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August 2007 ~ October 2007
Dawn of the New Athens
Root of All Evil
Since 1999 Aesma Daeva has been unleashing upon the public well crafted operatic metal recordings. Over the years the band has refined their song writing and their musical performances. With Dawn of the New Athens Aesma Daeva seems to at least be a fully realized musical idea.
John Prassas (composition/guitar) and his band which includes guitarist Earl Root (ex-GOD-AWFUL, ex-DISTURBED… the OLD Minneapolis thrash outfit, not that garbage from Chicago) seem to have fully come together around this concept of dark gothic metal with an interest in Greek mythology. However, what is truly most notable, especially for those familiar with Aesma Daeva’s prior output, is vocalist Lori Lewis (who has toured with THERION). Her performance is nothing short of top level for this genre. She brings an amazing force and beauty to each track she sings. While prior vocalists Sarah Williamson and Melissa Ferlaak (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS) performed admirably, the true mastery of the voice possessed by Ms. Lewis puts this record at the top of the Aesma Daeva heap.
This recording shows Aesma Daeva at its most mature from a songwriting level. While earlier outputs such Here Lies One Whose Name was Written in Water showed great potential they lacked the ability to write focused songs. Here Aesma Daeva does not meander too much, although enough technical indulgence is surely present to please your more technical fans.
Aesma Daeva has crafted an album that from track one (Tiza’s Child) to the end (The Loon) provides the listener with focused songs which all pack a direct punch (well as direct as you can get in the realm of symphonic operatic metal). Buy it or die.
A -Brant Johnson
All That I Need to Survive
Self-released
Mystery surrounds this local Massachusetts progressive metal quartet. The band members only go by initials, the bio that I read on their Myspace site seems just as spoken word heady without really going into much factual details, an aura that penetrates your brain into dimensions rarely attained at this level. Overall, I do know that 2007’s All That I Need To Survive contains within 8 songs the eclectic mix of progression, heaviness, alternative ethics as well as a dose of the underground that should appeal to a healthy cross-section of the population.
Take “6” as an example of darker guitar tones and pumping double bass much like Evergrey while the vocals settle in with more of a late 80’s/ early 90’s Jane’s Addiction vibe. Or the sprawling 12:36 closer “Rainbands” that opens with subtle streamlined Rush keys and percussion before moving into acoustic lines and propelled forward with the crux of the arrangement giving forth the best montage of Dream Theater and Pain Of Salvation- aided ably with guest female vocals from Polaris’ Olivia Berka. I don’t know whether it’s the combination of the four seasonal changes plus the talent of music programs in our local colleges, but today’s crop of local bands seem intent on proving that they don’t want to mirror their mentors as much as create high quality arrangements, production and songwriting. ætherius rises to the plateau so few aim for, an album that stretches, bounces and makes the hair follicles tingle with each new pass.
This one won’t be an instantaneous quick fix listen- but the longer investment will pay back dividends in terms of personal enjoyment. If All That I Need To Survive sounds stronger live with the right visual accompaniment, ætherius will not be unsigned for much longer…
A+ -Matt Coe
Víziók
Paragon Records
Atherius Obscuritas is another in the seemingly growing list of one-man black metal bands, this time hailing from Hungary. On this one, Arkhorrl handles all instruments and vocals, while Zson plays session drums. This is the bands fourth full length release in just four years, so Arkhorrl is obviously keeping himself busy.
The title track kicks things off, and it's a fairly straightforward attack of blast beats and tremolo picking riffs, with raspy-ish vocals. There is an interesting slow part early on in the song, but overall it's pretty much all out blasting for most of the song. "Mysterious Path of Desires" is where things start to get a little more interesting. Introducing a bit more melody and variety of tempo, as well as some great bass guitar work, this song will draw you in and keep you interested in seeing what comes next.
About half the tracks on here have English titles and lyrics, while the others are in the bands native Hungarian. While this may be too much of a generalization, to my ears, the more interesting songs are the ones with English titles. This isn't to say that they are the only good songs, but they seem to have a bit more to them as far as interesting riffs, melodies, and tempo changes. They just seem to catch my ear a bit more.
Overall, this is a decent album. Above average for the most part, but with a few standout bits and pieces scattered throughout.
B- -Goz
Svarta Dagar
Life Stage Productions
Swedish grindcore trio Afgrund have only been around for a little over a year now, and Svarta Dagar is their debut full length release. While it is likely that they will draw comparisons to fellow countrymen Nasum (RIP) and Coldworker - Afgrund has a slightly less polished sound than either of those bands...not necessarily a bad thing if you ask me.
Blasting off with "Enkelriktat Krig", you're going to get a sense of what this band is all about right off the bat. Super distorted guitar and bass, super fast chaotic drumming, and a dual vocal attack that should make any grind fan grin from ear to bleeding ear. This recipe is used for pretty much the entire disc, which is where one of the weaknesses of Svarta Dagar comes from - it seems to all run together after listening to it for a while. One song that does take the tempo down a bit is "Rouletthjärta", which almost feels like funeral doom compared to the rest of the disc.
Production is well done on this, and any fan of grind will get plenty enjoyment out of this disc. Let's hope they stick together and their next release is a bit more varied that this.
B -Goz
Once Only Imagined
Century Media
These Canadians (Montreal to be precise) have a sound that can only be described as a modern sounding death/thrash approach to their brutal brand of metal. The short intro "Synopsis" quickly kicks the disc into "Rise and Fall" a thrashy hook riff filled song with blistering vocals by Alissa White-Gluz, whose voice varies somewhere between Arch Enemy and Evanessence.
At times screaming insanely at others melodic and smooth you never have a chance to get bored with her wide range vocal delivery. "Born Dead; Buried Alive" is a driving power song about the brainwashing Christians have brought upon the human race throughout history. "Take a Bow" continues the heavy sound with melodic guitar lines as does "Trophy Kill".
"Business Suits and Combat Boots" has a brutal power driving riff that is enhanced by some meaty guitar lines/riffs by Danny Marino. "Serendipity" slows things down a bit and adds contrast to the brutal pace of the first half of the album but picks up with more heaviness that would get a mosh pit moving. "Memento Mori" continues the brutal mosh song flow and "Void of Sympathy" has with more intricate guitar riffs. "Chiaroscuro" slows the aggressive mood with a melodic instrumental interlude that breaks right into "Forget Tomorrow", a bleak outlook on self destructive behavior and escapism.
The drums although played well (by Derek Nadon) sound too studio produced and not organic enough but the guitars and bass (played by Chris Kells) make up for that. The Agonist is a band that has only just begun and if they stay as inventive as a lot of the songs are on this CD then they'll be around for a long time.
B -Matt Smith
Animal
Black Market Activities
Animal is Animosity's third album, and it shows the band progressing in a very good direction. Their first two discs, for me, were boring and unmemorable. I found myself looking for something else to listen to after only a couple of songs. Well, their newest disc is a whole new Animal.
"Terrorstorm" is the opener, and it is a nice piece of technical gridning wizardry, showcasing all the bands talents. The drums here are amazingly good, with blast beats aplenty, the guitars are played at lightning speed, yet the riffs are still intelligible, and the vocals are just insane here, ranging from low growls to high pitched screams with seeming ease. A great way to kick off the disc. "Evengelicult" is worth mentioning as the song is only 4 seconds long. The title track is a standout here, with it's brutally heavy riff that is probably the most memorable on the disc. "A Passionate Journey" ends the disc strongly, features guest vocals by Guy Kozowyk of The Red Chord, and has a really good guitar lead in the middle.
If you liked what Animosity did you their first two releases, you will likely enjoy this as well. If you are like me, and didn't care much for their previous discs, you might want to give Animal a chance, as it shows a vastly improved Animosity in action. They do a good job of combing grind, death, and hardcore into a solid and brutal musical attack.
B -Goz
The Switch to Turn Off Mankind
Vendlus
Norwegian thrashing three-piece Audiopain slap some speedy and vicious music at us on their latest, The Switch to Turn Off Mankind. Consisting of six tracks and just under 27 minutes of music, Audiopain doesn't waste any time on silly makeup or scary nicknames for the band members, they just pour on the classic thrash from beginning to end.
"Hellbound" gets ripping right from the start, with a break-neck paced riff that will make even the most jaded of metal fans band their heads in appreciation. Featuring some great riffs, solid drumming, and vocals that fit in to the thrashing music perfectly, this track gets things moving perfectly. "Termination Fields" is my pick for best track here, with a slightly slower pace than the other songs here, it has an amazing riff that has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it.
Good old thrash has been making a comeback of late - not that it ever disappeared (in fact, Audiopain hasbeen together for about 10 years now), but it did fall out of favor by any metalheads for a while. With bands like Evile, Municipal Waste, and Audiopain putting out some really good thrash music recently, the thrash genre looks to be getting a needed breath of fresh blood to help revive itself.
B -Goz
The Divine Tragedy
Numen Malevolum Barathri Records
The Divine Tragedy is the debut for Avichi, a one man effort by former Nachtmystium six-stringer Aamoneal. Recorded on analog tape with real acoustic drums (something that seems to happen less and less these days), the sound is old school black metal through and through.
"Entrance to God" is an atmospheric intro, played entirely on a gong as far as I can tell, and rolls into the quick paced "Purification within the Eighth Sphere". Packed with blast beats, tremolo picking, and mid-ranged growling vocals, this song, while good, gets a bit tedious as repetition sets in a bit toward the middle of the song. "Messianic Deliverance" could have suffered the same fate, but there is a great melody part thrown in a couple of times that keeps the song moving along and interesting.
"Phallic Insinuation" is my pick for top track here. After an opening blaze of about 3 minutes, it kicks into a mid-paced riff that is absolutely crushing backed up by some really great drumming. This is definitely the shining point on the disc for me, as this segment of the song just slays all and will stick in your head for a while. "Taedium Vitae" and "Aeonic Disintegration" bring up the back end of them album, and both are slower paced and more melodic than the first half of the disc, giving the back end the nod for me over the opening couple of songs.
Avichi shows a lot of promise on their debut here, with the disc getting better as it goes along, and finishing really strong. The music gets a bit repetitive at times, but that is less noticeable towards the end of the disc. Let's hope they keep going down that road a bit more as they travel further down the left hand path.
B -Goz
Spiritual Warfare
Regain Records
Hmmm…first tune is entitled “Fucked by Fire”…I’m pretty sure I know what I’m getting into here.
Bewitched are a bunch of Swedes who worship Hellhammer & Venom. Picture Cronos singing over Tom Warrior’s primitive riffing. If that sounds like fun, Spiritual Warfare, the band’s fifth full length studio release, is well worth a listen. I found it so until about the fourth song when I started wondering if I was listening to one continuous track.
No diversity here, which is perfectly fine when you enjoy being “Fucked by Fire” and such…
C+ -Mike Baronas
Feather and Stone
At A Loss
Checking in right at 25 minutes, the eight sludgy tracks by California duo Black Cobra pack a punch that far outweighs the short running time. The disc contains the 7 tracks from Black Cobra's split with Eternal Elysium, along with the track "Dragon and Phoenix". Included on the disc is also multimedia content consisting of 3 live tracks from Roadburn 2007, and a video for "Sugar Water", from their 2006 release, Bestial.
The onslaught begins with "Five Daggers", a fierce and sludgy attack that will definitely set you up for the rest of what is to come. "The Sapphire Falcon" comes next, and if this track doesn't completely shred your mind, then nothing will. Crushing drums, absolutely pummeling guitars, and kick ass vocals make this one of the standout tracks on the disc. "Thanos" provides a brief break to the insanity, while still providing a spacey feeling. "Dragon and Phoenix" is my pick for standout track here. As you will come to expect by the time you make it to this song on the disc, it is heavy as fuck, and at this point you'll probably feel like the brutality coming from your speakers is going to rip your face off...and you might be right.
This is a truly brilliant bit of music here. Do yourself a favor, buy this disc, play it over and over again, marveling at the ferocity that comes from the speakers. Then remind yourself that it's only two guys making all that fabulous noise. Next, check their web site for tour dates (touring with the Sword in November/December), and go see them live...I know I will be.
A- -Goz
Nocturnal
Metal Blade
The Black Dahlia Murder is one of the new generation of thrash/death metal bands that has hit a nerve with a lot of the newer generation of metal fans. Their last album, Miasma, showed some promise, so I was looking forward to this release to see if the band progressed and found a way to take their somewhat generic sound and make it more interesting.
"What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse" kicks off the album in a thrashy, death metal fashion and pretty much sets the pace for the rest of the album. "Warborn" slows the pace down a bit but not enough to give any variation and the rest of the CD pretty much follows the same pattern.
Trevor Strnad's vocals are like a screechy growling scream that don't vary much from song to song and the drums, guitar and bass are pretty much predictable cookie cutter style of this type of music, although they all show that they are great musicians throughout most of the CD. I really don't find much to make them stand out from every other band doing this kind of stuff.
I mean, don't get me wrong, the CD is brutal and heavy, but that doesn't always hold my interest for very long. Great heavy bands have dynamics, I mean just listen to Slayer's "Reign in Blood" and you'll see what I mean. BDM seems to be treading water a bit, and this wasn't the progression I was hoping to see from the band.
C+ -Matt Smith
Odinist - The Destruction of Reason by Illumination
Candlelight
Odinist is Blut Aus Nord's latest disc, following up last years brilliant MoRT, which made my list of top releases last year. While Odinist has some very similar elements to MoRT, it is at the same time a very different CD. The drums here are still very industrial sounding, and the guitar work is still quite dissonant, but there is a lot more structured music here. The vocals are also more structured, instead of the sparse and unintelligible vocals from MoRT.
After the into, "An Element of Flesh" gets things going for us. A dark and layered song that is almost straight forward black metal in feel, it still reeks of industrial starkness and creates an eerie backdrop to launch this great disc. The title track features some downright good melodic riffs and great drumming to back up a great vocal part - it is my pick for best track here. "Mystic Absolu" is another standout track, with some great drum fills and even some blast beats.
While not as completely insane as MoRT was, Odinist is another fine piece of music from Blut Aus Nord. It does, however, have a lot of competition if it wants to make my list of top releases for 2007.
B+ -Goz
The Day of Wrath
The Final Separation
IX
Neurodeliri
Metal Mind
Italy in the 1980’s was a time where evil filmmaking flourished. Fulci. Argento, Mattei, Lenzi, Soavi, Bava, Deodato, Margheriti, Castellari, etc. were cranking out bountiful gobs of gore that teenagers like me reveled in. Unfortunately, evil music did not share similar fortune with only one band somewhat “making it.”
I remember first hearing Bulldozer on the 1985 Music For Nations compilation Speed Kills when I was jonesing for something more than Metallica & Megadeth. They were one of the lesser bands on the comp, but they had to have a special something to be included with the likes of Slayer, Celtic Frost & Destruction. I never did follow their career beyond this point, however, in listening to their crop of re-releases, I can’t say I missed that much.
The Day of Wrath could easily pass as a Bathory record, falling somewhere between their debut and The Return. Primitive in all aspects, yet quite catchy. The Final Separation followed with a production that’s an unlistenable mess. Vocals are more defined and less enjoyable this time around. 1987’s IX finds the band at their best. Crunchy guitar tone with chunky, speedy riffs. It’s nothing monumental, just better than the last one. Bulldozer released their final studio album the following year. By then too many influences obviously plagued the band. Part Kreator, part Voivod, and a whole lotta Motorhead, Neurodeliri suffers from inconsistency, silly lyrics and even sillier cover art.
Each disc includes one bonus track which is great if you’re already a Bulldozer fan as I, in good conscious, can’t recommend these guys to new listeners.
C (Day...)
D- (Final...)
C+ (IX)
F (Neurodeliri) -Mike Baronas
Cortical Tectonics
Sensory
Tech metal heads are a breed apart. They excel in math and science. Mazes fascinate their brains- throwing discordant riffs and spaced out jams hits them right in the solar plexus. Georgia’s Canvas Solaris has been a rare treat in the music world- for most technically proficient acts aren’t as productive in their career’s as this trio have been. Since signing with Sensory, Cortical Tectonics represents their third full length album in the last 4 years- showcasing devotion to the cause, however cult-like the appeal may be. Most people won’t give guitarist Nathan Sapp, bassist Ben Simpkins and drummer Hunter Ginn a chance based on the simple fact that you’ll take in purely instrumental compositions. Their loss is this reviewer’s gain- for these 6 songs take in influences from Cynic and Coroner through Kansas, Allan Holdsworth and The Police and make an album that will take you hundreds of plays to grasp every nuance and subtlety.
“Sinusoid Mirage” opens in light jazz fusion with quiet Sapp licks as Simpkins takes the lead with his bass playing, gravitating in the second minute with 70’s King Crimson/ Kansas keyboard work to only end with Ginn’s furious off tempo cymbal crash/ snare/ tom tom action. Follow up “Interface” explores their softer side, mixing together world music motifs with a slight tip of the cap to The Police in the drum/guitar interaction.
This is a trio intent on overcoming the boundaries inherent for instrumental metal- which most people view as a vehicle for the guitar shredder. Tired of wondering when Spiral Architect will release their sophomore album- or if Watchtower can ever get “Mathematics” on the market before the new Guns N Roses effort? Canvas Solaris appeal to these followers of pushing envelopes out to their widest distances, making your eardrums revel and rebel against corporate rock radio while exclaiming “there’s no way I can ever be as good as them.”!
You think everything’s been done in metal- Canvas Solaris take the genre and re-invent their place in the world with every release, brilliant.
A+ -Matt Coe
Isolate
Sensory
Isolate is the sophomore outing for this Norwegian progressive metal quintet, who have made quite an impression all over the world as they have played numerous festivals including Progpower VI in Atlanta, GA for 2005 supporting their 2004 debut The 1st Chapter. Since the first album they’ve only made one lineup change (exit keyboardist Espen Storo, enter keyboardist Lasse Finbraten) but I believe stylistically are venturing on their own accord beyond their initial Dream Theater/ Symphony X platform.
Isolate contains 9 tracks that run the gamut from shorter more instrumentally challenging efforts such as the vocal-less “Sane No More” at 3:54 or splendidly melody friendly “Abyss” for 5 minutes along with a couple of sprawling epics that hit near the last third of the album such as the 9 minute plus “Ultimate Sacrifice” and almost 13 minute “Mouth Of Madness” (which seems to be segmented into 6 sub-parts based on the lyrical notations in the CD booklet).
Vocalist Michael Eriksen has one of those voices that sings in the high heaven range while not irritating you as many wide octave singers have a tendency to do. I can hear some Tony Harnell, Geoff Tate as well as a touch of Joey Tempest in most of his melodies, displaying superb command of his enunciation in tracks like opener “A Darkened Mind” and “Wither”.
Musically guitarist Mats Haugen navigates between power chords and clean parts at the drop of a hat, adept at moving his picking up and down the fret board with ease in a faster heart pounding number like “Arrival Of Love”. Circus Maximus are another band that emphasize songwriting control over mere show off mentality- for while you will hear passages that take mere mortals years to grasp and play with the fluency that these 5 men can, it wouldn’t work if the group weren’t able to condense their technical know how into digestible form.
I have to be honest in that I much prefer the new breed of progressive metal acts these days over a lot of the veterans- Rush being the only one I believe that through the years that hasn’t made as many blemishes. Circus Maximus take in both American and European influences to create a potent, noteworthy album with Isolate, and its well worth investigating to support talent like this.
A- -Matt Coe
Chapter 1: Delerium
Firebox
Finland's Colosseum release their debut CD, Chapter 1: Delirium, only a year or so after frontman Juhani Palomäki started the band, looking to create extremely slow and heavy music. They've done just that here, with six songs and over an hour of purely crushing and umcompromising funeral style doom.
There isn't a whole lot of specifics to get into here - if you are a fan of funeral doom, you'll know what to expect here - supremely slow pace, outrageously heavy guitars, layers of keyboards, and deep, depressive vocals. Colosseum provides all of the above in droves, and should please anyone who is a fan of this style. A great initial showing for these guys.
B+ -Goz
The Greatest Show Unearthed
Sumerian Records
First off, Creature Feature isn't a metal band - but the theme of their music is solidly based on horror and the horror genre. This is their debut CD, and it features 11 tracks of gore soaked, poppy goth rock.
Opening with the title track, we are greeted by an organ grinder and a carnival barker - "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Ghouls, Step right up. Behind this curtain lies a ghastly concoction of delight, horror, fantasy and terror...your every wish is our command. Your every whimsical desire brought to life. But im warning you - there's always a price! Welcome to the greatest show UNEARTHED!". When the song proper kicks in, the carnival theme continues with the music. While it has more layers and a bit more complexity, the organ grinder feel is still present throughout the song (and the whole CD for that matter).
"Aim for the Head" begins with a radio broadcast warning about an apparent zombie attack. Choice lyrics here include "Can I pose a question, how do you kill what is dead, I just shoot from the hip, and I aim for the head. He used to be your friend, that was another life, with this single bullet, we're gonna blow his mind." "A Gorey Demise" plays out like a party where they are reading the obituaries, from A to Z, making for an adventerous trip through the alphabet. Sounding almost like a demented version of the muppets, this is my pick for the best track here - it has some imaginitive lyrics and a good whimsical feel to it.
Thile the music here isn't my typical cup of tea, the theme of the songs and the lyrics make this standout for me. The lyrics all throughout are good and descriptive, almost script-like, allowing someone with a good imagination to draw mental images about each song. This, to me, makes the disc quite interesting and enjoyable to listen to. It was playing at my door on Halloween, and will likely be an annual addition to the trick or treating tradition at the Goz household - at least until Creature Feature releases a follow-up.
B+ -Goz
Downtown the World
Westbound Records
Downtown the World was passed to me because I seem to be more open-minded about the whole rap-rock thing. Now I find myself grasping for positive things to say. But it sure is horrific enough to fit on GASPetc.com, just not in a good way.
Ok there is one pretty good song on here that I heard. Too bad I read the lyrics for "My Suicide" and found the usual rap staple: exploitation of women. On a positive note, they didn't refer to them as "ho's". Out of the other tracks, a couple could have been OK if they didn't sound like everything on the radio already.
Nothing new or unique about Critical Bill. They sound like they're trying to do everything Kid Rock already did only Kid Rock put some soul into it and, at the very least, his lyrics were funny. They also sound like Papa Roach or what little I was forced to hear of Linkin Park. Basically crap...err... I mean rap with generic radio-rock underneath all the crapping... I mean rapping.
I suppose Critical Bill may have to sound like generic rock because they tour with rap artists. That just may be all a rap audience will put up with. They wouldn't have to try so hard because of what little good metal a rap audience has been exposed to. Or it could be all it takes to make an audience like that a little more open-minded about the hard rock aspect. If that is the case, then 2 kudos to Critical Bill for trying to convert, at least slightly, some hardcore rappers to accepting our world of metal. From a lyrical and musical content standpoint, I suppose anyone can make an album as long as there's one OK song on there. Word.
D- -Alesha Brunell
The Final Quarrel - Live at CBGB
MVD
Anyone that was ever a Cro-Mags fan knows they always put their heart into every album and show and this DVD is no exception. It's the last Cro-Mags show from 2001 and it's at CBGB's, which makes it even more special considering that venue is also no longer around. The show is a high energy set featuring almost all of the classic Age of Quarrel album shot with multi-cameras and it captures the rawness of one of the best hardcore bands pounding out their best songs in front of a crazy crowd.
Bonus features include a full set from Harley's War, Harley 's post Cro-Mags band featuring members of Warzone and Murphy's Law. Another of the best bonus features is Harley giving a tour of CBGB's and talking to Hilly the original owner who is no longer with us and talking about what the club meant to him and how he got his start attending and playing there with his bands on many Hardcore Matinees. There are also 2 videos from Harley's War and a very short clip of Harley and his son jamming on stage with his son on the drums.
For Cro-Mags/Harley fans this DVD is a must, and for those looking to check out a legendary hardcore band this is a good place to start.
B -Matt Smith
Born Into This
Roadrunner
I’ve always found The Cult to be an immensely talented and frustrating band. They’ve proven capable of producing landmark material (see Electric and Sonic Temple) but always seem to fill the gaps between those classic albums with, well, crap. And following the last album, the powerfully rousing Beyond Good and Evil? Yep. Crap.
Okay, to be fair it isn’t all crap. But the biggest issue with Born Into This is the production quality, which is mediocre at best. It’s possible the band wanted to achieve a more raw production, but for band with their experience and reputation for being polished in the studio as well as on the stage, it really stands out and not in a good way.
There are some very good tracks that come close to rescuing the album, including the single “Dirty Little Rock Star,” “I Assassin” and “Illuminated.” But for every great track there is a “Holy Mountain” which is probably the worst song The Cult has ever produced. From there The Cult digs a hole that this album simply can’t dig itself out of.
C- -Dan McDermott
In Darkness Comes Beauty
Firebox
Finland's Dark the Suns debut with In Darkness Comes Beauty. They play a heavy and brutal, yet melodic doom style with a heavy layer of piano/keyboard. Apparently, the scrapped the original recording of this disc because they were unhappy with it, then switched studios to do it all over again and get it right.
The opener, "Reflections", showcases all of the above things right off the bat. A heavy, melodic riff is backed by plenty of piano, and the vocals range from deep and gruff to an almost whispering. A nice way to open the disc and introduce the band to new listeners. "Black Sun" is a particularly brutal assault, with a great heavy riff that is carried through the entire song, and a nice guitar lead at the end.
"A Darkness to Drown in" is my pick for standout track here. The opening builds, with drums and guitars quietly backing the keyboard and string melody, then fades back to a quiet melody for a second, before coming in hard with a crushingly heavy riff and a nice guitar melody line. The track goes from heavy to quiet and melodic a couple more times, keeping it interesting all the while.
A good first time showing for the Finnish foursome here. Everything sounds good and is well laid out, but at times is a bit repetitive and dragged out, although that isn't necessarily outside the boundaries for this style of music.
B- -Goz
Two (Poverty)
Metal Blade
Indy's Demericous slay us with 12 tracks of insane thrashing mayhem on their second release, Two (Poverty), following last years One (Hellbound).
It is easy to see where the bands draws much of their influences, as right from the get go we are reminded of metal masters Slayer. From the ferocious riffing, to the vocals, right down to the whammy bar dive-bombing in the guitar solos, Demiricous don't seem to attempt to hide the influence at all. The guitar solo in "Appreciation for Misery" (to pick just one) could have easily been penned and recorded by King/Hanneman. That being said, that doesn't make this a bad record, as long as you know what you are getting yourself into. The riffs are precise, heavy, and catchy, the drumming is quite good, and the vocals are pretty intense thrashy vocals for the most part. "Knuckle Eye" is my pick for best track, with a great main riff, and an outstanding solo towards the end. "Blackish Silver" ends the disc with a bit of a bluesy/spacey instrumental track, so there is a bit of variation present here.
Maybe I'm a bit harsh with the Slayer comparisons here, but Demiricous definitely looked somewhere south of heaven for their inspiration here. Truth be told, it's better than anything Slayer has done since Seasons in the Abyss...
C -Goz
The Dethalbum
Williams Street Records
At long last we have an official Dethklok album! Now if you don't know that the [adult swim] animated series Metalocalypse spawned the band Dethklok then WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN??? A fictitious death metal band that is bigger than everything, and are the bringers of the Metalocalypse, the world domination of METAL! Now to the casual listener that hasn't seen the show this may sound like just another death metal album, but it's the stories behind the songs that make the songs so great!
All the classics from the show are here, from "Murmaider", "Go Into The Water", "Awaken" to "Dethharmonic" and they are all extended versions from the show which makes me (and all the other rabid fans) VERY happy! Also included are new songs "Bloodtrocuted", "Better Metal Snake", "The Lost Vikings", "Hatredcopter", "Face Fisted (aka New Phrygian)" which all fit nicely into the pantheon of existing Dethklok songs from the show.
My favorites, "Go Forth & Die", "Thunderhorse", "Briefcase Full of Guts", "Birthday Dethday", and "Castratikron" are all here and to be honest I can't think of any missing songs from the show except Dr. Roxxo's "I'm Just a Rock n Roll Clown", but he's probably going to be putting out his own album eventually as well as Snakes n Barrels! We can only hope! For those of you looking at the track list before buying the CD please note that the "Deththeme" is a hidden track at the end of the disc but it's only the 36 second version, not an extended version like the other songs from the show.
Now most of the songs sound exactly like the version from the show except for the fact that the production is better and the mighty Gene Hoglan (ex Dark Angel, current Strapping Young Lad) is on drums and that adds an extra level of brutality to the songs. Also, contrary to popular belief, the members of Dethklok don't actually play the instruments on the CD, Metalocalypse creator Brendan Small plays all guitar, bass, and keyboard parts, as well as all vocals! The only instrument he doesn't play aside from the drums is the violin. Brendan is a virtuoso when it comes to guitar solos and it is even more evident when you hear the extended songs with extra solos in them.
Now if you were lucky like me and a few hundred other lucky fans you snatched up the deluxe edition of the CD before it mysteriously disappeared from the shelves of retail stores for reasons unknown. The deluxe edition includes an extra disc with the classics "Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle", "Blood Ocean", "Murdertrain a Comin", and "Hatredy" as well as a Snakes and Barrels song sung by Pickles called "Kill You" and a hilarious dialogue track called "Dethklok Gets In Tune" where they, you guessed it, get in tune as only Dethklok can! It is also an enhanced CD with the superb 1st episode from Season 2 and a brutal video for "Bloodrocuted".
Okay, now buy the album and GO FORTH AND DIE!!!
A -Matt Smith
Down III: Over the Under
ILG
In the history of rock, "supergroups" usually don’t fare too well, often collapsing under the weight of unrealistic expectations—both external and internal. This isn’t the case with Down, though, and we’re treated to an unlikely third release from this Black Sabbath-disciple-swamp boogie-sludge machine.
To put things in proper perspective, consider that Down were never meant to be a "real" band. Initially, it was just a bunch of guys from other heavy-hitting bands (Crowbar, Corrosion of Conformity, Pantera, etc…) getting together to blow off some steam in between band releases. When NOLA came out (the first record) it kicked everyone’s collective asses with a swing and groove so heavy and satisfying that the cry immediately went out "we need MORE!".
We got more. Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow was released a few years later and delivered a slightly more subdued approach, but nothing less than incredibly satisfying. It was just more of a grow-on-you type of record. Remember, the NOLA release was released with so little pressure and expectation, and had an instant effect.
So, the question here is can Down III deliver the goods? It’s been over 5 years since Down II was released, and a lot has happened along the way. I’m happy to report, though, that this new release satisfies through and through. Where Down I instantly hits you, Down III seeps into your psyche after 2 or 3 listens, and rewards you with pure "old school" metal satisfaction. What amazes me is the number of tasty classic-sounding riffs guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein fit into these songs. Phil Anselmo’s vocal delivery are a natural fit for the pacing and groove on these compositions as Down deliver a much-needed release for an era cluttered with weak, over-produced metal.
There are so many highlights on this record, but some that instantly stand out include track 10, "Pillamyd" with its huge, massive riff-locking-in-with-drum approach, and the sheer tone of Pepper and Kirk’s guitars. Huge. My new favorite rhythm section of Rex Brown on bass and Jimmy Bower on drums lays down such a solid, heavy groove that it would be hard to knock it off course with a Mack truck. Track 3, "I scream" starts off like a slower, heavier version of Sabbath’s "Children of the Grave" before kicking into one of the disc’s catchiest verses and into the pummeling chorus. More delights await, for instance, with "On March the Saints" (track 5) with its slightly more sparse arrangement that only highlights the intensity of the powerful riffs when they kick back in, and then into a boogie-stomp of a bridge, followed by huge bending riffs leading back into the main body of the song. "Mourn" (track 7) is so damn good, melding the best elements of both Crowbar and C.O.C., further proving that this "supergroup" have found the necessary elements to ensure success.
Here’s the deal…I’m fully aware that I use the word "riff" about one hundred times in this review, but it’s with good reason. Down are all about the power of the riff. The power of the riff compels them, and this is exactly what is missing from a lot of metal these days. Didn’t we learn anything from Tony Iommi? I’ll tell you what, these old battle-scared bastards in Down aren’t about to let us forget it.
Down III satisfies more and more with each listen, and we’ll be extremely fortunate if there is a more to come from this band. Fortunate indeed.
A -Chuck Ferreira
Kiss or Kill
Razor and Tie
When I was a teenager in the early 80’s I thought hard rock hair metal was pretty cool, but that was before I really knew what good music was. Knowing what I know now I have to say Enderafter caught me 20 years too late. If this band was called The Darkness or Snakes n’ Barrels I would like them better but I can’t get into a band that sounds like this and takes themselves seriously, even if they are talented at what they do.
F -Matt Smith
Tales From the Tomb
Cyclone Empire
Some things just go together - Sweden, death metal, the early 90's, and Dan Seagrave cover art are just some of these things that belong together. Evocation makes sure that these ideas all stay together, even if it is the year 2007 now.
From the opening chords of "The Dead" on through to the final notes of "The More We Bleed", this album harkens back to those early days of Sunlight Studios when Tomas Skogsberg was producing some of the fiercest death metal ever committed to tape. Evocation has the cutting buzz saw like guitar sound, and even similar vocals to early Entombed and Dismember down pat. "From Menace to Mayhem" sounds as if it could be a Dismember song, with the dual guitar harmonies used throughout, and the immense drumming. "Phase of Fear" is my favorite track here, with it's superb galloping riff and good harmony parts. If the Entombed/Dismember comparisons haven't been harped upon enough up until now, the band adds in a cover of Entombed's "But Life Goes On". Musically, they hit it pretty much spot on, but the pacing of the vocals seems a bit off to me, but I am often a picky bastard about little things that no one else ever seems to notice...
Since Swedish death metal has always been a favorite of mine, this disc brings back great memories. Evocation surely aren't doing anything groundbreaking with their music here, but they sure do what they do damn nicely. If you like Entombed, Dismember and the like from the ealry-mid 90's, then you should grab a copy of Tales From the Tomb to add to your collection.
B -Goz
Question the Motive
Self-released
Out of Brooklyn, Feff brings forth modern hard rock with a 90's flair. They could be compared to Alice in Chains, Creed and Godsmack for similarities in vocals and that style of light metal. I do hear emotion in much of their guitar solos which reminds me of hair metal and other "radio-rock" artists. Though comparisons are certainly plenty, their songs have originality so they don't sound like a rip-off.
I was very impressed with the guitars on Question the Motive. The solos were excellent, like in "Bother to You" especially and "So Deserving", but they were too short or there were not enough of them. It left me wanting more of such guitar candy. For the most part, Rob Pfeffer's vocals are great. I did notice he likes to drag out his vowels. Words ending in 'ie' and 'ay' end up being 'ahyeeeee' and 'aheyyyyy' alot. Like in "When You Lie", "Bother to You" and "Return to Grey". When it's excessive, it tends to get annoying, but otherwise he's right on the money as a contending vocalist.
Half of the music on Question the Motive is upbeat and sing-a-long-y. My favorite track is "Sold Me" because the intro and guitars were interesting and the singing style was very good. The other half of the album is a tad on the slow side. Ballads like "Bathe in my Agony", "Bother to You" and almost-ballads like "So Deserving", "Never Be Lonely", and "Return to Grey" made up half of the album. After growing up through the 80's, the ballads and mellow stuff can get old quick so I know this is an album I can't listen to a thousand times.
I did enjoy the majority of Question the Motive because it had lots of soul and I will listen to it every once in a while. They remind me of my brother's band Skulltoboggan. I'd recommend it to people who like "radio-rock" or Alice in Chains, Fuel, Creed and such. I'd also play it around people who can't stand the heavy stuff I usually listen to just to meet them half-way.
B- -Alesha Brunell
Days of Nothing
Candlelight
Rome's six-piece gothic doomsters The Foreshadowing make their debut with the 10-track Days of Nothing. Chock full of depressing doom, this disc should appeal to fans of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Katatonia.
The music here is slow to mid-paced, layered beautifully with crunching guitars, melodic bits, good use of keyboards (i.e. not overused) and pounding drums. Vocalist Marco Benevento has a truly sad style that makes the depressive feeling of the music come through that much more strongly. "Departure" is a song that demonstrates all of these things quite well. It intros with just a piano, then is joined by a great melodic riff, and even showcases the bass player for a bit. It goes back to just piano and vocals for a bit, and the end crashes back with a brutally heavy part and a nice guitar lead. The title track is another standout, with a punishing beat pounded out behind a very memorable and heavy guitar part. It throws in some clean guitar parts as well, and comes crashing to a thunderous halt as it fades into the quiet outro for the album.
Overall, a very good debut for these guys. Check it out if you like depressing, doomy, moody music, and/or are a fan of the abovementioned bands.
B- -Goz
Dimensions
SPV
Every once in a blue moon I get the chance to review the complete discography of a band. Germany’s Freedom Call happens to be one of those power metal bands that through the years have improved, but still remain in my eyes on the cusp of greatness. Their early albums are full of stock trademarks in the genre- speedy double bass, flowery keyboard passages, larger than life choir sing a long choruses, and lyrically discussing the dungeons, dragons and warrior ways. Around their third album Eternity a maturation took place as they placed a slight emphasis on slowing things down and introducing more of a straight ahead hard rock element to the proceedings. Now on their fifth studio recording, Dimensions tells a tale of two camps as two new members (bassist Armin Donderer and guitarist Lars Rettkowitz) join the founding members vocalist/guitarist Chris Bay and drummer Dan Zimmerman (who also plays in Gamma Ray) on their quest for melodic dominance.
After a two minute build up intro that probably doubles as their live set opener, “Innocent World” gets the blood pumping along with a children’s choir guesting for some of the chorus work. “Mr. Evil” mirrors some of the goofy/fun material that Helloween have been prone to produce through the years while a strong harmonic guitar line carries the follow up “Queen Of My World”- a darker moody track that twists and turns as one of my favorites. Vocally Chris Bay has one of those voices that prefer the helium high range- reminding me of classic Andre Matos (Angra) and occasionally Michael Kiske during latter cuts deep in the album such as “My Dying Paradise” or closer “Far Away”. Professionally produced and typical fantasy laden artwork aside, Dimensions doesn’t veer far away from the tried and true natural norms of the genre. Acceptable for some, but utterly intolerable for others: where do I sit in this equation?
When I need a pick me up in a cold, sunless winter stretch I think I can pull out Dimensions- but for the most part this album will probably collect a lot of bench time in the CD racks at home.
C -Matt Coe
Penalty
Metal Mind
This reissue is one of those that may finally get the exposure it is due considering when it was first released Roadrunner lost interest and dropped the band not long after it was released in 1996. Kyle Thomas, ex-Exhorder, current Alabama Thunderpussy, formed Floodgate (originally called Penalty but forced to change due to copyright infringement) after Exhorder broke up. Kyle recruited his brother Kevin on bass, as well as Jimmy Bower (Down, COC, Crowbar, SJ Ritual) on drums, and Kevin Bond (SJ Ritual) on guitar but Bond and Bower were soon replaced by Neil Montgomery (drums) and Steven Fischer
(guitar) before they recorded this album. It should also be noted that Kyle Thomas is often credited as the man who single handedly influenced Pantera into dropping the glam look/sound and grow some balls! So, this band has a lot of history in the line up but it also kicks ass as a heavy stoner rock album that was largely overlooked when it was first released.
"Shivering" kicks off the disc with a balls out riff that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album. The guitars are heavy fuzz-distortion sounding and Kyle has a melodic yet ballsy voice that carries thought provoking lyrics. "Till My Soul" sounds like the blueprint for what local favorites Seemless based their sound on as do a lot of the songs on this CD as well as the vocal style Kyle uses. "Whole" is a nice mellow break midway through the album that has bongos and acoustic guitars and Kyle sounds like his singing through the same effect Ozzy used on Planet Caravan. "Second Guesser" is a hardcore influenced rocker that would be a sure fire song to get the pit moving in a live setting. "Imitation Salvation" has a nice doomy riff that is definitely Trouble influenced and "Feel You Burn" and "Black With Sin" keep the groovy stoner/doom vibe of the album going.
This limited to 2000 copies reissue also contains bonus unreleased tracks "Demons Come" (Previously available only in Japan), "The Sublime and the Hollow" and demo versions of "Those Days" and "Imitation Salvation". This edition is pretty much the complete recordings of Floodgate so far. There is talk of a Floodgate reunion, and what better time than now to give the music scene a much needed kick in the ass!
A -Matt Smith
Ill Innocence
Peaceville
Gallhammer is a three-woman band from Japan, playing what would best be described as crusty black doom. Ill Innocence is their debut full length, and comes with a lot of hype attached to it. Does it live up to the hype? Read on to find out...
The album opens with a long doomy piece, "At the Onset of the Age of Despair", which chugs along slowly for close to 8-minutes. Featuring a sluggish and basic riff, up-front bass playing, lazy drumming and grating, screamy, almost whining vocals, this isn't the best start in my opinion. "Blind my Eyes" features a cleaner guitar sound, but still a very boring and basic riff, and adds in some squeaky vocals that sound like a kids toy being tortured by a rabid dog or something like that..."Cover my Ears" would be a more proper song title if you ask me.
I could go on, but you get the idea I think. I didn't care for this disc much at all. Basic, boring riffs, rudimentary drumming, and torturous vocals all add up to a big old mess. So, does it live up to the hype? Not in my opinion.
F -Goz
The End of the World
Self-released
You may instantly recognize their particular sound when you hear Genuflect and not believe your ears. Alas, it is true Reveille is no more. But fear not, the definitive sound that made Reveille what is was, is now inherently present in Genuflect. Former Reveille members [front man] Drew Simollardes and [guitarist] Greg Sullivan have teamed up with half of 7th Rail Crew; bassist John "Meat" Boudreau and drummer Jeff Lawn to bring you Genuflect.
The End of the World may not be, at times, as heavy as Reveille was but they certainly have not lost their vigor. Genuflect's sound can be compared with Rage Against the Machine or Deftones. You may have heard Reveille or Genuflect being compared to Limp Bizkit or Linkin Park, but we are going to end that notion right now. Even without bringing up musical content, and focusing on lyrics and vocals, there is just no contest. Drew's lyrics are always pointed, clever and enthusiastic, plus he could've beat them in a scream-off back as a teenager in Reveille as well as now.
Several outstanding tracks on The End of the World make this a great album even for those who tend to resist listening to "nu-metal" and the like. It has abrasiveness and enough roaring vocals to set it apart from other rap-core bands and the same enthusiastic diligence that made Reveille so memorable. "Epinephrine" is about priests molesting kids and has borrowed riffs from the cartoon Inspector Gadget. "Dark as Night" is a playful number that manages to somehow be dark and upbeat simultaneously. "Insurrection" is about soldiers going to war "What for? cuz my God's better than yours". "Bloody Murder", "Masquerade" and "Revelation" and generally the whole album is all angry, powerfully motivating tracks at one point or another.
What is appealing about Genuflect's music is the frenzied climax in most of the songs. Songs are catchy, never boring, and they usually build into a raging fit of anguished screaming and blasting, guitar riffs that easily incites a mosh. Tuned-down guitars add to the heaviness and the flow of vocals is unmatched. Drew really plays his voice like it's a musical instrument. Their energy in the studio is mirrored in their stage presence and worth your while to see live. I'm very happy to see the heart and soul of Reveille resurrected again in Genuflect. As far as room for improvement, they might benefit with a second guitarist and a little more zazz on the percussion end. They're definitely heavy enough, but going a little heavier couldn't hurt.
A- -Alesha Brunell
Goatreign
Wabana
Goatreign is a project of Mike Hickey, who may just be the best traveled guitar player in heavy metal. Having played with such bands as Venom, Carcass, Cathedral, and most recently The Hounds of Hasselvander - Mike has demonstrated his guitar abilities across a pretty wide range of metal in the past. On Goatreign, he takes care of the guitar, bass and vocals, and long time pal Shawn Progen handles the drums.
"Hell in a Handbasket" kicks things off, and while it features some great heavy riffs, and decent vocals by Mike, the strongest part to this song is the guitar lead the occupies the middle half or so of the song. It is played very well, without being noodly or excessive, as many guitarists can get when they showcase their stuff solo for the first time. "Boot to the Head" does just that, gives you a solid boot to the head. Opening with a crusher of a riff and a small death grunt, another nice guitar lead follows. The main riff in this track is fairly simple, but extremely effective in getting you into the song and getting your head moving as well. "Empty Hollow Dripping" has a very southern rock/metal feel to it, especially after it slows down from the fast paced opening segment of the song. Lots of pinch harmonics and deep grooving riffs help to make this one my pick for best song on this EP. "The Ballad" begins as anything but, with another memorable riff, and also featuring some outstanding skin pounding by Progen here, then slows down to a semi-ballad pace for the last half or so of the song.
I'm typically not a fan of many guitarists solo efforts, as they usually do too much noodling and "look at how fast I can play" crap, ignoring good songwriting to show of their playing. Goatreign puts the song first, while still showcasing Mike's ability to lay down a great guitar solo in it's proper place in the song. Good, solid heavy metal with excellent guitar work is always welcome in my CD player, and that is what Goatreign provides for us here.
B+ -Goz
Battle Lords
Moribound
Ex-Vital Remains members Jeff Gruslin (vocals) and Paul Flynn (guitar) bring the Satanic Balls back to metal with help from Michael McPherson (drums), Michael Lecam (Guitars & Bass), and Justin Flynn (Guitars & Bass). The classic Vital Remains sound is all over this disc and anyone who enjoyed "Let Us Pray" will agree that they still have it, including the blasphemic cover art.
"Heathens Rage" kicks off the album at a breakneck double bass drum pace with Jeff's growling voice overdubbed with some high pitched screaming vocals over it. The song breaks into a mid-tempo rage that would have any mosh pit swirling. "Conflict From Within" starts off with screams and a drum roll and some old school death metal riffs.
The title cut "Battle Lords" starts out with machine gun fire and warplanes flying and breaks into a crushing riff with a nice slower moshy feel to it with a ringing ride cymbal in the middle. "Sadistic Ritual Carnage" is a brutal breakneck double bass drum riff song and "The Lair Of Cerberus" is a majestic sounding death metal anthem of brutality. "Ancient Grave Lands"
continues the mythic satanic themes of the rest of the album. "Beyond The Gates, We Desecrate" has more insane double bass drum work with a black death feel to it.
"Revelations Of The Dead King" closes the album on a brutal death riff fest that leaves you wanting more. Michael McPherson's drumming throughout the whole album is superb and bone crushing and a vital piece to the sound! Although I hear he is no longer in the line up, actually I hear Justin Flynn is the only one left from this discs line up. I have to see these guys live to witness the brutality in the flesh!
Blasphemic topics run throughout the lyrics and the song writing is the best I've heard on an extreme metal album since Behemoth's Demigod and The Apostasy. If you're a fan of Old School Satanic Death Metal then you should buy this CD!
B+ -Matt Smith
Rise to Ruin
Candlelight
I looked down at the nondescript promo CD Goz had given me. It seemed like just another Candlelight promo disc. “Gorefest. Rise to Ruin,” it read. I sighed. “Mindless grindcore,” I thought aloud.
I have never been so happy to be so dreadfully wrong in my life. Dutch metallers Gorefest’s new album is full of pulverizing ferocity that doesn’t let up until it ends. This album is pure death/thrash (or DeThrash, as it is sometimes called now). It’s an oozing slab of extreme metal coming from the Earth to wreak havoc and destruction. Rise to Ruin is rife with themes of anger, angst, and retribution. While those themes normally come off as childish, this album twists those themes into ruthless aggression. I’m not an underprivileged person and I go to a great college; however, this album makes me feel like one—like I need to start a goddamn revolution! That’s how awesome it is.
The opening track, “Revolt” is so full of determined and focused energy that it conjures up memories of other great Thrash openers like Dark Angel’s “Darkness Descends.” The vigorous chorus of this song is battle cry for all metal fans. I expected that the album simply couldn’t maintain such fierceness after such a great opener. But later songs like the epic “Babylon’s Whores” and the title track keep the death metal flowing, with blast beats and driving riffs galore. Tracks like “Speak When Spoken To” continue to provide the angry, frustrated mood of this album.
This album is forty-eight minutes of an unremitting assault. The mood is intense, pissed off, and of course, angry. The drums are unrelenting, the riffs penetrating, and the overall feel violently energetic. Gorefest have reunited to create one of the best death metal albums of the year.
A -Adam Kohrman
Greatest Hits Volume I and II
Self-released/Dirtcore
To review Graveyard BBQ's recently released Greatest Hits Volume II and not explain the difference between Volumes I and II would be a crime. Plus, a few tracks were re-recorded and in some cases made to sound like totally new songs. While other songs were not duplicated and you may miss out if you were to only get one of these albums.
Of Graveyard BBQ's many traits, humor and fun is the bottom line. They incorporate their strong roots of good ol' rock n' roll, delta blues, southern rock, and almighty metal into their own modern soul-laced style of electrified rock carnival with speed and hilarity that grabs you by the balls and says "I said dance!"
Their sound, labeled 'dirtcore', may be a little country fried at a first listen, but it's so much more. On Greatest Hits Volume I they lead you to believe the band is a joke, like during their humorous cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire". Then clearly, Greatest Hits Volume II proves Graveyard BBQ's ability to pull off thundering beats, meaty riffs, and sleazy guitar licks that give you naughty thoughts and can slip into a chakra or two and send pleasure pulses to your extremities. This, in most cases, causes you to dance or tap your hands or feet or something.
The major difference between these two albums may be due to the change in band members. Brownbag Johnson (guitar and vocals), Bud Black (bass), and the BBQ Girlz remain through both albums. On the second, drummer Peterbuilt Wilson is replaced with Billy Z. Bubb, lead singer Reverand T. W. Brixx is replaced with Howlin' Jack Boone, and rhythm guitarist Higgins is added. On Greatest Hits Volume I you will find the winning song of the 2005 "Be A Guitar Hero" contest "Cheat on the Church" (featured on PS2's Guitar Hero) along with other stand-out tracks such as "Daddy Like", "BBQ Nation" and "{Hell} Billi Shakes". 
On Greatest Hits Volume II you will find duplicate tracks from Volume I for "BBQ Nation", "BBQ Girl", "The Road That Lies Ahead" and "Graveyard BBQ" that mainly sound much improved compared to the previous recordings. The song "Meat Yer Enemy" features guests Ben Crandall and Jet of Sam Black Church and former frontman Rev. Brixx. A cover of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", the fourth track on Volume II, is likely the inspiration behind track nine "Ride the Stache"; a song about moustache rides for a nickel.
I was extremely impressed with the new songs and re-recordings on Greatest Hits Volume II. Graveyard BBQ really does sound like they sold their souls to the Devil at the Crossroads. "By The Grace of The Grill" is an A+ track and most of the others are not far behind such as "The Clothes That Make The Man". Volume II is positively heavier than Volume I with less emphasis on the slide guitar. Volume I is more suited to open-minded metal heads and anyone who likes hard, southern, or classic rock and blues but not the heavier stuff. Both are fun and amusing approaches to classic, feel-good rock n' roll with a modern edge that earns my respect and leaves me yearning for more.
What I like a lot about Graveyard BBQ is that they really get into character when playing. From their "Blues men" names, to their attire at a gig, to the overall vibe of the band and music, they bring the Halloween and fun into the music the same way Alice Cooper and Kiss do all year long. Their artwork shows the embodiment of their theme as well. From their cool cover art, to hot photos, to silly comics, you can plainly see naughtiness, sex, booze, rock n' roll, humor, tributes to important influences such as Dimebag Darrell, Johnny Cash, Robert Johnson and a genuine love of what they do and who they do it for.
B- (Volume I)
A (Volume II ) -Alesha Brunell
Worship me or Die
Beethoven on Speed
Metal Mind
The best noise contained in these CDs is the sound they make when hitting a brick wall…
F -Mike Baronas
2007 Promo
Self-Released
Hail of Bullets is a five piece band from the Netherlands, made up of members of Thanatos, Gorefest, and most notably (at least for me) ex-Pestilence/Asphyx/Comecom/Bolt Thrower/etc vocalist Martin Van Drunen. I still remember the first time I heard Martin's vocals - I put in Consuming Impulse and the opening lines to "Dehydrated" almost made me shit myself. The completely crazy and grating vocal style still easily sticks in my head to this day. That voice is back with a vengeance on Hail of bullets 4-song promo/demo, available for download from their myspace page.
Right off the bat with "General Winter" we get to hear that Martin's voice is still strong after all these years. The music here is fairly basic, with a heavy doomy feel to it, but the vocals are the definite strong point here. "Red Wolves of Stalin" is more interesting for me musically, with some crushingly heavy riffs and solid drumming. "Ordered Eastward" has somewhat of a Bolt Thrower feel to it at times, and the final track "Advancing Once More" comes as the standout track for me. Slow, heavy riffage kicks it off, and the drums will pound your brain in on this one.
Hail of Bullets debut is a good setup for what is to come. If you are a fan of Martin Van Drunen's vocals like I am, you should enjoy this very much. The music is good, but not all that original or inventive, but it does get better through the 4 songs. Hopefully with some more time together, the band will get tighter as a unit and present some better tunes in the future.
B- -Goz
Death is the Communion
Relapse
The Godfather of stoner doom Matt Pike has returned with his band High on Fire and brings us another slab of insane stoner brutality.
“Fury Whip” kicks off the disc with a battering riff that sounds at times like Slayer, then goes into a pile driving riff with his Lemmy influenced vocals. “Waste of Tiamat” starts off with some cool 12-string guitar that breaks into heavy guitar with a swirling drum riff. The song then breaks into a bludgeoning riff that picks up the pace of the song into a blazing guitar solo. “Death is the Communion” the longest song on the CD at 8 and a half minutes sounds like a long lost Sleep song. “Khanrad's Wall” is a middle eastern influenced instrumental that leads into “Turk” with its steamroller like double bass drumming by longtime HOF member Des Kensel and moshy guitar riff and catchy refrain “the sight of god is to unfold memories untold” as only Matt could scream.
“Headhunter” is a minute and a half tribal-like drumming piece that flows into “Rumors of War” a Celtic Frost-like song complete with an “ugh” when the song kicks in and the chorus “spit in their evil eyes”. “DII” has a slow doomy riff and some nice mellotron sounds in it that nicely accents the heaviness (I have to say I’m a sucker for mellotrons). “Cyclopian Scape” starts off with some nice acoustic guitar then rips into a ballsy riff and then slows to a bluesy end. “Ethereal” has a nice sludgy start and kicks into a rocking pace with a searing guitar solo just to break down to a melodic ending. “Return to Nod” ends the album on a heavy note that one won’t soon forget. Definitely one of the heaviest High on Fire albums I’ve heard and this disc will definitely make it to my top 10 of the year!
The bonus DVD with the deluxe edition is a documentary style look into the recording of Death is the Communion. With interviews with all members and footage of them recording their respective parts and Matt explaining how High On Fire came to be with a funny story of how he first met up with drummer Des. Matt also goes on to explain his lyric writing and how it is sometimes inspired by the way the bible is written, the language they use, etc. I wouldn’t say it’s essential to buy the deluxe version although it IS a nice accent to such a brutal album.
A- -Matt Smith
Venus Doom
Sire
Heartagram-heads have something to celebrate with this new CD filled with mostly formulaic HIM songs with a doomier influence. The title track kicks off the album in a heavy rocking that is typical HIM sound with Mille crooning about falling in love with someone knowing it's doomed (hmm, where have we heard this before?).
"Love In Cold Blood" starts off with a heavy riff and carries on in typical HIM fashion. The middle of the song has a Type O Negative influenced slow part that breaks up the pace of the song. "Passion's Killing Floor" has a pretty doomy riff but then picks up to a goth piano laced verse and a chorus refrain, "My hearts a graveyard baby".
"The Kiss Of Dawn" starts off with a riff Zakk Wylde could have written for Ozzy and continues in a typical HIM fashion. "Sleepwalking Past Hope", at 10 minutes, is an epic tune that starts off with soft piano then kicks into a doomy riff but the song tends to drag on a bit with a Sabbathy riff that goes into a nice haunting piano instrumental middle section that is pretty cool before it kicks back into the riff and picks up the pace with a guitar solo and rides out on the heavy doomy riff with some analog synth sound fading it out. "Dead Lover's Lane" sounds like the single off the album because it's so damn catchy and "Song Or Suicide" is an acoustic ditty interlude at only a little over one minute. "Bleed Well" continues the HIM sound and "Cyanide Sun" ends the album with a very Type O sounding slow doomy riff and doesn't pick up the tempo much to keep it mellower throughout the song.
HIM has become like AC/DC and Type O Negative, churning out similar sounding albums year after year to an adoring fan base, and hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
B -Matt Smith
Summon in Thunder
Century Media
Himsa have done it again. Summon in Thunder is yet another quality metal album. They have delivered what they had promised to be an album combining the strengths of their last two albums Courting Tragedy and Disaster and Hail Horror. It is exactly what I had expected from this Seattle metal band.
I'm afraid there isn't much I can tell you about Himsa's music that I haven't already mentioned in my previous review of Hail Horror in the last update. This new album is like the others in that it is still uniform and that makes it tough to pick favorite songs. Tracks on Summon in Thunder are a little more memorable than those on Hail Horror, such as "Big Timber" and title track "Summon in Thunder". The album also has some catchier guitar melodies such as in "Given in to the Taking" and "Curseworship".
Even though Himsa have a great sound and can produce albums that are good from start to finish, there still seems to be something missing. I guess I'm looking for tracks I want to hear over and over again. All of the tracks are very good, but there's nothing outstanding. As a bonus, Summon in Thunder has a second disc which is a Century Media compilation of seven tracks from Himsa and these artists: At All Cost, The Agonist, Arsonists Get All the Girls, Divine Heresy, Suicide Silence, and Winds of Plague.
B -Alesha Brunell
Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part I
SPV
Pioneers of the rhythm heavy power sound- Jon Schaffer waits 10 years to add to his science fiction conceptual tale with this first part conceptual effort. Joined on this journey for his second studio sojourn is vocalist Tim Owens, and re-joining in the drum ranks is long time kit man Brent Smedley. Schaffer handles most of the guitar and bass duties, leaving the solo work for Troy Seelie while new bassist Dennis Hayes guests on a couple of tracks and they both will tour in support of the album. The 19 tracks run the gamut from short instrumental/spoken word introductions and segues to full length songs- most of which run in the 4-6 minute range with the exception of epic centerpiece “The Clouding” at 9:18. Being that I’ve followed the band since the classic Night Of The Stormrider era, I never expected anything less than the best from Iced Earth on this eighth studio
disc- and you’ll get a highly impressive album my friends.
People in the past may have criticized Schaffer’s affinity for the triplet chug riffs or his insatiable propensity for faster song/ slower song/ faster song/ slower song running order to keep the emotions running up and
down- but with Framing Armageddon the slower, moody material is kept to a minimum. Hard charging tracks like the Pink Floyd-ish death march “Motivation Of Man” or the single “Ten Thousand Strong” push Tim Owens to the brink vocally, spitting the words out quickly and in a convincingly high manner.
Musically the guitar harmonies you’ve come to know and love are expanded further in the epic tracks while Jon seems comfortable adding in a slight progressive element with the off tempo snare/bass interplay throughout “Infiltrate and Assimilate” or the cultural Egyptian touch in “Retribution Through The Ages”. To compare to one of his long time bands that Schaffer respects Blind Guardian, this album should be their Nightfall In Middle Earth as it contains the right amount of bombast and flair while also containing a slew of memorable tracks that should kick rear ends as they tour the world.
In a perfect world this album would join the 6 figure sales ranks stateside and allow Iced Earth to sell out mini-theaters. Part two coming in spring
2008 has a lot to live up to. Let’s hope this ends the Barlow/Owens debate
forever- I respect both singers as they know their strengths and limitations, but for IE 2007 Owens more than lives up to the standard of the material.
A+ -Matt Coe
Road of Bones
Cruz Del Sur
Humid, hot climates in the United States produce a ton of killer metal bands through the years. It’s been well documented that the Bay Area thrash movement plus the Florida death metal booms that occurred in the 80’s and 90’s took the underground by storm, and I often think the environment and energy combine to make in roads for a scene. Add Texas as another state that year in and year out produces a killer movement, as I’ve often heard of national acts touring the state for a full week to hit the major cities and small town in support of their metallic wares. Ignitor continues in the tradition of previous acts like Omen and Helstar to fly the flag for the roots of heavy metal- melodic metal anthems filled to the brim with savage riffs, guitar solos, lyrical topics regarding mystery, historical legend and violence as well as a female vocalist who has the pipes of Doro, Leather Leone and Debbie Gunn all rolled into one.
“March To The Guillotine” wouldn’t sound out of place on an early Metallica album, as the riffing has that same Kill ‘Em All quality to it, minus the drum tempo which befits more of the early 80’s British metal grooves. The title track opens with fast guitar licks and tricks while Erika’s voice navigates between lower melodies and the stratospheric screaming she can convey with nary a breath loss. I also enjoyed the extra sound bytes that come into play in certain songs- for instance the air fighter work that opens “Wings Of The Blackheart” or the German dialogue that takes place in the middle of Maiden-like closer “ReinheitBgebot” (which I can surmise if given an English subtitle would be “Metal Is The Law”). Out of the quintet the person with the most experience in the business is guitarist Stuart Laurence, who previous played in Agony Column- but this represents much more of a back to basics approach for Ignitor.
I feel that the drumming could have been a little stronger throughout this album, as I believe Pat Doyle plays a little too stiffly in spots where he needs to cut loose. Outside of that, Road Of Bones harkens back to the early Combat and Metal Blade years of independent metal and would be a wise choice if you miss bullet belts, jean back patches and constant horn saluting at live shows.
B+ -Matt Coe
The Challenger EP
Translation Loss
The Challenger is an EP that follows up LA quartet Intronaut's 2006debut CD, Void. Featuring three new songs, 5 lives songs from the bands earlier releases, a remix of "Burning These Days" (from their Null EP), and a recording of one of their sound checks, this disc is full of super heavy, progressive metal.
The title track is first, and it opens with a crushingly heavy riff that should get just about anyones head moving. The drumwork here is simply incredible, too. Danny Walker beats the skins like his life depends on it, using double bass frequently, but not overdoing it, and dropping in plenty of fills where they are necessary. The guitar sound on this is simply brutal - heavy as hell, with a buzz-saw like feel to it that somewhat reminds of old-school Swedish death metal at times. Joe Lester is the bass player, and he throws down some amazing lines in this song as well - and you can easily hear the bass here to, as the mixing is done right so everything comes through clear and where it should be. The only weak point in this song is the boring breakdown at the midway point that lasts just a bit too long, but the song rages back strong to recover from that weak moment.
"Whittler of Fortune" and "Deep Architecture" are the other new tracks here, and both pack in the same amount of insanity and intensity that the opener gave us. Guitarists
Sacha Dunable and
Dave Timnick shine a bit more in "Whittler...", with some cleaner guitar parts and a bit more melody for them to add their own crafty touches to.
The live portion of the disc is made up of tracks from shows in Tempa and LA, and show that the band can translate their crazy aural assault quite well in a live environment. The final song is a remix of "Burning These Days", done by Sacha, and incorporates a lot of electronic elements and sampling...not really my cup of tea, so I'll stick to the three new tracks and the live stuff here.
This was my first exposure to Intronaut, and I'll be picking up the rest of their releases next time I visit my local music store - they are THAT good!
A- -Goz
Juggernaut
Candlelight
Thundering, plundering, terrifically horrific metal that sounds so evil it will either give you nightmares or put a nice big smile on your face. Arizona's Knights of the Abyss have created a consistently brutal album with dark, mosh-friendly music. The screams and growls are so intense, they had to re-record Juggernaut (thus having two album covers) because vocalist Mike Manheimer blew out his voice box during the first recording and they had to ask friend Dustin Hadlock to finish the album. Wow, that sounds pretty hardcore to me.
Opening title track "Juggernaut" is an instrumental complete with creepy keyboards, doom style music and eerie radio transmissions. When the drums kick in, the music is somehow fast and slow at the same time. This track brings on the feel of a journey. A fitting entrance to an album that definitely has carrying instrumentation. In fact, the steady quality of the entire album make it difficult to pick favorite tracks.
In all the songs, I was impressed with the guitar's grinding, chugging rhythms as well as their melodic solos. Aggressive percussion and bass keep the music sinister and motivating. The fierce vocals add to the horror factor especially during "Gridlock", one of the stand-out tracks, because it sounds like someone popped his vocal chords during that one. Another version of "Gridlock" with Dustin on vocals is "Hadlock" available for a listen on their web site here. Other tracks that stood out a little more than others include "Our Emancipation", "Karmageddon", "Hell Bent" and "I Pledge Agrievance" for their blended styles of old-school death metal, thrash and doom with a little Scandinavian influence showing.
Since I've already mentioned the first six tracks, I could just name them all. The problem with delivering a uniform album, where all the songs are equally good, nothing stands apart from the rest. Hits are memorable and I do hear memorable songs. It's just tough to figure out which songs you like more after listening to the album even a dozen times because they all blend together in common brutality. That is a good characteristic and shows potential. Maybe Knights of the Abyss are a band you have to see live before you can really appreciate their talents. They sound like they would put on quite a show. Let's hope they take care of those vocal cords and make it to this area sometime soon.
B- -Alesha Brunell
Legacy of Evil
Candlelight
Norway's Limbonic Art began as a band in 1993, then broke up in 2003 having run out of ideas. They then decided to reunite on June 6, 2006, and Legacy of Evil is the first result from the reunited two-piece symphonic black metal band.
They blast off to a good start with "A Cosmic Funeral Of Memories" - no intro or any other cliched bits to start it off, just right into the blast beats, tremolo picking, and raspy vocals. At the midway point of the song, their is a nice quiet keyboard part for a bit, then right back to the chaos. The keyboard work is fairly prominent throughout this disc, hence the symphonic bend to their brand of black metal. "Grace By Torments" slows things down a bit, bringing up the atmosphere as well. The keyboards a more up front here, and have the feel of a horror movie score as well. A nice diversion from the blistering pace that has been set so far.
The title track has a great mix of the blasting, grinding black metal with layers of keyboards added to give it an eerie feeling. It also has one of the best riffs on the disc to start off the song, then repeated throughout the track a few times. The title track, and the tempo-changing "Nebulous Dawn" are the two standout tracks for me here.
Production is very well done here. Guitars sound great, the keyboards fit in perfectly, and the vocals come across powerful and angry as they should. The band lacks a drummer, so they are programmed - therefore they obviously sound programmed, but in fact they sound as good, or better, then most of the crappy triggered drum tracks that are used by metal bands that actually have a drummer. Overall this is a very good release from the reformed Limbonic art.
B+ -Goz
Envenomed II
The Will to Kill
Arctic Muisc Group
I hadn't realized that either of these albums had gone out of circulation for any amount of time, but since they have recently been "reissued," because of their caliber it seems appropriate to mention them to any death metal fans who may have somehow let these slip through the cracks, even though they don't differ in any way from the previously available versions of the two titles.
Many of you probably recognize the name Malevolent Creation, since they have released slab after slab of quality, technical, surgically precise brutal death metal since 1991's The Ten Commandments. Despite the revolving door of members--almost 10 drummers, three stints each for vocalist Brett Hoffmann, drummer Dave Culross, and guitarist Jon Rubin, etc.--over the years, mainstay Phil Fasciana (g) has managed to ratchet up the intensity and gain ground songwriting-wise, almost with each successive release. In my opinion, Envenomed and The Will to Kill are the two best MC discs in their storied discography. If I had to pick just 2, these would be they.
Envenomed originally saw release in 2000, but in 2002 was re-issued with 3 bonus tracks and re-titled with the "II." Catchy riffs abound on this album, and the production is rock solid, the mix fat with the slight exception of Culross' snare which sometimes sounds a little thin. The songwriting is lean and mean (compared to a few slower, drawn out, interest-losing tunes on the 2 albums preceding this) with puh-lenty of blast beats and killer fills everywhere to drive those razor-sharp riffs over the top. Some blistering solos can be heard adding flavor here and there, but it's about the mean, relentless songs themselves. The mastering was done nicely, too, with just about zero space between songs so that there is no time to recover before the next assault is unleashed upon the ears. Brett turns in another good vocal pe rformance, although it's not quite as rabid as what he contributed to 1998's The Fine Art of Murder. The three bonus tracks (a Dark Angel cover and two re-recorded older songs) sound like they are from the same sessions and are worthy additions to the original album.
And then there's 2002's The Will to Kill. Everything that Envenomed hinted at comes to fruition here. Vocalist Kyle Symons turns in an absolutely imperious and burly vocal performance. Kyle's voice compliments the material perfectly, with a deeper but not indecipherably gutteral growl, and blood-curdling shrieks. I'm much more scared by this guy than by by Brett. The songs, while still maintaining the by-now trademark catchiness and brutality, breathe a little more courtesy of a massive mix. The drums (played by Justin DiPinto) sound much more punishing than on Envenomed, with thunderous kicks and a head-smashing snare; the guitar tones are mean and huge. With all due respect to the classics, this is some of the best, most manic Floridian death metal ever recorded, and my hands-down favorite of all 10 MC albums. Tons of tempo changes, speedy and varied drumming, riff after killer riff...not a dull moment for the entire duration of the album, and every bit as good as, or better than, anything I've ever heard by any other technical American death metal outfit. Superb.
A- (Envenomed II)
A+ (The Will to Kill) -Mark Fields
Season 1 (DVD)
[adult swim]
[adult swim] has been churning out some very funny animated series but none has come close to the metal-meets-horror and comedy show Metalocalypse. The show is based around Dethklok, a fictitious death metal band that is bigger than everything, and are the supposed bringers of the Metalocalypse, the world domination of METAL! Dethklok is also the 12th largest economy in the world and their fans are so dedicated and rabid they sign their lives away to see them perform only one song in isolated remote parts of the world. The animation style is a funky, almost crude style that works well with the dialogue and subject matter of the show and from what I hear is entirely done in the web site animation program Flash. In every episode you are guaranteed impalements, beheadings, and some seriously smoking death metal songs. One thing that makes this show so funny is the brilliant dialogue and social commentary in each episode.
Voices of the characters are mostly done by creators Brendan Small and Tommy Blacka but they also have regulars like voice over master (and former
Skywalker) Mark Hamill, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher of Cannibal Corpse, and on a few episodes Kirk Hammitt and James Hetfield from Metallica, as well as horror metal legend King Diamond (voicing the devil in one episode).
There are plot lines running throughout the season that consist of a crack team of CIA-like people tracking Dethklok that continues in later episodes and recurring themes like every appearance of rock n roll clown Dr. Roxxo contains a beating at the hands of the Mordhaus staff.
Initially I thought the episodes would be uncensored but the only thing uncensored on the DVDs are the special features, or as they¹re called on the sticker on the cover "Hidden Murder features". Now the key word is "hidden" here because you have to access them by moving the arrows on your DVD controller around the menus to access them (hint, they're in the Dethklok logo and the members eyes). Also, on disc 2 there are some funny ones in the episode selection menu that are not to be missed. Highlights of some of these "Hidden Murder Features" are an extended (15 minute!) reading from Shakespeares' Hamlet by lead vocalist Nathan Explosion, an extended cock bass solo by William Murderface, a guitar lesson by Skwissgaar Skigelf, and a few funny band interviews on topics like Politics and Family to name a few.
If you've never seen the show then a good place to start is this 2 DVD set containing all 20, 11 and a half minute episodes of Metalocalypse from Season 1. They have also released a CD of Dethklok songs (see my review of the Dethalbum in this issue) as a testament to the popularity of this show.
In my opinion this show is possibly the most quoted thing since Spinal Tap or Monty Python, at least amongst my fellow GASPetc cohorts and anyone I talk to that has seen the show. Season 2 is already under way and is continuing the comedic brutality that Season 1 established and will hopefully continue for many more Seasons to come.
KUH-KUH-KUH YAYAHHH!!!
A+ -Matt Smith
7" Collection 1990-2006
Fuck Music Productions/Eggscab Records
I was first introduced to Minch via a Seraphic Decay records CD sampler that we got at WXPL when I was doing a metal show there. The note on the back of the disc said that the drummer played on a Whirlpool 5-cycle dryer, which intrigued me to no end. Of course, I immediately put the disc in and skipped to the Minch tracks, and I was completely floored by it. I haven't been the same since. Shortly thereafter, I got Minch's first 7", simply titled Seven Minch, a one-sided affair clocking in at about 5 minutes, and containing such classics as "Lipucci Minch", "Pyogenic Orgasms", and of course "We Gotta Go!" ("This ones cuz we have to go, it's called we gotta go, 1 2 3 4 aaarrrggghhh we gotta go!"). From then on, I (along with fellow former-XPLer and current GASPer Mark Fields) have been on the hunt for anything and everything that Minch has done. The hunt is over, as all of their 7" releases are now available on one small shiny 5" CD for you listening pleasure.
After the aforementioned Seven Minch, Seraphic Decay released Americas Most Wanted, which consisted of a single 7 minute track of screaming, noisy insanity on side one called "Pathetic Poetic Pasta Salad (Indulge in the Salad Bar of Sin)". Side two was the Seven Minch disc, but this time played backwards, with such brilliant song titles as "Go Gotta Wee", "Who Flung Poo" and "A Vacuum of Evenagelism (Don't get Sucked in)". Hearing the entire thing backwards amps up the insanity to completely new levels.
More hilarity ensues on the later parts of the disc as well. One such gem - female voice "How many times i keep telling you quit banging on the god damned dryer" to which she gets the reply "Shit up bitch, it's under warranty!". This goes on for an hour, with all 7 of Minch's official releases present (the rest contained here are Minch's side of splits with Gonkulator, Mamarracho, Cadaver Feast, Gore Beyond Necropsy, and Breathilizor), as well as an unreleased 10-minute rehearsal from 1991.
If you already know of Minch, you likely already have this CD. If you've never heard of Minch, you really don't know what you are missing. Dryer beating, multiple guys screaming, ultra fast blurring guitars - you name it. If it's noisy, it is on this disc. What is all adds up to is absolute brilliance, and the best CD of the year.
A+ -Goz
The Last Sucker
13th Planet
Hand it to Al Jourgensen, the man knows how to throw a hell of a going away party. Here it is, this, the final Ministry record and the final installment of Al’s venomous anti-George "Dubya" Bush trilogy (the other two being Houses of the Mole, and Rio Grande Blood, both excellent, by the way). Has there ever been a more reviled president in the history of the United States? If there were any doubt to the answer of that question, Al and his merry band of noise makers would like to ease your mind.
What we have here is a pile-driving, sledgehammer of a record that brings to mind so many of the great moments in this history of this incredible, trail blazing band. But, of course, what has become apparent throughout Ministry’s history is that Al’s most effective creative muse is the presence of a crooked, war-mongering, hypocritical leader in the White House. When the senior Shrub was in office, we were treated to the groundbreaking Psalm 69 (which seems to be the golden standard in the Ministry catalogue, and the record to which all others have been compared), and if there is one good thing about having to suffer through two terms of "Baby Shrub", it’s that we at least got three amazing records from Al and company (let me state, though, that there were some great moments during the Bill Clinton years; Filth Pig is a terribly underrated release).
The Last Sucker kicks things off in fine Ministry tradition with "Let’s Go", a machine-like precise delivery that, if it weren’t quite so heavy, would sound at home on a Killing Joke release. What hits initially, of course, is that the sound is huge and menacing—exactly what you want from a Ministry release. Thankfully the pedal-to-the-metal mentality never lets up. It’s a none-stop bludgeoning from start to finish. "Watch Yourself", the second cut, immediately stands out as a track that would have felt at home on the before-mentioned "Psalm 69", complete with a massive repetitive "chug"-riffs delivered by supreme axe-smith Tommy Victor, and lyrics that suggest that maybe, just maybe the current administration might be guilty of invading one’s privacy. The anger and intensity never subsides. Take for instance "The Dick Song"--a blatant attack against horrifically scary Vice President Dick Cheney. Featuring some of the most satisfying machine-like chug on the record, and with lyrics like "I’ve got something to get off my chest, I’ve got a person that scares me to death, First name Dick and you all know the rest…Dick Cheney Son of Satan, He is the Chosen One". Yeah, there’s just no beating around the bush here (no pun intended), it’s a double-barreled blast in the face of this current administration, and well deserved. And what of ol’ Dubya himself? Don’t worry. The title track takes care of Shrub in fine fashion: "Born and raised in the USA, I got a different kind of DNA, I got a blood line from Texas to Maine, We run the world like a parlor game…I got twins and a stepford wife, I never had to work a day in my life, I never studied by got my degree, I never had to with my family tree". Ouch…truth hurts, don’t it? Al delivers it like no other can, which makes this record all the more entertaining. For a truly Psalm 69-like moment, check out the delicious cover tune nugget, "Roadhouse Blues", and try to imagine it along side "Jesus Built My Hotrod"—it’s not that difficult to do.
What’s apparent throughout is that there’s just no care or consideration on Al’s part about disillusioning fans who might actually be on "that" side of the fence, nor a care in the world about consequences for speaking his mind against an administration that has a habit of silencing its critics. Nice.
Sonically, while this record pummels and bludgeons, it’s a bit more textured and less of a mind-numbing affair than its predecessor "Rio Grande Mud". Al’s all-star line-up (Tommy Victor and Paul Raven are back on board for one more round) brings the goods once again, but there’s definitely more of the past Ministry sound salt-and-peppered throughout.
Without a doubt, Ministry are heading out in a blaze of glory, and if this really is the last release, and Al resists all temptation to do some kind of Ministry "comeback" project, then I’ll compare it to a heavyweight champ who knocks the shit out of his last opponent and hangs the gloves up. This a great Ministry release that even casual fans of the band will appreciate.
Note: I speak for everyone in the G.A.S.P. etc "Metal Community" when I say that the loss of Paul Vincent Raven is a terrible tragedy (his passing occurred on Sunday, October 20th). His impact was felt on several incredible recordings by the likes of Killing Joke, Prong, Ministry, Godflesh, Pigface, and the Revolting Cocks, to name just a few. For an excellent tribute to this Rock n’ Roll Pirate, please visit the page established by none other than Al Jourgensen himself, at http://www.thirteenthplanet.com/raven/. I feel fortunate to have met Paul once at a Prong show at the Middle East during the Cleansing tour, where a friend and I were able to buy him a beer and talk about all things Killing Joke and Prong for a bit. I remember him being extremely gracious, humorous, and genuinely happy to be hanging with a couple of "serious" fans. Rest in peace Raven.
A -Chuck Ferreira
Under Satanæ
SPV
This latest release from Moonspell consists of re-recording of early era recordings from the band. Presented here are the Under the Moonspell EP, Anno Satanæ demo, and the song "Serpent Angel", from when Moonspell was still called Morbid God. The music has been revamped a bit during the process, adding a bit more depth and modern day feel to what some consider to be classic black metal.
First up is the Under the Moonspell EP, three full songs with three instrumental interludes between them. Aside from the obvious recording quality differences, the band stays pretty true to the original material here, with a bit of polish thrown in where it needs to be. The most noticeable changes are in some of the orchestrated bits and in the drums. Without making drastic changes, Moonspell has improved a good bit on their original recordings here.
When the Anno Satanæ demo kicks in, you can easily hear the difference. The orchestrated parts are much more minimal here, the vocals deeper and more guttural, and overall it is a bit heavier, and more anchored in the bands black metal roots. Speaking of black metal roots, there is exactly where "Serpent Angel" comes from. Featuring some really good riffs, and it's share of blast beats and mood enhancing keyboards, this songs shows where Moonspell began quite well.
If you are a fan of Moonspell, this is something you should have. If you aren't, this wouldn't be a bad place to starts, as it shows pretty well both where the band started, and how far they have come in the last 15 years or so.
B -Goz
Better Motörhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith
SPV
This 2 disc live set celebrating Motörhead's 30 year anniversary (yes, they've been around for THAT long!) is an excellent collection/overview from their career that includes very recent songs and classics that have become staples in their live shows. Lemmy Kilminster (bass, vocals) is in top form, a veteran of the rock scene since the late 60's with Hawkwind to his lifetime-spanning career band Motörhead. Love him or hate him you can't deny he's got staying power and this live CD collection recorded at Hammersmith Apollo on June 16th 2005 has him backed up by Motörhead veteran (21 years!) Phil Campbell on guitar and Mikkey Dee on drums.
Kicking off the show with "Dr. Rock" it's no surprise to hear Lemmy still sounding as gruff as ever with his gargling broken glass vocals stronger than ever. They then launch into "Stay Clean", "Shoot you in the Back", "Love me like a Reptile", and "Killers". Other classics they pull out are "Metropolis", "Love for Sale", "Over the Top", "Dancing on your Grave" and "No Class".
"R.A.M.O.N.E.S." (a tribute to you guessed, the Ramones) is a fast paced punk ditty under 2 minutes that goes into "Sacrifice". Mikkey does a great drum solo in the middle of "Sacrifice" that showcases his talent as a prominent skin basher. They then go into the slower "Just 'cos you got the Power" and then they pull out a classic they don't usually do anymore "(we are) the Road Crew" that sounds pretty damn sweet! After Lemmy berates a fan for throwing their drink onstage they launch into "Going to Brazil". Next up are the set closers "Killed by Death" and "Iron Fist" two classics that are staples of their live shows.
They return for an encore with "Whorehouse Blues", a blues song they do acoustically that is fun because it's out of character for Motorhead to play unplugged. They then bring out some real old school classics "Bomber", "Ace of Spades" and "Overkill" (which ends up being an extended version) to end the show.
Any die-hard Motörhead fans will find this live set hard to resist but it should also be noted to newcomers that this CD set would be a great place to start if you want to hear what Motörhead is all about and why they have such staying power!
A -Matt Smith
Scum: 20th Anniversary Edition
Earache
For those of you not in the know, Napalm Death released this album in 1987 when grindcore wasn¹t even a genre of metal. Needless to say it was groundbreaking for the simple fact that virtually no one was playing this type of extreme music and basically started the whole grindcore scene. If I were to name my top ten extreme metal albums of all time Scum would be in the top 5, along with the first Brutal Truth album and Reign in Blood.
Recorded in 2 separate sessions between August 1986 and May 1987 the line-up included none other than Cathedral frontman Lee Dorian on lead vocals (on tracks 13-28), and Godflesh founder Justin Broaderick on guitar (on tracks 1-12). Founding member and drummer Mick Harris is featured on the DVD that comes with this 20th Anniversary edition explaining the timeline of how Scum came to be by revisiting the club they played their first gigs, the Mermaid and the studio they recorded Scum in, Rich Bitch studios. Other interviews/comments are provided by journalists and producers who give detailed recollections of the beginnings of Napalm Death and Scum. One thing missing from the DVD is interviews with other original members of ND but this doesn't take away from Mick's in depth interviews and exploration of how this legendary album was created.
For this 20th Anniversary Mick decided it would be blasphemous to tamper with the original recording and so nothing has been remastered when reissuing this CD. A smart choice considering that part of this albums groundbreaking qualities is the rawness of the recording, playing and lyrics. Always politically charged the lyrical topics range from "Multinational Corporations", marketing ("Instinct of Survival"), and power hungry nations ("Siege of Power") to name a few.
To say this album influenced countless bands is an understatement and when asked in interviews many modern day extreme metal bands will cite Napalm Death and Scum as a major influence. So do yourself a favor and buy this CD because there will never be another one like it and it's a good place to start in your exploration of extreme metal.
(ed. note: GASPer and Napalm Death historian Mark Fields wanted to check in with a couple updates/corrections to this review. The CD version of Scum was remastered for this release, despite Mick Harris' disparaging remastering on the DVD. Also, Mark says this should be an A+, as Scum was a groundbreaking album...I certainly can't disagree with.)
A -Matt Smith
Dark Passion Play
Roadrunner
Metal can be known to be a genre of music that is afraid to experiment with new sounds and ideas, but when a band does it can be breathtaking. Nightwish is not the first metal band to add orchestration and opera-like songs to make a point but they're definitely one that does it well. On Dark Passion Play they have assembled a complete orchestra to play on the album and it makes a huge difference than just using synths to create the instrument parts. Having parted ways with their original vocalist they have recruited Anette Olson, who has one of the most beautiful voices I've heard on a metal album. Her soaring vocals make the 14 minute epic opening track "The Poet And The Pendulum" that much more inviting and dynamic, luring in the listener with the dramatic strings of the orchestra that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Main songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen has composed an epic tale of betrayal and beauty as the concept unfolds throughout albums 13 tracks in 75 minutes.
"Eva" and "Meadows Of Heaven" really showcase Anettes voice and the bands ability to write songs that could even be mistaken for an Enya CD if it weren't for the heavy guitars throughout the album. Bassist Marco Hietala has vocal parts on this CD, but to be honest they sometimes take away from the beauty of Anettes vocals and almost detract from the overall vibe. It should be mentioned that his vocals are usually only on the heavier parts and his vocals do fit with the aggressive nature of those parts. "The Islander" is the only exception to this because that track is a celtic influenced song that he sings in a more normal voice and I have to say is one of my favorite tracks on the album. "Last Of The Wilds" is another celtic influenced track that is an instrumental that reminds me of something Skyclad or in Extremo would have written. "7 Days To The Wolves" is one of the album closers that gets a little bloated and may lose the casual listener.
Nightwish successfully meshes metal riffs with orchestrated instrumental parts much like Transiberian Orchestra does, but like TSO Nightwish tends to get a little bloated in the length of the whole concept through the CD. In general, it's refreshing to hear stuff like this and if more people would give it a listen without being told it's a metal band CD they might like it.
B -Matt Smith
Holy Armour from the Jaws of God
Candlelight
The UK's October File bring forth their latest, Holy Armour From the Jaws of God, delivering 10 songs of guitar heavy, riff-laden, punk rooted rock n' metal (or something like that).
"A Munitions Crusade" kicks things off with a pummeling, heavy guitar riff that will get your head moving immediately upon hearing it. Brash, harsh vocals deliver the message quite powerfully, while the bass and drums anchor it all together in a tight rhythmic package. The song does seem overlong, as the repetition in the music gets old and boring by the 3 minute mark or so. Many of the songs here suffer the same fate, overusing a great and memorable riff too much, repeating the same thing over and over for the entire song, which to my ears is tiring and gets to be boring quickly. I find myself listening to half a song, and wanting to skip to the next track due to boredom with the current song. "Hallowed Be Thy Army" uses a pretty cool flange/echo effect on the guitar, adding a slightly different sound that breaks up the monotony a bit.
October File has a lot of memorable riffs here (although I guess if you hear anything repeated over and over for 5 minutes straight it becomes memorable), but overall it's a bit tough to listen to straight through. Maybe if they threw in some guitar leads or at least a tempo change here and there it would break up the monotony of the music, but as it is, I don't see this one getting much replay for me.
C -Goz
The End of the Hour
Metal Blade
Tampa Florida was/is a hotspot of extreme/death metal. Bands like Death, Morbid Angel, Monstrosity, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, etc. all hail from Tampa. Paths of Possession is also from Tampa, with their most well known member, vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, also previously in Monstrosity and currently also handling vocal duties Cannibal Corpse.
The End of the Hour gives us a bit shy of 50 minutes worth of mid-paced, slightly melodic death metal throughout the 11 songs here. "Memory Burn" gets things going, with a galloping riff that flows nicely into a dual guitar melody bit (of which there are plenty on this disc). It chugs along at pretty much the same tempo all the way through, with a couple some nice guitar solos and decent vocals by Corpsegrinder. It is clear that the guitarist know their chops, with plenty of interplay between the two of them, and some standout solo work throughout as well, but at times the sound seems a bit thin. For the drum work, there are some "blast beats" (in quotes because their only fast as compared to the rest of the disc, they're actually quite tame) here and there to speed things up a bit, but overall the drumming sounds pretty mediocre to me. The disc drags from the middle to the end, with all the songs starting to blur together in a mid-paced mishmash or music that lacks memorable moments.
Overall, The End of the Hour is decent at best, with a few interesting bits to it, but leaving no lasting memories that will make you want to come back for more.
C -Goz
Diamonds Unlocked
SPV
Guitar hero based hard rock will always be around in some form or another. The heydays of the movement would be the late 70’s through the 80’s- thanks to players like Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen. German axe slinger Axel Rudi Pell has quietly released solo album after album of shredding hard rock, influenced by Deep Purple, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio since 1989. His current singer Johnny Gioeli joined up in 1998 with the Oceans Of Time effort, previously singing with Neal Schon in his Hardline AOR act at the beginning of the 90’s. Diamonds Unlocked has a concept not unlike other acts of today- reworking 10 classic songs and paying tribute to material that appeals to Axel in one respect or another. The difference with this quintet lies in their complete transformation of many cuts, most of which make this album intriguing and invigorating to listen to time and again.
The newest song covered is U2’s “Beautiful Day”- sticking to more of a hard rock approach, while other cuts from the 70’s get heavied up such as The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and Montrose’s “Rock The Nation”. Tracks that threw me for a loop? Try the stripped down acoustic ballad version of Kiss’ “Love Gun”- a perfect Gioeli/Pell collaboration that proves a good song can be taken down to a basic level. Or how about the 80’s gem “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins- with Axel showing restraint in his tasteful licks and then unleashing a fervent solo during the final 2 minutes. I’m glad that the band took the time to not stick to their influences but push great songs from all genres into the mix- his flair for the dramatic comes out in all of the songs, be it the up tempo material, the epic numbers or his ballad choices. I’ve always known that ARP can spit out arpeggio solos with the best of them, but this album proves he has equal ability in terms of his acoustic guitar abilities.
If Diamonds Unlocked spurs consumers on to his original material as well as buying some of the covered bands back catalogs, Axel Rudi Pell has done his job well. Next to Shaw/Blades Influence, this is my second favorite tribute album of the year.
A- -Matt Coe
Spheres
Metal Mind
I reviewed this album back in 1993 for the print version of GASP, and gave it a less than favorable rating in a handful of sentences. There were a couple of reasons for this. The first reason was because I still begrudged the band that vocal god Martin van Drunen had departed from their ranks before I had a chance to see them; the other was due to the dramatic, challenging musical progression from previous works to this.
Nearly 15 years later, Metal Mind has done a bang-up job of reissuing this controversial album. Aside from a good remastering job and 4 bonus tracks (2 remixes + 2 live), the packaging is beautiful, with a glossy digipack featuring superior, previously-unused alternate Dan Seagrave cover artwork, and insightful liner notes from Deron Miller which help to contextualize the album in metal history.
This is not a brutal album. The actual guitars, although prominent throughout most of the disc, feature really subdued distortion; and aside from the vocals, there is no indication that this was ever a death metal band, let alone 3/4 of the same band that delivered Consuming Impulse a few years prior. It is, however, a brave and musically adventurous album that is worth your attention if you have any affinity toward Cynic, Atheist, or Dimensions-era Believer: the album is rife with time changes, crazy jazzy chord progressions, intricate drumming, prominent and weaving bass lines, and atmosphere. It's easily the most 'musical' of Pestilence albums, although the songs themselves often seem more like musical explorations than musical compositions. Contributing to this notion is the over-use of guitar effects processors, despite the somewhat misleading "There are no keyboards on this album" statement. It's almost as if the atmosphere they create is trying to make up for a lack of actual songs.
So, while I tip my hat to the band, give them marks for bravery, and will keep this in my library, Spheres does fall short of works by Pestilence's aforementioned contemporaries, which incorporated plenty of innovation to more satisfying results.
B- -Mark Fields
S/T
Adrenaline Music
Finally, a true balls-out rock and roll band has found its way through the Nickelbacks and Hinders of the world. Poets & Pornstars does the likes of AC/DC, KISS, and the Rolling Stones proud with a no-apologies rock record that is all about – you guessed it – sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But damn if it isn’t a kick-ass fun album.
I had the pleasure of seeing Poets & Pornstars live before listening to their debut album, and had one of the best times I’ve had at a rock show in years. And I’m pleased to say the album lives up to my impressions from that night, every time I listen (which is a lot). No, it’s not original or daring, but it’s a straightforward hard rock record that deserves some attention, and so does Poets & Pornstars. Hard rock fans deserve to see them break big.
Standout tracks include “My Devil’s Song,” “In the Dark” and “Monkey” not to mention the hidden track “Son of a Gun” which may be the album’s best. Search them on YouTube and check them out, then do yourself a favor and buy the album.
A -Dan McDermott
Wake/Lift
Translation Loss
Whenever a band comes along like Rosetta I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Considering there are so many bands out there just trying to be as brutal and heavy as possible (and many failing miserably at it) you have a band like Rosetta that isn't out to prove anything but to take us on a sonic mind trip. Sounding like Neurosis offshoot project Tribes of Neurot and the more ambient Tool parts at times they definitely defy classification. With reverb and delay drenched guitars by Matt Weed, Dave Grossman's flowing bass lines, inventive drumming by BJ McMurtrie and sometimes screaming roaring buried-in-the-mix vocals by Mike Armine, Wake/Lift is an album that will slip by you if you're not paying attention. It literally is the quickest hour long CD I have listened to in a long time. It is one of those CDs that totally transcends actual time with a unique ambient flow.
"Red in Tooth and Claw" starts off the album at 12-plus minutes that actually goes by faster than expected because a lot of their sound is very ambient and trance inducing. "Lift (Part 1)" is heavy but it still has some reverb/delay filled guitars and "Lift (Part 2)" is the more ambient of the trilogy whereas "Lift (Part 3)", the longest of the trilogy at 6-plus minutes has heavier parts than Part 2 and 1 combined. This brings us to "Wake" with an ambient creeping bass line and some droning feedback screeches in the background that flows into a goth like guitar riff that is reminiscent of Lycia but breaks into heavy screaming vocals (kind of buried in the background). I can see why they bury Mike's vocals in the background because it gives it a mellower feeling than in-your-face vocals.
"Temet Nosce" is an instrumental piece that can make you feel like you just took some psychedelic drugs because at 15 minute it sounds like someone stumbled upon a long lost Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii out take. "Monument" finishes up the CD at 13-plus minutes and starts by waking you up after the ambient mellowness of "Temet Nosce". It then goes into a mellow guitar part with screaming vocals and a slow build-up to a layered noisy riff that then breaks down to a mellow section only to build up again and end on the mellow notes.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a variety and something to mellow out a bit to. Metal heads that aren't afraid of goth bands should check this CD out, too.
A- -Matt Smith
The Arcane Odyssey
Candlelight
Sear Bliss may just be the first black metal band that has a full time trombone player in it. Sure, there are other bands that have used brass instruments on their recordings, and live either left them out or had them on tape to play with the band, but these guys have their own trombone. Pretty cool and unique if you ask me. The Arcane Odyssey is the bands debut on Candlelight records after six full length releases previously.
The eight-minute "Blood on the Milky Way" kicks things off here, mixing together black metal with a lot of progressive elements and the often present trombone and trumpets as well. A weird mix, but it works well here, and the musicianship is stellar, with a notable guitar solo towards the end. "Lost and not Found" is a slower track that has some great catchy riffs in it, and another killer guitar solo. "Omen of Doom" opens with a bombardment of drums and heavy guitar riffs, with a nice bass line running underneath it all. Probably the most straightforward song on here, but the trombone still makes itself known quite a bit here.
This fivesome from Hungary play some pretty diverse stuff here on The Arcane Odyssey. I could see this disc appealing to black metal and open minded prog metal fans as well.
B+ -Goz
Hardworlder
Cruz Del Sur
Transplanted from their central Pennsylvania stomping grounds into the San Francisco Metal scene in the early 1990’s, the quartet known as ‘The Lord Weird’ Slough Feg have quietly made headway the world around for their NWOBHM affinity. My first exposure to their Irish cultural meets late 70’s/ early 80’s metal style occurred at the first Classic Metal Festival in Kalamazoo, MI during the summer of 2001- instantly swept inside their strong sensibilities, twin guitar lines and the expressive, one of a kind vocal range from leader/guitarist Michael Scalzi. Hardworlder showcases 11 original cuts along with 2 cover interpretations from the Horslips (“Dearg
Doom”) and Manilla Road (“Street Jammer”), quickly infusing your brain and body in an older under 45 minute time play.
Thin Lizzy, Blitzkrieg, Iron Maiden, and Jethro Tull happen to be 4 of the many bands that come to mind when listening to tracks like “Tiger! Tiger!”, “Insomnia” or the instrumental “Galactic Nomad”. Scalzi’s vocals resonate over the top of these hooks and tempos like the best days of Ian Anderson- while his guitar partner in crime “Don” Angelo Tringali gets plenty of time to show off his harmony mirroring skills with the tone and feel of his early hard rock heroes. The sci-fi meets comic book cover art threw me for a slight loop at first, but now I understand that it really fits their off kilter approach to a tee. My favorites include the charging “Poisoned Treasures” as well as the closing Manilla Road cover- the latter not as much of a surprise, but more a reverent symbiotic respect of their place in cult metal history.
You just don’t hear bands like Slough Feg come down the scene in 2007 anymore, and I’m sure that lifelong metalheads should own at least one of their albums in their collection. What a better introduction than Hardworlder to these ears.
A -Matt Coe
The Final Sign of Evil
SPV
Like Destruction released earlier this year Sodom also followed suit and has released The Final Sign Of Evil, a re-recorded version of the In the Sign of Evil EP with 7 bonus tracks that were written back around the time the EP was originally released in 1984. Assembled for this re-recording session are the original members from the original 1984 EP, drummer Chris Dudek (aka Witchhunter), and guitarist Josef "Peppi" Dominic (aka Grave Violator) joining Tom Angelripper to complete the line-up.
What we have is some old school thrash done by the original wave of bands from the godfather of old school thrash label Noise. Sodom was one of about a dozen bands that defined that sound and listening to this CD I must say they captured that old school production sound, no slick studio trickery happening here. The bonus tracks you get are "The Sin Of Sodom", "Bloody Corpse", "Sons Of Hell", "Where Angels Die", "Hatred Of The Gods", "Ashes To Ashes", and "Defloration" and they all fit nicely with the flow of the album. The only thing that doesn't fit nicely with the flow is Witchhunters drumming during the fast parts of the songs. It seems like he was having a hard time keeping up with the guitar and bass. Other than that, the vocals, bass and guitar sound like a classic evil thrash band from the 80's.
For those old school Sodom fans you'll probably like this for it's novelty and it's also a good thing to check out if you're a new generation getting into the old school thrash sound.
B -Matt Smith
Biography Obscene
Candlelight
Curious little band, Tulus is. Apparently these Norwegians have been around since 1993, and just reunited to release their first English language album, Biography Obscene. They are a mixture of black and death metal, leaning more to the black metal side. The kicker here is that these guys fully employ violins and cellos, yet they effortlessly retain a black/death sound. It’s almost as if late 90’s Entombed took a slightly avant-garde turn.
The “Prelude” sets the tone for this album very well. Opening with a quick violin piece, the tone quickly shifts to a simple, yet groovy riff. The rest of this album is full of memorable riffs and unique nooks and crannies. It’s not uncommon on this album for Tulus to be playing high-speed, blast-beating extreme metal, and then suddenly switch to slow paced, atmospheric music. The standout track on the album is “Victim”. Its structure is unconventional and catchy, yet it nevertheless retains an emotional, intense edge. The final songs on this album stay in the same vein as the previous ones, still putting up that avant-garde black metal intensity with which the album began.
This album is just full of great bits. The flamenco solo on “Natal Day,” the ominous horn section on “Demise,” and especially the squeaky vocal duet on the title track, possibly being the album’s best part. If you’re into traditional black or death metal, but with a twist, then go and pick up this album.
B+ -Adam Kohrman
The Unholy Alliance Chapter II: Preaching to the Perverted (DVD)
American Recordings
The concert represented here took place on July 12th, 2006 in Vancouver, BC. The DVD features live clips from all the bands - Thine Eyes Bleed, Children of Bodom, Mastodon, Lamb of God, and of course, Slayer. In between the clips, the band that is playing next is shown in an interview type setting, offering some insight about their experience on the tour. While these interviews are brief, they are somewhat entertaining, especially Mastoson's segment.
The standout performances here come from Slayer (of course) and the afore-mentioned Mastodon. Mastodon pounds their way through three songs ("Capillarian Crest", "Crystal Skull" and "Blood and Thunder"). The performance is spot on, as you'd expect from a band like Mastodon, especially when they know the show is being recorded for a DVD release.
Slayer has by far the longest performance segment on this disc, as expected. Their set covers about half of the allotted time for the musical performances here, and it ranges from their early days ("Hell Awaits"), right up to their latest release ("Eyes of the Insane"), with plenty of crowd favorites thrown in as well. As with the other bands, each song is introduced by way of a title card type segue, helping the editors of the disc transition from one track to the next while editing out the portions of the show that aren't on this DVD. Slayer, as usual, put on a great live show, with plenty of enthusiasm and aggression. The crowd does their part, keeping moving the whole time Slayer is on stage.
The DVD presentation is good, but not without flaws. Aside from the 90-minutes of band performances, there are also two extras included - a 7:30 behind the scenes in the parking lot, and a 10-minute mix of bonus interviews. The BTS in the parking lot is basically the camera guy chatting with people waiting outside to get into the show. Lots and lots of "Fuckin' Slayer", "Slayer Rules" and the like are what to expect here. The extra interviews have some interesting tidbits in them, but the best part is the interview of Dave Lombardo by Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor - you need to see it to appreciate it's hilarity.
The sound during the concert is very good, but the video is a different story. Presented in widescreen (1.85:1 aspect ratio), but not anamorphically enhanced, therefore sacrificing a good deal of video resolution, the video suffers from pixelation and other video artifacts frequently. This is evident during the interview segments as well as during the live portion of the disc. If it were just the live performance, some leeway can be given since the dark stage coupled with fog machines and various lighting often create nightmarish problems for video compression. I'm not sure if this was filmed in hi-def, but this disc should have at least used all the resolution available to the video, as it could have looked a lot better than it does.
B- -Goz
VioLution...choking on black liquid death...
Vendlus
V:28's third release, VioLution, is the final part in their musical trilogy that deals with the end of humanity and the deconstruction of planet Earth. Combining elements of black metal, industrial, death metal, and whatever else they damn well feel like throwing in there, V:28 lay waste to your ears like few other bands can.
Beginning with an intro that starts quiet and peacefully, then gets progressively more violent sounding before transitioning into the opener "Shut it Down". This track starts off sounding like an all out black metal attack, but soon incorporates a more industrial feel with death metal vocals. A very strong opener and good way to set the tone for what to expect. "Pattern of the Weak" has a very industrial feel to it, with the programmed drums taking center stage for a good portion of the track, and vocal effects used in generous proportions as well. "Surrender to Oblivion" is doomy and dark, and wouldn't be out of place on an older Paradise Lost CD.
V:28 fuse together an outrageous amount of varied types of metal here, and do a good job with it. The main fallback to this is that it sometimes seems to lack focus, and can leave the listener a bit overwhelmed by all that is going on here. Not a big deal, though, because this is a pretty powerful assault on the senses here.
B -Goz
I Krig
Candlelight
Norway's Vreid have given us their third release, I Krig, via Candlelight Records here in the states. Vreid play a mostly black metal style but mix in some good old rock n roll as well. The lyrics are all in the bands native tongue, so I can't speak for what their songs are about.
Opener "Jarnbyrd" begins with a short orchestrated bit, then drops into a great rock styled riff, complete with cowbell accompaniment. There is also a nice guitar lead further into the song, smack in the middle of some more great riffs that they throw at us. The title track starts with a nice quiet intro of violins, then bombasts you with the heavy bits for a while, including plenty of blast beats and the like, then ends quietly again with the violins. Good stuff there. "Dei Daude Steig Av Grav" features some of the best work on this disc, with likely the catchiest riff, some great dual guitar work, and vocals that range from deep and guttural to high and raspy.
I Krig is a catchy mix of rock and black metal, with more than enough interesting bits to keep anyone interested for the entire listen, and leave you wanting for more.
B -Goz
God Luck and Good Speed
Southern Lord
Damn this is such a fun and over-the-top record, and I can’t stop smiling when I listen to it. It’s massively heavy, slow, and crushing. AMAZING when considering the fact that Weedeater are a trio. Man, these guys don’t just smoke the weed, they friggin’ eat it—all of it. Don’t get in their way.
Without a doubt, this is the most enjoyable "doom" release I’ve heard in a long while because it mixes all the best elements (well, what THIS reviewer considers best) necessary for great doom. Slow drawn out verses coupled with huge "galloping" choruses and/or bridges (more Black Sabbath appreciation here), along with growly/death-like vocals and huge fuzzed-out bass. What more could one ask for? These guys were born to be on Southern Lord, and God bless ‘em, they just might be the best band currently on the label.
The record starts off with the title track, and it’s immediately obvious we’re in for a good time with its "ten-ton-of-fun" sonic delivery and play on words ("man kind is unkind man…God luck and good speeeeeed"), before seamlessly launching into the next track, "Wizard Fight" (really more of a CODA to the opening track) with its massive fuzzed-out bouncy plodding feel. Man, it just doesn’t get any better than this.
I suppose if this record has any shortcomings, it’s the same thing that plagues most releases of this kind—there’s a tendency to stick with the same formula throughout and little variation. However, these guys do is SO damn well that it’s hardly a knock against them. There are a few great distractions throughout, though. For one, there’s the bizarre "Alone" (track 4) which features only electric banjo and lead vocals (the only "clean" vocals to be heard on this CD). Initially it sounds so very out of place until releasing that it’s actually perfect. The other moment comes in the form of a very unlikely cover tune with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s "Gimme Back My Bullets". Never before has "redneck" rock sounded so satisfying. They completely make the song their own from start to finish.
This release will no doubt end up on my "best of the year" list when 2007 is all wrapped up. Remember don’t smoke the weed, just eat it. All of it. God luck and good speed to you all.
B+ -Chuck Ferreira
On Fire
Cruz Del Sur
I remember being floored by this North Carolina band on their debut album Midnight Strikes, as they were willing to mix up traditional metal with a touch of death and black in terms of speed and screams to create a sound quite unlike the bevy of bands coming down the pike these days. Moving on to a new Italian label, the follow up On Fire contains 9 original songs that still pepper Iron Maiden like speed riffs and traditional sing along choruses with the occasional blast beat or blood curdling scream to prove they haven’t left the underground in terms of their ethics. Closing the album are two covers that showcase their affinity for the hard rock staples of the 70’s- first being Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” and concluding with Kiss’ “I Stole Your Love”, the former working much more for me than the latter due to the rougher vocals being appropriate for DLR-era Van Halen but a little out of character for most Kiss maniacs.
Most of the original songs have tongue in cheek lyric subjects, exposing the virtues of metal and drinking in “We Will Meet Again” and the always controversial student/ teacher relationship during your high school years with “The Teacher’s Pet”. Lead guitarist Chris Bennett heads up a clinic in 80’s picking runs during the solo for “Beware The Night”, ending that section with a dual harmony for John E Wooten IV to hammer home their traditional virtues. The cover art of the city landscape during the evening proves to be more left of center than the computer/fantasy laden artwork that usually adorns traditional discs- but I believe this reinforces the originality tact Widow go for with every aspect. They may be cheesy at times and they definitely know their imagery/posing well, yet with On Fire I think they’ve created a quick slice of party metal that should get the beer flowing and any metal show hopping when they sear the audience with these tracks.
Picks to click: the ballad “Cults Of Life” that wouldn’t sound out of place on the debut Iron Maiden offering and the quicker paced march of “Beauty Queen”. The debut still wins out a touch in terms of songwriting punch for me, I’m betting the third album will be the masterpiece I desire from Widow.
B -Matt Coe
Two Hunters
Southern Lord
Wolves in the Throne Room is a three-piece band from Olympia Washington, all living together in the woods, farming their own land in order to grow their own food and raise their own livestock - trying to live off the grid as much as possible. Why do I mention this? Because while their music is rooted in black metal stylings, their lyrics are mainly about the nature that they love to nurture, eschewing the typical black metal rants.
Opening with the sound of crickets chirping, the 6 minute instrumental "Dia Artio" is but a small part of what WitTR have to offer. They really get things going with "Behold the Vastness and Sorrow". Chock full of grinding guitars, blasting drums, and some crazy black metal rasps and screams, this song grabs you by the throat and chokes the living hell out of you. "Cleansing" follows, and features some clean female vocals at the start that help to offset the insanity that is to follow. The 18-minute epic "I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots" finishes off the disc, and it is another ass ripping song. All out craziness, with two false endings, this one just keeps after you even after you thought it was all over. When this monster of a track ends, it leaves you wanting more than the 46-minutes contained here.
Production is done well here, with everything getting an equal chance to grind your brain, solid drum sound, and a guitar sound that is fitting for the music played here. Two Hunters may be one of the best black metal discs of the year.
B+ -Goz
Defective Epitaph
Hydra Head
Xasthur is a one man black metal attack from California. This is the sixth full-length release from Xasthur, alongside many many splits, EPs, demos, and compilation tracks.
Depressive, doomy and atmospheric is how I would describe the music presented here. One needs only listen to the second track, "Purgatory Spiral", an instrumental that plods along at a snails pace, with sparse drums and guitar parts, while a cello makes up most of the music. The rest of the songs here are heavier, but the pace is usually slow to medium, and the vocals are used somewhat sparingly, and completely overpowered in the mix anyway.
The production on Defective Epitaph is fitting for the music, I guess. Muddy, murky and distant are the best ways to describe it. Picture the drums and other various instruments set up out in the woods somewhere, and the recording equipment setup a good distance away - the sound here is what might result from such a setup. At least the drums used here are acoustic, so they sound like real drums should sound. Overall, I am pretty ambivalent towards this disc. There are some good parts to this disc, but the overall presentation leaves too much on the table if you ask me.
C- -Goz
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