INFLICTION – “The
Silencer” (Cruz del Sur Music)
Style – a melting-pot of Metal
Origin – Italy
Mike’s Review – This metal project, fronted by vocalist,
Bjoern Goosses (Night In Gales), takes a lot of twist and turn throughout the
album. This is one band that truly adds a little bit of everything to their mix.
From melodic death to heavy metal, gothic rock, and classical metal, you just
don’t know what to expect from one track to the next. Overall, the album is a
pleasure to listen to and is one of the few CD’s that I have reviewed that
deserves a perfect score for originality. Whether you like this band or not will
obviously depend on your opinion on the styles of music they mesh into their
music. Regardless, it is refreshing to hear a band that is successful at
creating the music that they feel inside their body instead of playing to the
genre label that they give themselves.
www.infliction.it
SATHANAS - "Entering the Diabolic Trinity" (Pulverized
Records)
Style - Black Metal
Origin - Pennsylvania, USA
Jeremy's Review - As the cover of this disc would suggest,
Sathanas' Diabolic Trinity portrays a dark journey into the abyssal realms of
death and torment. The visage of howling wolves encircling the mountain passes
of a nightmarish chasm that looks over the pits of hell definitely adds to the
cold atmosphere that makes up the ripping sound that is Sathanas. In fact, the
fantastic art was created by none other than Juanjo Castellano (Emperor's
Nightside Eclipse and Dark Funeral's Secrets of the Black Arts). Trinity is the
tenth installment of these black metallers, who have managed to stay strong
after numerous lineup and label changes over the years.
After the despairing acoustic intro (Carpe Noctum) begins to
close, you are immediately pulled into their realm of Satanic destruction. In
just one listen, it becomes clear that Sathanas digs deep into the roots of
old-school thrash riffing. Melded with status-quo blast beats and atmospheric
guitar harmonies, Trinity should draw fans of many of metal's "sub-genres",
including modern black metallers (hopefully those BM idealists won't be too
critical of this release). High-pitched BM screaming combined with the
interchanging of metal styles deliver a pummeling barrage of blackened rhythms
that never lets up throughout the album's nine blistering tracks. Those who are
new to the sound of Sathanas should definitely give it a listen, while anyone
familiar with their earlier work might not find anything too "new" in the mix,
but definitely worth hearing.
Lyrically, Sathanas don't offer up anything ingenious within
the tired cliche of "be as evil as you can be." However, what they do well is
play extreme metal. Without being saturated in layers of corpse paint or typical
keyboard symphonies, they are able to showcase the brutal force of their
instruments. The album has a nice, solid production and the vocals, guitar and
bass are balanced quite nicely. Drums sound tight, but during blast beats they
kind of get muffled out a bit. Otherwise, this is a good-sounding record and the
new label seems to show lots of promise for the band.
www.sathanas.net
Originality: 7/10 Production: 9/10 Performance: 9/10
Overall: 8/10 A good improvement over early work and sound; a good mix of old-school thrash
and black metal.
SUNN o))) – “Black 1” (Southern Lord Records)
Style – Low-end Experimental Noise
Origin - ?
Mike’s Review – Their last two albums, “White 1” and “White
2”, now seem to be just teasers to what you will find on this release. With the
help of some special guests, SunnO))) takes your experience of sub-sonic
expressions and subconscious emotions and stretches it to the next level.
Without quoting everything on the album’s promo sleeve, I don’t think I could
possibly describe exactly what you will find on this CD. 7 tracks ranging in
length from 2 minutes to 16 minutes of low experimental noise. For some, this is
a masterpiece in disguise. While for others, it may be just plain old noise.
Don’t get this CD if you are looking for something to mosh or headbang to. This
project is something to check out if you are looking to make that big dark void
in your life even bigger (at least while you are listening to this disc).
www.southernlord.com
Overall: UNRATED (you’ll have to figure this one out for yourself)
TAKEN – “Between Two Unseens” (Goodfellow Records)
Style – Hardcore
Origin – California, USA
Mike’s Review – Another hardcore screamo band. I don’t hate
the genre. I used to love it, but it feels like the genre has reached it limit
of expansion. There are still some greats and originals out there (such as
Blessing The Hogs), but a lot of the newer stuff seems like a regurgitation of
the previous acts. It is cool that the band started out Punk and wanted to go
heavier. Hopefully Taken will progress and take their music one step further on
the next release. Perhaps I should check out earlier material. This one is not
for me. I’d give you their website address, but when I punched it into Internet
Explorer, I was lead to a porn site. Hours later, I decided that it wasn’t their
website. You can find more information about Taken by checking out their record
label’s site (several excellent bands you will find).
www.goodfellowrecords.com
VILE – “The New Age Of Chaos” (Unique Leader Records)
Style – Brutal Death
Origin – California, USA
Mike’s Review – Ah yes, good ol’ brutal death metal. There
are a lot of hybrids out there that make me think the pioneers who work so hard
at perfecting the art of death metal have wasted their time. As I hear bands
that have meshed death metal with genres such as ska, rap, and nu-metal and come
up with something completely horrible, I look forward to hearing bands like Vile
who stick to their roots and etch their own chapter into a history of great
death metal bands. With “The New Age Of Chaos”, the bands third release, these
musicians continue to tighten up their own personal style of chaos. Most of Juan
Urteaga’s vocals are of the “guttural” style but the mix of styles he uses is
very powerful and fit well with the rest of the music. The drums – great, mixes
things up, not a constant drum blast through every song. The bass – works well
with the music and actually be heard in the mix. The guitars – one of the
highlights of this album for me. I openly welcomed every guitar solo that Colin
Davis threw at me on this album. As with the vocals, the change of riffs fit
well with the mood of the music. So, check these guys out at
www.vilestench.com or
www.myspace.com/vile
WIDOW – “On Fire” (Cruz del Sur Music)
Style – Power Metal
Origin – North Carolina, USA
Mike’s Review – Every since I started reviewing CD’s, power
metal bands have been a definite hit or miss for me. Since I am not a huge fan
of the genre, most of the stuff I received was slammed down onto my “miss” pile.
Then Rob and Dean enter into Adrenalin’s picture. They are both big power metal
fans who are willing to review any power metal album that is sent their way.
Therefore, my reviews of this style have been limited the last year or so. Not
this time though. I am pleased that this release remains in my possession. While
this may not be considered pure power metal to most or an exact replica of Iron
Maiden as some may crave, I consider this to be a very solid release and a great
sophomore album for this female-fronted band. The black-metalish vocals of
Christof (lead guitars) that alternate with Lili’s clean female vocals made me
second-guess my desire to listen to the rest of the album at first. However, the
combination of the two was quickly accepted by my brain as my body continued to
feel the adrenaline created by the old-school dueling guitars and drum beats
through this album several times through. Let me add though that Christof isn’t
the only member whose vocals alternate with Lili’s. John E. (guitars) adds some
clean male vocals periodically throughout their tunes as well to add even more
depth. Perhaps that is what allowed me to see past my initial cringe.
Nonetheless, I recommend checking out this disc. They released an album before
this that seems to be equally as good (minus the female vocals) in case you are
interested. www.burning-village.com
KRATORNAS – “Subterranean Sodomies” (Ordealis
Records)
Style - Black/death metal
Origin - Philippines
Dean’s review-Raw as fuck black metal with a couple of nods
to old school death metal here and there. My tolerance for bad production has
grown considerably in the last 6 months where before I would have ripped this
apart but now I’ve got to grudgingly admit the shitty production actually works
in the band’s favor. Hatred drips from every pore and disgust from every note.
Anyone looking for an excuse to go on a killing spree need look no further
because this would be the perfect soundtrack. Fans of Sarcofago and Bathory
should eat this shit up like a cannibal in Jonestown after the big kool aid
party.
The band lists
http://kratornas.cjb.net as their site but when I tried to check it out I
was informed the page no longer exists so if you want to get your hands on it,
try their label.
Production: 1 (realistically) but 7 for the style of
music Performance: 6 Atmosphere/Attitude: 8 Overall: 6 (out of 10)
SOS – “A Guide to Better Living” (Indy)
Style - Crossover/Metal
Origin - USA
Dean’s review-Elements of metal, punk, hardcore and even a
little bit of emo by way of clean not quite in key vocals are combined to make
this a decent effort by this band hailing from New York. Bands that sprung to
mind were DRI, AFI, Anti Flag, Suicidal, and even early Metallica tossed into a
blender which results in not only one hell of a bloody mess but also some pretty
cool tunes that whip by in a blur. 17 tunes were thrown on this thing and even
after the 5th listen I didn’t find myself reaching for the skip button. That
alone is saying something. The production is also suitably dirty for this style
of music. As of this writing it seems the band is looking for a drummer so go
check them out and hell, if bashing shit is your thing, give em a buzz. They can
be found at http://www.sosnyc.com.
Production: 6 Performance: 7 Overall: 7 (out of 10)
VIRUS CRAWL – “Of the Same” (Indy) Style - Punkish hard rock
Origin - Australia
Dean’s review - What do you call an anorexic chick with a
yeast infection? A quarter pounder with cheese! Kind of sick eh? Well that’s not
as sick as calling these guys a metal band. Upon seeing their name I expected a
death metal, grind or industrial band, instead this outfit plays a brand of hard
rock loaded with punk attitude. The funny thing is this isn’t that far removed
from what some of the LA Sunset Strip bands were playing in the early 90’s such
as Love/Hate,LA Guns, or Junkyard. The fact that lead vocalist Dave is a dead
ringer for Love/Hate’s Jizzy Pearl doesn’t do much to distance them from this
impression either. The production and packaging are both top notch but this EP’s
three and half cuts kind of zip by so if you like the aforementioned kind of
music do yourself a favor and give it a listen, but I wouldn’t suggest paying
too much for it. However if the thought of those bands send you retching I’d
give this a wide berth. More info and tunes can be obtained at
www.viruscrawl.com. Cheers.
Originality: 6 Production: 8 Performance: 7
Overall: 7 (out of 10) Nothing groundbreaking but cool enough if you like this kind of music.
REVIEWS
POSTED ON February 10, 2006
HIGH ON FIRE - "Blessed Black Wings" (Relapse) Style-
Origin: USA (CA)
Darren's Review: So many fans have come to me asking what I
thought of High On Fire. All I could reply with was a shrug of my shoulders. I
kept hearing the buzz about them, people talking at shows, posts on
blabbermouth... etc, etc. I got a hold of their latest release "Blessed Black
Wings" and finally saw what I was missing! How could this have happened? How
could this one slipped under my radar? I don't know, all that matters is I have
discovered them now! Former Sleep member Matt Pike, along with Des Kensel formed
HOF back in the late 90's. They signed with Man's Ruin and enjoyed moderate
success and generated and underground fan base. A few releases, many shows and
some years later, Joe Preston (Melvins) is added, replacing George Rice. This
move completes the mighty High on Fire.
Deviloution is the opening track and starts thing off right. Uptempo and
heeeeavyyyy!!! Track #2, "The Face of Oblivion", is one of the best songs I have
heard in a long, long time, ever so groovy. Track #3, "Brother In the Wind" is
the only track I could give or take. Track 4 "Commeth Down Hessian" is equally
as inspirational as "Face of Oblivion". Tracks 5 & 6, the title track and
"Anointing of Seer" are strong, with "To Cross the Bridge", "Silver Black", and
"Sons of Thunder" (Instrumental) polishing off one of the best releases of 2005.
I get the feeling this band doesn't give a fuck about anything, and just tells
it like it is through their music. Sound recording is solid as can be. These
songs are monstrously heavy without the slightest hint of boredom. What a
powerful release! I would guess most of you already have heard of H.O.F. and are
proud owners of Blessed Black Wings, but if you are not, DO SO IMMEDIATELY!! It
is albums like these that make my job so fulfilling.
www.highonfire.net ;
www.relapserecords.com ;
www.myspace.com/highonfireslays
Track Highlights: Deviloution, The Face of Oblivion, Commeth Down Hessian,
Blessed Black Wings, To Cross The Bridge, Sons of Thunder
MASTIC SCUM – “Mind” (Cudgel Agency)
Style – Death Metal
Origin – Austria
Mike’s Review – This is some nice crunchy straight-forward
death metal. This is their second release since getting signed to Cudgel Agency
and third full-length overall. I reviewed their last album, “Scar”, back in
January 2003. I liked them then and they are even better now. With the use of
some samples in between tracks, intense guitar riffs, dominating bass riffs,
blasting drums, and pissed off growling vocals, Mastic Scum, turns this album
into a nice evil treat. Not much else to say. Go check out some mps and video on
their site, www.masticscum.com.
STEREOTACTIC- "The Dawning" (Avebury Records) Style - Whiny Emo Screamo
Darren's Review: Not too much good to report here, with the
exception of the sound recording and the mix. I am sure the typical 12 year old
would probably consider these guys appealing, I however don't. Too much "whiny,
poor me" feel to it. If you were to take the vocals out, it would be somewhat
appealing. The album contains a moderate rock/punk feel. But the vocals fuckin
blow. For emo/screamo fans out there, check them out.
www.stereotacticmusic.com
Overall:2 (out of 10)
REVIEWS
POSTED ON January 19, 2006
ANTIGAMA – “Zeroland” (Selfmade God Records)
Style – Grind
Origin: Warsaw, Poland
Mike’s Review – This is definitely some chaotic crazy grind on this album.
The well-organized insanity is a display of well-crafted grind riffs and drums
blasts. Their tightness and unique edge that they give to their music sets
themselves apart from the average grind band and sends your mind into some
messed up universe. Their last album, “Discomfort”, was also reviewed on the
pages of Adrenalin ‘Zine by a former reviewer and received praise for their
style. The songs on this album are even one step up from that yet. They are
almost more of an artistic noise style rather than pure grind. It is definitely
a killer blend that will keep be listening and awaiting their next album. And if
their music doesn’t satisfy your desire for a little brain damage, check out
their last track on the CD. It is over a 9-minute collage of TV/radio samples
overlapping and spliced together that creates a vortex of twisted mezmorization.
www.antigama.prv.pl
IMAGINERY - "Long Lost Pride" - Lion Music
STYLE: Power Metal
ORIGIN: Sweden
ROB'S REVIEW: For a band with such an ordinary name they sure kick you in the
nuts with some unbelievable power metal. I really liked this whole cd. There's
really not a bad song on the disc and that's pretty hard to come by these days.
In general this is pretty typical power metal but it has a certain quality to it
that makes it stand out: (gasp!) good songs. It all starts with the guitar
playing of one of my soon to be favorite guitarists, Bob Katsionis. Very tight,
creative riffs reminiscent of some of the things Jørn Viggo Lofstad has done in
Pagan's Mind and on the last two solo efforts by Jorn Lande. The rhythms and
melodies make every song like a new Christmas present from the metal gods.
Nothing over the top vocally either. Just good raw mid range wailing That remind
me a little of Mark Boals from "Trilogy" era Yngwie Malmsteen or Mats Levin from
At Vance (great band, by the way). The only minor complaint I have is the volume
(or lack of) of the solos. If they were cranked up to the volume of the vocals
in the mix they would be perfect. Overall a pretty special bunch of songs that
should propel these fellas into the next tier of talked about power metal bands.
http://bobkatsionis.tripod.com/imaginery/
TORBEN ENEVOLDSEN - "Flying Solo" - Lion Music
STYLE - Instrumental rock/metal
ORIGIN: Denmark
ROBS REVIEW - Torben Enevoldsen is another in a long line of virtuoso
guitarists out there pumping out an album once in a while full of instrumental
guitar wizardry. To some people they might all sound the same but there are
certain qualities that make them stand out. The main one being some good melody.
A whole album of pure shredding gets old real fast so it has to have those
breaks in the songs that make you feel like your driving with the top down along
the pacific coast on a hot summer day without a care in the world. Gary Hoey is
the master of this kind of mood in his songs but Torben Enevoldsen is not that
far behind. Great hooks and melody coupled with some chunky, almost overly
distorted, rhythms make this a surprisingly good listen. And I even made it
through the whole CD without any "incidents". Good stuff from a guitar dude
whose been around the block a few times to know what's good. You can check out
more of his material plus find out who else he's teamed up with in the past
(there's many) on his website:
www.torbenenevoldsen.com
UNCHAINED - "S/T" -Sound Riot Records
STYLE: Power Metal
ORIGIN: Sweden
ROBS REVIEW: These guys sound really familiar to me. Not that that's a bad
thing because if your going to sound like someone it might as well be Iron
Maiden or Steel Prophet like UNCHAINED certainly does. If you like your metal
with a heavy dose of the Maiden-esque dual guitar melody extravaganza this is
your one way ticket to utopia my friends. Even the vocals of Per Karlsson tend
to tread the hallowed waters of one Bruce Dickenson that, although impressive,
is a somewhat weaker delivery in that department. All that aside the
performances on this CD are good enough to make Unchained a household name in
time. The arrangements are pretty damn impressive in the technical aspect
without veering off into some pompous attempt at prog metal. Overall a pretty
good professional sounding piece of Melodic Power Metal from a country that
seems to do no wrong lately exporting some quality metal. Feast your suffering
ears upon them.... www.unchained.se
VIRUS - "Sick of Lies" (Lion Music)
STYLE: Hard Rock/Alt Rock
ORIGIN: Germany
ROBS REVIEW: This band gave me a little hope at first with its simplified
grungy guitar feel and half-way decent raspy German-accented vocals but to be
honest by the third song I was ready to send it through the woodchipper a la
Fargo. Somewhere in the middle of song two ("For My Sun") Virus took a wrong
turn down the dead end dirt road that is Alternative Rock and crushed my tiny
glimpse of hope into a million disastrous pieces. Basically, once you've heard
one song you've heard them all. They're just different variations on the same
theme of boringness. Think Nickleback with a slightly more annoying quality to
them and you'll have Virus. In fact, now that I think of it, Virus is a perfect
moniker for this music as it is slowly...and ferociously...attacking brain
cells...and... rendering me... un...able...to.........tipe.....enything....goode...abowt......them...
Pleese help....
www.lionmusic.com/artists/virus.htm
PARABELLUM - "Stainless" (New South Metal Records)
Style - Doom
Origin: USA (FL)
Darren's Review: Rising from the deep south hails Parabellum. Formed in 1995
by Todd the viking, Parabellum has enjoyed moderate success. Career highlights
include selling out of their demo's, opening for Soilent Green, Crowbar,
Goatwhore among many others, and a giant list of live shows. It is very cool to
see that Keith Falgout produced this release. Keith produced an album that came
out in 1996 "Paegan Terrorism Tactics" by Acid Bath that I still can't get
enough of! Stainless hits you hard, and continues for over an hour till its
finish. Harsh heavy vocals and crunching mid-tempo's give way to clean vocals
and a slower pace, keeping the listener from getting bored. Sound recording is
professional, as is the mix. Being a giant fan of Down, Acid Bath, Sofa King
Killer, and many others that fit the "doom" metal category, I am taking a liking
to Parabellum. I feel there is room for improvement, and their next release
should indeed prove my point. Catch them live if you get a chance and tell me
all about it! www.swampmetal.com
VOLBEAT - "The Strength/The Sound/The Songs (Rebel Monster
Records (Mascot Records)
Style - Harmonic Metal
Origin: Denmark
Darren's Review: Volbeat instantly reminded me of Life Of Agony's "River
Runs Red". Not so much musically, but definitely in the vocal department. I also
detect a hint of Sully from Godsmack. As I gave it more time, I realized that
they did indeed own their own sound. I have listened to this album more than any
other album I have reviewed. I can't get away from it! The guitars sound so
fuckin good. Denmark has certainly released its fair share of decent bands
lately! Volbeat is no exception to this rule. Clean, hypnotic vocals overlayed
with heavy ass guitars all wrapped up with top notch production and engineering,
spiked with a hint of 60's style music. In November of 2005, Volbeat captured
the best debut album at the Danish Metal Music Award Show. This album has made
it to my permanent collection, I suggest you do the same!
www.volbeat.dk
Track Highlights: Caroline Leaving, Always with You, Soulweeper, Danny & Lucy
(11PM), Caroline #1, Healing Subconsciously
ZABURON - "Sic Bellum Incipit" (Independant)
Style - Hardcore Metal
Origin: Italy
Darren's Review: Zaburon packs a punch, a big one. Deep
vocals mix with hardcore rhythms and blast beats make up Sic Bellum Incipit.
Zaburon acknowledges groups such as Sodom, Kreator, Suffocation, and Morbid
Angel as major influences. I can hear some Cannibal Corpse as well. The vocals
are a bit too much for me. I prefer vocals on the lower end of the spectrum, but
this is a little too low. Guitars, percussion, bass and mix are all decent. I
like that the music seems to take you on a journey by avoiding cliches. All in
all an OK metal release. For those of you who really dig the extremely low
vocals, give it a shot. As of December of 2005, they have replaced their singer,
something to keep in mind. www.zaburon.com
CARPATHIA - "Demo (5 tracks)" (Independant)
Style - Heavy Metal
Origin: UK
Darren's Review: Wow. I wish I would have discovered these guys in high
school! That describes the time in my life when I would have enjoyed Carpathia
the most. Very reminiscent of Sepultura and Metallica. Straight forward metal
riffs and chugs, heavy vox, thrashing beats. For a demo, the sound quality is
pretty good. I do feel although they are good, they don't offer much
originality. And in today's scene, that is what is needed to succeed.
Regardless, the demo is decent and a professional release would be even better.
Great for all of you Sepultura fans (The Max era). Keep a watch out for them, I
bet they can tear it up live.
(No website given)
DARK HAVEN – “Your Darkest Hour” EP
Style – Melodic Death / Hardcore
Origin – Temecula, CA USA
Mike’s Review – Screamo vocals mixed with harmonic clean vocals. Swedish
metal sound with keyboards to enhance your listening pleasure. Originality
didn’t appear to be a high point for this band at first. After a couple listens,
I began to feel their sound though. The overall sound is
one that is well listened to by many metal fans. Several factors that are in Dark Haven’s favor are that 1.) this is the bands first album 2.) the album
sounds professionally mastered and 3.) total originality is nearly impossible to
produce these days as metal continues to expand and lift itself from the
underground. Bands with this kind of energy and brutality will kick the shit out
of any nu-metal or alternative band in just about any band competition out
there. Yes, there are bands out there that sound similar (Killswitch Engage, As
I Lay Dying, Soilwork) but this band is in its beginning stages and has already
successfully produced a sound that took others much longer to create. The
potential for this band is huge. Overall, good sound, good CD, could use a
little more originality, but definitely worth checking out. You can check them out at
www.darkhavenmusic.com
WITHERED – “Memento Mori” (Lifeforce Records)
Style – Death Metal
Origin – Atlanta, GA USA
Mike’s Review – Withered was formed in 2003 by Chris Freeman and Mike
Thompson (founding members of Social Infestation). This is an impressive album.
I haven’t heard very many bands with an old-school death sound like this since I
first started listening to metal in the early 90’s. Many have tried, but not
many have impressed me. The base of their sound reminds me of mix of early Edge
Of Sanity, Emtombed, and Paradise Lost albums. Add in some occasional thrashy
grindcore and some sludgy doom with some old-school death growling and you have
the creation of Withered’s 2nd release, “Memento Mori”. I look forward to their
next release in hopes that they will not only stick with this similar sound, but
improve on their rare ability to blend the old with the new. Great stuff!
www.withered.net
A FAREWELL FIRE - "The Thin Line Between" - (Self Released)
STYLE: Alt Metal
ORIGIN: USA
ROB'S REVIEW: A FAREWELL FIRE is some really commercial sounding, radio
friendly borderline Nu-Metal crush from New York that I just about talked myself
into hating until I took the novel approach of actually LISTENING to what they
were doing. They must be doing something special because I couldn't turn it off
and that's a first for me seeing as these guys will probably end up on MTV (or
something that actually plays videos) someday. Flawless production, a great
rhythm section with a drum and bass display that really clicks well together,
nice melodic guitar runs, run of the mill vocals but with a very effective
melodic approach; you'd never believe these guys weren't signed. Plus there's
even - GASP! - a guitar solo sighting! Something you never hear on the radio
anymore. That reason alone might bring me out to the CD release party. Think
Soil mixed with a better (much better) version of Staind. But not enough Staind
where I'd have to take it out and smash it in a million pieces. Nice job fellas!
www.afarewellfire.com
GAIA EPICUS - "Symphony of Glory" - (Sound Riot Records)
STYLE: Power Metal
ORIGIN: Norway
ROBS REVIEW: Power Metal, like every other genre, gets way oversaturated
with hundreds of bands playing exactly the same infinite double bass runs, and
repeated appegio sweeps over harmonic minor scales. Then every 25 bands or so
you'll get a Symphony X, Angra or Pagan's Mind that completely blows you away
and restores your faith. GAIA EPICUS is not one of those bands. Not to say
they're not good at what they do, there just lumped into the hundreds of others
that do the same thing. What hurts them the most though are the vocals of Thomas
Christian Hanson. He definitely needs a little more passion and majesty in his
voice to hold up his end in what is a very accomplished and overly talented
band. Not to mention the lyrics are a bit pedestrian for my tastes. The more you
listen to this CD the more you realize all the songs sort of sound the same and
when you throw in the vocal deficiencies it cries out to be sacrificed like a
dragon under the sword excaliber. check them out for yourself at
www.gaia-epicus.com and if you
totally disagree send your hate mail to
dean@adrenalinfanzine.com
HE WHO CORRUPTS - "The Smell of Money" - (Eugenics Record
Label)
STYLE: Hardcore/Grind
ORIGIN: Chicago
ROBS REVIEW: Ever listen to a CD that you didn't necessarily think was that
good but the packaging kicked ass so somehow that made it better? Maybe that's
just me. Well anyway, that's the case with HE WHO CORRUPTS. This is a five song
EP of technically sound and surprisingly diverse Grind that packs wholluping
fists of furious power into songs no longer than 1:56. I'm not usually a fan of
Grind for the most part but this is kind of cool even with the screamy vocals,
which always get old after a while, but the songs are short enough and full of
good strong musical breaks and change-ups to force me to put up with it. So, if
the packaging really made this better than so be it. Color me a grind fan just
this once. www.hewhocorrupts.com
- www.eugenicsrecordlabel.com
SATYRA - "Una Giornata Con I Lego" - (Self Released)
STYLE: Hardcore/Grind
ORIGIN: Italy?
ROBS REVIEW: This is one of those CD's where you physically have to force
yourself to sit through it to find anything positive to say. Now, I'm sure these
fellas mean well and genuinely believe in what they do but this just does
nothing for me. If I had to pick a positive its that it kind of sounds nostalgic
to me. Nostalgic in a way that brings me back to my first days in a band when we
would actually play with another band that was worse than us. It was hard to do
back then. I can see the band playing to about 30 people and hearing nothing but
screaching bar stools, clanking glasses and the occasional bleep of an
electronic dart board between songs. Maybe a clap or two from one of the guys'
girlfriends. This is mostly non descript garage metal sung totally in Italian
(I'm assuming) with fairly uninteresting and simplistic musicanship. Good for
getting together with your buddies with some beers and bongs in a dark, damp,
brick enclosed practice spot that smells of piss in the dark corners of the
room... but not good purely for listening enjoyment. Stop it, I cant take it
anymore...you listen to it. www.satyra.it
TEXAS IS ON FIRE - "Shine, Set, Repeat" - (Crash Records)
STYLE: Metalcore/Death Metal
ORIGIN: Denver, Colorado
ROBS REVIEW: I first listened to this CD while eating sausage and kraut in a
Wal-Mart parking lot where after my lunch I would wander into the rapist of
small businesses and fetch a god damned cookie press for my sister-in-law, and I
got to thinking...Do I like this CD so much because it's taking my mind off the
dreaded task I was sent to fulfill or is the damn thing just that good. Trust
me, it's that good. As soon as the first riffs of "Tomahawk!" start kicking my
ass I feel the strange sensation of a Cannibal Corpse flashback. The melody runs
and phrasings are a dead ringer for the gore metalers right down to the
strategically placed artificial harmonics. Then the vocals come in. I was
thoroughly expecting some low gutteral delivery and was slapped in the face with
a high pitch metalcore scream. Definitely not what I wanted to hear but it
really doesn't seem to ruin it too much. It's definitely the weak point though
in my eyes. For the most part though, this CD really blew me away. Especially
after seeing the band photo and discovering that none of them look a year over
14 and with really bad haircuts at that. Don't let the picture fool you. They
may look 14 but they play like they're 30.
www.texasisonfire.com
DROIDS ATTACK - "All Your Chicks Belong To Us" (Crustacean
Records)
Short Description - Alt Rock
Origin: USA (WI)
Darren's Review: Droids Attack hit you with upbeat tempos and
punk rock attitude. This 3 piece from Madison released this album in 2004. The
initial reaction was so/so, and after the 4th listen, I can't get give it much
more than that. They flirt a little with the rap metal thing, and the singer is
sub par at best. Too much gloating "look at me" lyrics and not enough when it
comes to the basics. Maybe decent live, but I would pass on the disc.
www.crustaceanrecords.com ;
www.droidsattack.com
EXCALION – “Primal Exhale” (Sound Riot
Records)
Style - Symphonic power metal
Origin - Finland
Dean’s Review - Well, so far this is the 2nd Sound Riot
release I’ve had the pleasure of hearing so far and if the rest of the label’s
releases are this good, it probably won’t be long before the label becomes much
better known. Excalion’s brand of metal isn’t reinventing the wheel but it is
definitely a pleasure to listen to. In several spots I was almost reminded of a
heavier, less commercial TNT, while other spots bring to mind Stratovarius and
Adagio. Jaarmo Paakkonen’s vocals propel the band over many of their
contemporaries and if this band can get some decent exposure, these guys have a
bright future ahead of them. Highly recommended for power/prog freaks. Check out
the band at www.excalion.com and/or their
label at www.soundriotrecords.com.
Originality 7 Performance 9 Overall 8.5 (more killer
power metal)
FIREBALL MINISTRY - "Their Rock is Not Our
Rock" (Liquor and Poker Music) Style
- Full Throttle Rock and Roll
Origin:
USA
Darren's
Review: This is the second release from Fireball Ministry I have been able to
check out. I really dig their previous release (The Second Great Awakening), and
just listened to it (for the 100th time!) the other day. Emerging in the late
90's, and now releasing their 3rd full length, Fireball has had time to grow and
revolve into a rock and roll powerhouse. I was able to catch them live in August
of '05, and thought they did a great job. I am reminded of a sedated Motorhead
with slight vocal stylings of Ozzy, down and dirty hard edged rock and roll. I
feel this release is solid, but doesn't quite measure up to The Second Great
Awakening. There are some standout tracks here however. "Sundown" is
exceptional, and "The Broken" seems to satisfy. Production and Engineering are
very professional (tracked at Dave Grohl's Studio), so no quarrels there. If I
didn't have a live show and a previous release to compare to, I would be a
little more excited about this release. There aren't too many good rock bands
out there, Fireball Ministry is certainly one. A good solid release, but check
out Second Great Awakening first!
www.fireballministry.com ;
www.liquorandpokermusic.com
Track Highlights: Sundown, The Broken, Rising from the Deep
GHOST MACHINERY – “Haunting Remains” (Sound
Riot Records) Style
- Neo-classical power metal
Origin -
Finland
Dean’s
Review - While this has been out for a while, it finally reached our grubby
hands only recently. When Burning Point lead man Pete Ahonen decided to find a
project to showcase tunes that didn’t fit into his main band, he decided to wing
it as a three piece. The resulting disc pretty much blows away his efforts in
Burning Point. Picture Yngwie, Axel Rudi Pell, Edguy, and Savatage jamming
together and you might gather an idea of where these guys lie musically. While
originality isn’t the strongest point here, quality power metal is. If you like
even a couple of the aforementioned bands you owe it to yourself to check this
out @ www.ghostmachinery.com
Originality 7 Performance 9 Overall 8 (out of 10)
REVIEWS
POSTED ON November 14, 2005
HELLOWEEN – “Keeper of the seven keys-part III; The Legacy" (SPV) Style
- Power Metal
Dean’s
review: Easily one of the most anticipated releases in this genre this year,
Helloween have scored big with the third chapter of the Keeper series. While the
first two featured Michael Kiske and were quite instrumental in making his name
a famous one in power metal circles, this one features current (and long time
vocalist) Andi Derris who puts in the performance of his career. All the
elements that made the first two so memorable are in abundance here; brilliant
dual guitar interplay, thundering drums, excellent vocals, and great
arrangement. My only (small) complaint is they should have made the spoken word
intro a separate track and not attached it to the first song since repeated
listenings kind of start to make that intro irritating. Besides that, this is
one killer album that keeps getting better and better with time. Take a bow
Helloween. You’ve done it again. www.helloween.org
Originality: 9 Performance: 10
Overall 10 (man, there’s some good albums this year)
HESTON RIFLE – “what to do at time of
accident….” (Earnest Jenning Record Co.) Style
– artistic noise instrumental
Origin –
Ney York, USA
Mike’s
Review – I am noticing that instrumental acts have been more accepted these days
than they have in the past. Sometimes they seem to have a hard time bringing the
awe into their recordings though. Heston Rifle took on that challenge with the
release of “what to do at time of accident”, the band’s first full-length album.
With their very artistic and mind-numbing approach, they have not only won my
respect, my mind has been continuously wandering in so many different directions
since I became immersed with this album, that for a couple minutes, I actually
forgot I was suppose to be writing a review. The instruments and musicians fuse
together really well. Your mind is uplifted with the sweet sounds of the violin
and guitar and then crushed when all instruments combine to come charging at
you. The last sentence of Heston Rifle’s bio says, “Listen closely, it’ll freak
you out.” Indeed it will. It will also leave you craving for another album.
Hopefully I will get to see them live one day.
www.hestonrifle.com
The MASS - "Perfect Picture of Wisdom and
Boldness" (Crucial Blast) Style
- all over the place metal
Dean’s
review - Every time you think you have these guys pegged, they do something else
to fuck with you. At least ten bands entered my head while listening to this and
most of them are in different genres. Sabbath, Acid Bath, Prong, Candiria,
Machine Head, Sleep, Napalm Death, Chicago (!!!!), and Eyehategod just to name a
few. A suitably dirty production perfectly enhances the sludge feel of the disc
that emanates from every pore of this disc. “Meditation on the some carcass” is
a killer tune that sounds like Sleep jamming with a sax player. While the rest
of the tunes each demand the listener to play strict attention lest you miss
something going on. I missed the first disc (City of Dis) by this Californian
band but if it’s anything like the mindfuck put forth here-I’d say it’s worth
tracking down. Check ‘em out at www.themass.us
Originality 9.5 Performance 8
Overall 9
NEVERMORE - "This godless endeavor" (Century
Media) Style
- Power metal thrash
Dean’s
review: By now most metalheads have heard this since I’ve procrastinated the
hell out of reviewing it. Put quite simply, this is the best Nevermore disc
since “Dreaming Neon Black”. By now the band has fully established their own
sound, so while I’m not sure how many new fans this disc will bring, it
certainly will not let down any of the band’s fans. Best described as a mix of
power metal and thrash, the songs all feature the insanely bitter vocals of
Warrell Dane who for my money is the best vocalist in metal today. Jeff Loomis
is rapidly approaching “guitar hero” status as his solos constantly enhance the
music while the drumming of Van Williams is getting better than ever also. The
title track and “Sell my heart for stones” are just two of the highlights on
this disc that portray the melancholic mood that Nevermore is so efficient at
portraying. Easily one of the top releases of the year.
www.nevermore.tv
DAMIEN
THORNE - "Haunted Mind" (Jackal Productions)
STYLE: Power/Thrash Metal
ORIGIN:
Illinois, USA
ROBS
REVIEW: DAMIEN T
HORNE is a blast from the glory days of metal, 80's style, when
Toxic Waltzers ruled the landscape with tattered jean jackets cluttered with
rock pins and oversized Metallica back patches...Ahhhh the good ol' days. You
may or may not have heard an album from these guys back then called "The Sign of
the Jackel" which apparently didn't do too bad but I guess not good enough to
keep the fellas going...until now. With a new CD called "Haunted Mind" DAMIEN
THORNE has roared back with a vengeance and the sound and style has thankfully
stayed true to the time this band was birthed. They anoint themselves as Power
Metal and that would have been true back in the 80's before bands like Edguy and
Angra littered the scene and reinvented the label but at this point in metal
lore it's good ol' down home Thrash. But that's just this guy's opinion. From
the moment the verse kicks in on the opening track "Dark Ancestor" (the best
song on the CD) you can hear the ghosts of 80's past. Reminds me a little of
early Metal Church or even a more recent band called Ballistic, whose members
also hail from the 80's Thrash days. The production is surprisingly good and gos
hand in hand with the well oiled machine that is the rhythm section which clicks
along frantically over simple, tight as hell riffs and creative melodic solo's.
It's great to hear this style again and the history behind this band shows in
the music and demands respect. Bow to the feet of DAMIEN THORNE! www.damienthorne.com
DISTORT Summer Sampler - Distort
Entertainment
STYLE:
mostly metal
ROBS
REVIEW: This CD from Distort Entertainment of eight fairly diverse bands from
everywhere turns out to be a lot more diverse in talent then I expected. They've
managed to put together quite an eclectic line-up of bands to exploit and
market. Here's some snippets of what you'll find on here:
DAMN13 - A little bit of C.O.C. in these guys. Very good blues based dirty
metal. I gotta hear more.
THE BLED - Typical Metal-Core with annoying vocals and predictable musical
arrangements. Next.
CANCER BATS - Cool tuned down Punk-ish metal complete with monster riffs and a
whole lot of attitude. Me likey. Could possibly get old after a while but after
just two songs I'm intrigued. Need to check out more.
THE GORGEOUS - The Ugly. Too much shit going on here. Not produced well. Sort of
Metal-Core, sort of Tech-metal. Some different guitar ideas but overall kind of
frustrating to listen to.
CITY AND COLOUR - A drastic change from the rest of this line-up. More in line
with Matchbox 20 (ugh) than anything metal. Basically acoustic mellowdrama. That
being said, not bad for rainy day music.
EVERYTIME I DIE - Same tired vocals. Killer music though. Nice tight guitar
sound. Metal-Core mixed with some things The Haunted are doing. Not bad.
BEDQUIN SOUNDCLASH - Soundclash is right. Sort of a Raggae/Ska thing going on
here. DEFINITELY not my thing. Sounds like hippie music to me. Different though.
THE JUNCTION - These guys got some soul in them. Sounds very 70's to me with
that alternative thing thrown in for a modern feel. Definitely a time and place
for this but...not now.
DREAMTONE - "Sojourn"
STYLE: Power Metal
ORIGIN:
Turkey
ROBS
REVIEW: Ahhh, Power Metal. Those endless streams of majestic melodies flowing
through the veins of virtuoso musicians with thoughts of dragons and swords
dancing in unison to the sound of way too mu8ch practicing to hold down a day
job. (What the hell did I just say?) Dreamtone is not so much majestic as say
Rhapsody or Blind Guardian but they do carry the torch of this genre adequately.
Unlike a lot of Power Metal this is not filled with endless double bass runs and
full blown orchestral arrangements but, alas, has tons of groove and catchy mid
paced rhythms thoughtfully written and arranged into a nice little journey
through, I'm sure, SOME kind of enchanted land. I love this style and one thing
that really makes or breaks it for me is usually the vocals. And Oganap Canatan
passes the test. Barely. Not your typical Power/Prog vocalist but more
resembling a tad mellower version of Matthew Barlow formerly of Iced Earth or
even a little of the clean vocal delivery of Mikael Stanne from Dark
Tranquility. It's definitely a more straight forward Heavy Metal vocal attack
than anything power that's going on these days, but definitely not a bad thing.
Overall this is a pretty solid piece of work and one that deserves consideration
from all the Power Metalers out there. You know who you are...Hail, protectors
of the castle!! - www.dreamtone.net
FEAR FACTORY - "Transgression" (Universal) STYLE:
Metal-Core/Industrial
ORIGIN:
Los Angeles, CA
ROBS
REVIEW: Most people into the metal scene have by now heard something from the
early '90's innovators FEAR FACTORY. Obviously the fan dedication was aplenty
because you can hear the influence on probably 80% of the Metal-Core and
Nu-Metal bands running amok today. And since these guys were one of the first to
mix these styles together I'll let them slide I guess. Anyone who's read my
reviews on here knows that I'm not a big fan of this style, but in my book,
innovators get a hall pass. That being said, I've really never gotten into FEAR
FACTORY but I've never actually sat down to listen to a whole CD until now. And
I must say they're not as good or bad as I thought. They just are. Great
production, great guitar sound, average vocals and picture perfect drumming. The
problem is I picked now to finally listen to them after hearing the thousands of
more recent imitators, so for lack of better words, the clones ruined me for the
real thing. But with the exception of a few duds, the songs aren't too bad. The
one song that almost spelled the end for this CD was the song I found out after
the fact was a cover tune, "I Will Follow" by U2. Right away I thought Jesus,
this sounds just like something that would have been emanating from a seedy gay
night club in London back in '83. Not a fan of U2 by any means. They did save
themselves on the next song which also turned out to be a cover tune from
Killing Joke called "millennium". Turned out to be my favorite track on the CD.
So overall this wasn't a horrible experience by any means but didn't make me an
instant fan either. If anything FEAR FACTORY might have turned me on to a new
band (Killing Joke). For that I thank them. For the CD I so-so them. -
www.fearfactory.com
FOR RUIN - "Shade" (Independent) Style
- Melodic Death
Origin:
Ireland
Darren's
Review: I was first introduced to For Ruin last summer with 2004's For
Ruin/Meiche split (see Adrenalin reviews, Sept 2nd 2005). I wasn't blown away
from what I heard, but it did grab my attention. This time, For Ruin has
released their own 6 track promo disc. After reading up on their background, I
was really impressed. For Ruin consists of one sole member! You would never
guess it If you were listening to the music, never. For Ruin spews melody on
this release more then ever! The guitars are thick and heavy with layers and
layers of melody in all the right places. The drums don't miss a beat. Vocals
are hardcore. The instrumental track (Rinn Bearna) is something else. I can tell
there was a lot of attention to detail in producing and engineering Shade. I
still can't believe one guy did this all! Track, mix, master, play all
instruments, write the lyrics, and sing... muther fucker! This is a powerful
stunning eye opening release, and I can only imagine positive results ahead for
For Ruin. It obviously shines through in the music the strong dedication to
metal! Excellent job! Now the next step is to assemble a live band and get on
the road! www.forruin.com
KILLING SPREE - "Deception, Betrayal,
Revenge" (Whats My Cut Productions)
STYLE:
Thrash
ORIGIN:
San Francisco, CA
ROBS
REVIEW: Imagine yourself riding through the schizophrenic streets of San
Francisco in the back seat of a '68 Mustang GT. It's a nice day but you feel
tension on the horizon. Suddenly the driver slams down the accelerator sending
you into a mild panic as your catapulted over and down some of the steepest
street inclines in the world. The car bottoms out at the finale of every flight
and as your head hammers into the roof you notice the think smell of car exhaust
and burning oil. You're in complete hysteria and it only seems to get worse as
you hold on to the passenger seat head rest and brace yourself for the impending
doom of a hairpin turn at the bottom of the hill. There's no end in sight for
this onslaught. As you approach breakneck speeds through a maze of inanimate
objects and illegible street signs you feel the familiar sting of bile creeping
up into your throat followed by the crippling discomfort of an uncontrollable
bowel movement. You're just about to lose complete control when the car comes to
a screeching halt and you realize now that you've been screaming like a little
schoolgirl since the pedal hit the metal. Your scream turns to silence as you
wipe the drool from your chin and look to the driver and are confronted with the
long, cold, calculated stare of...Steve "Bullitt" McQueen. He reaches for the
radio, pulls out an 8-track of what you'll soon see is KILLING SPREE, holds it
two inches from your tear filled eyes and says..."There's no crying in Metal."
He slams the 8-track back in the radio, hits track 2, flashes a disappointed
look towards you and burns rubber. The beating continues...HELL YEAH! www.wearekillingspree.com
SOLAR SCREAM - "Ground Level" - self released
STYLE: Psychedelic Metal
ORIGIN:
Hungary
ROBS
REVIEW: I don't know what's in the water in Hungary but it's making the fellas
there's put out some trippy metal. This really isn't too bad but you have to be
on some kind of mind altering substance to really appreciate it I think. Imagine
Pink Floyd on metal and you got SOLAR SCREAM. Hey, at least it's different. The
only thing is the songs get a little bit long winded at times. They kind of drag
on to the point of wanted to slit your wrists but then cooler heads prevail.
There's only six songs on this CD and the last one is a Depeche Mode cover
called "In Your Room" which turns out to be my favorite track. A lot of metal
bands lately have been covering this Depeche Mode. In Flames did it not too long
ago. I might have to hunt some of the real thing down to see what all the
excitement is about. As for this CD, the ideas are there and I can definitely
see an Anathema influence to go along with the Pink Floyd thing so with a little
more refinement it could really go somewhere. It's just missing the umph so to
peak. I would be interested to see where they are on their next effort.
www.solarscream.hu
CITY
WEEZLE - "Self Titled Demo" (Indy)
Style - Instrumental Experimental Rock
Origin: France
Darren's Review - City Weezle took me by surprise. Never
judge an album by its cover! This 4 track demo blends funk, metal, rock into
catchy tunes you can't help but want to hear again. Simon Fluery offers
exceptional vocals, and even though they are French, lyrics are in English. The
sound recording is solid. I love to get 3 - 4 song demo's, but I was actually
hoping for more with this one! While they could use some polishing, don't let
that fool you, this is a good solid release. Something different in the
otherwise stale metal scene. Keep your eyes out for City Weezle, I am looking
forward to a full-length release.
http://cityweezle.free.fr/
CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED - "Garage"
(Universal South)
Style - Southern Rock with a twist of Country
Origin: USA (TX)
Darren's Review - I first heard about this band on a
blabbermouth.net headline. The title read "Country Band Records Tribute to
Dimebag". It peaked my curiosity enough to check out the track. What I found was
an awesome tune. A mid-tempo balledish rock song with a lot of character, and of
course lyrics I could relate to. I proceeded to check out a few other tracks. I
was drawn into Cody Canada's excellent vocals. Not to mention a great supporting
cast, with top notch production. The bands slogan "Smells like country, tastes
like rock-n-roll", is an accurate statement. Some tracks tastes too much like
country to me, but some are flat out hard driving rock and roll, with a hint of
blues. Seeing as I love Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lynyrd Skynyrd, that sat well
with me. The band even had Vinnie Paul sit in on the track "Dimebag" at their CD
release party, how cool is that!! The track is got some airplay and was played
at a Dallas Stars hockey game and the crowd went nuts. While a good portion of
our readers may not care for the genre CCR falls into, they should give them a
chance. I was impressed and can't wait to check out some of their earlier
releases and catch a live show. Cheers to CCR! Check out the dime tune at
www.933thebone.com and the bands official site at
www.crosscanadianragweed.com
Track Highlights: Dimbag, Sister, Late Last Night, Blues For You, This Time
Around
STINKING LIZAVETA - "Caught Between Worlds"
(At A Loss Recordings)
Style - Instrumental Experimental
Rock
Origin: USA (PA)
Darren's Review - Another band I
was able to check out live before their studio material. Opening up for Clutch,
Stinking Lizaveta (pronounced.. liz-a-vay-tah) brought an interesting twist to
that evening. A 3 piece all instrumental band from Philly took the stage and
used whatever means necessary to generate sounds! The guitar player (Yanni
Papadopoulos) often screamed into his pick-ups for an eerie feel. Out of the
thousands of live acts, that was the first time I ever seen that! Another cool
element is they have an electric upright bass player. I am a fan of the upright,
and it only added to their original creation. After the show, I gave their new
release (Caught Between Worlds) a few spins. It didn't measure up to what I saw
live, granted this is their 4th release, and I am sure they were playing songs
spanning their entire catalog. They seemed to mend well with the audience and
the fact that they are original demanded attention. The studio release doesn't
grab you and take you in like a live show. The sound recording seems choppy and
hard to follow along with. That being said, It isn't a bad release. If I didn't
have a live show to compare it too, I really am not sure what I would think of
it. It can appeal to a wide variety of music lovers, and can be a great listen
when it comes time to mellow out and let the mind wander. Wisconsinites, look
for Stinking Lizaveta 11/8/05 at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee, and 11/10/05 at
the High Noon Saloon (a great place to see a show) in Madison!
www.stinkinglizaveta.com ;
www.atalossrecordings.com
AM
I BLOOD - "The Truth
Inside The Dying
Sun" (Scandanavian
A1 Music)
Style - Scandanavian
Melodic Metal
Origin: Finland
Darren's Review - Am
I Blood has been a
name I have been
hearing for a long
time. I was
recommended by some
metal fans that
since I have an
insane addiction to
MetallicA, that I
would really get
into AIB. When I
finally got a hold
of their newest
release, I found
something quite a
ways from MetallicA.
A one-of-a-kind
singer in Janne
Kerminen, and a
great supporting
cast. This album was
a nice break from
some of the same ole
shit Adrenalin has
been receiving.
Melody and harmony
take the center
stage, in all
aspects. All the
pieces are placed
together to make up
a great metal record
that can fit into
most metal
subcategories. Clean
vocals throughout,
thick chuggin'
guitars, harmonies
in the right places,
along with
professional
sound... a great
release! This album
has made it to my
hard drive and has
already been
recommended to
friends. All is
good, but the
highlight for me is
the vocals.
www.amiblood.com
Track Highlights:
Gone With You, Lies
Wrote Mysteries, The
Saddest Grief,
Struggle in Disarray
ANUBIS RISING -
"Funeral Preamble"
(Uncouth Industries)
STYLE: Goth/Black
ORIGIN: Los Angeles,
CA
ROBS REVIEW: This is
a pretty interesting
band in many ways
but none more
fascinating than the
fact that they're
actually no longer a
band. In fact, the
first line of their
"post humous" bio
reads, "ANUBIS
RISING is dead."
Which makes you
wonder why the hell
they chose now of
all times to promote
themselves, but I
digress. The aptly
titled "Funeral
Preamble" represents
a career
retrospective of
sorts (if you can
call it that) which
includes three
separate demo
recordings released
from 1999 to
present. The best
way to describe this
band is to probably
say eclectic. There
are so many things
going on in most of
these songs yet they
still seem to have a
fairly good
continuity and
arrangement to them.
The overall base to
the music is
essentially Metal
but there are many
moments of ambience
and depth to the
music that really
work well with the
contrast of the
harsh vocal delivery
and noisy passages
throughout as well
as sporadic bouts of
strange effects,
eerie sounds and
audio samples. When
you listen to ANUBIS
RISING you'll hear
many different
styles from Opeth to
Neurosis and even
Pink Floyd. It's all
over the board and
that's what makes
this unique. There's
a certain addictive
quality to these
guys the more you
listen. One moment
can be defined as
noise while the next
your thinking is
pure genius. You'll
just have to listen
to understand.
R.I.P. ANUBIS
RISING....www.uncouth-industries.com
HONKY - "Balls Out
Inn" (Small Stone
Records)
Style - Alt Rock
Origin: USA (TX)
Darren's Review -
With tracks like
"Love to smoke your
weed", "Walkin on
Moonshine", "Plugs,
Mugs, and Jugs" and
"Balls Out Inn",
Honky offers a
relaxed and laid
back approach to
rock. As a fan of
southern rock, I
really dig their
sound. I hear
southern rock with a
twist of blues and
even a hint of old
school country.
After a stroll
through their
website, I found out
that J. D. Pinkus
(Ex-Butthole Surfers
Bass Player) is the
founding member. I
am not real familiar
with the Surfers,
but I can tell you
that Honky is not a
clone. What I like
about this release
is the fact you can
play this at a party
and you wouldn't
hear many
complaints, and the
ones that did
complain shouldn't
be there anyhow! A
good release,
although there is
always room for
improvement. Honky
will be touring the
states this fall
with Nashville
Pussy. I bet they
are a lot of fun
live. All in all, a
decent release.
www.honky.net
/
www.smallstone.com
Track Highlights:
Good Pipe, Walkin on
Moonshine, Plugs,
Mugs and Jugs, White
Knuckle Pass, I Like
the Way You Have Fun
MINISTRY–
“Rantology”
(Sanctuary Records)
Style – Industrial
Origin – U.S.A
(originally Chicago)
Mike’s Review – This
is a compilation
disc of Al
Jourgensen’s
favorite Ministry
songs from over the
years. In
celebration of
Ministry’s 25th
anniversary, Al
compiled a CD full
of remixed and redux
tracks ranging from
more recent song
such as “No W” to
and older favorite
of mine, “Jesus
Built My Hotrod”.
There is even a new
track, “The Great
Satan” on there to
give you a preview
of what is to expect
with their new album
due out in Spring
2006. Some of you
may wonder why
somebody would mess
with songs that were
fine in the first
place. I see this as
an update, an
additional chapter,
to Al’s musical
career that has
basically shaped the
industrial genre
into what it is
today. And I welcome
it with dedicated
ears, ready to
absorb it all in.
Ministry fans and
people who are
looking for a taste
of what Ministry is
all about should
grab a copy of this
disc (you can even
register to win a
copy of it on our
giveaway page until
Oct. 7th).
Experience the
industrial chaos. It
iw worth the
investment.
www.ministrymusic.org
FEAR MY THOUGHTS -
"Hell Sweet Hell" (Lifeforce
Records)
STYLE: Metal-Core
ORIGIN: Germany?
ROBS REVIEW: This
band kicks ass! And
even though I've
labeled these guys
Metal-Core I really
think they're more
consistent with the
Gothenburg sound,
specifically in line
with "Slaughter of
the Soul" era At The
Gates, who I think
were one of the main
innovators to this
style back in the
early to middle
90's. What makes
FEAR MY THOUGHTS
stand out are the
moments of death
metal scattered
about by the use of
some good creative
vocal work and a
sound and style that
also reminds me a
little of Entombed
or even some
Dismember. The vocal
work from Mathias
Von Ocki really won
me over with his
layering of
mid-toned hard-core
screaming and
strategically placed
death metal growls.
And, thank god, he
doesn't fall back
into that same old
clean vocal
change-up that
everyone else seems
to be doing. THANK
YOU MATHIAS! The
music is tight,
blistering and
relentless in it's
attack. A nice dose
of quick starts and
stops followed by
flashy melodic
riffing and quick
bursts of creative
soloing really make
this a CD well worth
the purchase for
most metal junkies
like myself. Nice
job.
www.fearmythoughts.com
HAILSTONES KILL 200
- "June 19, 1932" (Grindhead
Records)
STYLE: Grind-Core
ORIGIN: Australia
ROBS REVIEW: Wow.
The best thing about
this disc is that
the songs are short
(longest song clocks
in at 1:29) because
if they were any
longer my eardrums
would be in my lap
screaming. This is
definitely
Grind-Core at it's
sickest. Think early
Napalm Death (very
early) and Anal Cunt
mixed with only the
most noisy passages
of Dillenger Escape
Plan and you get
what I prefer to
call a "Shitstorm
Sensory Assault". I
think that sounds
much better than
HAILSTONES KILL 200
but that's just my
opinion...and I'm an
idiot. To get a
mental picture of
this band you need
to look no further
than their hilarious
bio which reveals
that the "full grunt
of their set...is
often left in beer
and vomit soaked
disarray", and that
lyrically (there's
lyrics?) the band's
mindset, among other
things, is "also
about fucking
chics". The music is
definitely not for
the faint at heart
or for that matter
people who need at
least SOME hook,
groove or melody
from their metal.
However, if you're
into those short
little bursts of
mayhem that last 20
seconds or less like
"Hang the Pope" from
Nuclear Assault and
you always wished
aloud that they
would put out a
whole album of those
silly little diddy's
than by golly this
is for you. Because
I'm sure this stuff
rests comfortably
near the black
hearts of the two or
three of you that
actually find this
appealing. Then
again if it's all
about the booze,
vomit and chics who
am I to crash
anyone's party? Rock
on dudes!
www.hailstoneskill200.com
NOVADRIVER - "Deeper
High" (Small Stone
Records)
Style - Psychedelic-ish
full throttle rock
and roll
Origin: USA (MI)
Darren's Review -
Deeper High is the
follow up to 2001's
debut, "Void".
According to their
bio, this album is
much darker than the
previous. Not having
experienced "Void",
I had nothing to
compare it too, but
anxiously dove in.
Halfway through the
first spin I bonded
with this album. I
bonded enough that I
made space on my
hard drive.
Novadriver kind of
reminds me of Fu
Manchu, only better!
This album just has
a natural flow to
it. Each song feels
like it fits.
Vocalist is
exceptional.
Musicianship is all
there, as well as
production. This
release fuckin
grooves, especially
loud! I love the
tone of the guitars,
the percussion that
has the feel of a
whole rhythm
section, great
solos! Wow. Their
bio hits the nail on
the head (for
once!), "Heavy
spacey guitar driven
psychedelic rock,
the Stooges writing
Sabbath songs, Deep
Purple trying on the
MC5's shoes". The
next thing I need to
do is get a copy of
"Void". I hope they
don't dis-band, I
can't wait for the
follow-up!
www.novadriver.com
or
www.smallstone.com
Track Highlights:
Roll You, Deeper
High, Turn to Stone,
Machine, Bury Me
Alive, Blackout
PELICAN - "The Fire
In Our Throats Will
Beckon The Thaw"
(Hydra-Head Records)
Style - Instrumental
Origin: USA (IL)
Darren's Review - I
had seen a review
posted on
www.blabbermouth.net
raving about
Pelican. With all
the positive
feedback, I just had
to check it out for
myself. I have
always been a fan of
instrumental music.
"Mystic Krewe of
Clearlight' happens
to be one of my
all-time favorite
instrumental bands.
Long epic musical
journeys provide the
blueprint for "Fire
in Our Throats".
Pelican starts off
with mystery, never
giving a hint on
what to expect next.
That right there
deserves HUGE
credit. Ascending
melodies free
floating, met with
tight structure.
Heavy at times,
mellow at others,
and visiting all
points between. This
being their second
full-length, Pelican
seems to have
conquered the
sophomore slump (I
have yet to
experience 2004's
"Australasia", I
can't wait!).
Excellent
production, great
engineering,
accompanied by
talented musicians.
Closing thoughts, I
dug it the most when
it was heavier. The
track "March to the
Sea" is hands down
the best track on
the album! Windy
City's Pelican is
well worth looking
into.
www.hydrahead.com/pelican/
Track Highlights:
March to the Sea, *
, Red Ran Amber,
Aurora Borealis
CALIBAN VS. HEAVEN SHALL BURN - "The Split Program II" (Lifeforce
records)
STYLE: metal-core
ORIGIN: Germany
ROBS REVIEW: This split CD is billed by Lifeforce records
as a duo of "Germany's heaviest Metal-Core bands", and they cannot tell a lie
they are heavy and they are tight as hell just like the thousands of other bands
playing this similar style right now. Unfortunately they do nothing else to
seperate themselves from this crowded field. CALIBAN plays a style in the mold
of bands like Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage but has less of the killer
guitar work and more of the tired, fast becoming cliched, clean vocal styles of
most of the Metal-Core scene. Oh yeah, and their heavy. HEAVEN SHALL BURN is a
little more interesting in that they have a little more consistant vocal
approach and they also throw in a pretty cool piano instrumental called "Nyfaedd
Von" . If only they would have adjusted their recipe to include more of those
ingrediants in some of the other songs it could have been cool. Instead it's
just another clone on the assembly line. Oh yeah, and they too are heavy. Dont
get me wrong, this stuff is aggressive as hell and very well produced. A lot of
people are digging this style right now so I can't fault them for writing it. I
just happen to think that it's getting to that point ion the evolution of this
genre now that bands are going to have to do a little more thinking outside the
box to make themselves stand out. See for yourselves:
www.heavenshallburn.com -
www.calibanmetal.com
IN TORMENTATA QUIETE - "S/T" - (Dawn of
Sadness Records)
STYLE: Gothic/Black
ORIGIN: Italy
ROBS REVIEW: I usually dont get into bands that sing in
foriegn languages but this band kicked my ass good and I didn't even see it
coming. As soon as I threw in IN TORMENTATA QUITE (ITQ) into my over-worked yet
proudly submissive cd player and heard the first few measures of "La Realta" my
first reaction was - "Yeah, yeah, heard it before...NEXT!" - But as I've
experienced before and never quite seem to burn into my walnut brain is that you
need to listen to the whole song before deciding to throw it into the "same old
shit" section of the junk pile. As negative as my thinking was at the beginning,
by the end of the song, I was bowing at the feet of this Italian juggernaut. ITQ
plays a solid mix of Goth and Black Metal that has all the dynamics and
performance values to keep even the most skeptical listeners interested. The
vocals (both male and female), creative bass lines and acoustic ambience
throughout really highlight this for me. I'm not sure who's doing the screams in
some of these songs but they are by far the most consistantly shrill, straight
out of the shower scene of Psycho, wails I've ever heard. AWESOME! The one band
that ITQ reminds me of at times is the great HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE out of San
Francisco, albeit with a little more steam in the aggressive parts. The one
downfall of this disc is that I can't understand any of the lyrics since they're
all sung in I assume Italian. I can get past that though with one thought in
mind; language barriers can always be hurdled by the universal language of
Metal! (hows that for cheesy?) Go buy this now and check them out at this
website:
www.dawnofsadness.com/intormentataquiete
MINSK – “Out Of A Center Which Is
Neither Dead Nor Alive” (At A Loss Recordings)
Style: - Trance metal
Origin – Illinois, USA
Mike’s Review – Nice, it has been awhile since I received
an album of this style. The artistic music that you will find on this CD is of
the space trance noise metal style. 6 tracks ranging from 81/2 to 14 minutes
each for a total of 65 minutes of some kick ass tunes. At A Loss seems to be
good at finding some unique bands. This is another one to add to their list. As
I listened to this CD, I gratefully endured all the chants, the growls, the
tribal drums, and everything else that they threw at me. For anybody in the area, I see
that they are playing in Milwaukee, WI on October 15th. I bet their live show is
quite interesting to watch. Even though I could go on quite awhile explaining my
feelings for Minsk’s material, I will leave the rest for you to figure out once
the CD is released on September 27th. You can also check out their website at
www.thesoundofminsk.com or go to
their label’s site at
www.atalossrecordings.com . This music will appeal to just about anybody who
is tired of hearing bands that are afraid to jump the bandwagon and be a little
different. If this sounds interesting to you, two other
bands on the label that you should check out are Stinking Lizaveta and Rwake.
PHOENIX REIGN - "S/T" - Demo
STYLE - Progressive/Power
ORIGIN - New York
ROBS REVIEW: This CD did absolutely nothing for me. I
don't even know where to start...Oh yeah, the vocals. When I took a look at the
packaging (nice bio idea with the DVD pack by the way...O.K. that's ONE good
thing I can say about them) and noticed they had a female singer I slightly
rejoiced partly because I was tired of reviewing Metal-Core bands but mostly
because I'm really into bands like WITHIN TEMPTATION, NIGHTWISH, AFTER FOREVER,
etc that show off their talented front-women. I was dissapointed to discover
that vocalist Theresa Gaffney not only lacked the emotion but also the ability
to give 'er hell when needed. There's just not enough fire in this girl. She
comes off as a poor (wo)mans Pat Benetar without the balls. But in relation to
her counterparts in the band she fits right in because they also seem to be
missing the pair down below. It sounds like they're trying really hard to pull
off the early QUEENSRYCHE thing but failing miserably. There's no emotion or
edge in any of these songs and for the most part they seem to plod along at a
pretty moderate pace. There are three songs on this CD and the last one titled
"Constantinople 1453" is 11:13 of pure unadulterated hell. The whole time I had
my finger on the advance button trying to find a break or an interesting hook
and at about the 9:34 mark I gave up. the song could have been cut in half twice
and still had the same effect. Sorry guys, your hearts are in the right place
but it just doesn't seem to be working. You need a sonic make-over and Ann
Boelyn behind the mic. (She's probably available)
www.phoenixreign.com
THIRD DEGREE - "Outstay" (SelfMadeGod records)
STYLE: Death Metal/Grindcore
ORIGIN: Poland
ROBS REVIEW: The first thing I noticed about THIRD DEGREE
is their uncanny resemblance to the band VADER who, coincidentally, are from the
same area. The drum sound and style as well as the vocals are almost a perfect
match to the Death Metal elderstatesmen of Poland. But to their credit they do
pull off the heist with adequate fervor. Obviously there's nothing too
uniquehere but I dont think they set out to be groundbreaking either. It is what
it is which is your stripped down early to mid 90's Death Metal with a dash of
Grindcore to keep your ears interested. I kind of lost interest around track
four but kept listening for a dynamic or interesting moment that never reared
it's ugly head. Bottom line is if you like your Death Metal without frills or
originality then you'll love this. Because they do it well enough to stay within
smelling distance of the band it seems they are emulating.
www.selfmadegod.com
DRUNK DRIVERS - "Bourbon Legend" (Crustacean/All Malt Records)
Style - Alt rock
Origin: USA (WI)
Darren's Review - Drunk Drivers are no stranger to the music
scene. Bourbon Legend is the quartets 3rd release. Phil Tanks, Stretch Hudson,
Chongo and Sandy Trapps make up this unique rock outfit. The tracks are upbeat
and catchy and don't seem to fit into a specific category. Track titles like
"Fucked Again", "Candy Cock" are sure to grab attention. The instruments sound
good, and the mix does too. I haven't made up my mind of the vocals yet. At some
points it really compliments the music, others if feels a little out of place. I
do know I don't dislike the vocals, but it may be enough to keep them from
winning band of the year. The more I listen to it, I am reminded of Glenn Danzig
(vox only) in parts! A nice refreshing twist to the otherwise stagnant music
scene, I would recommend Drunk Drivers. I am going to try and get to a live
show, which I bet would be a great time. Especially drunk!
www.crustaceanrecords.com
Track Highlights: Fucked Again, Metaltron, Excess, Hogs Head
GZR - "Ohmwork" (Sanctuary Records)
Style - Metal
Origin: UK/US
Darren's Review - As long as I have been a part of this
planet, this guy has been pounding the bass like no other. Who might you ask?
Geezer Butler... of the most important influential band of all time. Some might
argue Zepplin, not me, I vote Sabbath. I have been conditioned to be let down
when it comes to solo albums. I liked the Tony Iommi release, but I would rather
listen to Sabbath. I had high expectations, and I knew within the first ten
seconds the opening track "Misfit" was worthy. Hard driving, full of energy,
kick you in the nuts rock and roll. As the rest of the album unfolded, I
realized that my expectations were not only met, but exceeded. A first for a
solo release! Clark Brown offers excellent vocals, and of course the rest of the
cast is on top of their game. Production and sound quality are exceptional. I
can see how some could plead the case it is too "nu-metal" sounding, Especially
after hearing "Prisoner 103" & "Pull the String". The rest of the album makes up
for it though. Ohmwork has varying vocal styles, is hard edged & full-throttle.
Plenty of good tracks included.
www.gzrmusic.com
www.geezerbutler.com
Track Highlights: Misfit, Prisoner 103, Aural Sects, Dogs of Whore
MEICHE/FOR RUIN - "Split EP" (Independant)
Style - Meiche - Black Metal/For Ruin -
Melodic Death
Origin: Ireland (Relocated to Spain)
Darren's Review - This split EP was recorded in a home
studio, and that being said, quality isn't too bad. The first 4 tracks are by
Meiche, a pretty straight forward black metal act. Black metal isn't really my
thing, and I hardly consider myself of an expert, but Meiche sounds comparable
in nature to some other acts I have reviewed such as "Born of Witch" and "Khold".
For Ruin and Meiche are compiled of the same two (yes TWO) members! The 2nd half
of the demo (For Ruin) appeals more to me. Although the vocals are difficult to
comprehend, musically there is melodies and harmonies all around. Crazy CHUGGING
underlying riffs accompanied by some great lead work. And for being recorded at
home, nice work. I am reminded of early Amorphis. I think they could do better
in a real studio, and of course there is always room for improvement... but not
bad! Track # 8 (Treading - For Ruin) is the best track on this disc!
www.forruin.com
APOTHEOSYS - “The Fall and The Triumph” (Profane Records) Style - Blackened Death Metal Dean’s Review - Why the hell is this band not
signed to a bigger label yet? The best way to describe “The Fall and the
Triumph” is that this is easily the sound of the apocalypse. Firmly rooted
in death metal, it also has the intensity of raw and primal black metal.
Everything about this disc is steeped in rage. Awesome artwork, great
lyrics, and excellent production make this a must have. Imagine a younger
Mille from Kreator singing with twice the aggression and you’ll come close
to describing the vox. The highlight of this one has to be the insane
drumming of Zac Pearson, whose use of power and speed propel this thing
faster than George Bush at a fund raiser. Anyone into quality death metal
has to get this-it’s that simple. This release from this North Carolina band
easily puts Apotheosys in the same league as Nile, Hate Eternal, and other
current heavyweights. I just wish I could figure out how to pronounce the
damn band name. www.apotheosys.net.
Originality 9 Performance 10 Production 10 Songs 10
Overall 10 (out of 10)
FALLEN WISDOM - "Immortal" (Indy)
Style - Punk-Metal
Dean's Review - Normally, I would be all over a band that is
obviously influenced by bands like the Misfits and D.R.I., but sadly these
guys just come across as lifeless and tired. The vocals in particular are
what brings this release down. Vocalist Radu sings in the Glenn Danzig mode
but his voice just sounds too hoarse to pull it off. If this was the band’s
first release, I’d say wait around and give the next one a try, maybe
they’ll get it right. Problem is, this is the band’s third CD and if they
haven’t nailed it by now, will they ever? The empty production doesn’t help
much either. Actually, the only thing I really like on this were the Misfits
style backing vocals. So with all that said, sorry guys, Ill pass on this
one. Contact them at
www.fallenwisdom.com.
Originality 5 Performance 5 Production 5 Songs 5
Overall 5 (out of 10)
SLAVE GOAT - self-titled (Indy)
Style - Alt-metal
Dean's Review - To be honest, with a moniker such as Slave
Goat, I thought these guys were going to suck. Instead, I was hit with a
sound resembling a more accessible version of Mr. Bungle jamming with Death
Angel. Seriously folks, this shit rocks. The main selling points are the
smooth as silk vocals and the awesome use of a Hammond organ on some tracks.
Personally, I think they’re selling themselves short with their presentation
as the image, artwork, and band name just don’t seem to fit the band. If
this gets heard in the right places, these guys could accomplish quite a
bit. Check this out at www.slavegoat.com
Originality 10 Performance 9 Production 9 Songs 10
Overall 9.5 (out of 10)
Style - Instrumental Math Metal
Dean’s Review - Usually reading a band’s bio is kind of like
reading about the second coming. Amid all the hype you learn just to kind of
seek out the facts and then judge it on your own terms. This time the bio
reads “..Service Repair Handbook delivers an onslaught of anthemic,
pulverizing tunage that intersects math metal, heavy prog, and stoner rock.”
And you know what? There’s no way I could put it better than that. The tunes
flow well and the production is superb. The one problem I have with this
instrumental disc is purely subjective, this thing would kick ass with a
killer vocalist such as Mike Patton. Obviously the band has a different
agenda and while I can respect that, I would love to hear someone sing over
this. Among the band’s members are “current and former members of Alabama
Thunderpussy” but musically I don’t see many similarities with ATP, so
definitely check this out on it’s own terms. I have a feeling this will be
spending a lot of time in the CD player.
www.crucialblast.net
Originality 9 Production 9 Songs 9
Overall 9 (out of 10)
REVIEWS
POSTED ON August
24, 2005
BALATONIZER –
“Occlused In
Ottusity” (Devil
Doll Records)
Style – Death
Grind
Origin –
Palermo, Italy
Mike’s Review –
It has been
awhile since I
have sat down
and listened to
an entire CD of
some brutal
death grind. 32
tracks on this
CD ranging in
length from 17
seconds to a
minute and 29
seconds. The
entire CD is
intense (to say
the least). I
think any band
that is
successful with
a death grind
project deserves
a lot of
recognition.
There is a lot
of criticism of
these bands
about them
sounding the
same as other
grind band or
one band’s songs
all sounding the
same.
Balatonizer does
a good job
at adding a
little different
touch to each
track to keep
them sounding
like the CD is
one giant pile
of vomit.
Listening to the
intense blast
beats (even
though I am not
crazy about the
drum machine
sound) and rapid guitaring on
this album is
making me think
about exploring
the world of
death grind more
in-depthly. The
samples that
they throw in
here and there
is a nice
touch. The wrong
kind of samples
could make all
the difference
in the world.
Check them out
at
www.balatonizer.com
or
www.devildollrecords.com
GRADE 8 –
“Resurrection”
Style –
Metal-core or
something like
that
Origin –
Minnesota, USA
Mike’s Review-
Wow, these guys
must live on
Poser Road!
Sometimes you
read reviews or
interviews where
somebody
mentions a band
that “sounds
like everybody
else”. Well,
this is that
band. Not only
do they seem to
be attempting to
hitch a ride on
the bandwagon,
they are doing
it with a bad
vocalist. The
electronics in
the song is kinda artsy and
neat but that is
it. Sorry guys.
I even checked
out your website
and saw your
band photo where
you are all
holding guns and
posed like a
bunch of posers.
That doesn’t fly
with me. But
hey, any
publicity is
good publicity I
guess.
www.grade8music.com
V:28 –
“SoulSaviour” (Vendlus
Records)
Style –
Industrial Metal
Origin – Norway
Mike’s Review –
I don’t find
many bands that
represent one of
my favorite
styles of music
like this one
does. They call
themselves
Industrial
Metal. I would
add Black
Melodic Doom to
the description
though.
Regardless of
what you call
them, just about
any fan of death
or doom will
find V:28 a nice
addition to
their collection
of CD’s. Some
may consider
this band to be
a basic
Norwegian metal
band, but the
industrial
beats, mix of
genres, and
creativity give
them the bit of
uniqueness that
one craves when
searching for a
new band to
explore. Music
is awesome,
production is
awesome, and
Eddie Risdal
tops off the
album with some
cold haunting
growling vocals.
Check them out
at
www.v28.com
or
www.vendlus.com
ANTHROFUGE – “Impaled In Comparison”
Style – Death
Origin – Illinois, USA
Mike’s Review – Dark doomy feel. Fast crunching riffs. Some
low growling vocals. A chaotic mix of tempo changes. They don’t score high
on originality, but they do what they do quite well. I guess the vocals are
what throw me off the most. The growls just don’t excite me like they use
to. Not evil and aggressive enough. A good CD for those who are into the low
growls. Some of the faster guitar riffs kick ass. Some nice potential here.
The band is two years old and this is their 2nd release (both were released
in 2004). www.anthrofuge.com
Vocals: 6.0 Instruments: 8.0 Production 8.5
Originality: 6.0
Overall: 7.0
BLESSING THE HOGS – “The Twelve Gauge Solution”
(Goodfellow Records)
Style – Heavy metal-core
Origin- San Francisco, CA USA
Mike’s Review – Heavy metal mixed with some doom metal and
two scoops of repeated ass-kickings. There isn’t a way to listen to the CD
and not picture somebody getting their ass whooped. That’s the way it ought
to be right? Brutal growling/screaming vocals accompany the chugging metal
chaos and crazy guitars. I can hear some Pantera and early Machine Head
influence in the music. The vocals seem to be more closely by a mix of
Dillinger Escape Plan and Hatebreed. Overall, a good CD. I would definitely
go see them live.
www.blessingthehogs.com
This CD also contains some stuff for the computer. You will find the video
came Metal Man (haven’t played it yet though) and the music video for their
song “Let’s Play Doctor…Kevorkian”
DIXIE WITCH - "One Bird, Two Stones" (Small Stone Records)
Short Description - Rock and Roll
Origin: USA (Austin, TX)
Darren's Review - I was very excited to find out that Dixie
Witch was going to be opening for Clutch when they came through my neck of
the woods. I have heard a lot of good things about them, and if they were
going to open up for the mighty Clutch, I knew they would be great. Live
they were just that. This 3 piece gave 100% from the get-go and rocked the
joint hardcore. I hear full throttle rock and roll, spiked with a Southern
twist. The drummer did the singing and did a hell of a job. I was really
looking forward to hearing whatever recorded music was available. I got a
hold of their latest "One Bird, Two Stones" with high hopes. Upon three
complete spins, I must say I was let down. I didn't feel they captured the
energy and muster they had when they played live. The sound recording is
good, the mix is fair, the album just seems to be missing something. This
release is a few years old (2003) and some of their newer tracks that will
be on their next album were phenomenal. I would HIGHLY recommend seeing them
live. The CD isn't that bad, I just felt the chemistry was better live. I am
confident the next release will show improvement. Dixie Witch is better than
a lot of bands out there. Oh by the way, their guitar player shreds!!
www.smallstone.com/dixiewitch
Track Highlights: The Wheel, Drifting Lady, Turbo Wing, All guitar solo's!
TOTIMOSHI – “Mysterioso?” (Crucial Blast)
Style – Sludgy, Heavy Rock
Origin – Oakland, CA USA
Mike’s Review – Fortunately, this is one of those bands that
are hard to accurately describe. Those are the kind that I usually find most
interesting. The crunchy, fuzzy bass sound and the trippy, groovin’ guitar
riffs are accompanied by rocking percussion and some stoner/rock vocals.
This trio from the west coast of the US seems to be all about throwing some
sludge rock in your face and then mixing up the tempos a bit to keep you
guessing where their minds may wander next. Very well done. I bet Totimoshi
has an awesome live show. I will be checking them out live very soon.
www.totimoshi.com
TROLL - "Self-titled" (Unsigned)
Short Description - Rock and Roll
Origin: USA (New England)
Darren's Review - I am going to start off saying that Troll
has its own sound....sort of. This 5 piece, triple guitar attack from New
Hampshire has a lot of the right elements (we definitely need more bands
with 3 guitars!). A very solid, strong vocalist/guitarist in Tom Mayo,
better than average guitars, solid bass playing, experimenting in multiple
genre's like classic and eighties rock with a twist of modern day stylings
offers something new to chew on. The big issue I have with their debut
release is the production. I am sure it was done with a small budget, but I
have heard some self-produced demo's. You can hear everything in the mix,
but it is very weak sounding. Give them a little more time, and a new
approach when it comes to entering the studio again, and you got yourself a
solid rock band. If you live on the east coast, watch for them live. Not a
bad release by any means, just production wise I am picky! I feel the next
time around I bet will be different. Visit
www.trollrock.com and check out their
tune "Nostradamus" from this release.
286 - "Profiled" (Guerrilla Underground
Productions) Style - Rock Origin - Los
Angelas, CA Rob's review- You
can tell just by looking at the back of the cardboard sleeve for 286's 5
song EP "Profiled" that this was going to be stripped down, grimey, roots
Rock 'N' Roll with no apologies and lo and behold they made me a prophet.
Right from the opening guitar riffs for the song "Profiled" you come upon a
vision in your head... and that vision consists of a drunken haze at a
greasy bar along side a biker babe that if provoked could wipe the floor
with the ass of half the dudes in the bar at the drop of a hat. And that's
a vision that makes me smile...and quiver with excitement. 286 reminds me a
little of a late '90's heavily tattooed outfit from the same area called
Junkyard. Same attitude but with a little less of the '80's sound. The
musicianship and performance is right on as well as the production qualities,
which they also make sure to mention that the CD was made WITHOUT the use of
the Pro Tools recording software. So there's no copy and paste on this one.
Just old school, live Rock 'N' Roll with an attitude! It's a nice change
of pace in a world full of over produced Nu-Metal. www.286music.com
REVIEWS
POSTED ON February 26, 2006