#
4th FlOOR - "Newton's
Cradle" - Plugged in Productions
Style: Hard Rock
Origin: Northern Wisconsin
Heather's Review: Recorded in Wausau, this 14 track cd is
loaded with everything that makes hard rock music lovers want to come back for
more.
With catchy riffs, a southern rock vibe, multiple people doing vocals and all of
them possessing excellent range, and the talent to make it all come together, I
can see why this band was asked to record the theme song for a show called
"Outdoor Frontiers". They also have another cd titled" Released". That cd made
it on the regular rotation on 3 different rock stations, and many college radio
stations throughout the states. They are already on their way to making it big,
having shared the stage with bands such as Nonpoint, Hellyeah, Royal Bliss,
Machine Head, and many others. Along with many originals, they also play covers
from Pantera, Ozzy,Slipnot, and others. I would reccomend this band to anyone
that loves hard rock. You will not be dissapointed. To find out more,
check them out at
www.myspace.com/4thfloorrocks or the fan page on Facebook.
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10A
ADVENT OF BEDLUM
– “Behold The Chaos” (Record Label)
Style: Death Metal
Origin: Costa Rica
Steve’s Review: Advent of Bedlam is not your average Death
Metal band. Sure, they play your average Death Metal style but the way that they
play it is what surpasses the competition. I would almost go as far as
describing this band's style as Blackened Death Metal but, to be honest, their
style is a modern Death Metal played much more aggressively and with much more
musicality then your favorite "Cookie Monster" Death Metal band. Let's face it,
Death Metal will always live on but ever since '98 it has been in a state of
degradation with only a few standout bands and albums... Advent of Bedlum is one
of those bands. With a vocalist that carries very well many vocal styles
including a raspy black metal influenced style, your gory grunts, and of course,
the average guttural death metal vocals. This vocalist is interesting, keeps the
aggression at an all-time high, and rivals your monotone vocals by well-known
Death Metal bands. The music is extreme and what is expected of any DM band with
a few nice touches. Overall, the sound is very chaotic, melodic, and reminiscent
of what you might hear if you miraculously mixed the style of Immolation with
that of old school Amon Amarth. You have dissonance, you have harmony, you have
blast beats, pounding double bass, and this is a combination that will carry
this band anywhere they wish. Truly one of the best bands I've reviewed in quite
a while.
www.myspace.com/beholdthechaoscr -
www.adventofbedlum.com
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 9/10;
Production: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
A. LOSTFIELD - Internal
Affairs (Lugga Music Productions)
Style - Alt Metal
Origin - Columbia
Rob's Review - A. LOSTFIELD is a little studio project
out of Columbia consisting of an owner and main engineer of a studio called AN7
(Daniel Gongora) and two other local talents Ivan Amaya and Ash Lostfield
(Hence, the band name). What they put together is something different enough and
ear catching that it initially catches your attention and begs you to listen.
There is some really interesting things going on in these songs and creativity
wise it is really a nice change of pace. To me, it almost even has a bit of the
goth sound interspersed with a more modern feel in the breaks and choruses.
Almost a little too modern at times but enough raw metal to pull it through. In
this respect it reminds me of a little subtler and later version of Shadows Fall
without the harsh vocals. The vocals here are mostly clean with that later
Sentenced sound with some more radio friendly Alternative clean styles mixed in.
I did notice that by about song three it seems the ideas were already being a
little recycled as they went along. But as a whole, A. LOSTFIELD succeeds with
talent and writing alone to where it even starts to sound fairly commercial and
sell-able. If you’re in to that sort of thing, your golden but if you just want
something to rock out to and not think too hard you may want to look elsewhere.
http://www.myspace.com/alostfield
Production: 7/10; Originality: 8/10; Instruments: 9/10;
vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.75
AMANTYDE - "Bleeding
Miles" (Black Fading Records)
Style: Alternative Metal
Origin: Italy
Heather's Review: This female fronted band from Italy was
formed in Feb of 2006. Besides the somewhat electronic intro (which is not heard
in any other part of the cd), the music is strictly what the band calls
"alternative metal." I loved the artwork on the cd. It caught my attention
instantly. Musically, I think I would compare them to a slightly more metal
version of Evanescence. Vocally, it would be great to hear more range from her
though. (because she definitely has the voice for it), but overall, I enjoyed
listening to her. The first song was my least favorite as it seemed almost
chaotic, but once past that, the cd is worth checking out. I wish they would
have changed things up a bit more though, as it does get a bit monotonous, but I
liked what they did do dynamically, and I also enjoyed the overall style of the
band. They do have some originality to them, which they can only improve as time
goes on. While at it, I would also suggest they add a little more guitar to the
music. I'm not into guitar show-offs, but this guitarist is almost hiding in the
music at times. If you want to learn more about them, go to
www.myspace.com/amantyde.
Vocals: 6/10 Production: 8/10 Originality:
7/10
Overall: 7/10
AMERICAN GODS -
Ec-10 (Space Hamster, LLC)
Style - Metal/Industrial
Origin - Phoenix, AZ
Rob's Review - First thought that comes to mind shortly after
the vocals fire off in the first song “Machina” is Max Cavalera. Now this is, of
course before the clean vocals come in (which I liked in this song - very
understated and on key) and screw with my head for a bit. The music even started
out with that brutal straight to the point hammer on anvil feel that the old
Sepultura use to have. Listening further brings out a more diverse
Industrial/electronic feel and not so appealing clean vocals. But at least they
are switching it up a bit. The pace and overall feel of this disc is very
different but at the same time very comfortable to listen to. You hear hints of
death metal, dashes of a Samael sound as well as several not too annoying
glimpses of the Nu Metal vibe. Add in several sound samples which I always love
and you have a recipe for success in my book. Vocals have a very contrasted
style throughout the disc from the noted Sepultura sound and clean change-ups to
electronic voice overs and gravely whispers. Clean vocals become a little more
prominent as the CD goes on which is probably the least appealing part of it,
especially in a song like Hamster Stomp (a little too rap metal for me in that
one). However, never spending too much time on any one thing makes this a very
welcome distrubance for my ears. Especially in a time when I am constantly
looking for bands with originality and no fear attitudes to writing.
http://www.myspace.com/americangods
Production: 9/10; Originality: 10/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 9
ANCIENT DOME –
“Perception of the World” (Punishment 18)
Style – Thrash
Dean’s review-While these guys label themselves thrash metal,
in a way that label is selling the band short. The song arrangements lean more
towards Atheist, early Cynic, and Pestilence yet at the same time invoke moments
of power metal within their well honed sound. The vocals on the disc lean
towards Kelly Schaefer from Atheist as well, but might be a nonissue for the
future since the band has obtained an additional lead vocalist since recording
this. The production is a little raw and muffled in spots and tends to detract
from the overall power of the songs.
Technical and tight, if their label keeps pushing these guys
and helps them get a bigger budget for recording, the possibilities are endless.
Fans of the aforementioned bands are encouraged to seek this one out as it
didn’t leave my stereo for over two weeks straight. Many are predicting that the
recent overabundance of old school thrash is going to cause the scene to burn
out but I can only smile watching teenagers wearing “Bonded by Blood” and “Peace
Sells” shirts. Since garbage like Disturbed and Godsmack currently clog the
airwaves of the local hard rock stations, at least some among the teenage hip
hop crowd have seen the light and learning what it feels like to be “Caught in A
Mosh”. http://www.ancientdome.com/
Originality 8 Performance 9
Production 7
Overall 8
ATROCITY SOLUTION
– “Tomorrow’s Too Late” (Tent City Records)
Style – Metal/Punk/Ska
Origin – Wausau, WI
Mike’s Review – When this CD first started playing, I really
enjoyed the little guitar melody. I was a little shocked to hear the punk music
(I didn’t read the bio beforehand) and was even more shocked when the heavy
vocals kicked in. This first song really took me for a ride. Unfortunately, that
ride calmed down the rest of the CD. There were still some twists and turns that
kept me listening, but the ska influence really turned me away though. I’m sure
for fans of ska, this CD is a “must have” and this band produces a very
energetic live show. For me, I prefer the “heavy” influence that I hear in the
music and vocals. However, the unique combination didn’t win me over. If you are
looking for something punkish and different, go tot
www.myspace.com/atrocitysolution666
Vocals: 7.5 Music: 6 Originality: 8
Overall: 7 out of 10
AUSTRALIS – “Eidolon”
Style – Death
Origin – Minnesota
Mike’s Review – 4-song demo CD from this 5-piece death metal
band. Don’t expect any repetitive catchy radio-friendly riffs from this metal
band. From the very first track, Autralis dives straight into their technical
death skull-crushing blasts. They let up for maybe a minute or two to deliver
you some somber melodies while you catch your breath. The rest is pure
aggression. I like it. I like the musicianship, the growling vocals, and the
hope that these guys keep alive that true death metal will never go away.
www.myspace.com/australismn
Vocals: 9 Instruments: 10
Originality: 8 Production: 9
Overall: 9 (out of 10)
AUTERE - "Being Dead Is A
Place"
Origin: Finland
Style: Death Metal
Crystals Review - This is absolutely a great disc
overall for any metal lover. With deep death metal growls, awesome guitar
playing, a great drummer and bass player the band comes together making it a
smooth sailing ride throughout the entire disc. It's like a taking slice of
Cannibal corpse mixed with Opeth. These guys show to be brutal and somewhat
melodic at times. With this being their 5th album put out I am sure the ones
before were just as great too. You can check them out at:
www.myspace.com/autere or
www.autereband.com
Vocals: 9/10 Instruments: 10/10 Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10 B
BASTARD PRIEST –
“Ghouls of the Endless Night” (Pulverised Records)
Style: Death Metal (Old School)
Origin: Sweden
Steve’s Review: I've had a rough falling out with Death
Metal over the couple years. Death Metal is what got me into the whole Extreme
Metal scene. I started off with bands like Cannibal Corpse, Monstrosity,
Obituary, Cephalic Carnage. I loved the brutality of the music, the horror and
death themes, and how they were able to bring the sound I loved about thrash and
twist it into a churning, chugging, freight train of pain. Now it seems that
with the advent of Core bands, Death Metal has assimilated it's once legendary
style with that of Hardcore. Now we have Metalcore, Deathcore, and whatever core
you could possibly think of. Now instead of the classic horror themes we can
hear about perseverance and false pride. Yes, I've definitely had a falling out
with what I now consider a dull, boring, and even dead genre. Of course right
when I'm about to give up on the genre as a whole a band like Bastard Priest
comes along in all their glory and reminds me of what Death Metal used to be and
truly is. Bastard Priest plays a definitely "old school" style of Death Metal
full of thrashy blast beats, insane guitar solos that screech, classic guttural
vocals, and anything else expected of 90's era DM. I love this style! One minute
you're banging your head to simplistic rock beats accompanied by tremolo picking
scale walks and chugging power chords and the next your being assaulted by blast
beats and dive-bomb solos. There really isn't any specific piece or song of this
album worth mentioning and the reason for that is every song is equally
enjoyable. The entire album is worth listening to over and over. Bastard
Priest... I'm impressed. This disc and all further releases stay in my
collection!
www.myspace.com/bastardpriestsweden -
www.facebook.com/bastardpriestsweden
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 9/10;
Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
BEYOND THRESHOLD
- "Revolution" (Turkey Vulture Records)
Style: Metal
Origin: Illinois
Heather's Review: When you first play this cd, the first
thing you hear is an intro. Normally, I'm not really impressed when bands do
that, but it worked well for them as it blends very well into the very
thrash-inspired self-titled song "Revolution". Vocally, the clean and brutal
combination also meshes in well with the music. I really like it when bands
showcase different vocal styles as it takes away monotony and makes you look
forward to what else they have to bring. The music style changes from quite
heavy to more melodic, and again, they do a great job blending it all together.
There are also other genres of metal heard throughout this cd. Hints of death
and newer metal are also brought out in the music. This band is quite talented
and they not afraid to show off. With very strong, Pantera-ish at times guitar
riffs, and an excellent drummer, this band kept my attention, and they are sure
to keep yours as well. Check them out at
www.myspace.com/beyondthreshold
. They have some shows lined up. You should check them out if you can!
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 7/10
Overall: 9/10
BLACK WREATH - A
Pyre of Lost Dreams (VME/Head Not Found Records)
Style: Doom Metal
Origin: Denmark
Steve’s Review: This band has a somewhat Doom/Gothic Metal
feel to them. They Sound similar to many Doom Metal bands but there really isn't
much to this band on a musical basis. Each track averages about 14 minutes. This
band uses drawn out notes and very slow drum work to create that "doom"
atmosphere. Most of this album is instrumental but when there are vocals they
are pretty good. The vocals range anywhere from spoken/clean vocals to your
typical Death Metal grunts. This band doesn't impress me very much, mostly
because of the length of the songs. They are way too drawn out and I easily get
bored after hearing the same notes for 10 minutes with a drummer that sounds
like he just shot up some heroin or something. When it does pick up it does so
very slowly in that doomish/prog way where it leaves you anticipating what is to
come next only to hear the same notes in a different fashion for the rest of the
song. All the songs are pretty much the same and rely heavily on the atmosphere,
which is honestly pretty out there. The first three tracks follow this fashion
while the last is 7:49 of pure noise. If you are looking for a band with killer
musicianship or something to get you pumped up in the morning then don't even
bother with Black Wreath. These guys excel in bringing a very dark, depressing
atmosphere and at least it shows that they can write some very odd textures.
www.myspace.com/blackwreath
Vocals: 9/10; Instruments: 4/10; Production: 6/10
Overall: 6.3/10
BRING ME THE
HORIZON – “There is a Hell, Believe me, I've Seen it. There is a Heaven,
Lets Keep It A Secret”. (Epitaph)
Style – Hardcore / Death
Deron’s Review - The most popular band on myspace is the UK's
BMTH. Bordering on Death, Hardcore, Punk and Emo, there is one thing connecting
the pieces together, the breakdown. It's a give or take with the breakdown these
days, but you still can't deny its power, especially after the music goes in an
experimental direction, and it returns like that stray cat pawing at your door.
Some of this is very punk, and a little keyboardy which is not my cup of tea,
but when they want to tear it up you can't deny BMTH.
http://www.myspace.com/bmth
Originality 8/10 Production 10/10
Performance 9/10 Vocals 8/10
Overall8.5/10
BURIAL RITUAL -
“Tower of Silence” - (Fear the Dead Records)
Style - Death
Origin - Milwaukee, WI USA
Rob's Review: This is some nice (Death Metal, nice??) old school
death from the region that has churned out plenty of it in the past 20 or so
years. Since this is Adrenalin’s stomping grounds we have seen these guys on
more than one occasion bumping around at various local shows. Especially the
drummer, Metal Pete. He’s EVERYWHERE. I think he’s a death whore. Now there’s a
band name. Anyway, speaking of Metal Pete, and I don’t know him personally, but
listening to this CD, their first full length, he is definitely the driving
force behind BURIAL RITUAL. Some fast feet on this guy and the rest of the band
do well to keep up with him. There isn’t much to be said about a band like this
that hasn’t already been said in other death metal reviews. It is straight
forward old school death with a splattering of some mild versions of Black Metal
and a nice mix of up tempo groove, down tempo doom and breakneck blasts. The
riffs aren’t memorable but they are heavy and they get your blood pumpin to the
point of wanting to hurt somebody or something. And that’s the whole point to
this shit isn’t it? See you in the pits!
Best Track: Tower of Silence
http://www.myspace.com/burialritualband
Production: 8/10 Performance: 8/10 Originality: 7/10
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10 C
CITY WEEZLE -
"Taboo" (Self Released)
Style: Rock, Weirdness
Origin: France
Taylor's Review: You have to wonder what the creative juice
these guys sip on is made of. Whatever the seemingly outrageous concoction is I
want some. The music jumps genres like nobody’s business but retains a strange
funk rock/ progressive base throughout. City Weezle even has song called "The
Leprechaun" that has the already over the top vocalist utilizing an Irish voice.
They have played shows with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (where I believe they felt
right at home). The talent in this band is strong. Everybody has a firm role in
the creation of this craziness with nobody left behind in the mix. City Weezle
pushes the limits on progressive music and keeps the strangeness as a prominent
attribute in the band. Try something a little different and take a step into
demented greatness with City Weezle.
The strong points of City Weezle are: Crazy demented madness
with a touch of funky jazz rock.
The negative points of City Weezle are: I can't make it to
France to see them
www.myspace.com/cityweezle
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
COGNITION -
"Omnipotent" (self released)
Style: Metal/Industrial
Origin: Norway
Taylor's Review: Cognition is a metal band from Norway that
likes to utilize many different genres of metal in its sound. The various
influences in Cognition is also a source of pride for the main man Jon. The band
is striving for diversity and achieves it. Occasional industrial elements are
met with distorted guitars and an almost anguished sounding voice. The music
stands well on its own well cultivated structures. The one downfall for me in
this release is the vocals which are little over the top both in the mix and the
delivery. He has an interesting and catchy way he puts his voice to the music. I
believe he is just shy though of having a great voice for what he is trying to
pull off. Check out Cognition for yourself and decide.
www.myspace.com/cognitionmetal
The strong points of Cognition are: He is trying to do
something a little different than the rest.
The negative points of Cognition are: The vocals are little
rough.
Instruments: 6/10 Vocals: 3/10 Originality: 6/10
Overall: 5/10
COUGH
& THE WOUNDED KINGS - "An Introduction To The Black Arts" split (Forcefield
Records)
Style: Doom
Origin: U.S.A./U.K.
Taylor's Review: Cough is a band that I am thrilled to be
introduced to through this release. I have since acquired more music from this
doom/sludge band. They start off this split cd with 20 minutes of down tuned
mucky sludge and thick distorted tones. "The Gates of Madness" is a slow and
dragging beast that doesn't let up its aural punishment. The occasional singing
is met mostly by a high pitch screaming. Check out this band and all their other
material if you like sludge/ doom metal. They are worth it.
The Wounded Kings come from the U.K. and bring a slightly
more traditional doom sound. "Curse Of Chaos" is still a slow and pummeling
encounter though at 15 minutes of crushing intensity. This band has two prior
full length releases and has received much deserved praise already. If you enjoy
your doom more old school, these guys will suit you just fine. For fans of
Candlemass, etc.
This is a strictly limited vinyl release limited to 1500. Get it while you can.
http://www.forcefieldrecords.org/store/
The strong points of this split are: Everything if you like
heavy music.
The negative points of this split are: Nothing at all, go get
it
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
C.P.X. - "Concrete
Therapy"
Style: Metal/Grunge
Origin: Illinois
Heather's Review: Out from the realms of Illinois comes
Concrete Therapy. This 2-piece band ( impressive) delivers to you 12 songs.
Each song is different, and powerful in it's own unique way. The overall style
overpowers with a metal/grunge blend with powerful vocals,
and an edginess that makes them stand out. They performed live before putting
the songs to disc on this cd (which is also impressive) as this can
impact sound quality on the cd. Well, it worked for them.The sound quality is
strong and very dynamic. And while a couple songs remind me of Godsmack,
overall, the cd is completely original, and I would recommend this
to all lovers of metal! For more info on them, they can be found at
www.myspace.com/cpxband
Originality: 8/10 Production: 9/10 Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 9/10 D
DEATHHAMMER/KÖRGULL
THE EXTERMINATOR – “When the Hammer Strikes/The Exterminator Arrives” (Duplicate
Records) Style: Black Thrash
Origin: Norway/Spain
Steve’s Review: This split vinyl is 4 tracks of purely
pissed off Black Thrash. The minute you spin this you are greeted with the
welcoming bellows of "Total F*cking Blasphemy!!!". Courtesy of Norway's newly
infamous thrashers, Deathhammer, on their opening track "Blasphemy".
Deathhammer's style is truly a take on Proto-Black Metal influences like Venom,
Bathory, and other acts like Sarcafago. Both tracks blast by quickly with no
need to punish you with overdone break beats or minute long solos, like much of
today’s modern Metal, but each song showcases the beautiful simplicity that
defined it all. Hailing from Spain, Körgull is equally destructive, if not more
so. Following pretty much the same style, these guys decide to adopt more Black
Metal influences while still thrashing your face off. While I like both of the
bands on this record, I found myself immersed in the "old-school" Black Metal
feel of Körgull The Exterminator and was pleased that they were able to add some
melody in there riffs without straying from the Black Thrash feel, even if their
name is a little odd. Nothing bad to say about either of these bands.
Deathhammer:
www.myspace.com/savageposerhunt -
http://home.no/deathhammer/
Körgull The Exterminator:
www.myspace.com/korgulltheexterminator
(Deathhammer - Körgull The Exterminator)
Instruments: 9/10 - 9/10; Vocals: 7/10 - 9/10;
Production: 9/10 - 9/10
Overall: 8/10 - 9/10
DARK HAVEN -
"Fallout" (self-released)
Style: Death Metal/Progressive
Origin: U.S.A.
Taylor's Review: Dark Haven has a very catchy yet intelligent
sound that ranges from melodic death metal to melodic black metal. The guitars
are complimented with a subtle keyboard accompaniment. While the band carries
strong and versatile song structures the vocalist has a good range of
screams and occasional singing. Dark Haven has "currently inactive" listed on
their Myspace page which is upsetting. I'm sure these guys would have a
killer live performance considering the talent.
The strong points of Dark Haven are: Musicianship,
songwriting, and production
The weak points of Dark Haven are: Nothing! Go buy this
album!
Favorite Tracks: "Aphelion" and "Faceless Sons"
www.myspace.com/darkhaven
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 9/10 Originality: 6/10
Overall: 7/10
DARKSIDE OF
INNOCENCE – “Cerberus” (Grailight)
Style: Symphonic Black Metal
Origin: Portugal
Steve’s Review: The offspring of half-serpent Echidna and the
fire-breathing giant known as Typhon, Cerberus is a 3-headed beast who guarded
the gates to the underworld. He made sure that no soul passed the river styx.
Like the stories of this mythological beast, Darkside of Innocence's "Cerberus"
is an epic single running 12:25 with three different heads or sections. The
first section is what I consider very "proggy". Donning a mid-paced tempo,
non-linear guitar work, and continually building up and progressing, this
section has some nice guitar work accompanied by both grim vocals and beautiful
female singing. What this part leads up to is the second "head" or section of
the single. The transistion from the first part to the second is made up of the
same middle pace rhythms, this time with clean guitars, then finally leads into
a chaotic guitar riff. From this we have a otherworldly monologue before
reintroducing the heavenly female vocals once again. The third part will
definitely be more comfortable to fans of D.O.I. With a more familiar Symphonic
Black Metal style. This brings out the aggressive side that this band is very
capable of but doesn't completely ditch that progressive feeling. When I first
heard of D.O.I I listened to their Infernum Liberus EST album and was completely
blown away. I absolutely loved their symphonic brand of black metal with the
very ethnic touches of portugal accenting the music. The female vocals and
monologue were incredibly sexy and brought forth a romantic sense to black
metal. As a fan of this band I must admit that Cerberus is a great composition
it simply is too non-linear and doesn't have enough steady brutality or
aggression for my liking. It does a great job of displaying D.O.I's writing
capabilities with great guitar solos, riffs, and female vocals but it doesn't
display the band's true abilities as it is only one track with pretty much one
aspiration. If you have heard Infernum Liberus EST already and want some
foresight as to what direction this band is heading then you won't be
disappointed. If you haven't heard the first album yet then listen to this
single knowing that you aren't getting the full aspect of the band... just one
epic masterpiece that has the band touching new ground.
www.facebook.com/darksideofinnocence
www.myspace.com/darksideofinnocence
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10;
Production: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
DECAYOR - "Re-Occuring Times of Grief"
Style - Death/Doom
Origin - Ireland
Rob's Vocals - Sometimes it sucks having to categorize bands
as fitting into certain classifications and styles but what the fuck I review
CD’s for fun so you gotta deal with it at times. DECAYOR: A little bit of Opeth,
Paradise Lost and Morgoth stirred together in to a fine paste of blackened death
overtones nestled comfortably within an average of ten minutes per song. I like
the feel of this effort a lot. The mood is very dark and suffocating without
being slow and plodding. It has very mid to high paced aggressive musicianship
with catchy hooks and brutal change-ups. And with these crazy song lengths,
diversity within the structure is key. It's impressive that a three piece such
as DECAYOR can make an EP sound this grand in scale and yet still have that
underground feel. The expectation for a full length follow up abounds...
http://www.myspace.com/decayordie
Production: 9/10; Originality: 10/10; Instruments: 8/10;
Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.75
DESOLATE SKY -
"Between the Devil and the Darkness"
Origin: Chicago, IL
Style: Thrash metal
Crystal's Reviews - In 2010, the album Between the
Devil and the Darkness came out of the pit of darkness for all to be heard.
After reviewing the tracks I would say the lyrics to the songs are after a
relationship gone bad, which I am sure everyone has experienced at one time.
These Chicago landers fly off the horn with fast rhythmic riffs that will shred
the night away and make those sappy little heartbreakers run home to mama. They
create a sound that is original and yet partially like old school Megadeth.
Although it's sad to hear after 11 years this band will be no longer after
recently parting ways, but you can still check out all their stuff at
www.desolatesky.com and
www.myspace.com/desolatesky
Instruments:8/10 Vocals:7/10 Production:9/10
Overall:8/10
DPERD - "Io Sono Un
Errore" (My Kingdom Music)
Style: Dark Wave
Origin: Italy
Taylor's review: I like this a lot. Dperd is a throwback to
the most popular gothic/dark wave/rock of the 1980's. Valeria Buono and Carlo
Disimone have managed to capture
the vibe of this style with creative certainty. Both members of Dperd share
vocals. Valeria takes the lead most of the time though with a unique voice that
fits well with the band.The lyrics are in Italian which is an added bonus. It
adds yet another unique vibe to an already great band. The music is a subtle
interweaving of guitar and keyboard melodies that compliment the whole well. I
will defiantly be checking out more music from these two.
The strong points of Dpred are: Everything!
The weak points of Dperd are: Nothing!
Favorite tracks are: "Ogni Volta" -very addictive and "Travel
Song"
www.myspace.com/dperd
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 6/10 Overall: 9/10
DROWNED SORROW
– “Fittings at the Coffin Shop”
Style – Hardcore Thrash Metal
Origin – Long Island, New York
Mike’s Review – Love the music. I have tried real hard to like the vocals on
multiple attempts. I just can’t do it. The squeaky screaming hard core vocals
just really turn me off. The growling is cool but not enough to keep me
interested. Too bad too because the thrashy hardcore metal music has some nice
twists to it. If you want to check this band out for yourself, go to
www.myspace.com/drownedsorrow
Vocals: 5 Music: 8 Originality: 7 Production: 8.0
Overall: 6.5 E
EMBRACE DAMNATION
– “Glory Of A New Darkness” (Rotting Corpse Records)
Style – Death Metal
Origin – Illinois, USA
Mike’s Review – OK, I admit that I had to struggle a bit to
figure out how I was going to review this band. I like the music but I’m sick of
bands that use the “Satanic” gimmick just to make themselves look cool. I’ve
seen it done WAY too many times. The “666” crap is a little too cliché. However,
before I started this review I decided to read an interview with Dave Kibler
that is posted on their myspace page. It helped me realize that their message is
a little more than just “Hail Satan”. Some lyrics express their beliefs that the
Bible and Christianity are full of hypocritical fiction and nonsense. BUT, if
somebody truly believes that and beliefs that Christianity is fake, how could
they believe in Satan? If there is no heaven, why would there be a hell?
Anyway, enough about the lyrics. Now about the music. It’s
awesome. Brutal death metal with a lot of gut-wrenching vocals that help portray
their name “Eternal Damnation” quite well. I have listened to this album 4 or 5
times now and knew from the beginning that this CD was going to be good. A touch
of classic death metal mixed with some modern in-your-face metal destruction.
Throw up your horns and head to
www.myspace.com/embracedamnation69
Vocals: 8 Music: 9 Production: 10
Originality: 7
Overall: 8 out of 10
ESCAPE FROM -
"Opetani Okrucienstwem" (Unsigned)
Style: Blackened Death Metal
Origin: Poland
Steve’s Review: Just one glance at the title of this EP and I
knew that these
guys had to be from Poland. One listen to this EP and I knew I was absolutely
right. Pure Polish Blackened Death Metal in the veign of God Dethroned, Vader,
Hate, and especially Behemoth. Unlike Behemoth, these vocals are actually
good, at least until he gets into the higher vocals (these tend to sound raspy
and
more along the lines of Straight-Edge Hardcore). The guitars utilize Black Metal
techniques like mid-paced tremolo picking and sinister sounding bar chords as
well as the typical crunchy palm muting you would find more in the Death Metal
style. The bass guitar is pretty much mixed out altogether. The drumming is fast
and brutal emphasizing on slams and cymbal work. There's not a whole lot of
technical work within this band but they have a great sound and I can see great
potential for them to rise quickly amongst the ranks of some Polish giants.
www.myspace.com/escapefrom666
Vocals: 6/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Production: 10/10
Overall: 8.3/10
ETERNAL
TEARS OF SORROW – “Children Of The Dark Waters” (Massacre Records)
Style – Symphonic death metal
Origin – Pudasjärvi, Finland
Dion’s Review – Oh wow! I was just informed by Mike that I
haven’t submitted a review in seven months! I have an uncomfortable feeling that
it’s going to take me a little to get back into the swing of things. Not too
long, I hope.
ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW are, as is listed above, a symphonic death metal outfit
from Finland. Being made up of current (and ex-) members of KALMAH, FOR MY PAIN…
and SCYRON, this is their second release after reforming in 2005 after parting
ways in early 2001. In that four year hiatus, the sound of ETOS changed from
melodic death metal to symphonic… death metal. Whatever genre Children Of The
Dark Waters falls into, it’s insanely well-produced with an engineer as talented
as the musicians. Surprisingly diverse synth effects, coupled with some
virtuous, sweeping guitar solos stand out the most on this CD. The vocals range
from a mid, decipherable death growl, to a some pretty awesome clean vocals: not
that I’m into clean vocals all that much, but I still know when they’re well
executed. Rhythm guitars, bass and drums are of a pretty standard, mid-paced
style, but provide excellent backing for the vocals, synths and lead guitar to
rise to the fore, and even the odd orchestral instrument including cello… I love
cello. There’s some glam elements I really don’t enjoy all that much. Like those
80’s sounding synth solos and some falsetto vocals, but overall it’s inoffensive
to sit through. If you dig symphonic death metal, I’m pretty sure this is fairly
standard stuff. But keep in mind I’m not an authority on the genre.
You’re not however guaranteed to like this if you dig old, or mid-ETOS.
Evidently the band started out thrash metal, morphed into melodic and reformed
as symphonic, so you might want to check out the links below. I’m not 100% on
what the difference between melodic and symphonic is, but to these ears, I’m
sure it’d be like me choosing between turkey and tofurkey: I’m really not going
to rave about either.
www.myspace.com/etos1 ,
http://eternaltears.info/
www.massacre-records.com
Production: 9/10; Originality: 7/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Vocals: 9/10
OVERALL: 8.5/10
EVERSIN – “Divina
Distopia” (My Kingdom Come Music)
Style: Power Metal/Thrash
Origin: Italy
Steve’s Review: From the very first song you know that this
group is heavily based upon guitar riffing and leads. The opening track, starts
with some simplistic chords before the shredding enters in, and immediately I
know that is band is truly a Power Metal group with some Thrash elements. The
style, although not my favorite, is interesting enough to have me awaiting the
powerful guitar solos and leads. The drumming is not very technical. He is heavy
on the snare and cymbals but with too simplistic of beats to truly classify this
drummer as a "technical" drummer. The keyboards are also very simplistic, just
an additional layer with occasional intros, outros, and interludes. The keys are
definitely nothing special but they do help the band achieve a fuller sound.
Possibly the most annoying thing about this band, to me anyway, is the vocalist.
At first I was down with his "Oldschool" sound often reminding me of the
notorious King Diamond. After a while I realized I just wanted him to shut up.
Sounding much like a breed of the aforementioned King Diamond with other Power
vocalists like Bruce Dickinson and Nevermore's especially annoying Warrel Dane.
With that set aside the most exciting aspect of Eversin is their guitarist by
the name of Giangabrielle Lo Pilato. He does it all! He shreds the fretboard up,
he composes beautiful leads, and he keeps the crushing rhythm going with riffs
like steel. I don't really enjoy Power Metal but I found myself craving another
listen simply because of the guitarist. Overall Eversin was a decent listen and
an essential band for fans of Nevermore, Mercyful Fate, Iced Earth, Yngwie
Malmsteen, and other Power Metal giants. In the overwhelming sea of Power Metal,
I don't predict that Eversin will crush any of the competition but it's nice to
have an underground band trying to claim their own ground.
www.myspace.com/eversinmetal
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 5/10;
Production: 7/10
Overall: 6/10
F
FUELBLOODED – “Off
The Face Of The Earth” (My Kingdom Come Music)
Style: Melodic Death Core
Origin: Holland
Steve’s Review: What ever happened to the face of Melodic
Death Metal? We used to have bands like At The Gates, OLD In Flames, and
Dimension Zero now we have bands like Trivium, As I Lay Dying, and other garbage
groups. I'm sorry to say that Fuelblooded falls into the "garbage group"
category. This band starts it off with some trendy Lamb of God style riffing and
quick, repetitive drumming. Add in one of the only decent parts of this band,
the death grunts, then f*ck it all up again with some cheesy clean vocals
following the trend of everyone's favorite nu-metal singers and, curiously, some
minor power metal elements and you pretty much have Fuelblooded. There are some
guitar solos that really don't cut it, and other than that you can look forward
to Metalcore riffing, with the exception of some catchy Death Metal elements,
all together it just doesn't move me. I remember one time when I was putting the
moves on this gorgeous blonde. I must of gone too far, but when she slapped me
in the face it didn't bother me. I just shrugged it off and went on to the next
one. This is ultimately how I feel about Fuelblooded. If I had to judge
Fuelblooded at first glance I would probably pick up this effort. With an album
cover featuring a cityscape under some sort of Apocalyptic doom, song names like
Recipe for Demise, Discontinued Dormancy, and When Passion Dies, and lastly an
awesome band name like Fuelblooded. You can definitely tell that this band is
very creative, unfortunately that creativity doesn't lie within their music. In
fact, the only good thing about this band is the intensity of the death grunts
and the aggression that the drumming portrays. I simply just shrugged
Fuelblooded and anticipated hearing something much better. It might just be my
opinion, you may read everything I say and automatically know that this is your
style of Metal, but I reviewed this group with the most open of minds that I
could possibly have and it's bands like this that need to go on the extinction
list... Quickly!
www.myspace.com/fuelblooded
Instruments: 5/10; Vocals: 6/10;
Production: 6/10
Overall: 6/10
FUTURE IS
TOMORROW - "Fit to Die (Part I)
Style: Metal/Progressive Metal
Origin: Italy
Heather's Review: Progressive metal has always intrigued me.
Future is Tomorrow is no exception. Recorded in 2007, Fit to Die is a fitting
title for this cd, considering each song tells a continuing story through the
eyes of a dead man at his own funeral. The music backing up the story is mainly
progressive with metal undertones. With a fantastic range, and a very melodic
style, the vocals are highly entertaining. Combined with fast, heavy, solid
riffs and a drummer with progressive-type speed, this band is worth checking
out. Not only that, but to complete the already intriguing sound, the band has
added, synthesizers, keyboards, and a choir. Artwork and production were well
done, and I can tell they put a lot of effort into making this cd what it is. It
is a very unique cd, and I would recommend it to all lovers of metal. I am
definitely looking forward to Part 2! For more info on them check them out at
www.myspace.com/futureistomorrow . They can also be found at
www.facebook.com/furtureistomorrow .
Originality: 9/10 Vocals: 10/10 Production: 9/10
Overall: 9.33/10
G
GATLING FIRE POWER - Queen of
Bullets
Style - Hard Rock/Sleaze
Origin - Italy
Rob's Review - Luckilly for GATLING FIRE POWER, I have been
listening to this genre of sleazy hard rock lately and have reacquainted myself
with its frolicking, tom foolery approach to rock n roll that harkens back to a
time in music when the sole purpose was getting a little pussy. Unfortunately
for GATLING FIRE POWER they havent quite harnessed the feel like they could
have. For most of the disc they linger in areas where it could be a little more
special than it is. Why that is is based more on song writing than style. Just
not a lot of catchy grooves or hooks that is required in this now rare musical
species. Although lately, especially overseas, this sound has been making a
comeback for a while with bands like Crashdiet, Hardcore Superstar and Gemeni
Five. Those bands aside, few and far between seem to “get it”. The vocals here
aren’t special and hover around ordinary at best and for much of the songs the
musicianship tends to get a little disjointed with some unimaginative riffs.
Now, granted the glam/sleaze scene has never had the reputation of being overly
imaginative but if you are involved in a re-inventing period of an era of
rock/metal you have to put some things in to spice it up from what it used to be
even if you’re improving on something that is already cool. Put your own stamp
on it while still paying homage to it. Sadly, GATLING FIRE POWER comes up little
short in that area on this disc.
http://www.myspace.com/gatlingfirepower
Production: 7/10; Originality: 6/10; Instruments: 6/10;
Vocals: 6/10
Overall: 6.25
GUILTY AS SIN –
“Pschotronic” (G.A.S Productions)
Style: Thrash/Punk
Origin: Massachusetts
Steve’s Review: I reviewed Guilty As Sin's debut album
"Led to the Slaughter" a few years ago. I found their instrumental style to be
catchy and something that strayed from the expectations the metal mainstream has
come to demand and bitch about. I haven't followed the band for awhile, but much
to my dismay it seems that they have added some additional layers... such as
vocals. I praised this band on their debut album and the main reason was the
fact that this band slayed metal fans without vocals. I'm not gonna write about
how much I hate the new vocals because quite honestly, while it may take from
their original atmosphere, they really aren't that bad and luckily not very
dominant. The band plays off of their 'Old School' Thrash sound and throws in
some extra elements such as more clean guitars, Jazz-like phrases, and even some
surf rock riffs. The music is actually quite chaotic, but not in your buzzsaw
guitars & ADHD blast beats sense, Guilty As Sin is rather successful at creating
atmosphere with simplistic drum beats and repetitive guitars but the main
ingredient to this mayhem is the addition of ethnic percussion, saxophones,
trumpets, and many other unorthodox instruments when it comes to Metal. All in
all this band still doesn't follow any given protocol when it comes to shaping
their sound, they are still on their own. This album is a nice trip down memory
lane with their multitude of musical hybrids and it is the perfect length.
Running at a little over 36 minutes and an average track length of 1:30, you can
see how much of an oddball this record is. Beginning with the extremely synthy
intro before moving on to the unexpected punk/thrash with vocals this album is
more bipolar than my ex-girlfriend but in a good sense. Rather than breaking
lamps over your head and forcing you to run from cops this album leaves you
feeling content with a great sense of nostalgia.
www.myspace.com/guiltymusic2008#
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 4/10;
Production: 9/10
Overall: 7/10
GUILTY AS SIN -
"III"
Style: Metal/Rock
Origin: Massachusetts
Heather's Review: This band is a combination of punk infused
with hints of metal and death metal. At times, it's a but much, but overall it
grabbed my attention. Vocally, at first, I was a bit put off. In the first song,
vocals are to soft. It does pick up by the second song though, and they did
improve. Guitars and bass have potential, but at times they are repeating the
same notes over and over for to long of a time. (I do absolutely love the
drumming though.) Currently they are a 3 piece band, and I do give them a lot of
respect. They are are group of talented musicians that have an inspiration and
desire to bring their music to the masses. Production was good overall. The CD
was well put together as well. Overall, it is worth it to check them out. Find
out more at
www.myspace.com/guiltymusic2008 .
Production: 7/10 Originality: 6/10 Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 7/10
GRIEVING AGE - “In
Aloof Lantern, Thy Bequeathed A Wailer Quietus…” - (Self Released)
Style - Death/Doom
Origin - Saudi Arabia
Rob's Review: Here’s an interesting band of merry men. Death
Metal from Saudi Arabia. You don’t see that very often and based on the
progressive sounds of GRIEVING AGE we should hear more of it. “IAL,TBWQ” (Sorry,
but I am NOT going to type this whole CD title every time I mention it) is a two
song self released CD with songs clocking in at 19:55 and 16:56 respectively.
Normally anything over about 5:30 gets a little long winded for me mostly
because I’m old and I can’t be counted on to concentrate that hard for that long
of time without dropping my head back at 45 degrees with drool running from the
corner of my mouth. Now, throw in these song lengths and it gets pretty close to
killing time. Even though GRIEVING AGE does a fairly decent job of holding your
attention through these endless soundscapes, the songs do tend to get a tad
drawn out simply because they keep the same slow crawling doom tempo through
most of two tracks. But I was pleasantly surprised as I ventured into track two
to hear a much needed change of pace with and up-tempo break about halfway into
the tune lasting about 2 or 3 minutes. Really made the song and was desperately
needed after the near 20 minute narcoleptic sounds of track 1. Great production
for an unsigned band, something you don’t normally see much of especially in the
world of extreme metal. But these guys clearly have a grasp on the process. This
is very reminiscent to me of early Morgoth in a lot of ways but mostly in the
doomy feel they sprinkle in to the mix. It’s a very heavy mixture with the gruff
but fairly audible growls of Ahmed Shawli. Not something I would throw on the
headphones while doing nothing but great for a “cocktail” party or winter “ball”
while sipping mint juleps and talking in British accents.
Best Track: Therefore, A Myriad Of Gargoyles Bellow Their Aborted Versicles,
Quoth Thee…
http://www.myspace.com/grievingage
Production: 10/10; Performance: 9/10; Originality: 8/10;
Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.75/10
GROG/ ROADSIDE BURIAL/
PUSSY VIBES - "Split" (Grindhead Records)
Style: Grind
Origin: Portugal/ Australia
Taylor's Review: Grog is the first band on the three-way
split. They have a very aggressive and well done classic grind/death metal
sound. Short lived, angry and with great titles like "Fellowship of The Shaved
Balls" and "Vaginal Teen Grind Fluids Make Us Groove". The band has been around
since 1991 and has developed from a straight grind band to a sound that
incorporates tech and brutal death metal as well. Awesome band!
Roadside Burial is a beast that is on its third split. The
band has a more straight forward grind sound close to Napalm Death. They have a
distorted low end crunch to them that is great.
Last is a band called Pussy Vibes. The sound has blasting
speed and grooves to inspire a violent beat down. Guttural grunts and high
screams are the insane dual vocal layers accompanying this musical insanity. And
they have a thing for Martians. Check this out and buy this split!
The strong points of this split are: Everything if you like
crazy violent music
The negative points of this split are: It's only a half an
hour long. But hey... it's grind.
www.myspace.com/roadsideburial -
www.myspace.com/pussyvibes
www.myspace.com/grogpt
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 5/10
Overall: 7/10
GUILD OF
DESTRUCTION - "We Are Vermin" (Grindhead Records)
Style - Death
Origin - Australia
Deron's Review - A great bit of chunky death ala Morbid
Angel/Immolation. Awesome double-bass blast beats and off-tempo shifts set the
drumming in a world of its own. The vocals range from Jeff Walker to
Corpsegrinder to Dave Vincent and are recorded clear as a bell. The guitar
harmonies are sick during the blasts and they have some interesting parts thrown
in when you least expect it. An acoustic part overlayed against the rolling
double bass, a rock-type riff and some mellow stuff thrown in, are some of the
things that caught my attention. Some of the material toward the end of the disc
isn't as strong as the beginning, but I did enjoy listening to this. I hope I
get something to hate next time.
www.myspace.com/guildofdestruction
Originality 7/10 Production 8/10
Performance 9/10 Vocals 8/10
Overall 8/10
GUILTY AS SIN -
Led to the Slaughter (Self Released)
Style: Thrash Metal
Origin: Massachusetts
Steve’s Review: First of all when you pick up this disc the
artwork is truly bad-ass. Donning some sort of demonic pope with an infant
impaled on his cross-stave. Opening up the special digi-pack you see the crowd
from the pope's perspective which is nothing but a mass of blind-sheep. Truly
creative artwork! When it comes to the band's music they prove to be just as
creative. They play a brutal style of thrash that is 100% instrumental. I think
the fact that this band has no vocalist improves the music that much more. I'm
sure many of us metal heads are sick of hearing the traditional "Chuck
Billy-esque" vocals of most thrash metal. No matter how much I enjoy the music
of Thrash Metal the vocals have always deadened the feel for me. Not here
because it's truly instrumental and every song is awesome. The members of this
band are really good and are worth mentioning. Drummer Zak Ovolan really thrash
up those skins. I find myself listening to his beats which rival even some well
known Death Metal drummers. Dan McAdam's guitar riffs mix traditional thrash
with some Death grooves and his guitar tone is right on. Bassist Ryan Dilbarian
provides the necessary driving rhythm for thrash but also adds some cool sounds.
While all the songs on this disc are extremely entertaining I must say my two
favorites are the last two tracks. "Dead Men Tell No Tale" starts off rocking
then breaks down towards the end in a funky down tempo style showing off their
bassist before thrashing it up with a guitar solo. "International Selection" is
completely down tempo sounding like some kind of Mexican folk song. This album
is already an instant fave. Everything about it screams excellence from the
artwork to the music itself. Definitely worth picking up!
www.myspace.com/guiltymusic2008
Writing: 9/10; Instruments: 9/10;
Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
GUZZLEMUG – “Away With
the Wind and Noise” (Unsigned)
Style: Instrumental/Experimental Metal
Origin: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Steve’s Review: This band is very interesting. Guzzlemug is
truly an act devoid of any classification. There are so many elements coming
together that make up an original sound. Take the obvious Thrash influences.
You'll hear a part that sounds like Sepultura then before you know it, you are
hearing a stoner rock typical of bands like Clutch. This band covers so much
ground that when you listen to their album you almost forget what you are
listening to. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about a sloppy creation of
many styles resulting in a muddy, craptastic collection of noise. Guzzlemug
knows when to break it down, thrash it up, and ultimately make an insanely
creative style. I hear Black Metal, Doom Metal, Classic Rock, Death Metal,
Grindcore, Thrash... The whole works. Everything I love about Metal is summed up
in six tracks of unclassified aggression and creativity. For once I can review
an album that is truly complete! This one goes straight into my favorites.
www.myspace.com/guzzlemug
Instruments: 9/10; Creativity: 10/10;
Production: 8/10
Overall: 9/10 H
HALTEFANDEN –
“Dødskult” (Unsigned)
Style: Alternative Metal
Origin: Denmark
Steve’s Review: Really, what can I say about this?? I can
actually tell that the songs were written with passion, but where does this
passion stem from? The music is goofy, amateur, and instills a sense of apathy
upon me quickly, but nonetheless, I can hear originality. Originality seems to
get a band far nowadays. With thousands of Metal bands living in a vast sea of
the same fish, it's great to hear an original Metal band. As original as this
band may be, let me get one thing clear. It's not really Metal. The music is
very rock-based with vocals typical of any modern rock band and easily
digestible drums. This band gains it's slight metal sound with cliche elements
such as slams, slow tremolo picking, dissonant chordings, and the occasional
double bass rhythms. So back to my first question. I can't say anything really
bad about this band as they are able and equipped to thrash it up and do so
occasionally, on the other hand there is nothing really exciting or amazing
about this disc. This is an average 50/50 album for me where I am undecided
whether this band sucks or whether they are just not good. Decide for yourself.
If anything I have written in this review offends you than most likely this is
your hit album of the year!
www.myspace.com/haltefanden
www.haltefanden.dk
Instruments: 5/10; Vocals: 3/10;
Production: 7/10
Overall: 5/10
HALTERFANDEN -
"Naar man taler om Trolden" (When you speak of the Troll)
Style: Metal/hardcore/some punk hints
Origin: Denmark
Heather's Review: With a name that means " Devil with a Limp"
Haltefanden is a somewhat newer band (2008) from Copenhagen. What is unique
about them is that all their lyrics are in Danish. They decided to do this to
order to separate themselves from other Danish bands that sing in English.
Adding to this, they also incorporate a vast array of styles into their music.
Using aggressive, melodic, punk, and even a bit of thrash for this 7 track demo,
I found myself looking forward to what was next. The only recommendation I would
give to this band would be to incorporate a wider vocal range. Most of the
vocals are mono tonal screaming, and a change of pace with that would definitely
spice it up a bit.
Not to lessen the others, I would have to say the first song
"Trolden" dominates the cd. It is fast, heavy, dynamic, and shows off the true
potential of this band. And if that isn't reason enough to check them out, you
can download the cd for free at their website
www.bandbase.dk/haltefanden .
They also have a page at
www.myspace.com/haltefanden I would recommend checking them out. You will
not be sorry.
Production: 10/10; Vocals: 7/10; Originality: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
H.O.S. – The Beginning (Punishment 18
Records)
Style - Thrash
Origin - Italy
Dean’s review - This Italian bunch of thrashers literally
wears their influences on their sleeves and brandishes their love of old school
thrash at each and every turn. Originality is not the sole point when it comes
to these bands that are thrashing their youth away. Exodus coined it perfectly
all those years ago when they called it “good, clean, friendly, violent fun” and
that is what these guys are providing in spades.
The bands that popped into my mind the most while the cd
played were Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, and Possessed but just in a sense that
the styles are similar and not blatant plagiarism. The production is just dirty
enough to give it that sheen of authenticity that thrash needs and bleeds. The
drumming in particular sounds very intriguing as the drummer’s choice of fills
are able to fit the songs yet sound very thought out and original.
My only bone of contention when it comes to the tunes is the
obvious fact that English is the band’s second language and some of the lyrics
are a definite reflection of this. If the guys can learn to master their lyrics
as good as they display in their musicianship, they will definitely be a
contender upon the world stage. As it stands, if they could nail a support slot
with a band along the lines of Death Angel, Exodus, or Overkill, these guys
could easily hold their own. Highly recommended to those of you who still love
thrash.
http://www.myspace.com/hosthrash
Vokills-8/10 Production 8/10 Originality
6/10
Overall 9/10 (yeah I know it don’t add up, but hey it’s my review) I
ICON IN ME – “Human
Museum” (Massacre Records)
Style – Metal
Origin – Moscow, Russia
Dion’s Review – Kinda thrashy, kinda industrial, kinda heavy,
sometimes a little melodic; I decided to just go with an ambiguous metal for
this Russian 5-piece’s style and let you make your own mind up. I
guess I could’ve gone with “radio metal” but they’re a little better than that,
I think. They, for one, have clean vocals interspersed with the dirty, but
they’re not that anguished, bipolar style that’s all the rave at the moment. You
know: angry verse, melancholy chorus. This bloke, Tony JJ (MNEMIC, C-187,
B-THONG) mixes his styles up a little more creatively, and even does a little
Jonathan Davies/Marilyn Manson kinda thing every now and again, giving the
vocals a touch of the bizarre. The production’s pristine, as you’d expect from
something that I’m claiming is a tier about radio-worthy. The instrumentalism is
fairly standard, with nothing really standing out for me. In fact, all the
tracks seem to stay around the same beats-per-minute which had a somewhat
hypnotic effect on me, fading the tunes into the background more often than not
throughout the spins I gave it.
At the risk of being ostracised for a too-short review,
there’s nothing much else to say about this release. If you appreciate metal
that’s easy to follow, well-produced and possibly on the commercial airwaves,
then you’d probably dig this. You may have even already heard it, since Human
Museum has been out since 2009. If not, you can check it out at the links below.
Too easy!
www.myspace.com/iconinme ,
www.iconinme.com ,
www.massacre-records.com
Production: 9/10; Originality: 4/10; Instruments: 5/10;
Vocals: 7/10
OVERALL: 6/10
IN SILENTIO
NOCTIS - "Through Fragments Of Christianity" (My Kingdom Music)
Style: Symphonic Black Metal
Origin: Finland
Taylor's review: This band has the unique combination of
brutality and sung female vocals. There are no strong "gothic" overtones to
this. The band is musically black metal. It is rich in speedy guitars and strong
but tasteful keyboards with momentary melodic breaks. In Silentio Noctis carry a
newer black metal sound akin to the genre leaders. This aspect of the band I
really enjoy. The only thing outside the normal idea of black metal here is the
vocalist. She has a good voice that works well with the bands overall sound. It
lies somewhere between a normal singing voice and operatic.
The strong points of In Silentio Noctis are: Musicianship,
songwriting, and production
The weak points of In Silentio Noctis are:I personally would
like to see an aggressive style of vocals in this band. She does hold her own
though for fans of this vocal style.
Favorite tracks:"From Beyond" and "Cursed"
www.insilentionoctis.com or
www.myspace.com/insilentionoctis or
www.facebook.com/pages/In-silentio-noctis/9045724799
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 6/10 Originality: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
IRON LAMB – “The
Original Sin” (Pulverised Records)
Style: Heavy Metal
Origin: Sweden
Steve’s Review: I don't get the whole Death'N'Roll,
Crust-Punk, whatever you wanna call em's. Well known bands have been reverting
towards a pre or proto-Black Metal sound. For instance bands like Darkthrone and
Satyricon are playing the Heavy Metal style that is the roots of Extreme Metal,
and there are even several Rock'N'Roll bands that have been created by members
of Dimmu Borgir, Gorgoroth, and even Immortal. I'm definitely not hating on the
whole thing but I just don't get it... Is Extreme Metal too commercial and
overdone that the only "Extreme" sounding option is to revert back to the 80's?
Anyways what you have here is members of the Swedish Extreme Metal scene coming
together to create there own brand of dirty and harsh Rock'N'Roll. The cover was
supposedly designed by Watain's Erik. So you are probably wondering "hey...
what's not to like". Well there really isn't anything to dislike. This is basic
Heavy Metal with a Punk Rock attitude. You have everything that the 80's punk
rock scene dished out including the goofy lyrics/vocals, but honestly that's why
I don't get it. This sound has been played out repeatedly, there is absolutely
nothing new about it. It's predictable and, unlike bands like Darkthrone's new
sound, you have absolutely no switch-ups or twists. Does that mean it's bad?
Well I'm gonna leave that one up to you guys. I personally consider it boring
but on the other hand it's the same quality musicianship, if not better, than
what came out from "back in the day". If you like bands like Motorhead, Anthrax,
Chrome Division, and Black Label Society then you might just enjoy this.
www.myspace.com/ironlambofficial -
www.pulverised.net
Instruments: 5/10; Vocals: 5/10;
Production: 9/10
Overall: 6/10 J
K
KAOSKREW - "GlobalFobia" (self
released)
Style: Industrial metal
Origin: Finland
Taylor's Review: This is a catchy and aggressive industrial
metal release from Finland. On their second full length KaosKrew are utilizing
keyboards and industrial beats tastefully. Every instrument here has a
well-conceived purpose in filling out a dark and sometimes hypnotic metallic
trance. I enjoy the lead guitar work on GlobalFobia. From most of the music I
have heard in this genre the guitar takes a more rhythmic role in the music. The
more forefront utilization here is a welcome attribute for me. The vocals are
catchy and remind me occasionally of industrial-era Samael. GlobalPhobia is a
solid release in its entirety and worth your leisurely listening time.
www.kaoskrewmusic.com
www.myspace.com/kaoskrewmusic
The strong points of KaosKrew are: Strong industrail metal
with great musicianship.
The negative points of KaosKrew are: Can't think of any....
Instruments: 8/10 Vocals: 8/10 Originality: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
KENOS – “X-Torsion” (My Kingdom Music)
Style: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Italy
Steve’s Review: This band might be somewhat confused. They
describe themselves as Melodic Techno Death Metal with "American" riffing. To me
they are very melodic and they do get pretty technical at times. As far as
"American" riffing, there isn't anything resembling the weak guitar riffs from
bands like Lamb of God or As I Lay Dying. There isn't any high pitched whammy
bar wails from supposed guitar gods like Dimebag or Zakk Wylde. There are some
clean vocals but nothing that resembles any of the commercial shit our horrible
country of America likes to spew out over and over, and thank the gods for that!
What is American riffing anyway? America stole everything we have from
Scandinavia, Europe, and the U.K. What Kenos resembles is a beautifully melodic
blend of Death Metal with some technical aspects. The rhythm guitars are
sometimes fast and brutal, sometimes dark and gloomy. The lead guitars add the
essential melodies and leads that create an atmosphere that drifts from one
emotion to the other. Vocals are harsh mixture of Death grunts and Black Metal
rasps typical of most Melodic Death Metal bands. If this band inherits anything
from America it would be the occasional hardcore style vocals. The drums aren't
anything special but they do their job. Quick double bass fills, slams, hardly
any blast beats. They pretty much mimic the under par drummers from America but
you can hear that this "skins-man" has great potential. The bass guitar, like
most metal, is pretty much drowned in the mix but adds the essential low end.
This band is a good listen for fans of Melodic Death Metal. It includes
everything you would expect from a good Melodic Death band including strings,
acoustic guitars, orchestral elements, and clean vocals. Kenos is one of those
bands that can be overlooked in the vast ocean of Melodic Death Metal bands but
they easily wring out the competition. Check them out, you won't be
disappointed.
www.myspace.com/kenosband -
www.mykingdommusic.com
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 6/10; Production: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
KHARIOT - "Disymposium"
Style: Various forms of mind blowing metal.......
Origin: Australia
Heather's Review: With influences such as Mastodon, Atheist,
and Enslaved, it's gotta be good...and it is! This band impressed me from the
moment I started listening to it. There is nothing that describes them better
than a direct quote from someone from their local scene "If Atheist and Enslaved
got together, smoked a heap of crack, then had a kid, Khariot would be the
result". My thoughts exactly. This 11 track cd is full of everything we love
about our beloved metal : screams and gutturals, technical riffs, wicked solos,
mind boggling drumming, and bass riffs that blend it all together. Production
and the cd cover art were very well done, and you can tell that time and effort
was put into both. To top it off, members Michael Rule and Gavin Foo received
awards for best drummer and guitarist, respectively, at the Western Front Metal
Awards. Congrats to the both of them for a very well deserved title! Pick this
up. You will not be disappointed!
For more information, they can be found on Facebook, Myspace,
youtube, or at www.khariot.com
Production: 10/10 Originalty: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
KIJU - "Ignite the Revolt" (Serpentine
records/Controtempo produzioni)
Style: Hardcore/Metal/Thrash
Origin: Italy
Taylor's Review: Kiju has a very modern metal sound. "Ignite
The Revolt" has a vast collection of catchy choruses and aggressive music that
is very accessible and groove based. As a band they have taken time to right
memorable songs and found a production that suited the band well. On the first
release "Nothing To Play For " they stated they set out for "a mix of the
Sepultura – MachineHead musical violence and the Fear Factory’s wall of
“technological” sound" ". I think these influences are still very relevant on
"Ignite the Revolt". I have listened to the album back to back a few times and
can honestly say it is worth your money spent. This band could easily gain a
huge following if the right circumstances arise for them.
The strong points of Kiju are: A very solid and aggressive
release for those that like to bang their head to a beat.
The negative points of Kiju are: Can't think of any.....
www.kiju.it -
http://www.myspace.com/kiju
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 8/10 Originality: 6/10
Overall: 7/10
KNIGHTSTORM - "Sea of Heads" -
Broken Records
Style: Metal
Origin: Massachusetts
Heather's Review: If you blend together Iron Maiden,
Helloween, and Dio, the result is Knightstorm.This 3 piece band is an evolution
of a band called "Troll". This 12 track cd is mainly metal with a progressive
edge. The riffs, while not super heavy, are very solid. Vocals are clean with a
very Dio-like influence. My favorite track by far is the track titled "Legions".
It is full of catchy riffs, and has an in-your-face metal vibe to it. I also
loved the guitar solo on this one. The cd art is very Medieval in nature,
depicting a knight with sword in hand. Cheers to the artist on this. It caught
my attention immediately. Production on the cd was great. It is very clean, and
I love the song placement. Overall, this band is very good at what they do and I
would love to hear more of their stuff in the future. To find out more on them
go to www.knightstorm.org
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 8/10
Overall: 9.33/10
KRANKE’N’HAUS - 'Haben Sie
Schmerzen???" (self released)
Style: Metal
Origin: Padova, Italia
Taylor Review: I learn something interesting every day.
Kranke'n'Haus means hospital in German. These guys pay homage to their
influences of Motorhead, Entombed and Carcass on this six track album. They
remind me more of the latter than Carcass though. Here are three guys out to
have fun with their music. Gritty rock and roll with a little metal in there.
They spent the early 90's playing in many bands in their area and have continued
on to this current one. They are looking to play for anyone anywhere that will
have them. Another cool thing is this CDR release when popped into my computer
displays famous jazz musicians as the tracks. These guys are not redefining
anything. They are though having fun with what they do. I think that is
important. I can hear a little "Wolverine Blues" in here.
The strong points of Kranke'n'Haus are: Catchy and gritty
The negative points of Kranke'n'Haus are: ......
http://www.myspace.com/krankenhausitanoise
Instruments: 8/10 Vocals: 7/10 Originality: 5/10
Overall: 8/10 L
LAMENTS OF SILENCE – “Restart Your Mind” (My Kingdom Music)
Style – Metal
Deron’s Review - Keyboard laced metal, what would have been
called nu metal 10 years ago. Now that nu is Old, this is just another attempt
at what Fear Factory created with Obsolete in 2000. Imitation is the most
sincere form of flattery though, and you can tell they work hard at it.
http://www.myspace.com/lamentsofsilence
Originality 4/10 Production
9/10 Performance 9/10 Vocals 7/10
Overall 7/10
LAST PLAGUE - “Sex and Murder” - (Synthetic Sounds)
Style - Hardcore/Thrash
Origin - Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Rob's Review: Punk...Hardcore...Thrash...You pick. If you’ve
ever heard the Cro-Mags and, between bong hits, thought...”Hey these guys are
pretty cool....pass me the Doritos, man”, then you’ll probably like these guys.
This would favor the punk side of things a little more (see DRI) which isn’t
usually my cup of tea but I’m slowly learning to appreciate it as I get more
grey and disgruntled with life. I like the pace, aggressiveness and the metal
approach to most of the riffs. The songs have that crossover feel which appeals
more to someone like me but maybe not for the crowd that likes the rawer feel.
Vocals have that prototypical punk gravel/scream thing going on that either you
love or you hate. But overall a very old school sounding effort with a slight
modern post hardcore thing going on. Not sure after listening if LAST PLAGUE is
something that could make it back to my player or not but it has an appeal that
is catchy if you’re in the right mood. This strikes me as the type of music that
would leave a lot of blood on the mosh floor. Lots of boots flying above the
neck line. Nothing wrong with that as long as I’m not on the heel end. Take a
chance on these guys if you are at all into the old or new school hardcore
scene.
Best Track: Snake Belly
http://www.lastplague.ca -
http://www.myspace.com/lastplaguemusic
Production: 8/10, Performance: 8/10; Originality: 7/10,
Vocals: 6/10
Overall: 7.25/10
LETHAL HALO - "Process of Progress"
Style: Melodic Metal
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia
Heather's Review: Melodic metal is a hard genre to perfect,
but Lethal Halo pulls it off. Vocally, this band is very versatile, and that
alone is something to be proud of. With thrash undertones, hypnotic guitar
riffs, and melodic bass, this 10 track cd is worth listening to. What impressed
me the most about them is their ability to go outside the box. They incorporate
various technical variations and each song becomes its own masterpiece. While I
can pick up small influences of other bands at times, that is when they change
it up to something all their own. This cd is now in my personal cd case i carry
around with me. I want everyone I know to hear this band.
All lovers of metal should check this band out. It will be
worth it, I promise! For more info, they can be found on Myspace, Facebook, or
www.lethalhalo@gmail.com.
http://www.facebook.com/LethalHalo
Originality: 10/10 Production: 10/10 Vocals:
10/10
Overall: 10/10
LIS ER STILLE - "The Collibro" (VME)
Style: Progressive post rock/metal
Origin: Denmark
Taylor's Review: Wow. I enjoy the releases such as this one
that are a work to be taken as a whole. Lis Er Stille is an alternative rock
band from Denmark that has put a lot of soul into this creation. "The Collibro"
is very expressive and unique. I would put them on the same wave length as Swans
for the successful originality of it all. There are some albums that are good
and some that are great. Lis Er Stille surpasses them both into a realm that
only few reside. I highly recommend them for anyone who likes music that is just
a little bit different.
The strong points of Lis Er Stille are: Pure creative rock atmosphere.
The negative points of Lis Er Stille are: I don't own anything else by them yet.
www.myspace.com/liserstille -
www.liserstille.dk
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
LLVME-
"Fogeira de Suenos" (My Kingdom Music)
Style: Pagan Doom Metal
Origin: Spain
Taylor's review: As I am listening to this album right now
there is a melodic break in the song "Llumeiru De Fueu" that is really cool.
Llvme is a doom metal band from Spain that has very interesting song structures.
They say in their overview that fans of My Dying Bride would enjoy this. As an
avid My Dying Bride fan I can see where they can say this. Llvme incorporates
more folk influences in their sound tough that sets them apart from the
doom metal legends. The music is what you would want from a band in this genre.
It carries a dark yet melodic vibe throughout with violin, and a vocalist that
utilizes high and low screams with occasional singing/spoken word. For people
who like their music melancholic and well written you may enjoy Llvme.
The strong points of Llvme are: Musicianship, songwriting,
production, and a unique sound apart from other bands.
The weak points of Llvme are: The vocalist gets a little
crazy with the high screams.
Favorite Tracks: "Llumeiru De Fueu", "L'Allumamientu del Fueu
III", and "Orbayu de Llume"
www.myspace.com/llvmedoom -
www.facebook.com/pages/LLVME/339280752522
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals:
5/10 Originality: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
LORD AGHEROS – “Of Beauty and Sadness” (My Kingdom Music)
Style – Arcane Metal
Deron’s Review - This piece of music is quite odd in many
ways. The bio says its style is Arcane Metal. Arcane means, known or understood
by few, or obscure. Damn straight. I'm still trying to figure it out, because
its appearance suggests black metal. However, it's mainly melancholy piano
pieces, symphonic keys, and the occasional guitar riff. If John Tesh and Isahn
from Emperor were hired to do the music for a movie about ancient Egypt, this is
probably what that would sound like. Until that is you hit track 6 "The Quiet
inside the Storm" which has a chunky little black metal jam behind all of Lord's
many Tesh-ish key riffs. It's a little off time with the drum programing on
occasion,, but works in parts due to its ability to be mellow, but yet heavy if
you follow me. Violin sounds on the synth aside that is.
http://www.myspace.com/lordagheros
Originality10/10 Production
7/10 Performance 7/10 Vocals 7/10
Overall 8/10
LUNARSEA - “Route Code Selector” - (Punishment 18 Records)
Style - Black/Death
Origin - Italy
Rob's Review: LUNARSEA is a pretty decent mix of In Flames
and early Shadows Fall with a little synth thrown in. The periodic passages of
clean vocals sound almost exactly like the later while the aggressive vox are
pretty similar to Anders Frieden. But the pace overall is very Gothenburg.
Thought that sound was on its way out but apparently it is alive and well.
Overall I really like this CD. Maybe it’s because I haven’t really spun a lot of
it in my player for a while just based on getting sick of the style but it might
just be because it’s good. Go figure. But this is some very aggressive shit with
a lot of groove and melody mixed in with just straight ahead head banging, air
drumming metal and more metal. I gotta admit I’ve never heard of these guys but
they’ve been around since around 2003 pumping out two ep’s and another full
length called “Hydrodynamic Wave” back in 2006. “Route Code Selector” is the
band’s 2008 release (which tells you how much of a slackass I have been with
reviews lately) and based on the songs and production I would venture to guess
that they are heading in the right direction. These songs are definitely nothing
we haven’t heard before and like I said earlier it may be on its way out but
LUNARSEA is making sure it doesn’t go out without a fight. Nice work.
Best Track: Ashen
http://www.lunarsea.it -
http://www.myspace.com/lunarseaband
Production: 9/10; Performance: 10/10; Originality: 7/10;
Vocals: 9/10
Overall: 8.75/10 M
MECHANICAL
ORGANIC – “Disrepair Part Three-Genesis of A Germ” (Unsigned)
Style: Industrial Rock
Origin: Australia
Steve’s Review: Oh are you all in for a treat when you listen
Mechanical Organic. This EP consists of their epic single Cut Hunter Theory and
the radio edit for the same song. Cut Hunter Theory is about the history of
A.I.D.S, how fun! Over 25 minutes of Middle Eastern inspired Industrial rock
which ultimately means 25 minutes of the basically the same rhythms, guitars,
and vocals with slightly different samples that base themselves off the topic of
A.I.D.S. If the Christians are correct about Hell, I would imagine it as an
endless journey through the abyss while listening to this song over and over. If
you do decide to pick this up do yourself a favor and listen to the radio edit
of Cut Hunter Theory. It's the exact same song minus all the repetition and not
so tediously uniform. I really feel that 25:02 of Cut Hunter Theory is pointless
especially when the Radio Edit of 4:13 does it more justice. If you are looking
for a kick though, read the lyrics.
www.myspace.com/mechanicalorganic or
www.mechanicalorganic.com
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 6/10; Production: 9/10
Overall: 4.7/10
MISTWEAVER - Tales
From the Grave (Lugga Music Productions)
Style - Melodic Death
Origin - Spain
Rob's Review - MISTWEAVER is another in a long line of
melodic metal acts that are riding the road paved by such veteran acts as
Mercenary, Edge of Sanity, Dark Tranquility and like. Seems like this highway
has been tread for long enough now that it’s really starting to crack and
crumble under the wheels of the newborn followers. If you are one of the
roadside onlookers truly still interested in this specific parade of the macabre
than MISTWEAVER are the chewy dirt tarts being tossed out the half cracked dark
windows of a smoke-filled tour bus. It is every bit as good as its
contemporaries but also every bit the same. And really, What’s so wrong with
that? If that’s what they’re going for than they’ve passed with flying colors.
Who says metal always has to offer something unique to its roadside follies? In
fact, out of any music genre, metal is probably the only one that can get away
with it on a consistent basis and live to tell the tales - most of the time -
under the veil of legendary status. MISTWEAVER have used their fourth CD, “Tales
From the Grave”, to put their own dark, melodic and dramatic spin on the same
old theme and in the process could be paving a road to their own legend. Lets
see if they survive to tell the tale.
http://www.myspace.com/mistweaverband
Production: 10/10; Originality: 7/10; Instruments: 8/10;
vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8.25
MORBUS CHRON –
“Sleepers in the Rift” (Record Label)
Style: Death Metal
Origin: Sweden
Steve’s Review: The late 80's and early 90's where some of
the most exciting years in Death Metal. With the multitude of late thrash bands
and the early forefathers of death metal, this was an exciting time for extreme
metal. With bands like Death, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Sarcafago, and many more
at the forefront at that time it's hard to find a modern band that carries with
it all the classic sounds that early death metal was known for. Morbus Chron is
that band. They play Death Metal and by that I mean "Old School" Death Metal.
It's got the stoner/sludge elements, buzzsaw guitars, plenty of speedy guitar
solos, Obituary-Styled & Schuldineresque vocals, and highly punk influenced
drums. If you've read any of my reviews you've probably realized that I'm a hard
guy to please but this dished out everything I needed to satiate my fix for
classic Death Metal. The record opens with a creepy intro straight out of some
classic horror film then dashes into a sludgy guitar riff that even sounds of
classic Black Metal. The rest of the band kicks in and you know instantly that
you are listening to a blast from the past and it's finally good. One thing I
absolutely love about this record is the production. Everything breaks through
clearly but it still manages to hold that classic, almost analog, production. In
a musical age where all Death Metal bands sound exactly the same it's good to
finally hear some of that old school brutality played out with talent and pride.
I'm not saying that this band is original, or even highly talented for that
matter. What I'm saying is take a break from the metalcore bullshit, or
Technical Death Metal whose only "technique" is blast beats and mindless chuggy
dropped D riffs that a preschooler could play. With lyrical material covering
Zombies, Gore, and other horror themes you can't go wrong. Morbus Chron is a
perfect example of how the Zombified corpse of Classic Death Metal can break the
boundaries of modern sheep that play an already outdated version of this genre's
former glory.
www.myspace.com/morbuschronband
-
www.facebook.com/morbuschron
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 9/10;
Production: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
MUSTYWIG -"Knowledge of
Another Sun" (Black Fading Records)
Style: Alternative/Modern/Punk/Hardcore
Origin: Italy
Heather's Review: This one was a bit hard to classify. There
are so many different aspects that they take on. To me, it is like a heavier
Pink Floyd on even more acid, but that's just me. Some of the songs seem to
blend into another, which is good and bad. Good because it flows well and bad
because it can get a bit monotonous.The lyrics are very clean, and so are the
riffs. The vocals themselves can get a bit monotonous, but he has range when he
wants it. It would be great to hear more of that.There are no surprises with
this cd, except classifying it. Ha! It's mainly mild, but there are some heavier
riffs that changes it up a bit. The music definitely has a more modern sound
then an underground one though. I think punk and alternative fans would really
like this band.
The cd sleeve was really well done, and you can tell they put
alot of work into making it look great. Production was also done well on the cd.
If you wanna check them out, they are at
www.mustywig.net , info@mustywig.net
or www.myspace.com/mustywig
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 7/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 9/10 N
NADIR ECLIPSE -
"Frozen in a Twilight Hell"
Style: Metal/Goth/Black Metal
Origin: Connecticut
Heather's Review: This one-man band (Lord Vornskyre ) sounds
very much like
a combination of metal, black metal, and goth. And while the concept is not
un-original, the music is more hypnotic in nature than other bands that try this
style. Calming, in a gothic kind of way, if you know what I mean. One of the
songs "Deadzone" is even dedicated to Peter Steele (late vocalist of Type o
Negative). At times though, it also reminded me of Metalocalypse with an
in-your-face type of brutality There are 10 songs on this particular cd, which
seem to blend together in a way that could tell a story. Vocals are mainly
clean, with goth undertones. At times, though, they are very black metal in
nature. Guitars and bass tended to emit the majority of the black metal, while
keyboards and synthesizers promoted the goth sound. Drums were the link holding
it all together. He also has a demo EP titled "The Immaculate Abortion" for
purchase. I would recommend checking it out. For more info, check him out at
www.myspace.com/nadireclipse .
He is also on Facebook.
Originality: 7/10 Production: 10/10 Vocals:
10/ 10
Overall: 9/10
NEKROMANTHEON –
“We're Rotting” (Duplicate Records)
Style: Thrash Metal
Origin: Norway
Steve’s Review: It never ceases to surprise me how the
legendary Thrash scene refuses to die. Now here is a genre that's been beaten
down, stoned by the boulders of extreme metal, and spit upon as Nu or Re-thrash
attempts to recreate the old school aggression that this genre inspired upon the
ethos of Metal. Nekromantheon is a newer thrash band that needs recognition.
Calling upon the influences of Kreator, Slayer, Testament, and other Thrash
gods, this band plays straightforward thrash with no disappointing modernization
that Re-Thrash is known for today. Simply put, this is a demo originally
released in 2007 that plays fast Thrash that does NOT suck. A great release with
all it's headbanging glory, "We're Rotting" delivers fast drums, even faster
guitars, and vocals spewed out rhythmically recreating the oldschool feel that
gets everyone in the pit. If there is one downfall about this demo, it's the
fact that there isn't enough screaming guitar solos reminiscent of Old School
Thrash. That's my only complaint, if you would even consider it as that. So pop
this in and prepare to bang your heads!!!
www.myspace.com/nekromantheon
www.nekromantheon.com
Instruments: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10;
Production: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
NICHT – “Part 1 Catelepsy
Sinks” (Unsigned)
Style: Gothic Metal
Origin: France
Steve’s Review: Now France releases alot of weird shit. I
once saw a movie where some ugly french bitch cut a baby out of this pregnant
lady. While that film was one of the most brutal displays of torture I have ever
witnessed and honestly, it did have an emotional effect on me. Now after
listening to Nicht I have once again put myself through that emotional torture.
This is supposedly a blend of goth, doom, and black metal. I hear the goth and
doom styles but this band sounds like it blends that more with an epic Meatloaf
influence rather than Black Metal. You can tell that this music was written
extremely quickly because it while it may follow a traditional song structure
every instrument; guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards are played with a
mediocrity that is enough to drive a real musician mad. The vocals add to this
insanity by fluctuating from hardcore influences to classic rock influences. Now
don't me wrong, this isn't the worst thing I've ever heard but it is one of the
worst things I have heard in a while. I give them credit as good background
music. If you listen to this album and don't pay attention to anything it sounds
good but the minute you focus in on anything at all you realize how bad it
really is. Overall this band sounds like they wrote this album in a day, threw
in some extra crap like female vocals and synth, and then called it quits. Not
very impressive.
www.myspace.com/nichtmusic
Instruments: 6/10; Vocals: 3/10;
Production: 7/10
Overall: 5/10
NIHIL NOVI SUB
SOLE – “Jupiter Temple” (My Kingdom Music)
Style: Ambient
Origin: Holland
Steve’s Review: This music is dark, emotional, angst driven,
and beautifully composed but on thing it is not is Metal. This music is about as
Metal as Burzum's work while in prison or Mortis's "dungeon music". This music
is ambient and easily draws vivid imagery to mind. All music is created by a
Marco K. It involves voice samples, orchestral composition, weird shit like
crying, and militaristic percussion. Marco describes his music as Ambient
Martial Music and while this description is a little in depth it can definitely
be taken in to account. Nihil Novi Sub Sole is exactly that. In it's entirety
this album, "Jupiter Temple", is Ambient music with a classical touch and the
militaristic adds an even more somber mood to this. Think of it as a soundtrack
to your favorite war movie whether it be Saving Private Ryan or 300. The album
itself has excellent production so it's not like listening to a muddy, cheesy
sounding, underproduced mess by some young Norwegian "Dungeons and Dragons" fan.
Jupiter Temple is professional and offers tons of listening value. I thoroughly
enjoyed this collection of dark, vivid Ambience and I'm pretty sure that fans of
Burzum, Blut Aus Nord, Karl Sanders, and pretty much any Black Metal fan will
enjoy this too.
www.myspace.com/nihilnovisubsoleofficial
Instruments: 8/10; Composition: 9/10;
Production: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
NOTHING SACRED - “Hollywood
Striphounds” - (L.T.P. Records)
Style - Rock n' Roll
Origin - Los Angeles, CA
Darren's Review: Note: (Not to be confused with the
Australian thrash
metal eighties band.) Taking a good look at the album cover along with a
photo of the band, it was really tough not to stereotype them as eighties
wannabes, because everything screamed just exactly that. But, maybe in this case
that was bit such a bad thing. I grew up in the eighties and that is where it
all
started for me. This four track EP wasn't what I was expecting - It is some ass
kickin' rock and roll! The singer fits the band like a glove. Grit with
attitude. The tunes are uptempo, something you would like to listen to live,
while on a road cruise, or chillin' at a party. I am always a fan of four song
EP's for review - but can honestly say this time I was lookin for more. Always a
good thing. I can see how this wouldn't appeal to all, but if you like rock,
I think you have nothing to fear. Check em' out!
www.nothingsacredofficial.com
Track Highlight: Low Life
Production: 9/10 Originality: 7/10 Vocals: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
NOVA ORBIS - "Imago"
Style - Gothic/Progressive
Origin - Bogota, Columbia
Rob's Vocals - I have to admit, I was a bit of a
procrastinator getting to this disc just based on the fact that NOVA ORBIS is a
self proclaimed Gothic/Progressive band that happens to also have the ever
popular female vocals to go along with it. For me, that pretty much prematurely
groups them into the never ending list of others like them in the world that
never seem to push the envelope and evolve onward to a more original form of
this much loved Gothic sound. I was hoping to be wrong this time but
unfortunately, I am proved right once again. Admittedly, I was once extremely
into the goth thing with the initial stream of bands such as Within Temptation,
Lacuna Coil, After Forever, Amaran, Dakrua, etc. back when it was a newer idea.
But now it’s just getting a little redundant. I’ll start things off by noting,
as I usually do, that musicianship wise and talent overall is very good. These
guys would not be attempting this stuff if they were subpar at all in that area.
The production is adequate but not what it should be. This can be forgiven based
on the self released nature of this disc. Where this is lacking, aside from the
originality aspect, is in the vocal area. The main female vocals to me are a
little flat and lack emotion in most of it. Same goes for the male vocal
switch-ups which go from clean to (surprise) aggressive in parts. Just not an
overall great performance in that area, which is probably one of the more
important aspects of nailing this down. There are many people out there still
eating this up and I would never sway those in other directions. But I would say
that you need to expand your horizons a bit. And that goes for the band as well.
http://www.myspace.com/novaorbis
Production: 7/10; Originality: 4/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 4/10
Overall: 5.5 O P
PHANTOM GLUE – “Phantom Glue” (Teenage Disco Bloodbath Records)
Style: Stoner Metal/Doom Metal
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Steve’s Review: Sludgy, muddy, brown... These are some of the
words that perfectly describe Phantom Glue's music. Its stoner and doom metal to
the core with some added hardcore touches. Consisting of members & ex-members of
bands I've never heard of, Phantom Glue rocks through 7 tracks of raw "doomy"
stoner metal. Even with the sludgy distorted guitars and bass this record has
great production as everything can be easily heard and the sound of the music
itself encompasses everything stoner metal and doom metal has been about. The
riffs are slower paced with not a whole lot of technical aspects but guitarists
Matt Oates and Mike Gowell dish out enough down-tuned, distorted, and messy
melodies to accompany the rest of the band. The guitar riffs themselves aren't
very complicated and there aren’t much lead guitars here but you'll hear a
stoneriffic guitar solo every now and then. Listening to a band like this helps
you understand why they call it stoner metal. They may be a-motivational when it
comes to thrashing it out, but their music is about as fuzzy and entertaining as
a classic Cheech & Chong flick. The harsh vocals do add a different touch than
what the Ozzy impersonators from other stoner/doom bands would add. Instead of
incomprehensible howling you have harsh vocals that are highly inspired by
hardcore music. It's a nice touch adding a touch of aggression to their
"stonerism". Add to this formula hard hitting, aggressive drums and you have a
new sound that isn’t very common amongst this sub-genre. Lastly, lyrics that
make you feel stoned just reading them finish off this album that will
definitely be added to my album collection... right next to my bong
www.myspace.com/phantomglue
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals:
8/10; Production: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
PERSEIDE
- "Requiem For Sad Stories" (self released)
Style: Metal/Rock
Origin: France
Taylor's Review: This e.p. is a cross between modern metal
and rock. The guitars are heavy and quick at some points but mostly serve as a
back drop to the vocals. Musically they seem to want a catchy sound available to
a wide audience with just enough metallic edge to cater to a male audience.
Perseide have a solid six song release as a debut e.p. for a new band. The bands
only negative aspect for is the vocals which are little too "soulful" for me and
border on being a little whiny sounding. If you like your rock music with a
little metal tinge to it and a sound ready for modern rock radio airplay this
might be for you.
www.myspace.com/perseide
The strong points of Perseide are: The music is
interesting at times.
The negative points of Cognition are: The vocals take
away from the music instead of adding to it.
Instruments: 6/10 Vocals: 3/10 Originality: 6/10
Overall: 5/10
PNEUMA
– “Anomaly” (Record Label)
Style: Thrash
Origin: Costa Rica
Steve’s Review: Thrash is that style of extreme metal that
his lived a long life. It has seen many things in its age but, nonetheless, it
is an ancient style of music when compared to modern extreme metal. Thrash has
lived through the early punk influenced days to give birth to Black Metal and
Death Metal. The genre has grown and changed over the ages with key thrash acts
mellowing out to play hard rock in the 90's only to return to their roots in the
new millennium. Thrash has even had a recent burst of energy. Feeling
rejuvenated the Thrash style has produced some entirely new bands and even a new
genre called "Re-thrash", whatever the hell that is. One of these new thrash
entities is a band called Pneuma. Dishing out everything you would expect from a
Thrash band; High pitched screaming vocals, a clean yet energetic bass guitar,
spunky guitar riffs, and of course blazing guitar solos, but it doesn't stop
there. Pneuma has some tricks up their sleeves and it makes for an original
style of thrash that kept me wanting more. Take all that you know of thrash
music and add the occasional raspy vocals notorious in Black Metal bands. Throw
in some tremolo picking that was normally stolen from thrash bands instead of
worked into the mix. Add some drumming patterns and fills found in Death Metal.
Finally mix all that with what you know to be thrash and you have a modern sound
that you can actually thrash out too. I absolutely love everything about this
band. Often when I take a listen to some of my favorite thrash bands like
Testament, Exodus, and Slayer I find myself bored with that essential 80's
thrash cheesiness. I still love all those bands but their style is just so
outdated to me. I know many people will have trouble stomaching that but let's
be truthful. Thrash is over 30 years old. You know that saying "you can't teach
an old dog new tricks"? Try out Pneuma for a change you'll find out otherwise.
www.myspace.com/pneumacr
- www.pneumametal.com
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 8/10;
Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10 Q R
Style: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Canada
Heather's Review: From the time I put this cd in, till it
was over, I was thoroughly impressed. All the songs on this cd
were captivating. From songs that build and grow, to a pure melodic
instrumental interlude, to brutal songs with screaming vocals, this band
has everything and more to be a success. With majors fluctuations in mood
backed up by a group of extremely talented musicians,
I would recommend this band to every metalhead on the planet. And not only
is this band talented in music, but they have artistic taste as well.
The cd cover, drawn by artist Julie Dillon) is one of the best I have seen.
Check this band out. If you don't, you will be sorry! For more info, check
them out at
www.reaver.ca
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 9/10
Originality:
10/10
Overall: 10/10 SSARATAN - "Antireligion"
(My Kingdom Music)
Style: Death/Thrash Metal
Origin: Poland
Taylor's Review: Saratan is a death/thrash metal band from
Poland that helps carry the flag of quality music already from the region. The
instrumentation is death metal stylistically with a very current vibe to the
structure, playing and production. "Antireligion" even sees guest musicians from
other Polish acts as Decapitated, Sceptic, and Redemptor. The vocals are what
brings the thrash sound to Saratan. He reminds me a little of the Machine Head
vocalist with a very mid-range tone with a powerful delivery. This is another
great album from an area that has already given so much to the metal community.
Go buy this album.
The strong points of Saratan are: Musicianship, Production, and
an all-around enjoyable release.
The negative points of Saratan are: Nothing!
www.myspace.com/saratanband
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 8/10 Originality: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
SHATTERED HOPE -
Absence (Lugga Music Productions)
Style - Funeral Doom/Death
Origin - Athens, Greece
Rob's Review - There's something about funeral doom
that makes me feel...well...dirty. Dirty and...isolated. Like I’m in a deep hole
in the ground or something and I can’t get out. Like, for...eternity. And thats
a mighty long time, I mean to tell ya. I don’t particularly like that feeling so
I can’t even count on one middle finger how many of these bands I like. That’s
not to say bands like SHATTERED HOPE are stinking piles of utter repugnance
either (though maybe they would consider that a compliment?). There is
definitely a calling from beyond for songs of droning, gurgling, 20 beats per
minute metal marathons and I’m honestly convinced that some of this takes more
talent and concentration than most of the technical, metronome breaking speed
riffing out there based on how much patience it must take to get through these
as a musician. So they have my respect there. I just can’t seem to get through a
whole song without wanting to throw on “Equal Rights” from Nuclear Assault or
something to wake my ass up. If you like you’re metal with a side of slit wrists
this is for you. I, on the other hand, would be crawling out of my six foot hole
to where the light is and the world seems to move a little faster.
http://www.myspace.com/shatteredhopegr
Production: 9/10; Originality: 7/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.5
SHATTERED HOPE –
“Abscence” (Unsigned)
Style: Doom/Death Metal
Origin: Greece
Steve’s Review: Doom Metal is one of those genres of Metal
where the variances in style are vast and confusing. When I think of Doom Metal
I think of dark, depressing, slow, sludgy, hypnotizing metal and those are
common aspects of Doom Metal. Other bands consider Doom Metal to be closely
related to early "Proto-Metal" bands so they adopt a style similar to Black
Sabbath. Shattered Hope is a band that plays the dark and hypnotizing style of
Doom Metal. A band that describes themselves as Funeral Doom, Shattered Hope has
slow and sludgy rhythm guitars while the leads add a dark and mesmerizing
atmosphere. The keyboards accompany this with a lush and symphonic touch every
now and then. The drums aren't anything special, but I understand why Doom Metal
drummers never really have that opportunity to show off when they play at 22bpm.
Seriously though, the drums do what they are intended for and add the necessary
lethargy that Doom Metal is known for. The vocalist is what ties the Death Metal
elements together with his guttural vocals, that and the band's occasional
breakdown into a faster paced and "Opethesque" sounding Death Metal style. This
doesn't happen often but it gives a different feel to the Doom. I really like
this band but be warned. This album was an extremely difficult listen for me. I
need something fast and aggressive to truly enjoy what I'm listening to and with
Shattered Hope all you really get is sadness and suffering. That's what Doom
Metal is all about though so if that's your thing, check these guys out and try
not to be too empathetic when you listen to this music... it could lead to
sorrowful thoughts and you might find yourself crying in a dark corner.
www.myspace.com/shatteredhopegr
www.shatteredhope.gr
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10;
Production: 8/10
Overall: 7/10
SIN MG - "album sampler"
(self released)
Style: Gothic/Metal/Rock
Origin: U.S.A.
Taylor's Review: Sin MG is a two man band from Chicago bent
on bringing you the darkness. This cd is a two song sampler for an upcoming full
length album. The first track "Vampire" starts out with the vocalist in a semi
low voice singing about vampires followed by a solid hard rock background. The
second song “It's All Over" is more guitar/keyboard driven with less talk of
vampires. This track has a stronger chorus hook and I prefer this track to the
"Vampire" song. I hear a harder version of Sisters Of Mercy with Sin MG. As a
compliment they are very good at what they do. I can see how this could have a
solid fan base in some circles. Check them out if you like gothic rock. Not
really my thing right now.
The strong points of Sin MG are: Talent
The negative points of Sin MG are: A little too cheesy for me....
http://www.myspace.com/sinmoongod
Instruments: 8/10 Vocals: 7/10 Originality: 5/10
Overall: 8/10
SINS OF THE
FATHER - (self titled)
Style: Metal
Origin: Australia
Heather's Review: Apparently, Australia is the place to be.
Formed in 2005, this high energy band has done their homework. The music is very
technical, very melodic, and very addictive. Every element of this band blends
together well for a mind-melting metal experience. Dynamically, this band is one
of the better ones I have heard in a while as well. They also have an
originality that impresses me. They are not afraid to take chances in their
music, and it pays off. I would love to see this band live. Production of the cd
is flawless as is the artwork.
For more information, they can be found on Facebook, Myspace
(
www.myspace.com/sinsofthefatherau), or at
mattcorica@hotmail.com
Originality: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Production:10/10
Overall: 10/10
SLOW
INTENTIONAL DAMAGE - "....Unstoppable" (Turkey Vulture Records)
Style: Thrash/Metal
Origin: USA
Heather's Review: I love it when I get cd's that I wanna
listen to all the time. This is definitely one of them. The music has a
multitude of genres mixed into it, and I found myself looking forward to hearing
what they were going to do next. Mixtures of thrash, modern metal, and
adio-metal show off the diverse talent of this band. Combined with fast paced
guitars, technical, solid, pounding drums, and a vocalist that can hit anything
from high-pitched screams to low, death-metal like growls, Slow Intentional
Damage is one I would recommend to any fan of metal. With deep meaning (the name
refers to the slow damage we do to ourselves every day in reference to drinking,
smoking, stress, and unhealthy relationships), this band reaches out to all of
us! Production was amazing and I love the artwork. Lyrics are included in the cd
sleeve as well. Thanks to Turkey Vulture Records for bringing this band out in
the open! They are well deserving, and I can't wait to hear more! Check them out
on their current tour! More info on them can be found at
www.myspace.com/slowintentionaldamage .
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
SMOHALLA – "Resilience”
(Record Label)
Style: Avant-garde Black Metal
Origin: France
Steve’s Review: Say what you will about France, the
truth is that their Black Metal scene is turning out to be driving force in the
next generation of Black Metal. Right now is a very interesting time in the
Black Metal scene with the genre branching off in every musical direction
thought possible. The Industrial Black Metal sub-genre is ever growing and, as
its influence spreads to other Black Metal bands like a virus, French Black
Metal bands continue to produce the most original unheard of soundscapes
possible. One of those bands is Smohalla. This band borrows many elements from
the vast darkness that is Black Metal but they make them their own in every way.
Truth be told, this band is easily comparable to bands like Arcturus and Ved
Buens Ende, but be that as it may, this is unlike anything you have heard of
compared to those bands. Smohalla isn't afraid to break the so-called
"boundaries" of Black Metal and they do so by pushing these "boundaries" to new
regions. The music itself is very chaotic and busy. You will not be able to
grasp the marvelous musicianship and writing, or even the complex transitions
from part to part in one sitting. If that throws you off then you don't even
want to read on, because this band gets more complex as the disc goes on. The
guitar work on this album is intense, based more on "alien-like" leads as any
rhythm guitar work is hard to separate from the other musical layers. The
writing itself moves along as it wishes with not even a clue as to what you'll
expect next. From one movement to the other, the music tells a story that takes
deep intellect to even understand. The drum work is sporadic as the rest of the
band but does a perfect job at keeping the odd rhythms in beat. Often the drums
are accompanied or replaced by electronic drums or percussion, and believe me
when I say that it only adds to the otherworldly atmosphere. Synth accompaniment
takes this to a whole new level. Sometimes Jazzy and other times Symphonic,
you'll be bewildered as to what ground this band steps on next. This isn't your
typical, predictable Metal album, in fact it's difficult for me to even classify
it as Metal. Part of that is how the vocalist moves in and out from Grim Rasps
to Tranquil Clean Vocals, actually most of this album is sung in clean vocals.
Honestly that doesn't take away from the ambience found in most Black Metal but
if it wasn't for the buzzing tremolo guitars or the face-melting blast beats
every now and then it really wouldn't be Black Metal. The dark atmosphere and
extremely "artsy" feel of this album makes for a great listen. As France's Black
Metal scene continues to grow I find myself listening to more and more French
bands. Smohalla is definitely a band I'll be following.
www.myspace.com/smohalla
http://smohalla.free.fr/
Instruments: 9/10; Vocals: 9/10;
Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
SOLACE OF REQUIEM
- "The Great Awakening"
Style: Black Metal/Death Metal/Grind-core
Origin: Virginia
Heather's Review: This Virginia-based band is not your
typical death metal band. They use a wide variety of techniques to keep it
brutal, as well as original. This is one of the most technically-based bands I
have heard in a long time as well. With two guitars, often playing different
parts, as well as a fast to mid-tempo drum beat, combined with a dash of thrash,
they aim to please. At times the guitars are almost progressive in nature, but
it works well. Don't be alarmed though. At first the cd is somewhat chaotic, but
for them, this helps. It kept me attuned to wonder what they were going to do
next. I love the fact that they can slow it down without losing that brutality.
Vocals have that growling edge.but it is done in a way where you can still
understand all the lyrics without struggle. I would love to see the pit at one
of their shows..Hell, I would love to be in the pit at one of their shows! I
would recommend this band to any fan of death, thrash, grind, and all other
brutal music genres. It is well worth the money. You will not be disappointed.
Find out more at www.solreq.com
Originality: 10/10 Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
SORTILEGIUM –
“Unholy Land”
Style – Death/Doom
Origin – Italy
Mike’s Review – As much as I like to stick bands into categories,
Sortilegium integrates enough varieties of music into their song, that simply
calling them death/doom wouldn’t do them justice. As Tregor Malphas Russo
composes all the music for Sortilegium, he also successfully adds in some
melodic, atmospheric, gothic, and aggressive elements to create a 4-track demo
that will leave you wanting more. While this demo will primarily appeal to fans
of doom, anybody who likes music that doesn’t suck should check this band out at
www.myspace.com/sortilegium
Vocals: 8.0 Music: 9.0 Originality: 10 Production: 10
Overall: 9 out of 10
SOUND OF
DETESTATION - "Ge Fan I Vara Liv" (Grindhead Records)
Style - Post-grindcore grindcore
Origin - Sweden
Deron's Reviews - This isn't what I was expecting. In this
age of cookie cutter death/core-type bands, many of the new things I listen to
recently, aren't of the death/grind variety. To my pleasant surprise, some
interesting post-grindcore-grindcore (Ha!) shook the shit out of my speakers,
and my out of it cobweb infested brain. Reminiscent of a time when Incantaion
and Bolt Thrower pummeled their way through the early grind/death scene, both
bands possessing a blast beat entirely of their own. And much like their early
counterparts, Sweden's Sound of Detestation are not the fastest band on the
planet. They are however, a driving, sledgehammer uptempo, the kind that beats
your brain into submission, and gives a migraine after repeated listening. I
miss that feeling of having to lie down after seeing a band like this play live.
They also have a Punk/Hardcore sense about them, they way Doom and Siege did in
the early days. Sound of Detestation are a vital piece of extreme metal. A new
and original form of extreme metal, that is truly new AND original. Think of the
first time you heard Lamb of God. Did you say to yourself, "This is good metal."
or, "Wow, that's really original"? Me, I've heard that stuff from Testament and
Slayer in the 80's. Are you feelin me? Most bands follow a formula, and take
from this band and that. Sound of Detestation follows their own original
formula, and I hope they get the recognition from the extreme metal community
that they deserve.
www.myspace.com/detestationgrindcore
Originality 9/10 Production 8/10 Performance 9/10
Vocals 8/10
Overall 8.5/10
STILLNESS’ BLADE
– “Break of the Second Seal, The Eternal Damnation” (Punishment 18 Records)
Style-old school death metal
Origin-Italy
Dean’s review-The Italian label Punishment 18 Records has
done a great job lately unearthing some of the best metal bands that Italy has
produced lately. The fact that they are also not sticking to any one subgenre
within metal has proven to be both successful and encouraging. My only serious
complaint is that they do not provide any background info when supplying discs
but that can be easily remedied with a little work online so it proves to be
only a minor complaint.
Initially I was underwhelmed by the second full length by this Italian horde.
The second listen is what changed my mind and everything started to fall quickly
into place. Subsequent listens had me hooked and now I have no idea why I didn’t
“get it” the first time. After researching their back catalog and obtaining the
first album “The First Dark Chapter” I was able to track the band’s evolution
resulting with “Break of the Second Seal”
While some have called this band to task for its use of
melody interspersed with generic death metal, I will be quick in line to
disagree. The melodic parts are solely musical, bringing to mind the mighty
ghosts of Dissection. The fast parts are strongly reminiscent of Sinister but
slightly catchier. The combination works impressively and is vastly superior to
many of the death metal bands currently slugging it out in the underground.
Not perfect by any means but still a great addition to the
collection of anyone who prefers metal in the tradition of some of the great
bands that Florida produced in its heyday. Hell, even the production has an old
school feel that perfectly complements what these guys are doing. Highly
recommended for fans of old school death metal.
http://www.punishment18records.com
- www.myspace.com/stillnessblade
Vocals 8/10, Originality 7/10 Production 8/10
Overall-8/10
Hell yeah!
STOLNECKER - "Seize
The Day" (Malcavernicus Music)
Style: Death Metal, Progressive, Rock, General Awesomeness
Origin: U.S.A.
Taylor's Review: Stolnecker is an all-around amazing
band. They fit perfectly into my preferred metal sound of such bands as Opeth
and Agalloch. The first track is an epic 29:07 in length and contains many
interesting melodic hooks. This track has excellent contrasts between distorted
and clean guitars while being layered with screaming and singing vocals. This
monster of a song maintains its complex yet catchy sound throughout while
avoiding any boring sections. The next two songs still clock in on the longer
side but carry the same intensity as the first track. I am curious to see the
evolution of this band in the future and look forward to more albums by them.
Look this band up if you like great songwriting, musicianship and general
awesomeness.
The strong points of Stolnecker are: Everything
The negative points of Stolnecker are: They only have one album out that I can
see
http://www.myspace.com/stolnecker/
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
STRANGE LAND -
"Catharsis" (Self Released)
Style: Progressive Rock
Origin: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Steve’s Review: What is this stuff? Strange Land is a 3-piece
band from
Wisconsin and these guys have talent. Do they display this talent? Well,
technically they do display it but in a form that really doesn't piece the
puzzle
together. They describe themselves as Prog Rock but after a listen you tend to
hear the Prog morph into more of an Experimental blend of a variety of different
Rock styles. Catharsis starts off with a Spanish sounding acoustic then kicks
into
a political-themed "The Men Who Spent Tomorrow". The last seven tracks make
up what I'm guessing is supposed to be one story or concept and it is entitled
as Catharsis, which is really confusing since I don't know if I should disregard
the first six tracks. What I'm hearing here is a band inspired by Iron Maiden,
Queensryche, and possibly Rush, playing slowed down, weird guitar riffs with
even slower rock drum beats. There is nothing inspirational about the bass or
the vocals for that matter, but I suppose they do their job for this style. Part
V
of the Catharsis phrase, "The Malcontent", is a little heavier but pretty
boring.
It takes a lot of fried brain cells and patience to even attempt to call this
band
Metal but they rock out their style with interesting breakdowns, intros, and
outros.
They mix up a style that has been dead for a long time with catchy melodies
and different style of song writing, This band isn't really up my alley when it
comes to musical tastes but I gotta give it to them, they really aren't that
bad.
www.strange-land.com ,
www.myspace.com/slband
Vocals: 4/10; Instruments: 6/10; Production: 5/10
Overall: 5/10
SUBTERRANEAN FECAL ROOT - "Anthems Of The Antisocial Underground" (Grindhead
Records)
Style: Grind
Origin: U.S.A.
Taylor's Review: Crazy songs that last a minute and a half
about hairy asses and various other things concerning penises and vaginas. A
humorous release at times and obnoxious one at others. I suppose that is the
whole point though. They take a strong stance against the normal things that
anger stereo typical conservatives (gays, illegal aliens, social programs to
help the less fortunate). They strike me as a band that is out to be against
pretty much everything. Their bio states "Our music is the worst style we could
possibly come up with in order to separate ourselves from all the modern
faggotry that has corrupted the underground". I think they pulled it off. This
is pretty bad. I believe Subterranean Fecal Root wouldn't want me to say
anything different. They are here; take them for what they are. This band is not
for me.
The strong points of Subterranean Fecal Root are: A few
humorous parts here and there.
The negative points of Subterranean Fecal Root are: The music
www.subterraneanfecalroot.com
-
www.myspace.com/subterraneanfecalroot
Instruments: 1/10 Vocals: 3/10 Originality: 10/10 ... they are
original Overall: 2/10
SUPERCHARGER - "Handgrenade Blues" (VME)
Style: Rock
Origin: Denmark
Taylor's Review: This album was voted best Danish metal debut
at the Danish Metal Awards 2010. I wouldn't really call this metal, but it does
exist on the more aggressive side of rock. The award was definitely deserved.
They keep alive the flame that was one held by Guns and Roses by playing rock
that is fun and full of energy. Song titles such as "If You Wanna Rock", "Gotta
Get To It" and "Hell Motel" give a good idea of the direction of the band.
Supercharger utilizes piano, Hammond, and harmonica that add to the dirty rock
sound they set out to create. For a good time with some beer, beautiful women,
and rock and roll Supercharger can supply the music.
The strong points of Supercharger are: Fun and engaging rock and roll
The weak points of Supercharger are: ????
www.myspace.com/wearesupercharger
Instruments: 7/10 Vocals: 8/10 Originality: 6/10
Overall: 7/10
SYK0DE_ -
“Afewsecondsofdelusion” - (Self Release)
Style - Spastic Metal
Origin - Montreal, Canada
Darren's Review: Canada! Hail Canada! I've been saying this
for awhile, but Canada has really been doing a great job of churning out some
gemstones when it comes to metal. Syk0de_ did a great thing and released a four
track EP. Perfect to get a taste of what they have to offer the music craving
world, and reviewers like me. I love the fact starting right off the bat
heaviness, hardcore and originality jump out. Not to mention some pretty
groovin' riffage! The singer is aggressive the majority of the time, with some
clean breaks. The bass player stands out with some fantastic flying around the
fretboard, and the drummer seems to fit perfectly, complementing the rest. Just
when you feel like you know what is coming around the corner, it shifts gears.
From adding Piano, to timing changes, they have put together a winning formula.
This four track EP is a great showcase and provides a glimpse into just what
this band could be capable of.
www.sykode.com/
Production: 7/10 Originality: 9/10 Vocals: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10 T
TAKING FIRE - “Battle Plan” - (Self
Released)
Style - Metal
Origin - Colvin, CA USA
Darren's Review: Well, it has been quite some time since I
have done any reviews. But, that is neither here nor there, so time is as good
as any to jump back in. Taking Fire takes a stab at producing a well polished
rock/metal release in "Battle Plan". I must say, track one did absolutely
nothing for me. It sounded like a desperate attempt at a writing something that
would appeal to both the metal and a radio audience. I think a singer can make
or break you - and Taking Fire doesn't have it with their frontman. The riffs
are decent, the guitar solo's are above average, and by far the highlight. The
mix is good, and the finished product ends up being a subpar band with some good
solo's. I do encourage you to feel free to judge for yourself. My advice to the
band would be to get a different singer and see where that takes you - because
there is potential!
www.myspace.com/takingfireband
Production: 7/10 Originality: 4/10 Vocals: 1/10
Overall: 4/10
TEARS - "Memories of Things Unnecessary"
Style: Metal/ Progressive/ Hard Rock
Origin: Los Angeles
Heather's Review: Starting from the great cd art, both on the
cover and on the cd itself this band is impressive. The recording itself was
mastered by the same studio (Fascination Street Studios) that brought us greats
such as Paradise Lost, Katatonia, and Amon Amarth. And it shows. The first thing
I thought of when I put it into my cd player was how the vocals completely
reminded me of Iced Earth. And while the music is not as fast and shifting, it
was definitely enjoyable to listen to. They brought heart and talent, and made
it completely original. I was impressed by all the songs included on the cd. To
me, it was artistic, while keeping an emotional edge. There are faster riffs, as
well as slower ones, and all of it was there..dynamics, passion, and a purpose
as well. As stated by the band, the cd is about "raising self awareness in a
world dominated by commercialism." There is an intelligence about this band that
is well documented in the music they produce. I would recommend this cd to
everyone. No matter what genre of metal you prefer, you will not regret having
this one in your collection. To learn more find them at
contact@tearsband.com -
http://tearsband.com/
Cheers!!
Originality: 10/10 Production: 10/10 Vocals:10/10
Overall: 10/10
THE FOREST GUMP MILE HIGH
MARATHON - S/T (Some Kind of Fruit Company)
Style - Death/Grind
Long Island, NY
Rob's Review - Who are THE FOREST GUMP MILE HIGH MARATHON you
ask? It isn’t the Vivid Video version where Forest bangs Jenny in the cockpit of
a 747 on autopilot. No, only some glimpse into the lyrics of the song “I’m not a
Smart Man, But I Know What Love Is” can really start to tell the tale: “RETARD.
I MAY NOT BE A SMART MAN, BUT I KNOW WHAT LOVE IS, AND IT IS FUCKING YOUR
GIRLFRIEND IN HER FUCKING FACE” and continues...”JENNY WAS A FUCKING WHORE,
JENNY GAVE ME FUCKING HIV”. ---------Now...THAT’S entertainment! I really am
amazed they haven’t been visited by some dudes in black suits from Paramount to
bust their kneecaps. This is really some good shit. Aside from the plethora of
Gump soundbites littered throughout this six-song (and one bonus Weird Al
Yankovic song) CD, the talent level is actually not bad. A good blend of death
and grind with vocals that span from the barely audible to the inaudible shit
rooting pig gargle (my favorite). These types of bands really make my day and
are a nice break from the many out there that take themselves a little too
seriously. There is a time and place for both but for me this one is
like...well...a box of chocolates.
Oh, and FUCK JENNY...
http://www.myspace.com/gumpcore
Production: 7/10; Originality: 9/10; Instruments: 7/10;
Vocals: 6/10
Overall: 7.25
TICKET TO HELL -
"Operation: Crash Course" (My Kingdom Music)
Style: Death Metal
Origin: Mexico
Taylor's Review: This album is a one man band from Mexico
with the aid of an additional drummer. Ticket To Hell does not fall into the
subpar sound that most bands do with a single member. The feel of this release
is rooted in old school death metal. A very gritty guitar sound with an
aggressive attitude all around. "Operation: Crash Course" is a solid album and
is well worth your money. Lots of speed and craziness with a hook to dig deep
into your flesh. "Metallic Overdose" is my personal favorite song and the whole
album was on repeat through numerous listens.
The strong points of Ticket To Hell are: Everything I could want from a death
metal band.
The weak points of Ticket To Hell are: I don't think they will performing in my
home town anytime soon.
www.myspace.com/tickettohellband
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 10/10 Overall: 10/10
TSHIZABI - 3-song EP
Style – Rock/Metal
Origin – Los Angeles, CA
Mike’s Review – Only three songs on this EP but a wider range
of styles are presented on this CD. Mellow, fast, heavy, light, metal, rock.
These guys definitely like to toy with your head. After listening to the CD
quite a few times, I still have no idea whether I like them or not. I think I
would need to hear more to decide. The music is quite entertaining since it’s a
bit unpredictable and the musicians are talented. The vocals (which often
resemble scream/talking but vary at times) are OK and match the music but never
really pull me in. At face value I wouldn’t normally rate music such as this
very high. But, after exploring their website and their youtube channel, I come
to the realization that this band is out there primarily to play music, have
fun, drink beer, get girls naked, and pretty much could give a shit about what
somebody says about them in a review because no matter what, they are going to
hit the stage and do their thing anyway. To that, I raise my beer and say,
“Party on muthafuckers!” If you are playing in the area I just may stop in to
check out the live show!
http://www.tshizabi.com/ or
http://www.myspace.com/TsHiZABi
Vocals: 6 Music: 9 Production: 8
Originality: 8
Overall: 7.5 out of 10
TWO TON ANVIL
Style:Metal
Origin:Chicago, IL
Crystal's Review - On this 13 track album the lyrics are well thought through,
but I didn't care much for the softer vocals. The instruments were exceptional
and shredding; although the vocals just didn't seem to intertwine well with the
heavy Pantera style metal the rest of the band puts out. The name and
presentation of the band isn't what I would of expected to hear from a heavy
duty band who played along side bands like 5 Finger Death Punch. They are not
horrible but they are also not the greatest. I know everyone would have their
own opinion. This album just didn't sit well for me. You can check them out at:
www.myspace.com/twotonanvil
Vocals: 5/10, Instruments: 9/10, Production: 9/10
Overall: 7/10 U
UNDER EDEN – “The
Science of Self-Defeat” (Sleaszy Rider Records)
Style: Extreme Metal
Origin: Minneapolis
Steve’s Review: What happens when you mix Lamb of God
with NEW Dimmu Borgir? Well Under Eden happens. Not to say that any of those
bands suck. Dimmu Borgir has transformed from a 2nd Gen. Black Metal band to the
Symphonic Mainstream sickness they are now and Lamb of God?.. Well they're just
Lamb of God, watered down Metal from the land of the free that waters down all
our Metal. If you took the new Dimmu Borgir album and stripped it of all their
symphonic qualities what you would have is under-par riffing, piss-poor vocals,
put upon decent drumming. Now mix that with even more "chuga-chuga" riffs, even
worse vocals, and a fake Death Metal mentality and you end up with Under Eden.
I'm not completely disrespecting these guys. I can clearly hear that they are
good musicians with the potential to tear faces off. Take a listen to their lead
work, this guitarist knows what he's doing and ,besides the drummer, was the
only aspect keeping me interested in the band. The vocals are piss-poor but
that's almost expected in today’s age. Now to the drums. This guy is fully able
to pull of the technicality that this style of music requires. Double bass,
blasts, great cymbal work, and fills that keep up with some of the best, the
drums are what really kept me banging my head. By all means, this band does not
suck. Their music isn't all that interesting but they do a good job for their
genre. Maybe a little more experience will carry all the qualities that could
make this band known towards a truly awesome album... they just haven't done it
yet.
www.myspace.com/undereden -
www.under-eden.net
Instruments: 7/10; Vocals: 6/10;
Production: 7/10
Overall: 7/10 V
VOLATILE - (Self
Titled)
Style: Metal
Origin: Massachusetts, USA
Heather's Review: First impression: If you like Mercyful
Fate, you will like this band. The drums are fast, the vocals are high pitched
for the most part, and the guitars riffs are nothing short of impressive. It
does not take long to turn this one up. Although highly influenced, they also
have an originality that sets them apart, combining cleaner tone vocals with
higher pitched ones, and changing up the dynamics to incorporate differences in
each of the songs.
Although short (the cd only has 3 songs on it), it is worth
checking out. Having started as a side project in 2002, and having it's true
beginnings in 2004, Volatile has been busy creating various demos and tearing up
the scene in Boston. Production of the cd sounded good, and the cover art is
impressive as well.
For more info they can be found on Facebook, Myspace, and at
sramsdell@umassd.edu
I would definitely check them out. You will not be
disappointed!
Originality: 7/10 Production: 8/10 Vocals: 10/10
Overall: 8.3/10 W
WALL OF FUNK -
"Vital Hiatus"
Style: Funk Metal
Origin: U.S.A.
Taylor's Review: The word interesting suits this Wall OF Funk
well. The band has a unique combination of metal, funk, rock and a little
hip-hop.
"Vital Hiatus" is the first release by this three piece. It
is a solid and versatile album written to flow between all their styles well.
Musically it is fun and catchy listen written by talented people. Joseph
Marsden's vocal style brings to mind Mike Patton in some places with his smooth
singing style and rhythmic screaming. Like you would expect from funk music the
bassist is wonderful as well. The production is on the high end with a very
crisp and smooth sound.
The strong points of Wall Of Funk are:
Musicianship and being a fun listen
The negative points of Wall OF Funk are: I can see them being
so unique that they could be an acquired taste for some metal heads. But I like
it....
www.walloffunk.com
Instruments: 10/10 Vocals: 9/10 Originality: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
WARM BLOOD – “Timor
Mortis” (Punishment 18 Records)
Style-Death Metal
Origin-Italy
Dean’s review-What the hell? Judging from this batch of cds
sent to me, Punishment 18 can simply do no wrong. Artwork is top notch, layouts
are eye pleasing and include the lyrics, even the cds themselves look cool,
their flyers that advertise each album are eye catching and make me want to
check out every release. They are based in Italy and judging from what I’ve seen
so far, they feature primarily bands from their home turf. Whether this proves
to be a wise decision, only time will tell, but so far the label continues to
hit ‘em out of the park. The problem seems to be that no one is paying
attention.
Warm Blood is one of the latest acts to present their heads
upon the chopping block. A plethora of zombies and the like adorns the artwork
and is a fitting visual accompaniment to the aural musical monstrosity contained
therein. Once again originality is not the biggest concern for the band but when
the music cuts such a deadly swathe it really does seem hard to hold it against
the band. Macabre and a plethora of bands that call United Guttural home seem to
be the main comparisons here with a crisp production that elevates the band
above much of their competition. My only concern overall is sometimes the
drumming seems to lack that extra spark and comes across in spots as being dull
and lifeless
Given that the band has been around since 2002, I’m not sure
if they have what it takes to rise any higher. It’s a great cd to pull out
hanging with a bunch of friends but the aforementioned lack of originality might
impede breaking any new ground worldwide.
http://www.myspace.com/warmbloodband
Originality 6 Performance 7 Production 7
Overall 6.5
WOULD - Self Titled ( Dire
Brew Records)
Style: Metal
Origin: Colorado
Heather's Review: This 47 minute, 12 track cd is worth
checking out. They kinda reminded me of Amon Amarth. The dynamics are catchy and
the guitar riffs are addicting at times. Vocally, it is mainly clean, but with a
raw, deep edge. Nice. Most of the songs are somewhat heavy, but even the slower
ones such as "My Love" have their own catchy riffs. "Gods of War" is my personal
favorite, and one of the heavier songs on the cd. The production of the cd was
well done and I love the artwork on it as well. Lyrics are also included with
the cd, but you don't need them. There is really nothing about this band that I
didn't like. I would recommend them to all readers of our zine. If you wanna
know more you can catch them at
www.direbrew.com or
www.myspace.com/thenewfallofman
Production: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Originality: 8/10
Overall: 9.33/10 X
XESS - " We, The Great
Newrotics" (Atra Musica Records)
Style: Industrial/Punk/Metal
Origin: Lithuania
Heather's Review: From the depths of Lithuania comes Xess, a
unique combination of goth and metal fused together with punk. At first it
reminded me of Cradle of Filth, and then it became something completely
different that is difficult to label. (and i love it even more because of
that!!) The tempos are fast, while the vocals (with fantastic range) remain very
gothic in nature.The guitars are heavy and very technical, while the drums keep
a fast, heavy tempo. This was unlike many of the bands I have heard in the
metal/goth genre in that they can keep the gothic undertone while bringing on
some serious brutality.
This is their second full-length. (the first one was
self-released MCD "In Cyber Lust" in 2002 and was labeled as synthetic dance
metal!!!). The production of this cd was done to perfection. There is a quality
about it that indicates how passionate they are in achieving a quality-sounding
cd. As well as being trice confirmed as the best Lithuanian gothic/darkwave act,
Xess has constantly been active, either playing out, or recording new material.
I would recommend this band to all lovers of metal!
Originality: 10/10 Vocals: 10/10 Production:
10/10
Overall: 10/10 Z
ZEMBUS - "Squaring
the Circle"
Origin:Genova, Italy
Style:Metal, Rock, Progressive
Crystal's Review - I have to say the band Zembus is very
interesting and original. I wouldn't classify them into any one specific genre.
Their music is relaxing, melodic and sort of ballad inspired. They even have
electronica style beats and moods throughout. Some of the sounds mixed in could
contribute to likes of bands as Nightwish, Muse, Iron Maiden and Queen. Squaring
the Circle would be a great album to zone out and chill to. Each track is
different and extremely creative. I would love to see more bands with this kind
of talent. www.myspace.com/zembus
Vocals: 10/10, Instruments: 9/10, Production: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
All the older reviews for Adrenalin can be
found on the following pages by using our
SEARCH function:
For reviews posted from
-- Reviews from 2009 go
HERE
-- Issue #13 go
HERE
-- Issue #11 go
HERE
--
March 2006 to November 2006 go
HERE
-- January 2005 to March 2006 go
HERE
-- March 7, 2003 to December 17, 2004 go
HERE
-- January 31, 2003 to March 1, 2004 go
HERE
-- prior to January 31, 2003 go
HERE
CD Submission:
We review almost all the CD's we receive and we will review them in the order in which we receive them
(or as close as possible). Check out the list of CD's
to review to see what CD's we have lined up. If you would like to submit a CD or demo for
review send it (along with a bio) to:
ADRENALIN METAL UNION
PO Box 296
Waunakee, WI 53597
USA
Don't send us a CD unless you are willing to deal with what we say (either good
or bad). Sending us an email to say you don't agree with what we wrote is pretty
much pointless (but I will read it anyway).
