HOLOCAUST
"War In Heaven/Hell On Earth"
(MP3.com)

Holocaust should be a name familiar to all NWOBHM fans. This band are probably best known for their classic "Nightcomers" album. A lot of time has past (Over twenty years!) since that album and Holocaust have been through a lot-lineup changes, name changes, changes in musical climate, even break ups. But they've come through all that, and, like the Energizer Bunny, are still going. This release consists of four new songs (a taste of their forthcoming album, "Primal"), and four of their earlier songs, taken from previous albums. The four new songs, "Iron Will", "Black Box", "Hell On Earth", and "Transcendence", are like a combination of classic, HWOBHM era Holocaust, and a more modern, Pantera/Alice In Chains type sound. These songs are as heavy as lead and hard as nails! The guitars blaze, the drums pound like pistons, and the vocalist sings aggressively in his rough, gravel throated voice. The playing is tight, aggressive, and top notch! If this is a sample of what "Primal" is like, it should be a great album! Of the four older songs, "Dance Into The Vortex" and "War In Heaven" are speedy, thrashing metal tunes, while "I Smash The Void" and the almost-instrumental "Curious" are more Black Sabbath influenced, with some industrial flavorings. Holocaust, as I said, are survivors of the NWONBHM. They've matured and adapted with the times, but they certainly haven't abandoned their roots. They're still very much a metal band, and a damn good one at that, and can still kick ass! They sure beat the pants off of most of today's so-called "metal" bands, no doubt about that! www.holocaustmetal.com

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