in and more purposeful. Surgically precise, wildly technical, and certainly a visionary presentation of thrash. Bonus track here is a cover of King Crimson's "One More Red Nightmare."
Given the demand for these vintage Roadrunner titles (I know of one kid who spent nearly $100 on a used copy some years back), Metal Mind could easily have cheesed out and slapped together a second-rate, bare bones campaign for a quick buck and gotten away with it. Instead, no effort was spared to give the fans the definitive presentation of all of the licensed titles: liner notes for each by guitarist Takis Kinis, band bio, full-color expanded booklets, individually numbered digipak cases (full color inside and out) with a handsome flood coat of dull varnish, and bonus tracks (although the one "bonus track" on Endless War did actually appear on the original CD). These were also remastered, but I don't have an original pressing of either title to tell you what, if anything, has been improved by it. All in all, for the limited production run (2000 of each title) and fair price, Metal Mind earns top marks for going to such lengths to deliver a worthwhile product.
B (Endless War)
A- (Suiciety) -Mark Fields
Snakes & Arrows
Atlantic
Alright, so Rush isn't a metal band. Never have been, never will be. What are they doing being reviewed on a metal website? Well, Rush has been my favorite band for over 20 years now. Ever since I was barely a teenager, and I picked up a copy of Hemispheres on vinyl, I've been hooked. Since I decide what goes on here, then I decided to review the latest Rush release. Now, onto the music.
Snakes & Arrows comes 5 years after Vapor Trails, which was a great record with a crappy sound, either due to poor recording or mastering. Snakes & Arrows, thankfully, doesn't suffer from the poor distorted sound that VT did. "Far Cry" opens, and it's a track that musically reminds of some of the late 70's material Rush produced (mainly from that ringing chord that they use here that was also prominent in Hemispheres and A Farewell to Kings to some extent). Throughout the record there are numerous time changes (as you'd expect from Rush), as well as lot's of layering of sounds. This gives the music a very "full" feeling, although it isn't overly heavy (and is actually pretty mellow with lot's of acoustic bits and slow stuff).
"Sprindrift" is a heavier number, made more so by the very up front bass sound, layers of guitars and vocals throughout, and of course, Neil Peart's amazing drum work. Speaking of Neil, his lyrics here are quite dark at times, said to be reflections on his personal faith, and also on his frequent motorcycle trips around the States. Take the song "Faithless", for example, ""I don't have faith in faith, I don't believe in beliefs, You can call me faithless". There are many other examples of lyrics shunning faith on here, but I won't quote them all.
My favorite track so far on this is the instrumental "The Main Monkey Business". A 6 minute affair, it offers all you could ever want in a Rush song - numerous time changes, plenty of crazy percussion bits, some great guitar work by Alex, and of course, a rousing bassline from Geddy. Since this is a metal website, I'll also mention that this has some of the heaviest guitar parts on the whole album.
A -Goz
Chemical Exposure, Swallowed In Black, and A Vision Of Misery (reissues)
Metal Mind
The first three Sadus albums are awesome; Chemical Exposure and Swallowed In Black (the first two) are indispensable classics. If you consider yourself a thrash fan, you either have these or need to buy them now that they're back in print.
The debut album Chemical Exposure (originally titled Illusions when it was released on vinyl) turned more than a few heads back in 1988 when the band released it themselves, selling 7000 or so copies through several pressings. It sold well for good reason: this is some of the craziest, most intense thrash ever recorded, and totally over-the-top in every respect: speed, accomplished musicianship (especially bassist Steve DiGiorgio, who is pretty much legendary at this point), blazing riffs...the works!! The already violent listening experience is further complimented by guitarist/vocalist Darren Travis' unbelievably manic vocal style, which employs an abundance of insane, blood-curdling shrieks. The only lackluster content on this whole album is the :25 opening to "Sadus Attack," which is pretty generic...but once the tune kicks into high gear it rips for the remaining 1:19! A little on the short side clocking in under 30 minutes--excluding bonus content--it is 100% lean and mean (3 tracks get the point across in under 2 minutes!). The 2 bonus tracks are from the D.T.P. Demo, which you may already have on original cassette as a rabid fan or, more likely, as an owner of the D.T.P. Demo CD issued by Hammerheart a couple of years ago.
 Swallowed In Black is the album where Sadus perfects their thrash craft. The songs employ more variations in tempo, which really increases the musical breathing room for experimentation and facilitates maximum impact when they kick into what remains an abundance of violently fast rhythms, so don't worry; they've just expanded the musical palette enough to keep things fresh and interesting. At 1:00, "In Your Face" remains one of their fastest and shortest numbers. SIB also enjoys much better engineering and mix than its predecessor; it is easy to revel in each song's synergy, or zero your ears in on one instrument to realize just how sick each guy performs his part. I consider Swallowed In Black a legitimate thrash masterpiece, and the tour that ensued upon its release (alongside Obituary and Sepultura) must still stand as one of the best metal package tours ever. The 2 bonus tracks here are also from the D.T.P. Demo.
 A Vision Of Misery sees Sadus branch out even further. The musicianship has reached even higher skill levels, and some of the aggression is lost. Not ALL, just some of it. There is still plenty of mayhem, but all around there is a more progressive air about the material, with some production decisions (Sadus co-produced with the famous Bill Metoyer) resulting occasionally in weird effects on vocals and instruments. Effects aside, Darren's vocal performances are also more varied this time around, although we don't hear the crazy shrieks of bygone days. It's more musically complex and way more diverse than the first two, and it did take me some some time to get into it. In fact, I didn't really care for it back when it came out; I only came to enjoy it about 10 years later after my musical tastes expanded a bit, and now I eat it up!! It really is that significant a progression from Swallowed In Black, and I don't think I was the only one not quite ready for it in 1992. Given enough spins, though, it becomes a very rewarding album. The two bonus tracks are from the 1987 Certain Death demo; these were also previously packaged with the D.T.P. Demo on the aforementioned Hammerheart release.
Given the demand for these vintage Roadrunner titles, Metal Mind could easily have cheesed out and slapped together a second-rate, bare bones campaign for a quick buck and gotten away with it. Instead, no effort was spared to give the fans the definitive presentation of all of the licensed titles: liner notes for each by Steve DiGiorgio, band bio, full-color expanded booklets, individually numbered digipak cases (full color inside and out) with a handsome flood coat of dull varnish, and bonus tracks. My one minor complaint is that I do wonder why these Sadus reissues include only bonus tracks from the more widely available D.T.P. and Certain Death demos--which would have fit nicely, length-wise and timeline-wise, on the Chemical Exposure disc--and nothing from the more obscure Wake Of Severity and Red demos, which would have been perfect supplemental material for the second and third albums, respectively. I'll probably never find out, though. All 3 titles were also remastered, but the remastering job didn't change much of the sonic traits of the originals; it simply boosted the volume level of each a db or two. All in all, for the limited production run (2000 of each title) and fair price, Metal Mind earns top marks for going to such lengths to deliver a worthwhile product.
A (Chemical Exposure)
A+ (Swallowed In Black)
A- (A Vision Of Misery) -Mark Fields
The Inner Sanctum
SPV
When I think of Saxon I think of a name that has been around for ages and has survived many fickle rock climates and persevered. I also think I really don’t know any Saxon songs off the top of my head, but I do know they’re a well respected NWOBHM band that has a large cult following. With all this in mind I have to say it’s great to see bands like Saxon still cranking out “true metal”, and I must admit that I love this kinda stuff done this way.
“State Of Grace” kicks off the album with monk-like singing and then rips into blaring guitars and soaring vocals that sum up the world they stand for. “Need For Speed” is an ode to what else, speed - “I need the rush/can’t get enough/I’ve got the need for speed”. “Let Me Feel Your Power” has a ripping metal riff you want to hear live to get the full energy from, I can just imagine hearing it blared over stacks of Marshalls. “Red Star Falling” is a power metal ballad of sorts and slows the album down so we can catch our breath (very effective) building up to lyrics “the beast is slain!!!/did you see the red star falling?” no, but I wish I had dammit!
“I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)” is an anthem for all old school metalheads everywhere who never give up their love of metal. “If I Was You”, “Going Nowhere Fast”, continue the metal rock warrior vibe and “Ashes To Ashes” has a great metallic rock anthem with the vocal line “We’ll never surrender/or give up the fight” and catchy chorus “Ashes to Ashes/never give in/brother to brother/united we win”. “Empire Rising” is a nice prog rock keyboard instrumental that leads into “Atila The Hun”, a song about, yup, you guessed it, one of the most famous and brutal conquerors in history.
Listening to this album makes me sleep better at night knowing there are still old school true metal warriors keeping the faith and never relenting in their belief of metal music. I raise a metal horned hand in salute to you, with my spiked wristband on of course!!!
A - Matt Smith
A Great Divide
Nightmare Records
New Jersey’s Suspyre envelop the progressive metal tag. The true meaning to me of anything forward thinking in music is a willingness to explore divergent relationships with no boundaries. This quintet released their debut album “The Silvery Image” independently in the fall of 2005, spending a good deal of 2006 working on the follow up which got picked up by Nightmare Records. The album collects 70 minutes of acoustics leveling headway into time signature energetic madness then fusing elements of jazz, neo-classical and older rock conventions as well as a full sense of their metal heart. You’ll even get the chance to experience sax solos in a ballad such as “The Spirit”. The flow of A Great Divide reminds me of a theatrical play- one song will provide a rising atmosphere that will lift the crowd while the next track will push the listener into a more relaxed, calm sense of restraint.
It’s so difficult to pick one or two songs that stick out amongst the
crowd- but if forced to do so, the guitar harmony filled “Galactic Backward Movements” (once again featuring some back and forth electric and woodwind
instrumentation) as well as the Kansas-esque “April In The Fall” probably win the biggest appreciation. Clay Barton also helps to grab the fans with his Russell Allen-like range and emotional magnitude- he’s not content to always ride in the high heavens and gives “A Great Divide” the hooks an average consumer desires when trying to retain songwriting. Expect shorter pieces to sit side by side next to 7-9 minute epics and expect to take a good 10-15 listens before you understand all the dizzying elements thrown at you- but I assure you that the investment will pay dividends like all the best albums should. I applaud the willingness and painstaking effort these musicians produce while taking thousands of years of creativity into account for their own style. Rather than become another Dream Theater or a baby Fates Warning, Suspyre bank on the fact that there’s enough of an audience into a fresh vision of progressive metal.
If you like Spiral Architect, Spastic Ink, Freak Kitchen, older progressive rock or the greats in jazz fusion a la Allan Holdsworth, Suspyre will be another group to astound you with their playing abilities.
A -Matt Coe
Hope
Candlelight
Finnish Doomers Swallow the Sun gives us Hope, their third full-length release. The band manages to pack 8 doom laden tracks into the 58 minute affair, chock full of misery and sorrow.
Opening with the title track, we are treated to a slow, plodding cut that shows not only the bands ability to string together depressive sounding riffs, but also vocalist Mikko Kotamäki’s ability to sing cleanly and growl gruffly with the best of them, as well as some nice death metal like screams at times. In “The Hours of Despair”, we get a monotonous, marching riff as the main piece, overlaid with some nice melodic guitar lines and a generous portion of keyboards to add atmosphere and interest.
“Don’t Fall Asleep (Horror pt. 2)” is probably the best track here, combining melancholic, dreary, quiet bits with some of the most dreadfully heavy riffs to be found, resulting in a truly brilliant song. “No Light, No Hope” is another track that uses copious amounts of keyboards to heighten the atmosphere and add a creepiness that wouldn’t be there without the keys. “Doomed to Walk the Earth” closes us out, and it’s probably the slowest and heaviest track on this disc - a brutally fine note to end on.
Hope is a great release and one that all doom fans should have in their collection
B+ -Goz
Become Death
Metal Blade
Vocalist Andy B. Franck has been a singer that I’ve had the good fortune to follow from his early days with the German progressive metal act Ivanhoe in the early 1990’s. His double agent status sees his time split between the more classic Vicious Rumors- power oriented Brainstorm and his own more modern act Symphorce these days- often averaging a new album release every
12 months between one act or the other. Become Death represents their sixth studio sojourn, and outside of a new drummer in Steffen Theurer the main lineup (Cedric Dupont and Markus Pohl- guitars, Dennis Wohlbold- bass) show their mutual respect and longevity as they veer into slightly un-chartered waters with this record.
The opening blast beat through “Darkness Fills The Sky” as well as the electronic keyboard swing effects in the follow up “Condemned” quickly make the listener take notice that if you thought Symphorce were merely treading the Nevermore trail again, think again my friend. Other songs take on a much more morose, gothic Paradise Lost appeal, such as “In The Hopes Of A Dream” or the radio-catchy “Inside The Cast” where Andy flexes his lower and middle range to match the lyrical despair. Cedric and Markus pump up their guitar slinging abilities in “Death Has Come” so don’t fear you solo hounds as they can certain navigate the fretboard note for note with the best of them. “Godspeed” was about as far as they could take the Nevermore mirroring before fans would become bored, so I believe “Become Death” is the next logical extension for Symphorce which may make them lose a few diehards but gain a new audience in the process.
Dark in atmosphere but still heavy through and through, Become Death should lead Symphorce into bigger festival slots and hopefully more US touring possibilities.
B+ -Matt Coe
An Eternal Dark Horizon
Candlelight
An Eternal Dark Horizon is Throne of Katarsis' debut release, containing 5 songs (totaling 55+ minutes!) of all out black metal. If you like your black metal in the old school vein (old Burzum, Mayhem, Darkthrone, etc), then ToK will probably appeal to you. Featuring that wiry guitar sound that black metal bands love to use, almost never ending blast beats, and raspy, tortured sounding vocals, this sounds as if it could've come out in the early 90's. While the production here is better than those early black metal releases were, it still sometimes sounds as if the band is playing in a forest miles away from where the recording equipment is setup. The songwriting could also use a little work, as the songs are all overly long and drawn out, and I found myself losing interest at times because of this.
Overall, this is an ok debut from the Norwegian twosome, but they need to work on the song structures if they want to keep me interested in their next release. For diehard black metal fans, this might be a choice disc, but not for me.
D -Goz
TORTURED CONSCIENCE
Every Knee Shall Bow
Bombworks
TORTURED CONSCIENCE is an intense death metal side project from Jeff Lenormand, guitarist for San Francisco grind/power violence outfit VULGAR PIGEONS. Jeff recruited fellow "Pigeon" John Gotelli for drums, and friend Berto Salas for the vocals. This disc was supposed to come out on the then-fledgling Psycho Acoustix label over a year ago, but unfortunately the label owner died suddenly and the album went into limbo until Bombworks picked it up a year later.
The production is somewhat murky but not indecipherable, and the songs are fast and not unlike Jeff's main band, except the vocals are deeper and the riffs lean a bit more to the technical death metal side. The music is more about the intense riff than the intense solo. Tons of thrash parts, blast parts, and double kick work. It certainly doesn't suffer for lack of brutality. Lyrically there is an overtly Christian worldview from start to finish. Given the fact that they devote an entire page of the booklet on which to reprint the Nicene Creed, and that Jeff has all sorts of Christian apologetics resources on the band's MySpace page, I surmise that they want everyone who hears about them to know it. Jeff seems to write from the heart and doesn't make himself out as better than anyone else, so unless you're particularly uptight, at the very least you won't come away from the disc calling him a self-righteous prick.
There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about Every Knee Shall Bow, but for brutality and sheer force of conviction it delivers in spades.
C+ - Mark Fields
World Circus & Think This (reissues)
Metal Mind
Toxik's debut World Circus is a mixed bag. Technical speed/thrash metal is what these guys are all about. Some of the riffage and guitar sounds are akin to what Agent Steel was doing on Unstoppable Force. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that World Circus and Unstoppable Force were both recorded around the same time by Tom Morris at Morrisound Studios in Tampa! In addition to the Agent Steel comparison, it is also apparent that Toxik is from the northeastern U.S., since in a few parts I can hear some Anthrax and Nuclear Assault. For example, "Social Overload" sounds like a cousin to the Anthrax classic "Lone Justice."
Production-wise, World Circus is top notch for a 1987 metal release by any label, indie or major. It really helps show how much these guys just kill on the speedy riffs and rhythm change-ups. But, like I said first, it's a mixed bag. My chief gripe is about the air raid siren vocals of singer Mike Sanders. Just because the guy can hit higher highs than Rob Halford doesn't mean that he always deliver the appropriate melody to compliment the music. Sometimes Mike delivers a good melody, but in a good number of places it sounds like there's some random Geoff Tate vocal track mixed on top of another band's song - I could never get into Confessor for the same reason. At some point the histrionics become a distraction, and this is coming to you from one of the bigger Agent Steel fans you'll probably ever meet. Nevertheless, overall World Circus is a solid album...just be forewarned about the OTT vocals. Bonus tracks here are a demo tune (with original singer Mike which ended up re-recorded for the second album) and a brief radio interview.
 1989's follow-up, Think This, recorded again by Tom Morris and offering similar sonics, is way more diverse. New vocalist Charles Sabin seems to exercise a bit more self restraint than his predecessor, and for the most part his melodies are more tuneful and a better match for what's going on with the rest of the band. He also employs far wider vocal range variation - dipping down into "normal" range a lot, that is; not going to higher highs - so when he bangs out a high note it's really to more dramatic effect.
With Think This, the band also decided to hit the gas pedal less frequently, so we hear some of the other things they can do. The complexity is still dizzying, with some blinding leads and time changes; but among other interesting things there is actually a non-cheesy ballad in "There Stood The Fence," which took me pleasantly by surprise. Another surprise is a faithful rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Out On The Tiles." Clocking in at 53 minutes or so without the addition of the two bonus tracks (rough mixes of "Shotgun Logic" and "Black & Wh | 
