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May 2008 ~ July 2008
Abomination
Tragedy Strikes
Metal Mind
Fronted by Master frontman and extreme metal pioneer Paul Speckmann, Abomination released these two discs in 1990 and 1991, respectively, before disbanding a short time later (only to re-form years later, a pattern of a lot of Speckmann's projects). Anyway, Abomination is a thrash band with some punk and death elements, whereas Master was one of the bands at the forefront of the death metal scene. Metal Mind has seen fit to release theses two discs in their limited to 2000 golden disc format, complete with bonus tracks on each disc and pretty thou rough liner notes about the history of the band.
The self-titled debut features 11 tracks (with 3 extra bonus tracks bringing this discs total to 14) of raw, punky thrash with slight hints of death metal. To say the production here is lo-fi is an understatement, but the under produced rawness actually enhances this music for me - reminding me of some of the great demo tapes (yes, tapes) that I would get back in the early 90's to play on my radio show and review in the print version of GASP. One need only listen to "Murder, Rape, Pillage And Burn" to get a sense of what you have for the 55 minutes here - fast, powerful, raw, pure in your face metal. No beating around the bush with melody and hooks and crap like that - Abomination just slaps you with metal ferocity from the beginning to the end.
Tragedy Strikes is a bit more polished, at least in terms of the production. The guitars have much more attack and crispness to them, while the drums are a bit less clunky. The music, however, is still the same raw thrash attack as we got on the debut. My pick on this one is "Industrial Sickness" - a quick paced bit with some great gang vocals during the chorus, and some great guitar work by Dean Chioles.
These two releases by abomination are good, but not necessarily mandatory (as I would consider the first two Master releases). If you are a fan of thrash, or a fan of Speckmann's other work, then these should be in your collection.
B- (for both) -Goz
Acariya
Hold True
Acariya as a band has very family oriented prespective, and an overall message of self empowerment. These messages, alongside their outstanding musicianship, and live performances, helped clinch them their nomination by one of New England's largest news papers for "Best Loud Act".
This self titled debut features 7 tracks of metal ranging from Power Metal to Grind to Prog. Some of the album reminded me of bands like Shadows Fall or Unearth. It seems to be a very popular style of metal for kids who enjoy both hardcore and metal.
That said, it seems like these guys know how to play and they recorded a fairly solid album. Give it a listen if this is a style of metal that you know you like.
B -Eric
Corrupt Minds
Metal Mind
Here we have the now defunct 80s Thrash band Acrophet. They came out with Corrupt Minds, their debut album, far back in 1988. Now it’s been rereleased for the 20 year anniversary. This is straightforward thrash for the day. Lightspeed power chord riffing accompanied by hardcore, shouted vocals being spat out a mile a minute make up the entire 34 minute duration. This stuff is raw, unfocused, and unrelenting. Sadly, the band seems more intent on emulating Among the Living-era Anthrax than they do actually sitting down and writing some catchy riffs, or even structuring their music in any cohesive way. This is just Vio-Lence without the anxious, tense atmosphere.
While Acrophet sometimes capture to angst-ridden hormone fueled feelings of classic thrash, most of the time, the emotion is lost in flurry of unnecessary hardcore influence. Thrash can always blur the line between metal and hardcore, and in the case of Corrupt Minds, the sound gets taken to edge of metal. One can even question whether or not this is even a metal album, as the hardcore sound perseveres through so much of the record.
Even so, for a hardcore thrash album, this is just plain mediocre.
C- -Adam
Faded Glory
Metal Mind
Faded Glory was the second and final full length release from Wisconsin thrashers Acrophet, now with new drummer Jason Mooney. Right off the bat, it’s clear that the boys in the band were intent on picking up the pace and not simply rehashing Corrupt Minds. The production is crisper; the vocals are quicker, harsher and even spittier than before. Most importantly, the band had clearly matured. Their songs are more cohesive. Each song is more distinct, and they are uniquely structured, all retaining their own quality unto their own.
Not all is well on Faded Glory, however. The extensive hardcore influences continue to muddle the thrashy qualities of the band, which is where they excel (albeit only slightly). Dave Baumann’s vocals are at times a stressful enhancer to the music, but also detract from the songs’ aggressiveness, becoming an overbearing force. Making out the guitar parts and bass lines underneath his frantic shouts can become an impossible task. All in all, despite the clearer riffs and more mature songwriting, the assault of hardcore influences simply doesn’t balance well with Acrophet’s natural Thrash sound. Like Corrupt Minds¸ Faded Glory is not at all a glorious album. It plunges into mediocrity, much like its predecessor.
Some bands reach their creative acme right off the bat (Mercyful Fate, Morbid Angel). Others take one or two albums to get going and then release an utterly brilliant album (Behemoth, Death). Acrophet were maturing and gradually improving with Faded Glory. After that, they simply stopped. Maybe they lost their inspiration, but there was certainly potential within them. Who knows what would have become of the band. They certainly still had some kinks to work out, but they could’ve worked on them too.
C+ -Adam
Live (DVD)
Razor & Tie
The fan-base of All That Remains seems to be growing uncontrollably.
They definitely have the sound and stamina to shake the rafters and energize masses of metalcore fans. Their guitar melodies, ultra-fast percussion, and Phil Labonte's stand-out vocals are finally getting a lot of long-awaited attention since their release of The Fall of Ideals.
Live is their first DVD and features over 90 minutes of live stage footage during one of their sold-out shows at the Recher Theatre in Baltimore, MD and a second show at the Theatre of the Living Arts at the heart of South Street in Philadelphia, PA. It was nice to get to really see a show for once. Lately every time I see them live, I'm usually in the pit and can't see much from there while I'm busy rockin'
out or fighting to stay on my feet.
Between both shows, they played many of my favorite tracks; "The Weak Willed", "Focus Shall Not Fail", "Become the Catalyst", "Indictment", "Tattered On My Sleeve", "For Salvation", "Six" and instrumental "Regret Not". I know they only got 2/3 of the Pennsylvania gig on video but I hope they played their best song, "The Weak Willed", for the enthusiastic Philly crowd. They did have guest singer Ray Mazzola of Full Blown Chaos come out and growl out the climactic ending of "This Darkened Heart".
The best part about live concert video is always the solos. Oli Herbert is one kickass melody-maker. Apparent long before their song "Six" made it onto Guitar Hero II (which happens to go on tour with them so Mike and Oli can battle it out on the bus between gigz). No shortage of memorable solos on this DVD. Mike Martin is also much better than he gives himself credit for.
Other extras on Live include their six videos, with a "Making of'"
segment for their video "The Air That I Breathe", two song-length photo galleries, interviews of the current band members, and some clips of backstage, the bus, their "history" and lots of new fans. There are three 'hidden' extras. If you scroll to the bottom of the chapter selections and hit left or right, the "Live" or "Extra" will light up.
There you will find more clips of Phil and Oli at the mixing of the Live DVD at Audiohammer Studios in Florida.
Well it certainly has been a long wait for this DVD. I can remember one show in Springfield way back in May of 2005 (The Fall of Ideals wasn't released until over a year later). They ended up headlining because Downset canceled. ATR had been telling us they were shooting for a DVD and promising it would be out "in the fall or maybe January". That was their first gig after replacing Michael Bartlett on the drums with Shannon Lucas and, possibly unknown to them, the last gig before Matt Deis left ATR for CKY. This was well before Jeanne Sagan and Jason Costa joined the band. Now the back of the DVD states "Extensive interviews with the band members, past and current, shot over the past
4 years". I don't know how many clips Mike, Oli and Phil did back in
2003 that made it onto Live but I do know Jeanne and Jason, and the tour bus hadn't been with them much more than two years [if that] when the DVD released October 2007. From everything I saw on Live, keeping in mind This Darkened Heart was released March 2004, that statement sounds like a crock. Live should have been titled "The Fall Of Ideals:
The DVD".
The "History" clip in the bonus footage was essentially how the current members of ATR joined the band and what turned them onto music in their youth. I was happy to learn more about them and their new members.
Jason Costa is quickly becoming one of my top drummers. There was no mention of their first album Behind Silence and Solitude. No mention or even photos of any ex-members of ATR on the Live DVD except on the videos from This Darkened Heart. No mention of the brief replacement bass player, Josh Ven, who quit just after the Sounds of the Underground Tour started. Nor of the numerous fill-ins like Colin Conway in the "This Calling" video. No mention of all the nice fellas on tour with them who took turns filling in for the non-existent bass player for a big chunk of the Sounds tour. Nothing pre- Jeanne Sagan or Jason Costa.
It almost seems like they tried to cover up their rough past. Hey, don't deny your struggle ever happened. History builds character. What doesn't break you makes you stronger and all that zazz. Be truthful to yourselves and your fans, then thank the musicians who kept you afloat however briefly. Leaving out a ton of footage shot over the last 4 years left your DVD lacking and was a low blow to your fans back home.
Not to mention those who spent a long time IN your band. There was an All That Remains before The Fall Of Ideals. What'd you do? Shoot this in two weekends? Don't scrap all your footage because the video quality wasn't "up to snuff". Fans aren't that picky. Shit, we waited this long. We want to see what's "real" not something you threw together after recent success. Maybe all your new-bee fans didn't notice but your long-time ones did. And no footage from any of your crazy home shows? Man, that's harsh.
C -Alesha
Red Revolution
Metal Mind
Originally released in 2004 by Empire Records and now re-relesed by Metal Mind, Red Revolution is the second release from Poland's Anal Stench. The band plays a pretty straight ahead death metal with some technical bits thrown in to keep it interesting.
After a brief intro "Hammer And Sickle" opens things up with a slow, grinding section that morphs into a riff that has a marching feel to it. Pretty good stuff here, especially the drumming - it really keeps things moving well and changes up a good bit. "The 666th Party Congress" lights things up the best here, with a bunch of superb riffs, intense drumming (including some damn good blast beats) and pretty intense dual vocals. Aside from the pummeling music here, the lyrics are also quite interesting. They deal with communism and it's effect on not only the people in the communist country, but how it effects everyone else around them.
Production here is quite good - the guitars are good and heavy, the drums are stellar, and the vocals are mixed right where you want them to be. A good mix of standard death metal with intelligent lyrics.
B- -Goz
Hornets of the Pogrom
Drakkar Productions
It has been a long wait for Arghoslent's full-length follow-up their brilliant 2002 release, Incorrigible Bigotry, but we finally have it in Hornets of the Pogrom. Was the wait worth it, and were they able to top Incorrigible Bigorty?
Hornets of the Pogrom is 8-songs and 42 minutes of rifftastic, powerful death metal. "In Coffles They were Led" leads us off with a galloping riff that sounds as if it could be the soundtrack to a stampede. The riffs flow free here, each one as catchy as the prior one was, yet still full of heaviness. "Manacled Freightage" has another batch of these memorable riffs (hell, all the songs here do). How they pack so many killer riffs into these songs and make them work is just freakin' brilliant. I guess what I am trying to say is that the songwriting here is just flat out great, if not perfect. The back to back attack of "Oracle of the Malefic Rhizome" and the instrumental title track are the most impressive tracks here, if I need to narrow it down at all. Both are a bit longer than average, offering up a whole host of great musical bits to digest and bang your head to.
Production on this disc is great - guitars are nicely distorted and stand out strongly, the drums sound fine, and the vocals are right there in your face. If you don't already have this disc, find it somewhere and buy it. This one should be all over top 10 lists at the end of the year.
A -Goz
Ample Fire Within
Southern Lord
Ascend is an experimental doom project that consists of Gentry Densley (Iceburn, Eagle Twin) and Greg Anderson (SUNN Goatsnake, Engine Kid) with some guest stars ranging from Andy Patterson on drums, Steve Moore (SUNN, Earth) on trombone and organ, Bubba Dupree (Void) and Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) doing some smoking leads on a few tracks. All that aside, this disc is a dark trip down some pretty noisy doomy nightmares that I wouldn't recommend listening to while on acid, although, it would make for an insanely grotesque trip nevertheless! Layered echo and feedback filled noise guitar notes float throughout most tracks amidst the heavy doom laden riffs that are accented by pounding drums. The vocals are hauntingly silly sounding (picture Fozzy Bear trying to sound evil) on "Ample Fire Within" and "Divine" but on other tracks like "V O G" and "Dark Matter", they're drone laced vocals from the otherworld.
Some tracks even have a bit if freeform jazz feel to them, but you'll never find this disc in the jazz section of iTunes. In my opinion it is experimental doom. Most of the tracks are lengthy (the shortest is 4 minutes) and drag on a bit, but if you're listening for a quick fix then this is not going to satisfy you, but if you're like me and don't mind listening to repetitive riffs that drone on for a bit then this is for you. The promo disc I received for this review is missing one track, so it sounds like you'll be getting a bonus if you buy the full version.
This CD is not for the casual listener, it will twist your perceptions of what heaviness can be, and haunt your subconscious mind upon repeated listening.
B -Matt Smith
Total Brutal
Metal Blade
Since I'm the most dedicated Schwarzenegger fan in the GASP ranks, Goz asked me if I'd review Austrian Death Machine's debut Total Brutal. ADM is a project band created by As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis, who enlists the help of some of his friends for the recording.
The results are mixed.
Total Brutal contains by-the-book, fast, metallic hardcore tunes, each written by Tim in under an hour. To his credit, the music is actually better than what a lot of "real" bands bring to market. In the ADM bio, it states truthfully that the music has "a continuously fast paced tempo you can always circle pit to; the obvious build up to a breakdown you'll know how to mosh to; classic sing alongs to pile up and sing along with; (and) a guitar solo in every song." Remember, however, that the music is secondary to Tim's laudable effort to pay a full album's tribute to Arnold. The lyrics are sometimes pretty hilarious, with great choruses like "Here is Subzero...Now plain zero!" "It's not a tumor!" and "Screw you...screw you...screw you, Benny!"
On the other hand, 90% of the vocals are delivered in Tim's standard style, when it might have worked better if an Austrian accent had been incorporated into the material. Most of the time we hear an Austrian accent, it's "Ahhnold" talking during between-song skits which, for the most part, are over-acted, fall pretty flat, and make me want to skip ahead. Pity.
If you love Arnold as much as I do, I wholeheartedly recommend the ballsy and heroic original Arnold tribute band Arnocorps before you pick up Austrian Death Machine.
Having said that, I do plan on keeping my copy of Total Brutal.
C+ -Mark Fields
To Death And Beyond...
Cruz del Sur
Sometimes an album cover speaks volumes about the impending auditory imagery ahead. A middle ages war scene complete with knights, swords and heavy hammers alerts the listener that epic metal is at hand. Greece reveres bands like Omen, Manilla Road, Brocas Helm, and others in the genre that focus on longer arrangements, odes to the early history and an overall atmosphere that screams for audience chant participation. Battleroar hail from Greece, releasing To Death And Beyond…, their third album in an eight year career as well as their third record label as their former domestic contract with Black Lotus went bankrupt in 2007. Hopefully slow and steady improvement wins the race, as Battleroar release their most focused, potent and complete album to date, favoring an urgent full production and playing with marching, lengthy solos as well as larger than life melodies.
Four of the nine songs move beyond the 8 minute scope, allowing for a variety of highs and lows within a song. “Finis Mundi” for instance is a mid-tempo track at heart which traverses into a slower, acoustic and violin laden middle section where vocalist Marco Concoreggi gains the chance to hit some higher notes with longer emotional intimacy. Drummer Nick Papadopoulos has that steady double bass and fill work down to a science, reverberating with older charm in tracks like “Metal From Hellas” and “Born Into The 70’s”. The dual guitar tandem of Kostas Tzortzis and Manolis Karazeris revel in their role of speedy licks, cultural anthemic lifting riffs and heroic solo maneuvers. You’ll even hear homage to the galloping breaks that Iron Maiden made so famous in the bridge/ solo passage of favorite track “Hyrkanian Blades” - probably Marco’s finest melody coupled with a moving arrangement on “To Death and Beyond…”.
Some may find Battleroar too cheesy in their approach, or too backwards thinking in their approach- I say bollocks to them all. To Death and Beyond… waves the spirit of universal metal and doesn’t apologize for its stance, and those who crave mead hall, beer swilling odes to glory, history, and majesty need Battleroar for a mandatory fix.
A -Matt Coe
Anthology of the Undead
Bombworks
Bealiah was a one-man Indonesian black metal project undertaken in 1996. By the time mastermind Dozhaiatlach D put the project to rest in 1999 (when he commenced work on Armageddon Holocaust), Bealiah had put out several cassette-only releases on tiny Indonesian independent THT Productions. However, most of the original copies never left the Asian continent; and apart from one song that appeared on a compilation, none of these songs has ever appeared on CD before. It would be a shame to lose quality metal to obscurity, so it's fortunate that Bombworks Records acquired the rights to 13 Bealiah tracks for release on CD.
Over the course of the several sessions represented on Anthology of the Undead, Dozhaiatlach D explored a number of black metal styles, from primitive black metal (a la Bathory or Hellhammer [especially on "Become One," a dead ringer for HH's "Horus/Aggressor"]), to its more symphonic and ambient forms. There is no shortage of bleakness, rage, or brutality herein; and the production is plenty heavy and full, all things considered. Moreover, the fact that there aren't any drastic changes in sonic quality from one session to the next helps the songs flow better as a collection, as though they were originally intended to be presented together as they are here.
It's just a hunch that in 1996 there were not a large number of adequately skilled drummers available to Dozhaiatlach D, so I also won't knock any points off for the fact that a drum machine was used. Nary a dull moment in 50+ minutes...just quality, cult black metal.
B+ -Mark Fields
Smile
Southern Lord
"Flower Sun Rain" starts off Boris's eighteenth album, Smile on a mellow note while "Buzz-In" kicks you in the nuts before you have a chance to wake up from the trance you were put in by the opening track. Backward guitars soar throughout the song's frenetic punk-metal influenced sound. "Laser Beam" sounds like an atomic Stooges or Ramones song funneled through prog-meisters Can ending on a mellow note. Another slam of noisy punk fueled fury is unleashed with "Statement", a song with melodic vocals provided by members Takeshi (bass/guitar) and drummer Atsuo that could easily come from a long lost prog-punk archive. Atsuo pounds the skins with reckless abandon while guitarists Wata and Michio Kurihara lay down some smoking noisy fret work that would make any so-called punk guitarist blush with embarrassment.
"My Neighbour Satan" starts off like a space rock TV commercial complete with echo filled harmony vocals and noise guitar over a programmed industrial-like beat. The song then breaks into a phased out guitar rock anthem section that only Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins could begin to muster up. "Ka Re Ha Te Ta Sa Ki--No One's Grieve" starts off with some droning guitar riffs that turns into another noise-filled and soaring lead guitar and drum-bashing frenzy with floating vocals that sounds like they were lifted off a shoe-gaze band record and some spoken word lines that disorient the listener accent the end of the tune. "You Were Holding An Umbrella" starts off with a Casio-like programmed beat and mellow guitar lines with equally mellow Japanese sung vocals that sound like they were recorded for Can's brilliant Tago Mago album. The song breaks into an "Echoes"-like section with a driving bass line and melodic guitar licks, this is probably my favorite track on the disc.
The last track, a hidden Untitled track continues the mellow vibe of "Umbrella" for about fifteen and a half minutes with some noisey guitar that blends in and out and into the mellow vibe again with more floating vocals to make you drift off to sleep before the droney, doomy heavy guitar riffs come in with more ripping lead guitar solos and the song drifts on and ends abruptly. If you're a Boris fan at all you know this album is a must, if you're new to them, this is a perfect introduction!
A -Matt Smith
Crippled Lucifer
Southern Lord
Crippled Lucifer collects all of Burning Witch's complete source recordings of 1996's Towers and 1997's Rift.Canyon.Dreams with a nice two disc package complete with a sweet forty page booklet for the price of one disc. Members later went on to form SUNN, Goatsnake, Asva, and Khanate so it's cool to see where they cut their teeth.
Now to the music, which is raw aggressive doom metal kind of like Winter, with some tortured vocals by Edgy59 that venture into more normal classic doom sounding vocals not unlike Black Sabbath or Pentagram. The production is raw and perfect for this music, and it almost sounds like some of it was recorded live. Each 45 minute plus disc is filled with epic doom songs like "Sacred Predictions" and "The Bleeder" and follow the same formula throughout the discs. Guitars are feedback filled and very noisy at times like on "Country Doctor" and the drums are pummeling and crashing and the bass adds an even heavier vibe to the mix. "Sea Hag" starts off with some cool bass line and effects before it crashes into a sea of brutal doom, and at fourteen plus minutes it truly IS brutal for it's unrelenting bleak rawness! "Stillborn" is easily my favorite track off this compilation and "History Of Hell (Crippled Lucifer)" is the song on the SL sampler that got me to buy this comp!
If you call yourself a doom fan and you don't have or buy this CD set, you're missing out! A true treasure for anyone interested in some grinding tortured doom!
B+ -Matt Smith
Mist Through Your Consciousness
Radar Swarm
Caldera is one of those bands that defies definition but will probably get pigeonholed into the metal category because of their heavy sounding guitars. Not unlike Boston's own 5ive, they weave intricate instrumental songs with ease and allow your brain to wrap around some interesting compositions. Nice harmonies between the bass lines and twin guitar playing with the drums carrying their sound along nicely. This disc would make a 45 minute highway drive a breeze to listen to.
B -Matt Smith
The Atomized Dream
Sensory
Expanding to a five piece, Georgia’s progressive instrumental metal masters Canvas Solaris continue to throw curve balls into the mix with their fourth recording The Atomized Dream. Longtime bassist Ben Simpkins left prior to this album, allowing guitarist Nathan Sapp and drummer Hunter Ginn an opportunity to blossom with new creativity, especially for fresh additions on bass with Gael Pirlot, second guitarist Chris Rushing and synthesizer virtuoso Donnie Smith. Whereas many of their earlier releases would have put them in the technical death realm, The Atomized Dream aurally delivers a potent technical/ jazz/ fusion metal offering, mapping out a complex maze of riffs, tempo changes and brilliant arrangements.
“Solar Droid” moves from slower, drawn out chaos to drop on a dime time changes that Hunter Ginn must salivate over as he gets to showcase his percussive theory and expert time signature fluidity. “The Unknowable and Defeating Glow” should get the 70’s progressive rock mavens jumping for joy, as Donnie Smith lays down layers of Mini Moog that ELP and Kansas followers love. Where Canvas Solaris succeed over other musician oriented acts is the ability to address dynamics- as not everything on this album goes for full bore insanity. Opener “The Binaural Beat” rings with such a quiet meditative trance guitar motif that I feel like I could close my eyes, take a deep breath and be transformed into another lifetime- the echoing refrain a testament to the power of repetition in musical language.
I’d love to see Canvas Solaris gain some more buzz outside of the journalist and schooled college musician crowd- and I believe The Atomized Dream could be their ticket to a more broad base appeal (especially with a catchy rock radio cut like "Chromatic Dusk"). Delve headlong and you’ll never be the same, I assure you.
A -Matt Coe
Blooddrunk
Spinefarm
Helsinki, Finland success story, Children of Bodom, have yet another album under their belt. Blooddrunk is their latest release consisting of powerful, slightly technical, speed metal. It has no clean vocals, lots of melodic shredding from guitar hero Alexi Laiho and a profusion of noodling keyboards. Select imports are available for Blooddrunk and their other albums featuring bonus DVD video footage and classic cover songs.
Blooddrunk is consistently catchy, stimulating metal throughout. A couple of standout tracks were "Smile Pretty for the Devil" for the terrific guitar and keyboard solos after the two and half minute mark and "Banned From Heaven" for its memorable melodies. Both songs being the most motivating on this album. I also favored "Lobodomy" as more symphonic than the other tracks. By the sixth track, "Tie My Rope", I began to notice how overwhelming the keyboards are. The techno-sounding intro on "Tie My Rope" wasn't appealing. The remainder of the keyboards on that track were also less than favorable.
After several more listens of Blooddrunk, it becomes harder to hear the keyboards as a background instrument. Seeing a pattern of guitar, then keyboard solos, back and forth seems to emphasize the keyboard as a major instrument. Sometimes it sounds a bit too synthetic and it ends up shadowing the music.
Even though Blooddrunk is a good metal album, I didn't hear anything that was as memorable as the tracks I favored on Hate Crew Deathroll.
This was probably because I couldn't outwardly notice any heavy, meaty breakdowns or riffage. The overbearing keyboards took away some of the artistry. Not that playing the keyboard is easy or anything, but shredding on the guitar is definitely more difficult and much more heroic. Therefore I'm more apt to become awestruck by guitar licks than speedy solos on a synthesizer. I feel keyboards can be a fitting complement to metal generally, but shouldn't have been the focus on Blooddrunk. It's much different live when you can actually feel the affects of every instrument. And possibly tone down some things so you can hear the drums or guitars or something.
B- -Alesha
Dose
Pacific Recordings
Dose is Chingalera's second release, a follow-up to last years In The Shadow Of The Black Palm Tree. Loosely packing 5 songs into almost an hours time, you know you're in for some tripped out, psychadelic, or at least progressive music here.
"The Endless Bummer" is the 10 minute long opener. After a slow opening, the songs comes to life with some heavy guitar work, and is joined near the end by some pained vocal screams. "You Were Happy When You Came In Here" follows, and it is 16+ minutes of spaced out feedback, with minimal percussion and not much else. "Eveler" starts off as a seemingly basic rock song, then in the middle drops out into a spaced out jam session with some cool wah-wah guitar stuff going on, and more or less fades to a slow end after that. The final two songs follow along in a similar manner, with rock parts giving way to slower, trippier, spaced out parts.
If you want some trippy spaced out rock, Dose yourself up and listen to this latest disc from Chingalera.
B -Goz
We Are Above You
Hydra Head
Boston's Cloud's unleashes their second album and by the sounds of it are progressing with the sound they created on their last one Legendary Demo. Not quite stoner rock yet not quite pop, they combine a perfect blend of both into a unique sound. "Empires in Basements" could easily be mistaken for a Melvins song with a bit more technicality thrown in and "Feed the Horse" has a similar sound but with a quicker tempo and some dual layered guitars that sound pretty sweet with the melodic harmony vocals. "The Bad Seat" absolutely changes the pace with some piano in the mix and a much poppier angle that works perfectly for them. "Heisenberg Says" sounds almost like a hardcore song with a White Stripes vibe but with a more metal guitar solo. "Motion of the Ocean" continues the same type of heaviness with a slower multi-layered vocal chorus that breaks into a nice heavy solo part that slows down even more before ending. "Slow Day" slows the pace down with a trippy vocal performance and Voivod-esque guitars flowing through the song with overlayed acoustic accents and makes it one of the most psychedelic sounding tunes on the disc.
"Horrification" has more hardcore influenced sound with some cool metal riffs and "Year Zero" carries the same vibe except a bit more melodic and with a slower mid-section. "Glass House Rocks" is another psychedelic sounding heavy pop song with a great harmonic chorus and "Playing Dark" picks up the heavy pace again. "Garbage In, Garbage Out" starts off really slowly with a guitar riff that breaks into a slow dirge-like song that could almost be a Tom Waits song with some tinkling piano in the mix. This song also leads into a hidden track after about 9 minutes that sounds like an impromptu acoustic song recorded on a hand held cassette recorder. The hidden song itself is only like a minute or two long and breaks into a howling bongo jam for about fifteen to twenty seconds.
Smoking guitars, rotating turns on lead vocals by all members and kick-ass drumming and bass playing makes this disc a unique listen for almost any fan of heavy music with some interesting ideas to keep it from getting stale.
B+ -Matt Smith
Buried Death
20 Buck Spin
Japan three-piece Coffins burst forth with their third release, Buried Death. Combining bludgeoningly heavy, fuzzed out riffs, with punishing drums and super-distorted bass, Coffins blur the line between death, sludge, and doom metal.
Opening with "Under The Stench", the heaviness comes right straight at you and never lets up. Uchino's guitar sound is super heavy and totally fuzzed out, and his vocals are brutal as heck (even throwing in some good Celtic Frost style death grunts). Bassist Koreeda gets his own little solo midway through the song, then he and Uchino hook up for a massively heavy riff. Fantastic stuff here. Drummer You gets to shine on the next song, which is also the title track. Pummeling the drums as if they were his worst enemy, he paces of the song nicely, while also changing speed a couple times.
"Mortification To Ruin" brings back good memories of Autopsy, with it's slow, plodding pace and a great guitar solo near the end of the song. It is my pick for best song on here. "Deadly Sinners" picks the pace up a little bit, and also adds in some backing vocals (more like tortured screams) by Koreeda. "The Frozen Styx" closes things out, and brings the heaviness in a big way. Slow, massively heavy riffs and drums dominate the sound here, and Koreeda adds some Wah-effect to his bass at times as well. A brutally heavy way to end the disc.
Production here is as close to perfect as you'd want for music like this. Everything sounds great and is mixed nicely producing a heavy wall of layered sound that will cause pictured to rattle off the walls if played loud enough. If you like Autopsy, Winter, Celtic Frost, or just about any other crushingly heavy music, then Buried Death by Coffins should appeal to you.
B+ -Goz
Rotting Paradise
Relapse
Coldworker's debut, The Contaminated Void, blew me away when it came out in late 2006. It combined brutal death metal with a good bit of grind elements in a combination that I thought worked very well. Their follow-up is Rotting Paradise - let's see if it can blow me away like tCV did.
Coldworker follow in much the same pattern here as they did on their previous release - fast, technical riffing, pounding drums (with impressive blast beats showing themselves frequently), and brutal vocals. Pretty much what you'd expect from a grinding death metal band. They do add some more groove style riffs here than they had in the past, which may make the disc a bit more accessible to more listeners.
"Reversing the Order" is the opener, and contains pretty much everything that I mentioned in the previous paragraph - killer technical riffs, super blast beats, and a nice little catchy/groovy segment in the middle. "Citizens of the Cyclopean Maze" slows things down a bit (at least for much of the track), setting a bit more of a groovy feeling. Here they also add the dual vocal attack that I love so damn much. For that, along with the fact that it's just an overall kickass song, this is my pick for standout track here. "The Machine" deserves mention as well, with it's superb opening riff played at almost doom speed (at least compared to the quick pace of the previous songs). Of course, the pace picks up at the end, culminating with a quick bit of blasting at the end.
To answer the question as to whether or not this blew me away like their debut - yes it did...well, maybe not quite as much, but this is still a blistering slab of grinding death with a wealth of great riffs and grooves - just they way music should be.
B -Goz
Sign Here, Here and Here
Venture Capital Records
If you are unaware of the growing anticipation of The Company Band's first full-length, I'd like to take this time to tell you about this here preview of what's to come. The Company Band is everything our classic rock should have been. What a different world would we be standing in now.
The Company Band's theme is like an industry parody. The band is made up of some the most anti-mainstream musicians. Thus explaining The Company Band's clever irony. It is the latest side project of Neil Fallon (Clutch), James Rota (Fireball Ministry), Jess Margera (CKY), Jason Diamond (Puny Human), and Dave Bone. The music seems purposely commercial rock but I don't foresee the industry vultures ever getting a hold of this EP. It is ultimately too good for them. But it's not too good for you! If money is tight, try to hold off for the full-length (I'll be reporting on that after it's release). If you just can't wait, you can Sign Here, Here and Here.
From the snippets I heard before purchase, I thought I would like "Fortune's A Mistress" the most. Then when the EP arrived, I was immediately drawn to "Spellbinder" for it's driving, feel-good melody.
Now that I know Sign Here, Here and Here thoroughly, bluesy "Heartache & Misery" leaves me speechless. The vibe of The Company Band's sound feels like a mixture of legendary classic and southern rock influences, interpreted through well traveled musicans to deliver a purer form of rock. Partner this with the lyrical genius that is Neil Fallon and his husky vocals and I am almost too satisfied. If you are a fan of classic rock, you will love this EP. If you are a Clutch fan already and don't like it sounding commercial, deal with it. This is naked rock n' roll and what legends are made of. Take notes.
A+ -Alesha
Muay Thai Ladyboys
Paragon
The debut full-length album from New York City's omnisexual death/grind titans COPREMESIS, entitled Muay Thai Ladyboys, is set to be released mid-May on Paragon Records. According to a press release, fan should "expect nothing short of the most uncompromising brutality."
Muay Thai Ladyboys track listing:
01. Muay Thai Ladyboys
02. Bestial Castration
03. Push
04. Zombies
05. In Silence...Revel In Madness
06. Mad
07. Mustache
08. A Poem
09. I Am Envy
10. Tetsuo
It's fast, it's loud it's tighter than the tranny's ass on the cd itself... Pretty much what you would expect to hear from such a band.
I included the track names above... several of them are pretty amusing. Also the entire inner design of the cd booklet is full of naked ladyboys. If you like Death/Grind and or Ladyboys... i'm pretty sure this album is for you.
C -Eric
Crimson Glory
Metal Mind
Down in Florida, before death metal took over the state in the late 80’s, there was a buzz brewing with traditional power bands. Savatage would rise to the top of the class thanks to Hall Of The Mountain King and Nasty Savage took the underground fanzine/ tape trading market by storm enough to release a series of albums- yet Sarasota’s Crimson Glory seemed to be the group that captured my metal attention. Their out of this world image (remember the masks to disguise their faces, a la Kiss?) coupled with a sound that borrowed liberally from Queensryche and Fates Warning managed to register with fans and critics alike, attaining high marks the world over and still remain benchmarks for audiophiles. I’m unsure if Metal Mind stepped in to take over these re-issues from Greek label Black Lotus, who originally retained the rights to release this album and Transcendence before going bankrupt last year, but there’s nothing wrong with these Floridians making another return to the scene.
Dan Johnson twisted the knobs at Morrissound for this 1986 debut, and with four years of creation and refinement you can tell they really went for the gusto in terms of the dark, overwhelming force on these 9 songs. “Mayday”
and “Angel Of War” represent the seedlings of future Painkiller–era Judas Priest, especially with drummer Dana Burnell’s fiery feet work.
“Dragon Lady” and “Queen Of The Masquerade” catch you immediately with progressive guitar riffs and harmonies from the captivating Jon Drenning/ Ben Jackon axe tandem. Crimson Glory also had in their stable the finest power voice of his time, as Midnight could emulate Geoff Tate, Rob Halford and Jon Oliva with a vibrato and five octave range the world had yet to
hear- shining best on “Valhalla” and “Heart Of Steel”. A rare complaint rears up in the bonus track department- as you’ll only get “Dream Dancer”
and no live renditions or video supplements which I think would have rounded out the package adequately.
Younger viewers who love Kamelot should pick this up as a blind purchase, as it will help you understand the development of their style. Power maniacs from all sides of the globe need Crimson Glory as this bleeds leather, bullet belts and mystical imagery better than the most inventive role playing, Dungeons and Dragons game ever could.
A
Transcendence
Metal Mind
Two years beyond their debut album, Florida’s Crimson Glory released at the time an album that may have once again slipped through the cracks of the metal populace. Thrash was the genre in full swing at the time, with death bands rearing their heads in terms of the underground. While a number of power/ progressive bands churned out fine efforts (Riot, Fifth Angel, Fates Warning, Queensryche) none in my mind touch the masterpiece Transcendence. This 1988 album contains everything one could want in such a record- vocals that grace outer space, convincing and sustaining with layers of super human lung capacity (Midnight really outdid himself on songs like “Red Sharks”, “Masque Of The Red Death” and ballads like “Painted Skies” and “Lonely”), guitar playing that continued to be forward thinking, progressive and dark all the same as well as a rhythm section in bassist Jeff Lords and drummer Dana Burnell that rivaled the best improvisational / schooled musicians straight out of a seasoned college setting.
I think on Transcendence the songwriting took more of an expansive outlook, turning the page much like fellow Florida act Savatage did from Hall Of The Mountain King to Gutter Ballet in terms of a theatrical presentation. “Masque Of The Red Death”- their homage to the fine story teller Edgar Allan Poe- features some Middle Eastern guitar lines and lead embellishments that could be distant relatives to the title track from Iron Maiden’s 1984 effort Powerslave, while “Where Dragons Rule” contains some drum passages straight out of an ancient tribal march. Skimpy on bonuses once again (just a re-mix of their single “Lonely”), the main album remains a top ten all time favorite for many journalists old and new (this one included) and I’m glad even in a limited edition basis everyone who wants to hear just what the majestic mystery behind Crimson Glory was about can now hear it in full sonic CD glory.
Midnight delivers one of the best vocal attacks for the ages on Transcendence. Adept at chameleon harmonies much like a Geoff Tate, yet with the leather lung potency of the greats in the business such as Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford or even independent rivals like Deadly Blessing’s Ski, singers such as Midnight come down the street once in a multi-million. The style of song made no matter, as Midnight could turn on the soft charm for the slow tracks just as much as the mid tempo or faster arrangements.
The singing slot has been a virtual turnstile since Midnight’s original departure in the early 90’s- as Wade Black currently handles the duties while the band work on their fifth studio album. I hope that Midnight can get his personal demons under control enough to reunite with the classic lineup, as all parts of the world deserve to hear Transcendence in its entirety for jaw dropping power metal perfection.
A -Matt Coe
Cuatro
Cruz del Sur
Epic metal. Mercyful Fate, Manilla Road, and Candlemass come to mind when you think of the genre- characterized by longer arrangements and soaring vocals. Puerto Rico’s Dantesco play in this genre as well- sticking to lyrics sung in their native Spanish tongue. You’ll hear guitar playing that evokes the ability of Helstar during their Nosferatu period along with music that many times can go toe to toe with Manilla Road or Candlemass.
For everything that in the instrumental department appears to be headed in the right direction, one quick glance at the vocals from Erico La Bestia and you’ll have to endure a painful exercise in operatic shrieking.
Imagine if you will Chris Boltendahl (Grave Digger) attempting to sing over Confessor’s Condemned record when Scott Jeffreys lived in his high register and you’ll get some idea of the train wreck that comes through these 11 songs. Erico bruised the inside of my brain with his warbling on “Sante Croce Titulus” and had me on the verge of breaking this disc into a million pieces by the third song “Por Tu Santo Amor”. He’s pushed very high in the mix- so prepare yourself for an arduous, up hill climb if you expect equal quality in the melody versus music department with Pagano.
Let’s see the law of averages:
Music: B+
Vocals: F (rather in the 10% range)
F+ -Matt Coe
Lost To The Living
Candlelight
Raleigh, North Carolina doomsters Daylight Dies rattle the earth with their third full-length studio release, Lost To The Living. Picking up where 2006's Dismantling Devotion left off, Lost To The Living delivers nine songs and over 50 minutes of melodic, melancholic, and depressive doom.
"Cathedral" kicks things off with a quiet acoustic guitar opening back by a nice little melody, and once the rhythm section joins in, things get considerably heavier. While the acoustic/clean guitar keeps around for much of the song, it's the layers of heavy guitars and melody lines that carry the feeling of this song. The vocals add to the depth and power - gruff enough to retain the heaviness that is needed here, while still being clear enough to easily understand the lyrics. "A Portrait In White" is up next, and the pace quickens a bit for parts of this one. Still massively heavy, yet dripping with melody at every twist and turn. "Woke Up Lost" and "Last Alone" show a slightly softer side of Daylight Dies, with clean singing and a less distorted aural attack (for the most part). "The Morning Light" closes things out with a flourish of just about everything the band has shows us so far. Plenty of heaviness, plenty of melody, and more doomy depressiveness than you can shake a couple of drumsticks at.
Having just finished a tour with Candlemass (see Adam's review of the show here), Daylight Dies should be on the brink of something big with this amazing release. If you are a fan of Amorphis, Anathema, Katatonia and similar melodic doom, then Daylight Dies is a must have. Hell, even if you aren't a fan of those bands, you should check Daylight Dies as this is a top notch release.
B+ -Goz
Twilight Ritual
At A Loss
Before I even heard Deadbird I knew they would rock, because I started talking to lead vocalist/guitarist Chuck Schaaf because he had a Celtic Frost shirt on and we started talking about how Tom had left the band etc and next thing I knew he was telling me he was from Deadbird, the next band up opening for night two of the Only Living Witness show at the Middle East on June 21st. Needless to say when they played I was completely blown away by their devastatingly heavy set and bought this disc I'm about to review.
"Into The Clearing" starts off the disc with a slow heavy riff and a heavy scream that draws you right into the song. The song breaks down into a mellower clean guitar section that only makes the heavy stuff heavier when it kicks back in. Heavy as shit guitars by Chuck and Jay Minish with Reid Raley on bass and drummer Phillip Schaaf giving them a solid concrete backbone. "Death Of The Self" has a cool rhythmic riff that totally kicks into total heaviness with a pile driving doom riff that rides this nine minute song into trippy oblivion. "Rule Discordia" continues in the style of the other tracks while "Feral Flame" totally kicks into high speed with a crushing faster pace with plenty more screaming before it slows down to finish on a noisier doom section. "The Riverbed" is very mellow and if you heard this track separately from the rest of the disc you would think these guys were from the Red House Painters school of music with a mellow acoustic guitar overlayed with some nice mellow electric and pretty soft melodic vocals. The song eventually gets heavy and loses it's mellow vibe for the rest of the song. "Twilight Ritual" ends the disc with almost the same formula as the previous song just a little longer and less mellow.
Twilight Ritual is one of the most original doom-influenced discs I've heard this year and to say these guys are heavy is like saying ABBA is catchy, no shit!
A -Matt Smith
Till Death Do Us Part
Earache
Till Death Do Us Part is Deicide's follow-up to the great 2006 release, The Stench Of Redemption. Did they follow this album with something equally great, or did they slip back into the later Hoffman-era Deicide mediocrity? Read on and see what I think.
The opening instrumental "The Beginning Of The End" starts things off good enough, with plenty of fancy guitar shredding and impressive drumming to show off the bands skills. While a bit overly long at close to four minutes, it's a nice intro and sets expectations fairly high. The title track is next, and while it has some interesting lead work towards the end of the song, overall I find it to be greatly lacking. The riffs are boring and monotonous, the drums are pretty basic and uninteresting - Glenn's vocals are pretty damn good here, though. "In The Eyes Of God" starts off impressive enough, with some great fast and technical riffs backed by some mighty impressive drum work - this is the best stuff on the album aside from the intro. Once the vocals kick in, though, it becomes another exercise in monotony. The songs do get a bit better as the album moves along, with "Severed Ties" and "Not As Long As we Both Shall Live" both being fairly impressive efforts to recover from the onslaught of mediocrity that started the disc.
The production doesn't really help too much to spruce up the boring songwriting. The guitar sound is a bit murky and flat, which only seems to enhance the lack of interesting bits. The drums sound ok, but the constant double bass overpowers pretty much everything else. About the only thing that seems to sound really good are the guitar leads - they are pretty impressive for the most part and sound spectacular - but that isn't enough to save this disc.
In my opinion, this one is a big step back for Deicide, and it'll get added to their large stack of mediocre releases. Meanwhile, their debut, Legion, and Stench will be the discs I reach for if I need a Deicide fix.
C- -Goz
Breaking Ground
Metal Mind
The Delights sound like they will find a secure audience with Evanescence fans as their sound is almost identical to them. I'm not knocking them, because Paula Maslanka's vocals are actually less annoying than Amy Lee's and are just as powerful, if not more than Amy's. Electronic programming highlight the heavy overused guitar riffs and drumming that could easily be heard on commercial rock radio. Not interesting enough to have any real originality, but the kids will like it for it's accessibility.
D -Matt Smith
The Redlight Murder Case
Regain
Deranged is a 4 piece death metal group from Sweden that has made quite a name for themselves with their brutal depictions of murder, death, and other horror related subjects. The music is fantastic, a blend of old school hooks and straight out death metal. The vocals are your typical death metal growl and with a little more variety in the vocals, I think I would have loved this band. The writing is decent and a sure fire hit for horror fans.
It’s a shame that it looks that The Redlight Murder Case is their last album since they announced their break up at the end of March. If you want straight out brutality in your metal, then Deranged is for you. Maybe they’ll end their feud with their drummer or find someone new, but until then you’re left exploring their catalog and enjoying their last release for now.
B -Choppy
A World Of No Beauty (reissue)
Metal Mind
As a fan of Extreme Noise Terror, back in the day I didn't think too much of ENT side project Disgust's debut, Brutality Of War. The drumming was monotonous, the production flat, the songs only so-so...no reason not to listen simply to ENT instead! And so I didn't pay attention to anything Disgust did thereafter, including 1997's A World of No Beauty.
Apparently, by the time they got around to recording A World of No Beauty, Disgust really worked out the kinks and managed to deliver an all-out, rampaging crust-fest for the ages.
Catchy, fast, no-frills, and every bit as good as--if not better than--anything ENT did up to this point, A World of No Beauty's first 11 tracks land non-stop blows of memorable, politically charged, savage, metallic crust. Aside from the single vocalist, it's not unlike Unrest by Disrupt or Retro-bution by ENT. In fact, since ENT's Dean Jones *is* the vocalist here, just pretend that Phil Vane called in sick...you might as well be listening to vintage ENT, in this case nicely engineered by Andy Sneap some years before he became so in-demand.
Track 12, "Hymn for a Dying Planet," originally closed the album with its 1-note, 21-minute dirge; the Metal Mind reissue, if you pass this endurance test, tacks 8 live bonus tracks of decent quality onto the end. The digipak is pretty slick, too.
Disgust, on A World of No Beauty, featured 2 members of ENT, plus former members of Discharge and Motorhead; and they captured lightning in a bottle. The fact that I heretofore only gave the band one chance was a mistake on my part. Glad I finally get to enjoy this album after all.
B+ -Mark Fields
When The Storm Comes Down
Metal Mind
Third albums break metal bands. At least those who’ve created a buzz through the scene with incessant touring - take a look at The Number of the Beast, Reign In Blood, Master Of Puppets, and Operation: Mindcrime to name a few. Arizona’s Flotsam and Jetsam were on the cusp of international break through, especially with 1988’s No Place For Disgrace setting the bar for speed/ power/ thrash maniacs the world over. While most of my friends were going crazy over Slayer, Overkill and Megadeth, I worshipped that second album from beginning to end. By the time I reached my college years, major label MCA came into the picture and a lot of critics thought this band would join the big four of thrash to make a triumphant five.
But When The Storm Comes Down didn’t set the charts on fire, even with significant radio and video exposure through “Suffer The Masses”. New bassist Troy Gregory put his stamp on the proceedings, another stellar player in a wheel of great musicians. Singer Eric A.K. continued to explore the outer dimensions of his lung capacity, hitting the killer shrieks in “Deviation” and “October Thorns”, while the dual guitar tandem of Michael Gilbert and Ed Carlson fired on all cylinders with their technical prowess on a savage cut like “Scars”. With all the promotional muscle and talent, what stopped When The Storm Comes Down from being the blockbuster record of their career?
The liner notes tell the tale of production woes - something amiss in the normal steady hands of producer Alex Perialas. The overall tone and compression for the album had quite the muddy appearance - something which seems to be corrected a little bit in the re-release. The sole bonus track is an interview lifted from the “Suffer The Masses” single release- but in the grand scheme I think this album is the black sheep in the discography that deserves another chance.
Flotsam never seemed content to churn out the same material from album to
album - so expect an experimental thrash feel with this third effort. Still the progressive “6, Six, VI” and conventionally thrash-bash “Scars” make this a keeper. Caught between the cracks, Flotsam and Jetsam still bleed
metal- and that’s what matters most in the end.
B+ -Matt Coe
Cuatro
Metal Mind
Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Arizona’s Flotsam and Jetsam have been the group that fly under the metal radar while never achieving that superstar smash record which should have taken them to the top.
Bassist Jason Newsted’s move to Metallica saw major labels peeking around at this thrash quintet, first signed to Metal Blade and by the point of their second album No Place For Disgrace riding on the co-promotional shoulders of the major MCA. Cuatro originally hit the streets in the fall of 1992, coming off the disappointing When The Storm Comes Down which wasn’t hampered in the experimental songwriting department (the band took the throttle down a notch) but more so by the flat production job of Alex Perialas.
I’m glad that Poland’s Metal Mind sees this re-release necessary for the metal public, as Cuatro first came out at a time that I think the genre would be in a state of flux (Seattle grunge acts and alternative music in, pure speed and solo abuse out). Extras on the album include “Date With Hate”, 2 different edits/mixes of “Wading Through The Darkness” as well as the video for this semi-hit single (MTV would actually spin in with medium rotation during the day for 6
weeks) and an edit of “Cradle Me Now”.
As for the album itself- I think it rates second in their long standing discography, as nothing in my opinion can top the monster thrash fest of No Place For Disgrace. Neil Kernon honed in on a cutting live production, improving immeasurably the guitar and bass tones while keying in on super human performance from drummer Kelly David Smith and vocalist Eric A.K. (proving the man could also sustain a chilling edge in his lower register). “Natural Enemies” comes out swinging from the start, a battle charge riff with Eric spitting out lyrics at equal pacing. Much like their brethren they grew up with, I do think “Cuatro” has a precarious tightrope walk musically as many songs focused on simplified steady grooves yet still had a lot of punch in the approach such as “Swatting At Flies” and the Pantera-like “Forget About Heaven”.
In my neck of the woods, Flotsam and Jetsam sold steady just like other misunderstood American power acts like Armored Saint or Metal Church, and I think you’ll enjoy the beefy liner notes from Edward Carlson, Eric and Jason Ward who provide their reflections on this fourth album. I didn’t get the chance to see Flotsam live until the follow up Drift
when they opened for Megadeth and the first go around for Korn in small theaters (at the Strand in Providence, RI, Fear Factory opened the show) but my two experiences with them on stage were equally vicious and entertaining. Rediscover the joy of this band, and I hope their future live DVD helps them regain a foothold on the live circuit.
A- -Matt Coe
Drift
Metal Mind
Hitting the record bins in April 1995, the fifth album Drift from Arizona’s Flotsam and Jetsam probably got lost in the shuffle of record label politics (as a beverage company Seagrams bought MCA, necessitating a personnel shuffle at the office). MTV really didn’t push this album in any way, as I never remember a video regularly appearing on the channel, but the band undertook an extensive tour with Megadeth, Korn and Fear Factory that saw them play small theaters in the summer. Bassist Jason Ward gained a more comfortable songwriting role in the group, and I believe this helped to make Drift one of the more special Flotsam albums through the years.
Songs like “Smoked Out”, “Empty Air” and “12 Year Old With A Gun” prove this quintet have playing chops, tenacity and a sense of tact that other metal bands wish they could have pulled off. They probably lost a lot of their thrash fan base as the material is much more experimental, emphasizing Eric A.K.’s commanding pipes and melodies and the wide open chords/ picking from guitarists Michael Gilbert and Ed Carlson. Outside of the fine inner perspective provided by the band members with their historical/ studio memories surrounding Drift, you’ll get three bonus
tracks- two edits of “Destructive Signs” and “Smoked Out” sandwiching a killer rendition of the Black Sabbath classic “Fairies Wear Boots”.
Thanks to these Metal Mind reissues, I’ve been able to sell my original discs to worthy metal heads at local shows (as they were quickly scooped up at the second anniversary Ralph’s Diner all Sunday metal show celebration).
Debate may reign as to who delivered the biggest impact on thrash from Arizona (Sacred Reich being the worthy competitor) but for my money, the versatility from album to album for Flotsam and Jetsam can not be denied. Scoop up this gem while you can.
A- -Matt Coe
Hated
MVD
See GG Allin eat his own shit, shove a banana up his ass, drink piss from a crack whore and vomit, beat the fuck out of his audience "guy's and girl's" and beat his own head in. That's just a few of the wonder's that you will witness in this amazingly done documentary by Todd Phillips. The man who brought you the comedy Old School.
There is a lot more to this documentary than just shocking scene's. It is full of the true meaning of Rock and Roll. When GG says "My mind's a machine gun, my body's the bullets and the audience is the target." He means it. He makes Marilyn Manson look like the pussy he is, and he was doing the JackAss stuff 20 years before those guy's stole his idea's. Fact is, there is nobody like GG Allin, and that might make you happy. But love Him or Hate Him, GG has a message and this documentary lets him talk about it and doe's not judge Him ether way.
When I saw the first vision of Hated years ago it made me into a GG Allin fan and I went out and bought his albums and enjoyed them. The new version of Hated is still amazing and is loaded with extra stuff like an interview with GG's mother and interviews with his band members now. Also included are a few GG music video's.
If you like GG or never heard of him, you will find this well made documentary about a dangerous musician fascinating. If you have a weak stomach you might want to skip it.
A- -Bruce Millet
Soulburner/Sindustries (re-issue)
Metal Mind
It’s a shame that most of today’s melodic death fans do not even know the name Gardenian. Granted, their three albums don’t match up to the landmark early works of In Flames (oh how the mighty have fallen) and Dark Tranquillity. Nevertheless, the band still played a pivotal role in establishing what is commonly referred to as “the Gothenburg sound.”
The second of their albums, Soulburner, is not only melodic death metal, but hyper melodic death metal. At times, the sound strays so far away from traditional melodeath and riff-oriented brutality that Gardenian’s place in the death metal camp is somewhat questionable. Subpar clean vocals permeate this entire album, bringing to mind the overly melodic choruses that Into Eternity have been indulging themselves in. The chorus of “If Tomorrow’s Gone” goes far enough to be a whiny precursor to Emo. Alternating clean and harsh vocals is a tall task for any band, and sometimes, like on the slow paced balladic “Small Electric Space,” they work. Like that song, many of these tracks are so melodic that they are not even melodeath. The “true” death metal crowd would certainly yearn for something heavier, but if they just sit back, and enjoy the melody, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised. Gardenian really shine when they take out all the stops and just get heavy. When they rhythmically overlap harsh vocals, twisted riffs, and double bass drumming, the band clicks. Sadly, even thought they click, they don’t vary this sound enough. By the end of the album, even the twisting riffs have become undistinguished and redundant.
Soulburner is a straightforward, to the point, Gothenburg-styled death metal album with an onslaught of melodic touches. Occasionally, the melody works, but most of the time it is ridiculous and simply lame. The high quality, heavy, death metal parts become too samey, and by the end, are indistinguishable from one another. 
If you thought that Soulburner varied itself enough to escape the label of “melodic death metal,” then you’ll certainly feel that way about Sindustries. Starting off with spacey epic “Selfproclaimed Messiah,” Gardenian bust out the proggy chops. This really isn’t a melodic death album, although it retains many staples of the Gothenburg sound. Instead, this is much more of a progressive death album. They aren’t just worshipping at the throne of Mikael Akerfeldt, however. There’s still enough brutality. In addition, they don’t overwhelm their music with unnecessary jazzy time changes. The progressive tendencies on this record are tasteful, and don’t go over the top.
In comparison to Soulburner, this album shows maturation and a higher level of forethought in the songwriting department. The clean vocals not only have better range, but are more emotive. Unlike many bands that play this style, Gardenian actually seem to have a reason to use clean vocals, instead of simply implementing in a song for the sake of having them.
Sindustries is another album that was an underground sensation in Gothenburg, but never caught on elsewhere, despite its significance.
B -Adam
An Epiphanic Vomiting Of Blood
Crucial Blast
Gnaw Their Tongues is a one man noise machine from the Netherlands. An Epiphanic Vomiting Of Blood was originally released on limited vinyl a while back, and is now being released on CD by Crucial Blast with an extra track.
Musically, this is like being beat over the head with an out of tune grand piano for 45+ minutes - it is made up of purely stark, industrial sounding noise. Overdriven guitar, bass, plodding drums, and all manner of synth created noises. Shrieking "vocals" and the occasional serial killer confession make up the vocal portions of the music. At times reminding me a bit of MoRT era Blut Aus Nord, although even less musical, and far less listenable. Other times this reminds me of a horror soundtrack cassette being eaten by the tape player. Small doses of this are about all you can ask someone to take.
Where this disc stands out is the song titles. Check these bad boys out: "My Body is not a Vessel, Nor a Temple. It's a Repulsive Pile of Sickness", "Teeth that Leer like Open Graves", "And There will be more of your Children Dead Tomorrow" and the CD only bonus track "The Urge to Participate In Butchery". Brilliant stuff there. Too bad the music doesn't keep up with the killer titles.
D+ -Goz
Dominion VIII
Regain
Swedish death metal legends Grave pound out their 8th release with Dominion VIII. As you'd expect from Grave, you get an unrelenting attack of old school sounding death metal here, from beginning to end. The songs here are mostly mid-paced and heavy as hell, with Ola's guitar playing and vocals being the standout features of the band. I've always like his vocal style for some reason - it's growly and brutal, but you can easily make out what he is singing. Standout tracks for me are "Fallen (Angel Son)" and "Annihilated God", but every song on the disc is solid.
Grave isn't breaking any new ground here, but they are playing just as good now as they were in 1991 when they released their debut Into the Grave. This here is a raging slab of Swedish death metal that is sure to please.
B -Goz
This Grand Show
Vendlus Records
San Franciso trio Grayceon unleash their second full-length (sandwiched around a split with Austin, Texas based Giant Squid), This Grand Show. The band, consisting of Max Doyle on guitar and vocals, Zack Farwell on drums (with both also being in the thrash band Walken), and Jackie Perez Grant (also in Giant Squid) on electric cello and vocals. Yes, that says electric cello. This ain't your straight forward metal music being played here.
Consisting of five tracks and about 57 minutes of music, the songs blur the boundaries progressive rock, trash, doom, all with a little different edge that I attribute to the cello being there. Opener "It Begins, So It Ends" begins with a slow, quiet passage, then kicks into high gear with a great guitar riff that is backed by some smooth cello playing. Hard to believe there's only three people playing on this with all the different sounds they are creating. There is a killer section towards then end where the guitar and cello are playing together over a double bass attack on the drums. "Still the Desert" is the next track, and at 11+ minutes offers a whole lot of diversity, and also the first time we hear the tandem vocals of the band. While Jackie has a high, almost operatic voice here (it isn't like that on the whole disc, though), Max is way down the scale on the bottom end, providing a good contrast to go along with the contrast between the heavily distorted guitar and smooth cello. About midway through the song, it breaks down into a major league thrasher - with the cello and guitar dueling it out while Zack attempts to do major damage to his drums. Great stuff there.
The 21-minute epic "Sleep" is next, and it has several different mood changes throughout the song, with the standouts being the big metal bit about 5 minutes or so in. This is the most diverse song here, and probably my favorite at the moment (although that is likely to change). "This Grand Show Is Eternal" is the closer, and it's probably the most "metal" of them all, as it is pure power from the first note, and doesn't let up until the abrupt ending.
This was my first exposure to Grayceon, and I'm very impressed to say the least. The refuse to be burdened by categories, instead using their talent to take the best of everything, mash it all up and come out with great songs. They also incorporate the cello perfectly into the music - something I don't think I've ever heard done like this in a (mostly) metal style.
A- -Goz
Awaiting Evil
Metal Blade
Awaiting Evil is the debut of Bay Area thrashers Hatchet. Bay Area Thrash pretty much sums up their sound, but do these youngsters bring anything else to the party to make them stand out?
Opening with a rather lame intro that features clean guitar plucking away while some melodic noodling is plopped on top of it, the real stuff gets going with "Frailty Of The Flesh". If you know Bay Area Thrash, you know what to expect here - staccato riffs, wailing guitar leads, pounding drums, mosh-part breakdowns, and aggressively shouted vocals with the occasional scream. This is exactly what Hatchet delivers for the 40 minutes or so on this disc. The band delivers on all fronts, and the standout tracks here are "Sealed Fate" and "Storm the Gates", the latter featuring some great gang vocals during the chorus.
If you like Bay Area Thrash, you'll like Hatchet. If you don't, you won't. It's really as simple as that. Skip the intro, and you have a simple, straight forward thrash album that will please fans of the genre.
B- -Goz
Parasite Of Society
Candlelight
When Schmier was booted from Destruction back in the day, his release from agony so to speak was formulating Headhunter whose first release Parody of Life in 1990 was a well done, tongue-in-cheek power metal album with a touch of thrash for his established fanbase. The successive albums, 1992’s A Bizarre Gardening Accident and 1994’s Rebirth, were in the same vein, but the new Parasite of Society tries a bit too hard to appeal to too many. Songs such as “Doomsday For The Prayer” and the title track sound like scrapped Destruction tracks and, goddamn it, who in their right mind wants to hear a Skid Row cover by a German thrash metal icon?
Despite this atrocity, “Silverskull” is very catchy and easily the album’s standout track. There are other glimmers of hope in “Egomaniac” and the hidden Sesame Street “Manama” cover at the CDs conclusion will put a smile on your face no matter how hardcore your musical tastes.
A mixed bag here for sure, but still worth a listen.
C+ -Mike Baronas
Opus Magnum
Napalm
A lot has happened over the last seven years. Gas prices have reached astronomical highs, the threat of global warming has become a terrifying reality, and the job market has become dismal. All of those are harrowing problems that have seeped into our society. But most distressing was the fact that the brilliant Austrian duo Hollenthon (now a quartet) did not release an album, and seemed to be left for dead by the mad geniuses that make up the band. Those seven years have passed now. 2001’s With Vilest of Worms to Dwell, possibly the greatest symphonic metal album ever made, now has a follow up in the immodestly titled Opus Magnum.
Musically, not much has changed since With Vilest of Worms to Dwell. Hollenthon still play eclectic death metal with a full orchestral backing. Instead of the common driving guitar riffs of extreme metal, Hollenthon opt for a violin, cello, or even flute riff. The guitars normally play quite simple, background riffs accompanying the string instruments in the foreground. Like previous Hollenthon albums, the sound is one of a kind: a majestic, enchanting sound nonetheless retaining metal’s forceful tone.
The songs on Opus Magnum don’t immediately jump out at you, as they are not too distinct. This is only a slight nitpick however, since that redundant sound is simply one of the best sounds in metal. Songs like the introspective, solemn “Once We Were Kings” and the ethnic, progressive epic “Misterium Babel” remedy this, as they are the standout tracks of the album. Moreover, the album opens with Hollenthon’s trademarked energetic neo-classical sound, thumping along at a frenzied pace.
Along with Slough Feg, Hollenthon are the most criminally unknown band in metal. The fact is that they are one of the best, as well. Opus Magnum certainly doesn’t top the magnificent With Vilest of Worms to Dwell, but it certainly reclaims Hollenthon’s throne as the best symphonic metal band around.
A- -Adam
angL
Candlelight
Black metal’s resident maverick Ihsahn has always pushed the boundaries of traditional black metal, and with his latest album, angL, he seems to have completely distanced himself from the genre. The former Emperor frontman has opted for a more progressive black/death style defying any direct classification. Many of the fans on the anti-Opeth bandwagon will be sure to dismiss this album, as Mikael Åkerfeldt does guest on a few songs, but doing so would be ignorant and to some degree, unfounded. This album is so much more than an Opeth clone. While there are certainly Opeth influences to be heard on angL, the album is a portrait of a matured artist—one never afraid to write metal the way he sees fit.
Opening up with a rhythmic but quick paced riff, topped off with some pinch harmonics, aNGL is instantaneously a more structured and smoothly produced album than Ihashn has ever put out. While this will certainly turn off the “pure” black metal crowd, the more open-minded fans should find much to sink their teeth into. Each song on this album blends catchy riffs, Ihsahn’s distinctly fierce vocals, and unique progressive tendencies. Ihsahn is clearly crafting an idiosyncratic tone on angL, one that you get the feeling he has been yearning to unleash since the early days of Emperor. He is comfortable with this music, and this may have never been the case before. Complete with his personal take on Nietzschean philosophy, angL really is Ihsahn’s modern metal opus. He is in the elder’s chair now, looking down on all the younger bands, knowing that he has the power to make whatever music he sees fit.
This album marks Ihsahn’s rebirth. He has made a comeback as one of extreme metal’s most eccentric and powerful forces. Back in the days of In the Nightside Eclipse¸ he was the maverick bogged down within a minimalist movement. Now, he is forging his personal creative path with newer, exciting music. Other bands will certainly struggle to follow him, and fail at emulating him. Call this a comeback album if you will, I’d disagree. Ihsahn is playing what he feels, without any extraneous influences from other band members, and more mature than ever.
B+ -Adam
Nostradamus
Sony
Before I begin my review let me just say that I know this style of metal music is not for everyone. This is my perspective on this album, I have been a Judas Priest fan for over thirty years. I consider them one of the greatest metal bands ever. And I find it amazing that I can still go see a band that I have loved from the time I was in the seventh grade until now, and still be blown away by new music they are putting out forty years into their career. That being said, I do not like every Judas Priest album or every Judas Priest song.
I will say that Nostradamus is a monster of a metal album. It is epic metal on steroids times ten.
The album is so huge I will not go into detail about every song, that would take up to much space.
I will just say that I like every song on the two disc's, the first disc being my favorite. This is an amazing metal album that brings the listener on an epic journey through dark and light. At times I was moved to tears, or just had goose bumps from the metal glory of it all. I know I am a metal nerd.
But once again I find it amazing that such an iconic metal band still takes risks and changes their sound forty years into there career. When most older metal bands are putting out the same albums year after year, and have to resort to playing only older songs live to keep people from falling asleep.
I find this album a blast of fresh air, and applaud Judas Priest for putting out such a masterpiece. All hail the Metal Gods.
A- -Bruce Millet
Nostradamus must have been an insomniac, because this album puts me to sleep.
D- -Goz
The Passing
Regain
Back in the 80’s, I remember hearing about a CT power metal band with the same name Machinery, as their demo Divide And Conquer topped many charts the world over. Breaking up and resurrecting in the mid to late 90’s, they moved into a thrash direction… yet the act before me is quite different and from Sweden instead of the United States. Why the discussion? Well, my initial impression based on name alone may be a touch unfavorable, as I do think Machinery isn’t the most original band moniker on the planet for a metal act. Yet this writer looks beyond the cover to take in a fine melodic death/thrash effort, 9 addictive tracks with those power crunch riffs and dual melodic/ screaming vocals that you expect from Denmark’s Mercenary.
Guitarist/ vocalist Michel Isberg should be a strong contender for Peavy’s vocal slot when he decides to hang things up for Rage. The man’s pitch, tone and range mirrors the long running German act. Musically his foursome of group mates gravitate between traditional metal maneuvers like “Dead Man” and “Bloodline” versus the heavier, blistering terrain such as “Reason Is The Truth” and the maniacal thrash blast “Delirium In Vengeance”.
Some comparison to Arch Enemy and Nevermore does warrant itself, as I believe the dual guitars spin between fast picking and driving power chords while the drumming of Johan Westman shows a charging flair for the dramatic. Black Lodge Studios continues to gain more respect in the label world, as Scar Symmetry’s Jonas Kjellgren captures Machinery with precision and giving them a full sound.
Two albums into their career, Machinery have a solid idea of where they’re going with The Passing. Those of you who seek a touch more melody in their thrash/death proceedings, these Swedes will fit the bill adequately.
B -Matt Coe
Live at the Whisky a Go Go
Arctic Music Group
Before I mention anything else about this disc, I will point out that it is the only commercially-released live CD I've ever heard that has 2-5 SECONDS OF SILENCE BETWEEN EVERY TRACK. I'm talking abrupt, 2-5 second spaces where NOTHING is heard! Who approved this?!?!
If you like death metal, however, you should still consider adding this live album to your collection and do what I did: rip the CD to your hard drive (after you BUY it, that is) and re-edit/burn it to play without those stupid, annoying gaps.
Why should you buy it? First, MC is one of the best death metal bands ever with a storied catalog of technical, brutal albums that 99% of death metal bands will never be able to touch. Secondly, since it was recorded while MC was touring for The Fine Art of Murder, the hour-long setlist covers about half their career, so they could afford to pack in more songs from each of their earlier albums. If you're a MC fan, you will recognize this as a pretty much perfect set:
Impaled Existence
Manic Demise
Slaughter Of Innocence
Blood Brothers
To Die Is At Hand
Mass Graves
The Fine Art Of Murder
Scorn
Eve Of The Apocalypse
Infernal Desire
Multiple Stab Wounds
Coronation Of Our Domain/Monster
Thirdly, the recording, in all its rawness, captures the classic line-up on a night where every performance sounds like the sonic equivalent of wild dogs tearing flesh from prey. THIS is what death metal was in 1999!
Finally, the retail price on this is only $10.95...for an hour of killer death metal.
Grading factors in the aforementioned aggravating 2-second gaps that have no business on live recordings.
B -Mark Fields
Rocket Attack
Black Mark
Veering in a psychedelic rock direction, The Man From The Moon consists of one man as performer, songwriter, arranger and producer: the mysterious Micke “Mimo” Moberg. The use of bright colors magnifies Micke’s pleasing persona, as Rocket Attack delivers a guitar sound relevant to AOR 80’s hounds (and mid 80’s ZZ Top especially) as well as keyboards that have a lot in common with synth pop. You will not confuse tracks like “Warm Blooded Woman”, the piano-friendly “President Of Madness” or closing ballad “My Hometown” for a metal presentation- instead plan for a diverse selection of offerings that run the gamut from Meatloaf and Erasure to Danzig and The Cult to name four acts that came to mind through these 12 songs.
Drawbacks? Programming the drums gives this album a much dreary feeling than I think Micke wishes to present. His vocals also are adequate but aren’t anything special in comparison to his songwriting- often he talks his way through the lyrics with a slight Swedish accent.
Overall, The Man From The Moon may draw the attention of Nightingale followers, but I didn’t hear anything special to run Rocket Attack much more than a few cursory spins through my computer.
C- -Matt Coe
Nude With Boots
Ipecac
Okay, I fucking LOVE the Melvins. Now that that has been said let's talk about their kickass new album Nude With Boots, their umpteenth release in twenty four years or something like that!
The disc kicks off with "The Kicking Machine" in typical Melvins fashion, rocking stoner rock riffs as only founding member Buzz Osborn can write. "Billy Fish" continues the album traditionally while "Dog Island" is a bit of an epic at seven and a half minutes long. "Dies Iraea" slows the album down a bit with a noisy far out ditty that can only be described as ambient Melvins, experimental yet heavy, almost like Earth or SUNN. "Suicide In Progress" is classic fucking Melvins from the first riff as is the monstrous riffage in "The Smiling Cobra".
On the title track, we get a poppier side that we don't always hear and it almost sounds like it could be a long lost KISS song they found on a rehearsal tape circa 1974. "Flush" is a nice little experimental minute long track that has some cool trippy trance like sounds that could easily be found on a vintage Pink Floyd record. "The Stupid Creep", "The Savage Hippy" and "It Tastes Better Than The Truth" all bring us back to what the Melvins are all about and why I love these guys so much!
It should also be mentioned this is the second disc featuring the talents of Big Business's Jared Warren and Coady Willis adding to the mayhem that is the classic Melvins sound. In fact, their style is so in tune with Buzz and Dale's style it only adds another level of heaviness to their sound. I haven't seen them live with this lineup so I'm really looking forward to it when they hit the Paradise in Boston on August 9th!
A -Matt Smith
4-song Tour Demo
I saw Mesina live and was really impressed with their powerful brand of power rock when I saw them open for Worcester favorites Rectangle Club and Clear The Way at Ralph's Diner on June 6th. Coming from Bucks County, Pennsylvania this Tour Demo CD perfectly captures their live sound which can only be described as Tool meets Smashing Pumpkins (Gish/Siamese Dream era). "Worlds Apart" has a melodically heavy guitar riff that kicks the song into a a rocking mode that permeates the disc. Billy Marshall's vocals sound a bit like Maynard Keenan and his guitar solos sound a lot like Billy Corgan's original psychedelic heavy guitar style. "Embracing" starts off mellow a lot like a Tool song and kicks into a sweet infectious chorus. Drummer Jesse could easily fill Jimmy Chamberlains shoes if they needed a replacement and bassist PJ holds the low end down admirably.
"Awake " keeps the rocking pace going with some passionate playing and singing and "Just Like Pretend" starts off with a nice little drum intro that leads into a melodic clean guitar sound that gets heavy quickly and has some nice breaks in the middle of the song that sound great on this disc as they did live. I have to say when I first saw Billy's ASG t-shirt (the same one I bought at ASG's show) I knew these guys had to be cool. They also did a screaming cover of the Smashing Pumpkins "Quiet" that further cemented my belief in them. Mesina are a band to watch out for.
B+ -Matt Smith
Metal Mind
This DVD/CD package covers the twenty first MetalMania Festival that took place on March 24th 2007 at Spodek, Katowice in Poland and features eleven different Main Stage bands on the DVD including Testament, Sepultura, Destruction, Entombed, Paradise Lost, Blaze Bayley, Vital Remains, Zyklon, Korpiklaani, Crystal Abyss, and Darzamat. The bands are shot professionally with multi-camera angles and it is presented in 5.1 Surround Sound.
Finland's Korpiklaani kicks off the DVD with three songs of their Celtic folk metal that is probably the most interesting sounding of all the bands on the DVD and they get the crowd moving to their unique sound. Crystal Abyss has one track of their brand of Black Metal and Darzamat (with a female co-vocalist) and Zyklon pretty much do the same as Crystal Abyss except without the corpse paint and they get two and three tracks respectively. Rhode Island's Vital Remains intro is almost as long as their first actual song (of three) and seem to have the crowd into their brand of Black Death Metal that has endured for so many years. Damien Boyton is on vocals replacing Glen Benton for this concert and these days Worcester's own Scott Wiley of Zircon is handling the lead vocals.
Sweden's Entombed kick off their three songs with "When in Sodom" with singer LG Petrov belting out the lyrics passionately. They also do "Carnage" and the classic from Left Hand Path, "Revel In Flesh" that is probably one of the best performances on this whole DVD. Germany's Destruction play a fiery three songs, "Nailed to the Cross", "Total Disaster", and "Bestial Invasion" who along with Testament and Sepultura represent the classic old school thrash era. Up next is ex-Iron Maiden and Bruce Dickinson temp, Blaze Bayley who proclaims before he launches into his first song "No matter what you have heard, Blaze Bayley is ALIVE" and he and his band launch into "Alive" with some classic power metal that also includes "Kill and Destroy" and "Sign of the Cross", an Iron Maiden song he co-wrote with Steve Harris. Let me just say that although Blaze has a decent and powerful voice, I'm SO glad Bruce is back with Maiden!
Sepultura cranks out three songs with their classic speed thrash sound, "Convicted In Life", "False", and the classic original line-up breakthrough song "Dead Embryonic Cells". Although Max is no longer with them and their line-up has drastically changed since I was into them, they still have a lot of energy live, but I really won't go see them again until Max and Igor are back in the band! Paradise Lost has one track on this DVD and it's their last song in their set. "Say Just Words" is unfortunately anticlimactic and I would have liked to see one of the songs from early in their set.
Testament, the headliners of this whole event are clearly the ones who have the most time as they include five songs from their set. Classics like "The Preacher", "The New Order", and "The Haunting" all sound pretty sweet because the band's original members, Chuck Billy and Alex Skolnick sound just as good as they did twenty years ago when I first got into them. They also include newer tunes, "Electric Crown" and "D.N.R." and, although they sound good, they don't sound as sweet as the classics.
The DVD also includes interviews with the bands on the DVD (some of them with an individual member, others with the whole band), band info, photo gallery and a Metalmania history that gives a nice background on whom has played the twenty previous festivals since 1986 (the list is pretty cool to check out over the years).
The CD consists of lesser known bands (except for Benediction) that performed on the second stage including Carnal, Horrorscope, TYR, Witchking, Sphere, Deivos, Benediction, Forever Will Burn, Root, Ciryam, and WU-HAE. There is one studio recorded track from each band for a fifty minute disc that is a nice introduction to each band, although honestly, the only bands on this disc I find memorable are Benediction, Tyr, and Horrorscope.
Having never heard of this annual festival before I must say it was really cool to see one of them (an abridged version that is) and I think they did a good job giving a feel of what it is like to attend one of these festivals and the diversity in metal bands from many different countries. Highly recommended for the fan of any of the bands on this DVD and a good primer for any one looking for some live performances of up and coming metal bands and some old school metal bands.
B -Matt Smith
In The Midst Of Beauty
Inakustik
If we set up a family tree for current guitar heroes plying their craft in all aspects of melodic hard rock or power metal, chances are Michael Schenker pops up as one of the main influences. Most well known for his on again/ off again exploits in UFO, many a youngster spent hours trying to learn the full live solo interpretation of “Rock Bottom” as well as everything the man did on Strangers In The Night, arguably the best live album of the 70’s. Even his Michael Schenker Group efforts of the early 80’s gained major sales and respect the world over- but his stage temper tantrums and off kilter behavior behind the scenes has burned a lot of bridges with musicians, performers and fans through the years. In The Midst Of Beauty reunites the man with four fifths of the original MSG, vocalist Gary Barden, drummer Simon Phillips and keyboardist Don Airey, along with former Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray to round out this incarnation.
These 12 songs are old school at heart, bluesy hard rock straight from the 70s with Gary Barden not losing much in the way of his range or pipes. His Ian Gillian-like melodies sweep me away in mid-tempo boogie tracks like “I Want You” and “Wings Of Emotion”. The backing band performs professionally, yet the ultimate downfall in complete appreciation for In The Midst Of Beauty lies in the perfunctory riffs and songwriting from the Schenker/Barden duo. The insipid “Na Na” features the following ingenious chorus ‘Cos I’m Na Nana Nana Na/ Yes I’m Na Nana Nana Na’, while the production just seems straight from the boards to the disc, with no cause for refinement or possible additional takes to bring up the energy. I don’t discount Michael Schenker’s soloing ability, as the man can still bring out varied emotion in his axe attack in cuts like “End Of The Line” and “Competition”- I just feel like this was a rushed damage control recording rather than a blockbuster it could have been to make him reappear on the map (like UFO did when he returned for Walk On Water in the mid 90’s).
What could have been, approach cautiously.
C -Matt Coe
Scrolls of the Megilloth
Metal Mind
 Back in 1992 I had low expectations when my friend Stevo told me he'd picked up Mortification's new album and thought I should hear it. He assured me it was killer, but I was more than a little skeptical since I'd heard the hyped but less-than-stellar self-titled debut album a year before. Wow, was I in for a surprise. Scrolls... not only impressed me, it REALLY impressed me. Most people familiar with the band now argue that this was Mort's zenith, comparing all subsequent releases to it. There are a number of reasons. It certainly is the heaviest thing the band ever recorded.
Scrolls... is a volatile mix of death metal, grind, and thrash. The production on the guitar tone, particularly on power chords, verges on black metal with a nasty, hollow, raw crunch. There's minimal soloing; it's all about the riffs and maximum brutality. The vocals are various depths of growls, sometimes layered, and the results are very effective. And I can't say enough good about the drums on this album. The production makes every one of Jayson Sherlock's hits hit with the power an exploding artillery shell. Seriously, every single drum hit on the toms, snare, kicks...16 years later these drums still stand among the best I've heard on a death metal album, phenomenal in driving the music effectively by employing precise and killer blast beats used in judicial amounts, half-time beats, thrash beats, cruising double-kick work and cool double-kick fills, and crazy brain-smashing tom fills. Every percussive choice sounds very well-thought.
After a somewhat restrained opener in "Nocturnal"--which except for the good production might've fit on the self-titled album--the band suddenly sucker punches with "Terminate Damnation" and for the rest of the disc unleashes an epic death metal assault leaving the listener very little room to recover except for the opening measures/intros of a few tracks, and a few doomy parts. Speaking of opening measures, the one embarrassing moment on the album is the goofy riff which opens (and recurs in) "Raise The Chalice." However, aside from this gaffe, the rest of the song more than makes up for it, especially after each chorus where everything drops out for a badass Steve Rowe bass break which is rejoined by a blast beat for 4 more bars before guitarist Mick Carlisle jumps back into the fray. Steve Rowe is a very capable bass player, by the way, somewhat reminiscent of Manowar's Joey DeMaio, employing here (and on subsequent albums) a distinctive and mostly-clean-but-just-dirty-enough, trebly-yet-resonant tone.
It's mandatory that you try listening to Scrolls... on a decent stereo with a subwoofer, so you can get the full effect of the super-low bass on the title track, the pitch-shifted vocal parts on the 11:42 album closer "Ancient Prophecy," and other things that won't come across nearly as heavy without the right set-up!
Out of all the great death metal and grind released in '92, this was certainly as good as anything else that I revere from that year.
On to the specifics of this particular reissue, my opinion is that it falls quite short compared to the still-available Soundmass version reissued in 2005. Sure, this Metal Mind one comes in on a spiffy digipak with a nice booklet and more color photos/flyers from this period than we've ever seen before; however, the restored/tweaked cover artwork on the Soundmass version looks a lot better. Sure, the Metal Mind edition has 3 bonus tracks...but they're all pulled from the Live Planetarium album (which is an excellent disc if you can find it, but an even better DVD and still available as such) and improperly edited together! "Time Crusaders" ends, and then Steve introduces a Bloodgood cover right before launching into "Inflamed," another Mort original! The Soundmass edition, on the other hand, includes 4 Scrolls... pre-production tracks unavailable anywhere else. And the Metal Mind mastering job sounds ragged in comparison to the Soundmass version. So you should buy this album if you don't have it, yes, but get the Soundmass edition at Soundmass.com!!
Also, it would have been easier to review this copy if Metal Mind hadn't rendered several tracks unplayable by drilling through the barcode on the back of the digipak and INTO THE CD.
A
Post Momentary Affliction
Metal Mind
 2008 provides me the opportunity to correct a mistake I made 15 years ago when I reviewed the original release of Post Momentary Affliction for the print version of GASP and gave it a B-. (Another "youthful indiscretion" I would like to undo was when I gave a mere B+ to Repulsion's masterwork Horrified.) Many consider PMA Mortification's second-best album. I disagree. After 15 years of revisiting the Mort catalog I now consider it the band's best.
While I originally discounted the introduction of different elements--more melody, a shouting vocal style in addition to the death style, etc.--I now regard those as strengths, adding a lot more texture and variation to the chemistry while still retaining the essential brutality...although on PMA the material is tilted a little bit away from death in favor of thrash. Looking at the 7+ minute length of some of the songs might make you cringe, but they never get boring. This is perhaps Mortification's most progressive release, with somewhat more technical guitar work, more solos, and interesting synthesized segues tying together an already cohesive batch of songs. Devastating blast beats on tracks like "From the Valley of Shadows" and the massive 9:18 "Overseer" (where Carlisle's super-raw guitar tone works to his advantage)--it's a real shame that PMA was Jayson Sherlock's final album with the band.
I'm not suggesting that PMA is perfect. Its biggest mis-step is the 2:32 bass solo "Flight of Victory," which, with its happy vibe and silly (in spots) melody sounds quite out of place and certainly was not needed to fill time given the album's original running length of almost 51 minutes. The production, particularly in the drum department, isn't nearly as crushing as Scrolls...; and in spots, Mick Carlisle's guitar tone, while thoroughly integral to the previous albums and most of this one, diminishes the power of some of the songs here.
Overall, however, PMA is an exciting, distinctive, dynamic, diverse, and real winner of album.
Again it's important, if you're able, to listen to listen to this album on a decent stereo with a subwoofer, so you can get the full effect of some lower frequencies (such as the opening of "Grind Planetarium" and other places) that won't come across nearly as heavy without the right set-up!
The packaging for this reissue looks fantastic, certainly superior to any version preceding it, but it would have been nice if the original Intense Records album cover could have been reproduced somewhere (the album, when new, was released with two entirely different covers by its American and European labels). The remastering of the album adds some strength to the low end and definition to the drums. 4 bonus tracks, 1 a studio track and 3 live from the OOP Live Planetarium album. The studio track, "Butchered Mutilation," is a non-album track from the PMA sessions and somewhat in the vein of early Cannibal Corpse. It was previously released as a bonus track on both the Death Is Just The Beginning comp. and the Break The Curse 1990 CD (a pressing of Mort's demo which, if you can find it, is actually better than the s/t album that followed it), but it's nice to have the song fit into the band's catalog a bit more chronologically. The live tracks are again poorly edited, with Steve introducing a song off the first album, and then we get "From the Valley of the Shadows" instead of "Brutal Warfare." Worse yet, there is a slight glitch around 5:06 of "Grind Planetarium (live)" and a .5-second TOTAL DROP-OUT on "From the Valley of Shadows (live)"...which also suffers at the hands of a premature fade-out. Stupid mistakes on the part of Metal Mind, and 100% avoidable!
A
Blood World
Metal Mind
 For whatever reason this was Mortification's best selling album...and although it's not a completely illogical progression from PMA, it's still a bit of a mystery to me as to why it sold so well.
Blood World offers a more modern, grooving style overall, although there are still ample bursts of speed and a few really vicious tracks, like album closer "Dark Allusions," which, if it had been produced a little differently, might've sounded right at home on Scrolls... in terms of its all-out death attack. Steve has dropped most of his low growls, opting more for cleaner, mid-pitched shouts. The mid-1990's were an experimental and sometimes awkward period for many established extreme bands, including Napalm Death and Sepultura. Mortification was no exception, exploring other styles during this time. In terms of the band's musical evolution, it took some time for me to accept. Nevertheless, Blood World on its own merits was a collection of good, catchy songs.
New drummer Phil Gibson does a pretty good job, but his style is somewhat mechanical compared to Jayson's. And the drum sounds themselves are something even Scott Burns would've been embarrassed to put his name on back in the day. The remastering, however, does help to liven them up and pull them out of the slightly murky mix.
Metal Mind did a nice job on the packaging, and the remastering does, in this case, remedy some very real sonic shortcomings of the original. The 4 bonus tracks for this disc are from 3 different sources. First up is "Altar of God," a studio track from 2002's Relentless album. I have no idea why a track from 8 years later was included when the obscure "Time Crusaders" demo track, recorded between Post Momentary Affliction and Blood World--only ever available as a compilation track and absolutely a good chronological match to this disc--was not! Two live bonus tracks follow (from the OOP Live Without Fear EP from 1996), and then one more non-album track from the Blood World sessions ("Entering the Eternal Dawn") rounds it out. This last track is welcome fan fodder, since it was only released on a long OOP Nuclear Blast sampler CD from 1994. Nice to have it here together with the rest of the album.
B-
Primitive Rhythm Machine
Metal Mind
Due to employment and university commitments respectively, Mick Carlisle and Phil Gibson left, leaving Steve to continue from scratch. With help from some of his North American musician friends he brought a somewhat smaller collection of songs out of the studio with Primitive Rhythm Machine.
Boasting Mortification's all-time best album cover artwork but a jam-space budget raw production and somewhat looser performances, PRM is a mixed bag all around. A hybrid of all previously employed styles--together with a more "tribal" approach to some of the rhythms--the results vary in degrees of success. A couple of tracks sound a bit like filler to my ears ("Confused Belief" being one example with its Chaos A.D.-type Sepultura rip-off part). Considering the 35 minute run time of the original album, that doesn't leave a lot of satisfying metal after we do the math.
And there are essentially no blast beats on this album. The drums on :21 closer "Killing Evil" almost don't qualify as blast beats with the kick drum level dropping so inexplicably low on those few "blasts." Just thought I'd mention "no blasts" since it was the insane blasts on Scrolls... which were so key in drawing my attention to the band in the first place.
However, there are a number of areas where PRM succeeds. With the lead contributions of guitarists George Ochoa and Dave Kellogg, PRM boasts the most tuneful and appropriately shredding solos of all Mortification efforts up to this point in time, a definite plus as Steve begins taking steps away from extreme metal...although Steve serves up some great death vocals throughout much of "40:31." And overall, the vocals on PRM are quite a bit more varied than on Blood World. Steve seems to have settled a little better into the decipherable but harsh shouting style he really started favoring on the previous album.
Again, Metal Mind does a nice job on the packaging here. The remastering boosts the levels somewhat over the original, but there isn't much actual improvement that my ears can tell. The 5 bonus tracks are from the OOP Live Without Fear EP.
C
EnVision EvAngeline
Metal Mind
Steve managed to rebuild a full-time line-up in time to record EnVision EvAngeline. Lincoln Bowen joined on guitar, and long-time drum tech Keith Bannister took over on drums. After ever-decreasing production quality, the first thing I noticed upon the first listen was the pleasant surprise of a nice fat production. Overall, I think this is sonically the most pleasing Mort album to date, especially in terms of the guitar sound, which is big and suitably crunchy for the increasingly "true" metal approach taking preeminence in the material alongside the thrash flavor. Some fans of the earlier material complain that Lincoln's sound is too commercial, but to my ears it's a perfect complimentary match, distortion-wise, to Steve's bass, especially given the direction of the material. In fact, the death metal influence carried from the earliest days seems to have vanished almost altogether, but the album doesn't lack for quality!
Steve has forever been a Manowar fan, and made the bold decision to open the album with the 8-part title track, an epic 18:49 in length and obviously informed by "Achilles Agony and Ecstacy in Eight Parts" (from the immortal Triumph Of Steel album). A big risk, but with its great bass work, mood-evoking guitar riffs and some of the best solos any Mortification guitarist has laid down thus far, it comes off smelling like roses.
"Northern Storm" follows, and it is as infectious a tune as the band has ever written, with its killer, stomping breakdown. OK, great! Expectations so far have been surpassed.
Most of the rest of the album is memorably good, except for "Noah Was a Knower." Steve is a really good-natured guy with a healthy sense of humor. Sometimes it trickles into some of his lyrics and it's a crapshoot when that happens. This particular track is one that suffers as a result.
A couple of other notes: drummer Keith Bannister is, IMO, a step up from the last two (including Bill Rice on PRM) drummers, but his parts are not nearly as interesting as Jayson Sherlock's. In Keith's defense, his playing IS adequate for the material and he certainly plays with more fluidity than I would've expected considering he picked up drumming less than a year before being drafted into the band's nucleus.
The packaging of the reissue looks great. The remastering here adds more punch to the low end, making an already good production sound heavier and bigger than before. The 4 bonus tracks are live cuts from 2 different releases. "Envision a Beginning" is from the OOP Noah Sat Down And Had A Coffee EP (1996), while the remaining 3 live cuts come from the 10 Years Live Not Dead album (2000).
B+
Triumph Of Mercy
Metal Mind
In September 1996, just a few months after EnVision EvAngeline was released, Steve was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia, a particularly nasty form of cancer. In early 1997 he was given a 1% chance of survival, but he battled the cancer into remission, living to tell the tale. Triumph Of Mercy is more or less a concept album revolving lyrically around key events of the ordeal, and the role that Steve's Christian faith played in it. As a result, listeners might be predictably divided on the enjoyability factor. Just a caveat.
As a fan, I was anticipating what might follow the promising EnVision EvAngeline. But the first thing that struck me about Triumph Of Mercy on the first listen was the utterly emasculated low end, which stole just about all of the impact this story and collection of songs might have otherwise gotten across. I'm happy to report that Metal Mind did an outstanding job on the remastering, and the material now sounds so much better that it will affect the grade significantly upwards. The kick drums now stomp, and the guitars have more life. Good work, Metal Mind!
Musically, the tunes are mostly thrash/true in nature and still grooving in spots, but there is also some more aggression in the mix and more variety in the vocal styles and tempos, including a welcome injection of blast beats. With the remastering job, it's much easier to hear that Keith Bannister really brought a lot more to the table this time around. His parts seem more integral to the material, and more diversified. Lincoln continues to play some great, memorable melodic leads that compliment the songs.
Track 8, "Unified Truth," is somewhat unmemorable, however; and given the narrative nature of the cancer-related tracks, I should mention that sometimes the lyrics don't mesh as well with the music as they have on previous albums.
Album closer "Visited by an Angel" perhaps qualifies as Mortification’s first ballad and it is actually comes off pretty well as the final track, with a good melody and another fine solo by Lincoln. So Mortification still continues to explore new musical areas with this track, and succeeds.
Of the whole reissue campaign, Triumph Of Mercy gets distinction for "most improved." I've mentioned the dramatic sonic improvement over the original, but also worth noting are the huge visual improvements over the original's incredibly bland graphic design. 4 bonus tracks round out the reissue. One is a studio track from the first (Australian) version of 2006's Erasing The Goblin (again 8 years out of chronology); one a live track from 2000's 10 Years Live Not Dead; and finally 2 more studio tracks from 2002's Relentless.
C+
Hammer of God
Metal Mind
Kicking off with the authoritative "Metal Crusade," Hammer Of God wastes no time getting down to business, and working in its favor is a much fuller production than Triumph Of Mercy enjoyed. The occasional, intelligent use of keyboards throughout the album, such as a few effective synth chords on the opener and pleasant piano on "A Pearl," works to the music's advantage, breathing some majestic dynamics to the material, which is aggressive classic/power metal married with thrash and only a small portion of death metal. Lincoln's guitar tones are thicker and heavier than any we've enjoyed from the band 'til now. And, for the first time, Steve's signature bass gives way to the guitars in the mix. Given how good the guitars do sound and the overall caliber of the riffs and leads, though, that's not a critical observation. Steve continues to employ a decipherable vocal growl, and sounds a bit livelier than he did on ToM.
HoG's only obvious shortcoming, to my ears, is "D.W.A.M." (acronym for "Daniel Was A Mosher"), which for reasons similar to "Noah Was A Knower" off EnVision EvAngeline, should have been given a different set of lyrics. The song is fine, musically, along with every other cut on the disc.
Originally tacked onto the original release were 6 "bonus tracks" (three HoG session tracks [1 a medley of 4 songs from the first 4 albums, 1 a re-titled re-recording of "The Majestic Infiltration of Order" off the debut, and an instrumental version of "Metal Crusade"] and three 1997 demo tracks recorded in preparation for the Triumph Of Mercy sessions). On the reissue, 5 of these original "bonus tracks" have been listed as "regular" tracks; the demo version of "Unified Truth" has been omitted; and we now get a net gain of 2 tracks with the addition of 3 bonus live cuts pulled from 2000's Live Not Dead.
As with ToM, the revised packaging of this reissue remedies the generic graphic design of the original product. The original sounded fine, but Metal Mind's remastering job gives the low end a bit more thunder and it now sounds even better.
B+
The Silver Cord Is Severed
Metal Mind
A lot of fans cite The Silver Cord Is Severed as a big disappointment, but beyond the terrible cover art I think it's a good album. One point of contention among fans is the production, easily the most polished in the band's entire catalog...but "polished" is just fine by me when it means that the kick drum shakes the floor of my house and the guitars are heavy and huge.
Proudly flying the flag of metal, TSCIS offers up a variety of metal flavors. Check out the dissonant Voivod-isms of "Access Denied," or "Bring the Joy"'s blend of classic, thrash and stomp parts. The album's running order is well chosen, with uptempo, mid-tempo, and slower numbers being spread pretty evenly from start to finish, and sensible use of said tempos within each song. New drummer Adam Zaffarese plays his heart out and comes up with some great parts which give the tunes some swing. Steve's bass is nicely overdriven and a little more back up in the mix compared to HoG.
It's only at track 7 ("I am a Revolutionary") that the quality dips a bit for about 3 minutes before the song kicks into gear. The unremarkable bridge and chorus come back to close this song. "Forsake the Flesh" follows and is fine, but it's followed by "Sensitive Nerve Endings," which is also a somewhat garden variety composition. The 8+ minute title track closes the main portion of the disc, starting off slowly, building to mid-tempo, crescendoing, and decrescendoing several times before it ends. This track also features some unexpectedly crazy shrieking vocals which equally surprisingly work pretty well.
Given the fluctuation in quality in its second half, TSCIS doesn't score as high as HoG, but it's still more memorable (in a good way) than a lot of other albums released in 2001.
In terms of the reissue specifics, not much could be done to improve the lousy cover, but at least the horrendous logo variant which (dis)graced the original cover has been replaced with a more "classic" style Mortification logo. The remastering doesn't really offer an improvement over the original version; it's a wee bit louder but sounds like it's clipping a little...not enough to lodge a formal complaint, though. This particular Mortification title comes with a ton of bonus material, too. First are 4 bonus studio cuts (1 from 2002's Relentless and 3 from 2004's Brain Cleaner--where a death metal influence finally crept back in via drum and vocal style); then there is the entire 10 Years Live Not Dead live album as a second disc bundled into the digipak. Recorded with previous drummer Keith Bannister in 1999 at an Australian festival, is a polished-sounding live documentation mostly of tunes from 1996 onward. Remastering hasn't affected the sonic traits of the original enough to warrant purchase based on that criterion alone, although the low end does have a little more thump.
B
Conquer the World
Metal Mind
This DVD documents Mortification's first-ever world tour in 2001 when the band was supporting its album The Silver Cord Is Severed. It was previously unavailable in NTSC format, so now is the time for diehard fans with region-restricted DVD players to celebrate. I specify "diehard fans" because the production quality throughout most of the DVD will fall certainly not meet reasonable expectations of anyone but the most dedicated fans of the band. For the less Morty-obsessed, I can recommend the excellent Live Planetarium or (forthcoming in September) Live Humanitarian DVDs as better starting points.
It's not that the content is terrible. It's just that, generally speaking, given the fact that most everything herein is camcorder footage shot by band members, watching this is like sitting down and checking out snapshots your friends took on vacation. The candid segments of Steve, shot for the DVD to tie together pieces of the trek, reinforce this kind of vibe. The primary content is a lot of backstage footage and abbreviated performance clips, presented in a chronological fashion. The chapter order follows the tour itinerary, with highlights from South Africa, Europe, U.S.A., and South/Latin America.
Interspersed are proper promotional clips for 3 songs off TSCIS. I might have liked the program better overall if the 3 clips were placed on a separate part of the DVD so as to view the "pro shot" stuff all together and the camcorder tour documentary without the promo clips as interludes. The total running time is around 110 minutes.
For the reissue, Metal Mind revised the packaging and main menu screen to feature an older-school Mortification logo. Previously unavailable bonus material is camcorder footage of 4 songs shot during the band's 2002 performance at Australia's Blackstump Festival. If you have the original DVD, these differences shouldn't be enough to entice you to purchase it a second time.
Still, every now and then it's fun to see what your friends did on vacation.
C-
While for the most part these reissues handily surpass any other version(s) available for each title, given Steve Rowe's involvement in the project, I was a little bummed about some of the decisions that were made for the campaign. First off, the same 3 panels of liner notes appear in all 9 booklets. It would have been more satisfying for me, as a fan, to have been able to follow Steve's reflections specific to each album. The Megadeth reissues, along with some Metal Mind reissue campaigns, have done this for the fans. Also, I found the choice of many of the "bonus" tracks puzzling. On most of the discs, the inclusion of 3 or 4 tracks each from recent Mortification titles, all still very much in print and totally unrelated to the discs to which they're appended, doesn't seem to have any legitimate purpose. Additionally, it's redundant (and therefore dumb) that three titles include bonus tracks from 10 Years Live Not Dead, when that live album is presented in its entirety as bonus material for The Silver Cord Is Severed (according to Steve, it was the 11th hour when Metal Mind decided to issue the entire show as a bonus disc to TSCIS). These gripes aside, except for Scrolls Of The Megilloth I will be replacing all previous versions with the Metal Mind reissues.
Steve Rowe himself said, "A good artist doesn't paint the same tree twice," and that principle certainly applies to Mortification's musical evolution, with every album somewhat different from its predecessors. The progression is dramatic from SotM to TSCIS but, taken one album at a time, the progression is gradual enough to make some sense, even if I like some of those older albums better. From the band's inception, Mortification's lyrics have always been pretty directly, or "heavy-handedly," Christian. If that's a potential dealbreaker for you, maybe you can take comfort that about half of the lyrics on Post Momentary Affliction are not too decipherable; and almost none are decipherable in the whirlwind of Scrolls Of The Megilloth. If it's simply the band's worldview that you find problematic, then you're just S.O.L., as Steve Rowe--champion of all things Jesus-related, metal-related, and "Jesus metal"-related--will more than likely continue keeping that particular element the only constant from one album to the next.
-Mark Fields
A Disease for the Ages
Season of Mist
Italy doomsters Mourning Beloveth have been around for a while now, and A Disease for the Ages is their fourth full length release. I had heard really good things about them, so I tracked down a copy of the disc to review here.
Damn, I am glad I got a copy of this. It's full of 5 songs (55+ minutes) of pure depressive, funeral-like doom with death metal tinges. Dark melodies abound, and the brutal vocals deliver some of the bleakest lyrics out there. "The Sickness" is the 13 minute opening track, and the guitar line laps at your ears like the slow surf on the shore as the tide is going out, while the drums plod along like an overweight horse trying to slowly trot around the ring. "Trace Decay" follows in a similar vein, although there are clean vocals added to the mix, courtesy of guitarist Frank Brennan. This works to great effect, as his voice has is filled with painful emotion and pairs well with vocalist Darren Moore.
"The Burning Man" is my pick for best track here, although any of them could easily be chosen. I just like the main melody line and riff in this one, and the drawn out vocal phrasing fits this music perfect. How often do you hear the word "to" dragged out into a 2 second vocal part? Not very I would have to guess.
Seek this disc out if you are a fan of the slow heavy stuff, it's a definite keeper.
B -Goz
Quietly
Translation Loss
Mouth of the Architect's third full-length release is called Quietly, but it neither comes nor goes quietly at all. In fact, it's a pretty darn loud aural assault from start to finish. Alright, so there are some quiet parts to it (namely "Pine Box" and "Medicine", but those are kind of like interludes).
The title track gets things going in fine form, with a slightly long intro transitioning into a wall of sludgy riffs and chaotic drumming that will please any fan of post-metal/sludge/whatever the hell you want to call it. "Guilt and the Like" begins a bit slower, then mid-song kicks you square in the nuts during the super heavy middle part of the song, before returning to a calm fading outro. "A Beautiful Corpse" is the albums closer, and my pick for best track here as well (and a cool song title to boot). A heavy, droning main riff carries the song, with uber-distorted bass playing the main part here while a nice guitar melody floats about at times. Layers of sound blast forth from you speakers in every direction, filling the room with all manner of tones. I could imagine this song being their set closer for their upcoming tour with Intronaut and Behold...The Arctopus.
If you like Isis, Neurosis, The Ocean, and the like, you are sure to like Mouth of the Architect. If you just want something that is going to kick your eardrums in for 55+ minutes, you will find just that in Quietly.
B -Goz
Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1
Century Media
Illinois based Nachtmystium have been changing the face of American black metal since their 2004 release Demise, and even more so with 2006's brilliant Instinct:Decay. Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1 promises to take their psychedelic extensions to black metal to new levels.
So it starts off with a bit of a spacey sounding intro "One Of These Nights", which contains only one spoken line "One of these nights, I am going to fucking die" - sounds a lot like Pink Floyd's "One Of These Days", which happens to be the opening track to their Meddle album. "Assassins" is the first proper song, and gets us going with some killer black metal riffing and effect laden vocals. The chorus is of the catchy chant along variety, and plays nicely into some whammy bar laden guitar leads. At about the midway point, things slow down, and through the use of some analog synths and what not, the psychedelic nature of the album is introduced. Some pretty cool spaceship effects come through towards the end, but it does drag on a bit too long, in my opinion. "Ghosts of Grace" has a ripping main riff that carries the song, and also incorporates some of the spaceship landing effect, although thankfully they aren't overused here, and are just layered on for atmosphere.
"Your True Enemy" is the standout track here, at least for me. A ferocious bit of blasting black metal from start to finish, with some of the angriest sounding vocals I've heard in a long time - maybe ever. The guitar work in this song is spectacular, from the great riffing to the great solo work. Omnivore is another aural attack not to be missed. guitars churn, drums blast, and the mood settles on darkness throughout the entire track.
Closing the disc we have the "Seasick" trilogy. This is where the most experimentation on the album comes from, with heavy use of synthesizers and effects, and even saxophone. While this group of songs has some great music in it, as well as some super trippy effects, it doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of the disc very well. Maybe that's what Blake and the group were going for, I am not sure. It seems to drag down the end of the disc for me, though.
Nachtmystium may never surpass the massive slab that is Instinct:Decay. There are some great moments on this disc, but I get lost in the final three songs - they aren't bad, just so far removed from the other tracks that they don't seem to belong together.
Check out a well done 7 part making of the disc here.
B -Goz
Desire In Uneasiness
Crucial Blast
Canada's Nadja are somewhat of an indescribable wall of ambient doom similar in style to Boris, SUNN, etc. and they do it with such style that you can't say they rip either band off at all. In fact they have their own originality in their song writing structure which is at times gothic and other times trance-inducing. All instrumental tracks make up the disc and there are points on it that I got a little bored with its repetitiveness, especially on the thirteen minute track "Sign-Expressions" and the fifteen minute "Uneasy Desire" and eighteen minute "Deterritorialization". If you want some good background music to space out to this will be right up your alley!
Desire In Uneasiness clocks in at one hour and only contains five songs, if that's any indication where these guys are coming from I don't know what is!
C -Matt Smith
Urban Cancer
Candlelight
Montreal's Nefastus Dies was originally supposed to release Urban Cancer quite some time ago, but had problems with their previous label. Finally being released by Siege of Amida/Candlelight, we all get to hear what this blackened death metal band is all about.
Urban Cancer is chock full of breakneck speed, technical death metal with a strong black metal feel to it. The blasting drums, tremolo picked riffs, keyboards, and the majority of the vocals all have a major black metal feel to them, but then they throw in some crazy ass pig-squeal vocals (thankfully only briefly) that throw you for a loop.
While at first the disc is an interesting listen, it starts to blur together after a couple of songs when everything is thrown out at pretty much the same frenetic pace. If you make it far enough, though, you will get to "None of the Above", which is a stellar track that changes things up multiple times. Starting off sounding similar to the earlier songs, it breaks down in the middle to an almost pure death metal part, then hits a quiet part for a bit, before going back to the original tone for the ending. Good stuff and the best song on this disc.
With these guys and Kataklysm around to make good music, at least there is hope for the Montreal metal scene.
B -Goz
Genetic Disorder
Regain
Nightmare are a French traditional metal band who’ve re-emerged after being a part of the 80’s scene, releasing a couple of classics in the underground scene with 1984’s Waiting For The Twilight and its follow up Power of The Universe. Disbanding in 1987, Nightmare reformed in 1999 and has been carrying on ever since, releasing an EP and 3 studio albums with occasionally forays into a much more modern power metal direction. Genetic Disorder contains 12 songs and an hour playlist, professionally produced by Fredrick Nordstrom at Studio Fredman in Stockholm, Sweden, but to be honest there’s nothing really distinct or special to make these tracks stand out from the rest of the over crowded field.
Some of the songs wield the battle much like Manowar such as “The Dominion Gate (Part 2)” or “Wicked White Demon”, while other tracks just run the generic double bass/ power metal conventions like “Battleground For Suicide” and “Conspiracy”. Drummer David Amore has a progressive flair to his percussive passages, certainly navigating his sticks around the kit with plenty of pep. Vocalist Jo Amore bellows and roars in the best British metal siren legacy, uncoiling his best melodies in the sneaky mid-tempo effort “Leader Of The Masquerade”. Otherwise you’ve heard much more energy and consistency in Arch Enemy or Dream Evil songs than you’ll hear on Genetic Disorder.
I have nothing against older bands taking their sound into the current times as long as they don’t tarnish their style (Saxon being the best example of the bunch). Nightmare seem too scattershot in hopes to catch as broad an appeal as possible, and I think with Genetic Disorder they’ll only create a fraction of the audience they seek.
C- -Matt Coe
One-Way Mirror
Metal Blade
One-Way Mirrror just bought themselves a one-way ticket to my trashcan.
F -Goz
Live Polish Assault 2007
Metal Mind
Eighties Thrash Masters Onslaught have released a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound DVD/CD combo that will make any diehard fan ecstatic as this is a professionally shot multi-camera full live concert from the Stodola Club, Warsaw Poland on February 12th 2007 out in support of their reunion album Killing Peace. The lineup for the DVD consists of old school members Sy Keeler on vocals, Nige Rockett on guitar, Steve Grice on drums, with newcomers Alan Jordan on guitar and Jeff Wiliiams on bass. The band is extremely tight and the set covers everything from their 1985 debut Power From Hell, "Thermonuclear Devastation", "Angels of Death", 1986's The Force "Let There Be Death", "Metal Forces", "Fight With the Beast", "Demoniac", "Flame of the Antichrist", to 2007's Killing Peace "Burn", "Killing Peace", "Twisted Jesus" and they all sound perfect played together in the same set. The audience is very energetic and the band seems like they're really enjoying themselves in this hour long plus show.
Extras include an insightful interview with Sy Keeler and Nige Rockett that covers everything from the start of the band to their reunion album and how it all came together as unfinished business due to the way the band ended breaking up in 1991. There are also individual band member biographies (that include their current residences, Astrological signs, favorite bands etc.), band discography, photo gallery, desktop images, weblinks, a four song bonus video of their first concert in Tokyo, Japan September 2006, and two bonus audio tracks (on the DVD) from 1987 at Bristol Colston Hall.
The CD that accompanies the DVD is an audio version of the live concert DVD and it makes this beautifully packaged set an extra addition to an already great buy for any Onslaught fan or anyone looking to see how old school thrashers can still seriously kick ass after sixteen years!
B+ -Matt Smith
Desire for Torment
Metal Mind
Pyorrhoea is a grind metal band from Poland that was created in 2001 by two friends, Cyprian and Andy Blakk. Two more members joined the band, Daray and Analripper, shortly afterwards. In 2002 a new guitarist, A.D. Gore, joined the band and began working on their first full length release, Desire for Torment which eventually hit the market in 2004.
This latest incarnation of Desire for Torment is a re-release from Metal Mind Products and my question is why. This is the most unimaginative metal release I’ve ever heard. Every song sounds the same and is practically indistinguishable from each other, since the included lyric sheet is hopeless to follow. Some songs are left out entirely, while some seem to be the wrong lyrics entirely. I can’t blame the band for poor sentence structure since English is not their native language, but bad spelling is a mistake that the record company should have fixed through editing (for example, using wreathe instead of writhe, but using the correct spelling in another set of lyrics).
The lyrics are the only thing that saves this recording from dismal failure. They are brutal representations of rape, torture, defilement, and sadism. Anyone who is a fan of the film Hostel would like these lyrics, but for me it’s just not enough. This is music for people who love to be fed shit and who have no musical imagination.
F -Choppy
Made In Hell
Metal Mind
Retribution is a thrash metal band from Poland whose motto is “Stay Brutal, Thrash Till Death” and you can’t argue with that. Their album, Made in Hell, is a re-release from Metal Mind Productions that was originally released by Empire Records in 2006 and it’s a breath of fresh air.
The music is a nice mix of nu metal and old school with decent singing. The singer has a nice range and even can reach the level of a Rob Halford scream, which he doesn’t use quite enough. (The first time I heard the scream, I thought I was hearing things.) Their lyrics definitely show their struggles with the English language, but the general energy of the album carries them through.
I look forward to hearing more from them since they are currently in the studio working on their latest album. I thoroughly enjoyed this album.
B -Choppy
First Visit
Metal Mind
Coming out at the tale end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, Belfast, Ireland’s Rogue Male hit upon the cusp of music and image in their style. Looking like a futuristic Mad Max montage in their military gear and warrior laden clothes, musically First Visit has as much in common with early Motorhead and the first two Motley Crue albums.
“All Over You” contains a main guitar riff that eerily mimics “Looks That Kill”, while the title track reminds me of old Saxon meeting Dangerous Toys with that slight snake boogie tempo and refrain. Vocalist Jim Lyttle has one of those raw punk-type voices, nothing that would set him up in the annals of history for expertise and severely limits the impact of the music. First Visit appears to be an album that probably captured newcomers for its animated art work, but after a couple of listens you’ll understand why Rogue Male never really made a large ripple in the sea of bands during the 1980’s.
The 2 bonus tracks (“The Real Me” and a radio edit of “All Over You”) aren’t anything special to make diehards even wish to pick this up again.
Kerrang magazine declared Rogue Male “the next big thing” in their early years, but I’m thinking said reviewer needs to clear their eardrums out from all the wax build up- for this is third rate, boring and stuff that beginning bands can come up with at their first rehearsal.
D- -Matt Coe
Animal Man
Metal Mind
Eye shadow, Flock Of Seagulls hairstyles, more Mad Max road gear = a scary experience for this reviewer.
Album number two from the UK’s Rogue Male delivered more of the same middle of the road street rock, one part glam and one part tough. You may see the shortest review in Coe history, as I don’t get the experience and I’m left stunned that people clamored for these reissues.
See First Visit for my thoughts on this act, then photocopy the sentiments and place accordingly here.
D- -Matt Coe
The Roller
Monofonus Press
The initial release from Austin, Texas doom rockers The Roller is quite an interesting release. Put out by Monofonus Press as the second release in their IF series, it comes as a package with The Roller's CD as well as a book entitled Captioning For The Blind by Rebecca Bengal. Both pieces have artwork by Virginia Yount, and the first track on The Roller's disc, "Zugunruhe", is based on Bengal's story.
The Roller gives us 5 songs at just over 30 minutes here, and it is a pummeling half hour of doomed out psychedelic rock with huge amounts of low-end thunder and massively vicious vocals. "Zugunruhe" starts off with a quiet chime and then background noise that slowly builds, finally hitting the crescendo when it's joined by fuzzed out bass, guitar, and drums being played so fiercely that they's probably be waving white flags in surrender if they could. This is the song that plays off the book, with the repeated line "restless migration" referring to stranger behavior in birds that the main characters in the novel see in a nature program on TV. A blistering opener with a superbly catchy main riff. "Cremation of Care" opens with a nice little bass riff, then the devastation commences with huge guitar riffs and the "I want to kill you" drum pounding. Again the main riff is perfectly catchy, and the vocals are just plain old pissed off sounding. "Rattle of the Shaman" is the closer, and it could easily be re-titled "Rattle the fillings out of your teeth" just because of the sheer heaviness of it. The final thing you hear is the same quiet chime that opened the disc, making a perfect bookend.
Captioning For The Blind is a short story that starts off noting that peoples cats and dogs are disappearing at an alarming rate - it happened in California, it's happening in Texas. Back in Oregon, everyone noticed that Arlene, a farmers daughter, had changed since James had moved to town to help pick at the vineyard. James and Arlene became friendly, often walking James' dog, Sonny around the orchard. James and Arlene snuck off to Texas to live with James' uncle Newlin. Turns out, after they got there, peoples pets started disappearing there as well. Was Sonny the reason for all of this? I ain't telling - go to Monofonus Press' website and buy the CD/book set and find out for yourself. I will say that it's a cool little story, and the paintings by Viginia Yount are well done and fit with the story perfectly.
The idea of pairing a book and a CD is interesting, and the fact that both are so good make this release pretty damn nice to have. One thing for The Roller - please come play a show in the Boston area!
A- -Goz
Get Dead Or Die Trying
Metal Blade
Get Dead or Die Trying is the first release for the newly renamed The Rotted (FKA Gorerotted). Apparently, the band wanted to signify the fact that a couple of original members had recently left the band, and also that they've changed up musically a bit since the 1997 origins of Gorerotted. Fair enough.
What we get here on GDoDT is a string dose of technical, brutal, grinding death metal. "Nothin' But A Nosebleed" starts things of nicely, with a ferocious attack of blast beats, heavy guitar riffs, and violent lyrics. You can't really go wrong with that combo, can you? There is also a strong element of technicality here, with plenty of nifty guitar bits, and even some killer bass work during the middle part of the song. Much of the songs deal with violence ("Nothin' But a Nosebleed" and "Kissing You With My Fists", for example) and drugs ("Angel of Meth" and the title track). Speaking of "Angel of Meth", it's a phenomenal track, full of amazing riffs, great vocal delivery, and superb drum work - not to mention the good lyrics. They even throw in a couple of instrumental tracks - the technically inclined "A Brief Moment Of Regret" and a cover James Murphy's title score to 28 Days Later.
The Rotted flat out deliver on this disc. A great mix of brutal death metal with strong grindcore leanings - this one should please fans of either genre. Get out there and pick up this disc, or die trying.
B+ -Goz
II
Regain
Sahg's followup to the masterful I is the similarly titled II. Still following the same style format as their debut, that being catchy, doomy rock - they've added a bit more psychedelic elements this time around.
While not as instantly catchy and hook laden as their debut, II still has it's share of superbly catchy songs - "Echoes Ring Forever" and "Pyromancer" come to mind right off the bat. They also aren't afraid of going acoustic and trippy, as in "Escape the Crimson Sun". "Wicked Temptress" is my pick for best track here (with Pyromancer running a very close second). Featuring enough catchy riffs to please even the most jaded metal fan, some killer guitar leads, great bass work, and even some trippy psychedelic bits - this song features a bit of everything Sahg has to offer. The closing 10+ minute track, "Monomania", is a superb effort of trippiness.
Is this disc as good as I? Probably not, but this is a damn fine follow-up to it, and shows the band growing and expanding it's sound, which is almost always a good thing.
B+ -Goz
Misanthropy Pure
Metal Blade
The Third full length album out of Florida's/New York's Metal Hardcore icons Shai Hulud. In my opinion Shai Hulud is by far the best metal-core band to this day. I have loved this band through it's entire collection of cynics and outcasts.
Ok, lets cut to the chase here... the album, great artwork. The layout and design fit the band.
The songs... First song is "Venomspreader" this is the perfect opening to this album. They wanted to be faster, meaner and heavier? This song punched me in the face the first time I heard it. Personally this is my favorite song on the album. It's fast and heavy as fuck. We then move into "Creation Ruin" which is also a great song and flows perfectly with the first track. "Misanthropy Pure", is the title track...
lyrically this song is very Hulud... full of hate and disappointment.
"We Who Finish Last" is another fast song with some great heavy parts. I don't know 4 songs in and I'm pretty impressed. "Chorus Of The Dissimilar" is a slower more metal approach to song writing as are: "In The Mind And Marrow", "Four Earths", and "Cold Lord Quietus". These songs are all pretty good and prove that this band isn't just a one-trick pony. Metal, hardcore, punk... yeah thats right they can do it all, and with more conviction than any band out there right now. This leaves us with only 3 other songs... a new recording of "Set Your Body Ablaze" which I'm going to have to say feels a little slow and falls short of the original version for me. A clean finished version of "To Bear The Brunt Of Many Blades" which we could all hear the demo on their myspace since 2006. I must say I absolutely love this song. I liked it a lot before and love it now. Ok that leaves us with "Be Winged". This isn't the last song on the album but I just have to say this song could have been released on Blood Ill-Tempered and you wouldn't even know. This song is pretty much flawless.
I know Matt Fox and Co. wanted to make this album more in the light of Hearts once Nourished and less positive than Ill-Tempered I think it falls somewhere in the middle of the 2 as far as mood and feeling.
I like this album a lot and think it has a handful of really good songs on it.
A -Eric
Time Capsules
Nightmare Records
Picture this scenario: you gain access to the latest and greatest innovation in your favorite hobby. Being a lifelong subscriber to the intricacies of your passion or recreation, the willingness to give it a chance is wider than the cynical come and go person. Yet for some reason, try as you might, you still prefer the hobby in its original form, the way you remember discovering it, learning about it and experiencing things from the start.
What does this have to do with Texas’ Six Minute Century you ask? Born in mid-2004, this quintet possess adept appreciation for all things powerful and progressive, using a framework most known by early Queensryche, No Exit era Fates Warning as well as occasional nods to the classic hard rock guitar hero days of Gary Moore and other early 80’s players. Everything normally in place for Time Capsules to create an excellent album seems to be there- a drummer who wields his hands and feet like multiple octopuses, a slight keyboard presence to beef up the rhythms and a singer who favors a higher, belt it out approach. Even their choice of cover songs to end the album (TNT’s “Seven Seas”, my first video exposure to this Norwegian melodic metal mastery back in 1984) can’t be seen as a poor reflection on Six Minute Century’s respect and reverence for the past.
Lyrically Chuck Williams III hits upon political fare such as the Oklahoma bombing on “April 19, 1995” as well as race relations with “One Man’s
Dream”- gaining distinction from the mystical/ sci-fi nature other bands present to the movement. Where they lose my interest are the little things that I think the newcomers won’t pick up- the out of place harmony scream during the chorus of “Under The Moonlight”, the prolonged solo section of “Zero Hour” that mirrors any of the ‘power’ acts crisscrossing the live circuit and the minimalist bass sound.
In 2008 you have to do more than merely play progressive metal to keep my headspace on the album for a full future experience. Six Minute Century haven’t lost their time in the sun, but the follow up better put forth more innovative riffs and trickier arrangements away from their influences.
C+ -Matt Coe
Stigmata of Life
Metal Mind
Spinal Cord is a band from Poland that began in 1999 and rose to power in the European metal scene playing with bands like Vader and Behemoth. In 2004 they released Stigmata of Life which has been recently re-released through Metal Mind Products and I am so glad that they did.
I like to think of this release as metal for schizophrenics. It’s thrash, grind, doom, melodic, and math metal all rolled into one. Every song is a new adventure and each gets better than the last. This disc gets better every time I listen to it. Even the vocals are varied, interesting, and coherent. The vocals remind me of a mix of Seth Putnam from Anal Cunt, John McCarthy from Post Mortem, and Nathan Explosion from Dethklok. Favorite songs on the disc are "Mind Killer", "Ramirez", and "Beg Fast for Death". This is crushing destruction with quick time changes and soaring guitar gymnastics.
Spinal Cord has just entered the studio once again to begin their next release entitled Schizmatech. I can’t wait to see what they do next because they’ve made some line-up changes since the original release and original is the exact word for Stigmata of Life. There are so many bands in the death metal genre that sound no different from any other band, but Spinal Cord leaves them all in the dust. I can highly recommend this disc to people who love brutal metal with imagination.
B+ -Choppy
Cult Fiction
Goodfellow Records
Spitfire is based out of Virginia and made up of the usual ex-members of this or that band. Namely Scarlet (Jon Spencer and Dan Tulloh), Norma Jean (Chris Raines) and Mae (Matt Beck) currently. Their third full-length, Cult Fiction, is over 45 minutes of deep progressive metalcore with haunting overtones. There is a probable link between this album and Scarlet's Cult Classic.
Cult Fiction sounds like it could be the soundtrack to any and all nightmares. Styled lyrical truths make this metal also part reality and that much more frightening. Though portraying the horrors of society with words isn't uncommon, to be able to do that with only a few instruments is noteworthy.
Spitfire's unbridled talent is apparent from their fierce and slightly spastic metalcore that maintains musical integrity, to their slithering instrumental pieces capable of haunting you while awake. The abundant instrumentals were not lengthy or repetitive and were well spaced out.
Of the fifteen tracks on Cult Fiction, "Apnea" 1 and 2, "Dawn Patrol", "Brain Debris" and closer "Ω" were the five instrumentals. The closing track, piano and all, could perfectly fit the credit roll on any creepy movie past, present or future.
I found many memorable points in Cult Fiction. Favorite track "Meat Maker" comes to mind first for it's vocal content and style and the unique music backing it up with matching emotion. Then come "The Animal Kingdom of Heavens Gate" and "Mother Earth in Labor" for the same reasons.
After even more listens, other tracks began to stand out also such as "Chemo Therapist", "Track Marxist" and "In Vitro". Within this album I heard small references to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and I'm sure there are more than the two I caught.
Apart from Cult Fiction being a befitting soundtrack for horror movies abound, it stands apart in it's musical genre. The overall sense of the album could frighten anyone as well as the scariest of horror flicks even without the visuals but that's not all folks... as if the music itself didn't already bristle every hair and give you the creeps, Cult Fiction also comes filled with art of disturbing varieties.
In it's entirety, Cult Fiction is more like a dark piece of great art than simply a good album. In fact, Spitfire is a little too advanced at this unique style of metal as to make the album a mite too scary for one to listen to constantly. Unless you're into all things deep, dark and disturbing all the time. Then it's perfect.
B+ -Alesha
When Skies Wash Ashore
Koch/Raging Nation
New York City's Straight Line Stitch will be releasing their third full length album late this summer. When Skies Wash Ashore is both fast and heavy metalcore riffs and thrash mixed with gritty and clean melodies.
Female vocalist Alexis Brown can growl and scream out chilling hardcore vocals as well as many in the scene and balances these concoctions with catchy, soul-filled choruses. Nearly every track has an even mixture of each and most have a motivating qualities.
When Skies Wash Ashore opens with "Never See The Day". It starts out very heavy, like Slipknot, then at the chorus changes to sing-a-long melodies. As the album progresses, the pattern continues and seems to even out the heaviness of the album and exudes empowerment for the listener. This comes through passionate singing backed by carrying rhythms. After several passes through the album, one can become more comfortable with the 'mainstream' sound and can hear the soul within that might otherwise go unnoticed. These qualities are easy to pick out in the best track of the album "Eucharist", and also in "What You Can Do To Me" and "Taste of Ashes", all highly motivating tracks. "Taste of Ashes" features guest vocals from Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed). One other feature of the album worth an honorable mention would be closing ballad "Yesterday's Gone" for it's excellent, but short, acoustic guitar intro and solo from guitarists Seth Thacker and Pat Pattison.
When Skies Wash Ashore started out strong and ended soft. Toward the second half of the album, my attention started to wane a bit. While the female clean vocals are a tad pop/commercial sounding, I have to admit they are a bit easier to get used to than much of the male clean vocals in hardcore I've had to accustom myself to. Which led me to find the talent inherent in Straight Line Stitch rather quickly. Overall though, the production was good and I believe they could be quite successful in the mainstream hardcore scene. It's always refreshing to hear soul in metal, a rarity these days.
B- -Alesha
Strega
I Hate Recrods
Not quite stoner metal and not quite gothic metal, Subrosa treads that fine line in music that makes them stand out as an original in a sea of copycats. Driving heavy guitar riffs with pounding drum and bass accents make up the core sound while the slower mellower sections make your mind swirl with their fluid motion. RKV's vocals can only be described as an etherealistic PJ Harvey as her vocal lines intertwine among her guitar riffs which are most definitely from a stoner rock music bible.
Some of the song topics even sound a bit gospel like the beautifully mellow "Isaac" and "Go Down Moses" while others sound like the soundtrack to some Edgar Allan Poe lyrics, as in "Strega" and "The Hours I Keep". "How To Neglect Your Heart" (my favorite track on the disc) blazes with desert rock fury through a gothic filter as does "Self-Rule" and "Cradle".
If you're looking for something out of the ordinary yet heavy, I highly recommend this disc. Strega is one of those albums that will seep into your subconscious and stay there haunting you sensually in the middle of the night.
B -Matt Smith
Gods of the Earth
Kemado
The dreaded “sophomore slump”…you won’t find it here—not even close. The Sword came crashing onto the scene in 2006, destroying everything in their path on their journey from Austin, TX across the metal landscape with the delightfully retro and ass-kicking Age of Winters. Call them Stoner Rock…call them “Hessian Metal”…call them Doom Rock…just don’t call them poseurs. It’s hard to understand why so much metal-hipster venom is directed at these guys for proudly carrying the torch of massive-retro-riff metal, especially when considering how damn good these young lads pull it off.
With Gods of the Earth, The Sword have taken things a step further in their progression. Where their first record relied almost exclusively on the type of heavy riffing that would make Tony Iommi proud, this, their second offering, conjures up a batch of riffs, arrangements, and attitude that would not only make Mr. Iommi smile with glee, but also make members of Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, and Testament proud. There seems to have been a natural and seamless melding of their stoner/doom sound and that of good old fashioned hard dual guitar rock and thrash elements.
What we have here is metallic bliss—ten tracks of massive and hulking fury. Every track offers arrangements and hooks so contagious you’ll think you’ve stumbled into metal Valhalla.
The CD kicks off (“The Sundering”) in an almost “pretty” fashion with a classic sounding acoustic open, followed by massive, crunchy riffing and thunderous drums to get the fun rolling. This pummeling instrumental is merely a sign of things to come—the CD is unrelenting in its brutal assault of pure, joyous metal.
Highlights abound with “How Heavy this Axe” with its dual guitar lead intro and contagious slow-groove leading into a fast/slow verse structure. Sonically, the song more than supports what one might expect from a song with such a title. “Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians”, (perhaps the longest song title in metal history?) is nothing short of awe-inspiring blasting off with a classic thrash groove into a break of guitar chugging, cymbal chocking, left-to-right speaker panning ass-kicking before setting back into the punchy steamroller-on-amphetamines groove. “Maiden, Mother, & Crone” sounds like it would sound great on Black Sabbath’s “Volume IV” with it’s gargantuan riffing, while the guitar and drum interplay of “Under the Boughs” is one of the nastiest, grin-inspiring grooves you’re likely to ever hear. The CD even closes with an instrumental, epic in proportion, chock full of tasty riffs and leads (there’s even some big gong hits throughout).
We’re a little past the halfway mark of 2008, and Gods of the Earth is the easy favorite to runaway with best metal offering of the year. For true metal fans, this release has everything you need, and more, and is a must have. The Sword’s Myspace page features the headline “All Will Fall”, and when it comes to metal, I’m inclined to believe it.
A- -Chuck
Milagrosa
Volcom
Totimoshi is a three-piece band from the Bay Area - and no, they aren't a thrash band. They play a kind of sludgy rock, but labeling as such is way too limiting for their sound. Sure, it's downtuned, rough and edgy, but also contains a ton of melodic parts, thick grooves that a record collector would be proud of, and more hooks than an overfilled tackle box.
"Sound The Horn" gets things going, and if you were to only listen to this song, you'd be missing out on most of what Totimoshi has to offer. This one seems to be the radio friendly song on the disc, not that it's a bad thing. Stuff rough around the edges, the vocal harmonies here make it feel smoother than it actually is. This actually reminds me a little bit of New Model Army for some reason. "Fall And Bound" introduces a much more crushing guitar sound, roughing up the edges a bit more as the song progresses. If you want to hear what a good hook sounds like, listen to "Last Refrain" - a brilliantly written piece of music. If groove is your thing, skip to "Seeing Eye" to see how it's done. You want them both put together, check out the title track. "Gnat" might be the most metal sounding song on here, with it's massively distorted riffs pummeling you into oblivion.
Totimoshi gives us a great dose of amazing well written, well-played, hook and groove laden metal-tinged rock here. They are currently touring with Nebula, so go check them out when they come through your town.
B -Goz
Lights Bane
Crucial Blast
Trees can only be described as black doom, with this disc containing two tracks ("Nothing" and "Black") that collectively make up this 27 minute disc. Slow, drawn-out, grinding, doomy riffs with raspy reverb-drenched death growl vocals over pounding, crashing drums with a raw production to add to the vibe. "Black" ventures into a noisy feedback interlude in the middle that breaks the song up a bit, but flows right back into the similar punishing sounds of the first track.
Nothing too groundbreaking here, but I must say it feels good every once in awhile to put on a fucking disc like this on a dark, cold rainy night! The only trees I think of when I listen to this disc are the tall dark ones in a haunted forest at midnight in the deepest woods of Romania.
C+ -Matt Smith
Idolum
Supernatural Cat
Treading the line between stoner/doom rock and space rock, Ufomammut have an original sound that might appeal to fans of both genres. Repetitive riffs with synthesizers and pretty standard drumming, they almost sound like what Tool might have sounded like on their early demo tapes way back when they first started out. At times the disc is too repetitive, they could stand to use a little editing in that department, but I guess that's the space rock in them. At some points, like on the track "Hellectric" they almost sound like Neurosis, with their driving riffs and crashing drums and screaming reverb vocals.
The tracks sometimes blend together, like on "Ammonia" (my favorite track), it starts with some synth sounds that "Hellectric" ended with and transitions into a mellow clean guitar riff with cool soaring world music type style vocals until the song builds to a heavy crescendo. "Nero" continues the vibe at eight minutes and "Destroyer" (the shortest song on the disc) picks up the pace and has my favorite guitar solo on the album. "Void" ends the album with some trippy guitar notes that lead into a Tool sounding riff that picks up into a monstrous riff that carries the song into a tripped out experimental piece that kicks back into a heavy song finally ending at twenty seven minutes plus, whew!
Idolum is definitely one of the more interesting slabs of heavy music I've heard this year so far, pick it up!
B -Matt Smith
Electrocution
Southern Lord
Definitely not your average metal band, Unearthly Trance treads a line between progressive metal and dark stoner-doom. "Chaos Star" kicks off the disc heavily and holds your attention while "God Is A Beast" starts off at a slower sludgier pace and and has some interesting time signatures. Ryan Lipynsky's guitar sound is doom influenced with some cool progressive effects that make it interesting on multiple listens. "Dust Will Never Settle" sounds like a hardcore doom song with Ryan's vocals screaming with vengeance. "Diseased" has a Melvins influence, especially in Ryan's voice and "Scum Is In Orbit" keeps the heavy flow going. Intelligent lyrics can be found throughout the songs, especially on "Religious Slaves" and "Burn You Insane". "Distant Roads Overgrown" (probably my favorite track) ends the disc with a twelve minute plus epic that goes from progressive doom to almost black metal moments to a tool-like breakdown in the middle before venturing off into a trippy meditative instrumental noise section that is the icing on the cake for me when it comes to making an interesting album!
Darrren Verni is an incredibly talented drummer and keeps the timing very interesting while Jay Newman fills the low end and noise perfectly with his frentic bass lines. At times sounding a bit like Zoroaster, Unearthly Trance never stagnates throughout the whole disc and it's safe to say there aren't any stale moments on this disc, it held my interest from beginning to end. A high recommendation from someone who gets bored easily with a lot of heavy music!
A -Matt Smith
Hammer Battalion
SPV
Goddamn, it's great to hear some pissed off anti-christian death metal again, and who better to provide it to us than Unleashed, one of Sweden's premiere veterans of that scene.
"The Greatest Of All Lies" kicks the disc off in a pummeling manner, with Johnny Hedlund scaring the shit out of me with one of his insane screams and later bellowing the lyrics "The Passion of the Christ/The Greatest of All Lies", there's no mistaking where he stands on the story of Jesus! "Long Before Winter's Call", an interpretive song about the birth of Christ "The bastard child was born/Long Before Winter's Call", nuff said. "Your Children Will Burn" has a classic Unleashed guitar riff and the song lyrics keep up the trilogy of anti-christian sentiment with the line "You are all the same/maggots of God".
"Hammer Battalion", and subsequent songs, "Marching Off To War", "Entering The Hall Of The Slain", "Warriors Of Midgard" all have a Viking theme theme running through them and "This Day Belongs To Me" and "Midsummer Solstice" have a strong Norse inspiration running through them.
Johnny's vocals and bass lines are in top form and there are plenty of smoking guitar solos from Tomas Masgard and Fredrik Folkare and insane drumming from Ander Schulyz that is expected of an Unleashed album. It's great to hear a great old school Swedish death metal band putting out such a strong album after almost 20 years! I can't wait to see them when they tour the US with Obituary this Fall, "Hammer Battalion, Unleashed!"
A -Matt Smith
XXV
Regain
So, to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Vader went into the studio and re-recorded 26 tracks, bundled it all into a 2-disc set and released it as XXV.
Basically what you have here is a tour through Vader's history, as heard through an updated set of ears. Everything sounds great, and the most unique aspects of Vader's sound (that being Piotr's voice and the amazing drumming) come through perfectly. One need only listen to "Chaos" and "Vicious Circle" to hear what I mean. Vader has also invited some fellow Polish musicians from Dead Infection to lend vocals and bass to the cover of Terrorizer's "Fear Of Napalm", which they pull of perfectly.
I'm guessing that they are aiming this disc at both longtime fans and newcomers to the Vader fold. For longtime fans, what you get are pristine sounding renditions of a wide variety of Vader classics, which may or may not be a good thing. I personally will stick to the original recordings, but I am sure there are plenty who like the beefier sound that comes via more modern production and what I assume is a bigger budget. For Vader newbies, this is probably a great way to get your toes wet in the history of Vader. With almost 100 minutes of music that spans their entire career, you can't go wrong for the <$15 asking price of this set.
B -Goz
Hell
Sanctuary
Yet another collection of tunes that are eons from being strong enough to justify this band ever tour again…
It’s even worse than the Priest’s Nostradamus for Lucifer’s sake!
F -Mike Baronas
This Is Exile
Metal Blade
This is Exile is the follow-up to Whitechapel's debut from last year, The Somatic Defilement. While I found their debut to be decent (especially the amazing vocals), there were aspects of it that I wasn't a huge fan of - mainly the excessive breakdowns and other overused "core" elements. Maybe they'll progress a bit with this one and show what they've got.
Opener "Father Of Lies" starts off promising enough, with a heavy ass riff and some stellar drumming getting it all going. Then the vocals kick in - this guy (Phil Bozeman) belts out some of the most brutal vocals around, from guttural growls to grind screams and everything in between, seemingly without effort. There is also some great technical guitar playing going on here from all three guitarists. Heavy, technical, superb drumming, and monstrous vocals - so far so good. There are a couple of breakdowns here, but they aren't too bad. "This is Exile" is also a good track, but the momentum bogs down in the middle with a too long breakdown (introduced by the requisite deep grunt no less).
"Eternal Refuge" is my pick for strongest track here, with some brutally good riffs, steady drumming, and decent technical bits. "Somatically Incorrect", on the other hand, is what I would consider a stinker, with it's seemingly whole song breakdown not letting the music make any kind of headway. "Messiahbolical" ends the disc in fine form, even giving "Eternal Refuge" a run for it's money as best song here.
Production here is stellar, with everything coming through where it should be. As usual in metal these days, the drums sound overly triggered and somewhat weak, but the playing is still fantastic. Overall, this is a great step forward for Whitechapel. While there are still too many breakdowns for my taste, they aren't nearly as numerous as before, and therefore more or less tolerable. If you get a chance to see these guys live, do it, as they are damn good - even in their too short 20 minute set at Summer Slaughter.
B -Goz
Into Darkness/Eternal Frost (re-issue)
Metal Mind
If I had to name my top Ten favorite Doom albums of all time, this CD would be in the top five, right next to Forest OF Equilibrium by Cathedral. Groundbreaking for it's time (1990) and considering it was the only album they put out, it became legendary among underground metal fans. It is finally seeing the light of day again with this reissue that finally pairs it with the incredible Eternal Frost demo they put out that made Nuclear Blast sign them back in the late 80's.
Some of the most desolate and despair-filled doom songs are on this disc, with vocals that can only be described as Tom Warrior on some serious downers. Do yourself a favor and pick up this reissue before the limited pressing of it is gone!
A -Matt Smith
Folie Circulaire
Prosthetic Records
Atlanta's Withered give us their second release, Folie Circulaire, a follow-up to the great 2005 release Memento Mori. Combining elements of death, doom, prog, sludge, black metal, and more, the band keep things changing constantly.
After an intro, "...The Fated Breath" kicks off with a super overdriven guitar sound that is sure to shred some speakers/headphones to bits if played too loud. Here we see the fusing of different forms of metal, with the sludgy opening making way for a more black metal feeling tremolo picked riff, then segueing into a middle section that is all out doom. All this happens within a 3 minute time span, and all the style changes blend perfectly. "Purification of Ignorance" has a strong Swedish death metal feel to it for much of the song.
"Drawn Black Drapes..." leans heavily on black metal influences for much of the song, and features some superb drum work. "...Reveal The Essence Of Suffering" is aonther mashup of styles that annihilates for the entire 7-minute running length. "Clamor Breath" is almost a straight ahead grinding death metal affair, complete with guest vocals from Napalm Death's Barney. Bringing the album to a close of a cover of Necrophobic's "Into Amrageddon", handled brilliantly - keeping true to the original while adding their own little spin to it as need be.
Withered is a band that refuses to be slapped into a singular category of metal. Other bands have tried this, but few have even come anywhere near the seamless effect with which Withered writes it's music. Transitions from one style to another flow without notice, blending brutally together into a massive sound that leaves everything in it's wake. You need to own this.
A -Goz
Dark Deceiver
Sensory
Progressive metal has factions who stick with their favorite acts: be it the Dream Theater worshippers, those who love the heavier, slightly underground scope with Opeth through to the technical mastery of say Watchtower. Some will say there’s little left to be creative about within the genre- but I disagree as California’s Zero Hour illustrates my point with their fourth album Dark Deceiver. Twin brothers Jasun and Troy Tipton handle the guitar and bass duties, rounded out with former Power of Omens singer Chris Salinas and long time drummer Mike Guy. Their long list of sponsorships with equipment manufacturers validates their theoretical prowess, writing 9 songs that navigate poly-rhythms, inverted dark chords and soloing ability from the brothers that you only hear from people who have practiced at their vocation for thousands and thousands of hours.
Chris Salinas feels more comfortable with his second studio experience fronting Zero Hour, as many who know his range are aware that he could replace Ray Alder in a moments notice. The layers of lower, computer drone talk complement the soothing mid-range and highs on an epic 12 minute plus track such as “Inner Spirit”, and I feel like his voice helps listeners grab hold of the melodies when the complexity of the music can take your headspace in an entirely different direction. “Tendonitis” is a bass solo tour de force from Troy, an apt title given the sheer note figures with speed and precision you’ll hear in this 2 minute cut (it’s almost like listening to “Eruption”). Drummer Mike Guy must have practiced incessantly for the feet to snare/ tom/ cymbal ratios he displays on “Resurrection” and “The Temple Within”, as he jumps from 4/4 to off time tempos that even the greats of jazz would struggle to maintain. Zero Hour also keep the total playing time to a reasonable vinyl length 45 minutes, as you’ll need a solid 20-30 plays before your brain can encapsulate all the riffs, parts, changes, loops, circles, words, leaving you breathless.
Dark Deceiver isn’t for the faint of heart, as I know many that would tear their hair out at the mathematics behind the compositions and esoteric tone these songs take. But if you desire craft over convention, Zero Hour shatter the myth that everything has been done before in metal and this will be a benchmark to study for future generations.
A+ -Matt Coe
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