|
|
February / March 2006Steve Lukather & Friends | Fighting Warriors | Voodoo Screw Machine | The Lifters | Russell Allen | Biolich | Modest & Humble | Divine Empire | Filii Nigrantium Infernalium | Shadow Gallery | Khold | Penetrator | Bronx Casket Co. | Hewcorrupts | An All Star Salute To Iron Maiden | Scid | Insidious Decrepancy | Big B | Dream Or Nightmare | Shame Lady | Earthride | James Christian | Catheter | Vile | Apollo Braun | Dark Funeral | Peter And The Test Tube Babies | Masterplan | Wojczech | Starbreaker | Lunatica | 45 Grave | Jaded 52 | Scum | So I Had To Shoot Him | Dragonlord | North to Emerson | To the Bone | Warrior Girl Music | Sourvein | Austin Bridges | V:28 | Deadly Sin | Stronghold | Antiquus | The Relief Effort | Continium Research Project | Robin Beck | XYZ | Dead Soul Tribe | Loud-N-Nasty | Warmachine | Rainbow Six:Lockdown | Arcturus | The Conspiracy | White Crow | Confessor | Taz Taylor | Deadlock | Mack | Midnight Circus | My Insanity | Urto | Manticora | Superkollider | Smile Empty Soul | Kragens | Zan Clan | Antigama | Matt Konfirst | Street Dogs | Yuggoth | Evolotto | Razor Ride | Stratovarius | Anubis Gate | Journey | Come And Go | Zero Hour | Icarus Witch | Sathanas | Opposition Party | Diren Grey | Helloween | Hate Profile | Beyond Twilight | Urizen | Wither | Liecus | Craft | Killing Spree | Only Now Existing | Super Liquid Courage | Circus of Dead Squirrels | Switched | Stride | Jeff Urso | Vader | Ascension Theory | Ignarus | Shakra | Luxt | Diver | Horse the Band | Slave to the System | Parabellum | Mindflow | Billion Dollar Babies | Project Steiger | SOS | David Earl Lewis | Wet Animal | The Devin Townsend Band | Nostradamus 0014 | Degree Absolute | Eric Gales | Headrush | 1/2 Mad Poet | Early Empire | American Dog | Supermercado | Deep Purple Dead Soul Tribe "…the fourth installment from Devon Graves and Co., Dead Soul Tribe continues to engage the listener with its organic soundscapes of authentic emotions. Dead Soul Tribe's cold and calculating sound is more realized than ever, resulting in an album that will satisfy fans old and new." As the sheet states. And as Devon said to me in an interview I did with him, " If they haven't heard of me or the band, why bother. There's nothing to tell." or something to that effect. Well I think those who are unfamiliar should take notice and give Dead Soul Tribe a listen. This release is a dark, progressive metal album. Plenty of emotions. Conflicting moods, unusual rhythms and an overall mesmerizing sound that lets you slip into another state of being within the first listen. From the most melodic parts to the heavier songs, the overall scope of the album is pure artistic beauty. Something one needs to experience for themselves. http://www.insideoutmusic.com Loud-N-Nasty Well now we're talking. The Swedish Glam Sleaze Kings are back with their second release on Perris Records. This was originally released on Hellbound recordings as a 12" vinyl in '02. This is the style of glam I did /and still enjoy from the past. These tracks are hard rocking with plenty of memorable riffs and choruses. These guys are said to be the bastard childs of Motley Crue and W.A.S.P. With one listen, you too will agree. As if they were washed out of the Hollywood gutters, Loud-N-Nasty take some of the great influences of Ratt, W.A.S.P., early L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat. Give it a bit of their own sound and you've got a class A sleaze rockin' album. Highly recommended to fans of any of the above mentioned bands and any into any of the hair bands of the '80s. IMPORTANT NOTICE : best if listened to at higher decibels than normal. Warmachine Warmachine offers a solid metal album with The Beginning of the End. Co-produced by David Ellefson, formerly of Megadeth, Warmachine offers the crunchy rhyth m guitars and heavy sound reminiscent of early Megadeth. What is probably the most refreshing aspect of Warmachine is their ability to offer heavy music with melodic vocals. It's nice to have a break from the growly metal vocals that are prominent in the metal scene today. Almost all of the songs on the album offer a catchy hook that makes each song stand on its own. "Eternally" is one of my favorite songs on the album. As soon as the guitar kicks it off, it is stuck in your head. The riff in the beginning of the song reflects a Pantera influence on the band. Be warned though, the label on the back of the cd reads, "Melodic Power Metal." If you're looking for a singer instead of a screamer, you picked the right cd. But, if you're looking for the typical running power metal drums or the songs about elves, this is not the cd for you. Lyrically, the songs are definitely more on a level of personal despair instead of fantasy. Overall, if you're a metal fan, I would recommend The Beginning of the End. It's a good metal album that brings the melody back into the music while keeping the technically proficient and heavy musical parts. Rainbow Six:Lockdown I'm not much of a gamer, but I do realize to correlation between kick-ass games and kick-ass soundtracks. One could just as well bury the other if not done properly. The Rainbow Six:Lockdown soundtrack is really kick-ass. It is produced by Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera and partner Laddie Ervin (3Volution Productions). So if you do play this game, you already know what I'm talking about. If you don't play it, you're still going to want to go out and get this one. Track listing is as follows: All My Life - Killing Zone, Lockdown - Fear Factory, Unstable - Kush, Never Forget - Not Forgotten, Game Over - Last Amanda, Waiting - Not Forgotten, Rainbow Six Lockdown Theme - Fear Factory, Stabbing The Drama - Soilwork, Like Light To The Flies - Trivium, Door 2:12 - Mnemic, The Color Of Money - Bury Your Dead, Love? - Strapping Young Lad, The Heart And Shape - 36 Crazyfist, Eyes Of A Criminal - Chimaira, I Could Care Less - Devil Driver, Rainbow Six Theme - Bill Brown. http://www.calvinrecords.com ARCTURUS This was a weird release. I remember this band being like a black metal band and now they are a melodic band with melody, clean vocals, but also some black metal vocals. What do I think of all this? I think it's a weak attempt at trying to be different and it sounded fake and cloudy. The clean opera like vocals are a waste and the melody parts are weak and I found this release to be very disappointing and found nothing of value. Info: http://www.season-of-mist.com THE CONSPIRACY Good solid heavy metal that borders on power metal. Sort of like Metal Church and Deadly Blessing in spots. The band is not in that power voval chanting stuff or Hammerfall Jr. This is honest to goodness, balls to the wall, fist banging metal. Pure metal. The guitar crunches and the vocals soar. 13 songs of beautiful heavy metal with no grunge, no alternative, just 100% metal. Info: madmessiahmusic@lycos.com WHITE CROW This was progressive metal and to me it got boring really quick. The music kinda just dragged on and I was bored. The music is like Dream Theatre, but not as powerful and the music is just kinda limp. The music didn't move me and just kinda went on and on. Not for me. Info: http://www.whitecrow.prv CONFESSOR Confessor is one of the hot or miss bands. You either love them or you hate them. Me I like em he he. I think the band is original, creates a heavy and unique sound and does the underground proud. The band released one release on Earache many moons ago and I got their demo recently and I knew this release would crush. And crush it does. Chock full of heacy, pounding riffs that will slice your skull and vocals that you will love or hate. Scott doens't do as much high pitched stuff and he reminds me a bit of Alan from Hades. This is crushing doom of the highest order. Get it at all costs. Not your typical band. Info: http://www.season-of-mist.com TAZ TAYLOR An amazing guitar player who plays with soul, passion and the songs just rocked. No vocals, but I still enjoyed this a lot. This is pure rock/metal sort of like the Scorpions, UFO, etc. Taz does everything but the drums and I tell you this is an amazing piece of work. Just wicked riffs and the playing and emotion this guy gets from is instrument is beyond words. Worth checking out. Info: http://www.taztaylor.com Deadlock Deadlock are one of these "death melody" bands that blends elements of death/black metal with the more melodic styles of of power metal, a la In Flames. Vocalist Johannes Prem sings in a gravel-throated growl, but the rest of the music is more melodic, influenced by classic heavy/thrash metal. Guitarists Sebastian Reichl and Gert Rymen make up a crushing dual axe attack, thrashing out some classic style riffs, melodic yet aggressive. They are influenced by many of the genre's masters, from Maiden and Priest to Testament, Kreator, and Celtic Frost. This is also true in the vocal department, as there is some of Kreator's Mille and Frost's Tom G. Warrior to be heard in Prem's voice. Keyboards are also used quite frequently, adding to the band's melodic side. In fact, they are near-dominant in the song "10,000 Generations In Blood". A female backing vocalist also makes several appearances on the album, singing in a haunting, operatic voice. She sings a good chunk of of "Awakened By Sirens", and on the brief ballad "Harmonic", she sings the whole thing. This song, which closes the album, is just her and a piano. Deadlock do a fairly good job of juggling melody and aggression, and are good musicians. However, they borrow a bit too much from In Flames without using too much style of their own, making it easy to dismiss them as knock offs, even if they are talented. Also, their songs are a bit lengthy. Given time to grow and come into their own sounds, they could be promising contenders. Mack What started off as a solo project for powerhouse drummer Jason Mackenroth (Rollins Band, Mother Superior), blossomed into a full fledged band thing. So says Jason. Here are 9 songs that just seemed to flow as Jason was writing for what he thought would be just some recordings to fill up time waiting for something to happen in the Rollins Camp. The more they wrote and recorded, I'm sure they were filled with excitement as these gems were laid out. What you're getting here is not what you'd expect from Mackenroth. What it is, is a collection of songs fueled by what has influenced him most over the past years of playing. There are some pop sounding rock tunes, a few punkish edged tunes as well. Jason on this one takes over the vocals, guitars (not the leads) and the drums. John Kuker and Jacques Wait make up the rest of Mack. It's hard to say what to compare Mack's sound to. It is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. He is a huge Kiss fan if that helps. Well not really. This is just a great rock-n-roll album. A very original sounding band. Which for me is hard to say any more these days. Original sounding to me. You really need to give it a try for yourself though. Very cool sound. Definitely not following any trends marks high up on my list. Standout tracks ," Mystified, Torn In Two and Lost". But honestly, the whole record is great. Hopefully Henry stays idle awhile longer so we can get more Mack. http://www.jason-mackenroth.com Midnight Circus Well here's another band that takes the overly popular '80's glam sound seriously. By overly popular, I do mean back when it was a big thing. There sound is not really cheesy glam, but more like Dokken, Vince Neil or Great White. Although with each track rolling through the speakers, all I can vision are dudes with more make-up than Tammy Faye and more spandex than 20 Poison tribute bands. This is top-notch hairspray metal. Now don't quote me on the make-up or spandex as I have not seen a photo of the band. It's just the mental picture the music makes up all on it's own. There are some pretty good jams on this one I must say. An all around solid rockin' disk. So keep your fists-a-flailing and those pelvises pulsating. This is some Tygertailz shit gone wild. MY INSANITY As this first played I thought this was some techno band and then the thrash riff kicked in and blasted me. The band mix in a touch of industrial techno stuff along with older thrash kinda like Sepultura at times as well as the 1st Machine Head release. The vocals reminded me of David Bowie of all people. This is a different sort of release and was a welcome change from all the 2nd rate generic stuff I usually get. Wicked electric-thrash rock/metal. Info: http://www.season-of-mist.com URTO 6 tunes of prime old school thrash metal in the vein of Violence and Sacred Reigh. You get the picture. The riffs boar down and crush, slaughter, and kill. Thr vocals are a bit like Violance and the production is on the money. I enjoyed every tune and after 6 tunes, I wanted more. If you love old style Bay Area style thrash and razor sharp riffing and music played with emotion and feeling, here is the perfect band. An awesome release. Info: http://www.urto.tk MANTICORA Really good power metal. The riffs had the head banging and the vocals and production are strong. The music is mostly uptempo with some nice double bass and speed parts. The music does go into the progressive mode, but not so much that it flows over your head. I haven't been into many of the new progressive power metal bands, but here is one that kicks ass. Vocals are clear, but strong. A winner in my book. Info: http://www.nightmare-records.com SUPERKOLLIDER Oh my god was this just a crushing slab of metal played with such emotion and power. The fat riffs, god can it get any heavier. Think Helmet meets Pantera. I don't like most groove metal bands, but this band just crush them all. The riffs are out of this world. This totally blew me away and had me moshing in my apartment ha ha. The vocals are a bit on the tough guy side, but don't have the cheezy death metal tone and the music is amazing. The riffs own me. Info: http://www.superkollider.com Smile Empty Soul Another bunch of Creed wannabees, as if there weren't too many already! Need I say more? Isn't one Creed enough? These guys seem to follow the Creed instruction manual to a T, word for word, note for note. Just about all the songs are snail-paced (and near identical), with tuned-down, sub-Nirvana power chords, and singer Sean Danielsen droning along in a near-monotone voice, very similar to Scott Stapp, singing of shoe staring and self pity. There is also some political commentary in their songs, and they don't think much of Dubya (to say the least), but just because I may agree with that doesn't mean I have to like their music. They are mediocre musicians, at best, and I find their music very boring. The world does not need another Creed! Kragens Kragens is a power metal band from France. Well I would not really put them just in the power metal category. They are an astonishing blend of many metal influences. Most reminiscent is to Nevermore. Although throughout you can hear touches of Testament, Priest, Queensryche and Black Steel. These are not just your ordinary tracks that from one track to the next it has a different sound. They mix it all into each track. The vocals are great. Ranging from sounding like Paul Di'Anno to Chuck Billy to Tim Owens. Great guitar work with plenty of crunch and melodies that will leave you head banging for more. Magnificent lead work and a powerful rhythm section that is as precise as a Swiss watch. ( Do the Swiss make good watches?) This is a band worth checking out. For fans of Nevermore, Primal Fear, Metal Church and Brimstone. http://www.locomotivemusic.com Zan Clan Zan Clan features former Shotgun Messiah vocalist Zinny Zan and platinum-selling songwriter, producer and guitarist Chris Laney. Well the Swedish Invasion continues. As does the '80 glam sound. That's pretty much what this is. A 2005 release of the '80's glam sound. Shotgun Messiah, Poison, Faster Pussycat, Warrant style. Zan Clan do a nice job of it. A good rockin' album. Nothing too spectacular to these ears. Now if it was an era you were into, you are going to love Zan Clan. If not, it will make a good album to have handy for certain party goers. So there you have it. Antigama This Polish quartet blends a creative and diverse concoction of several extreme styles of music. 9 new tracks of grind core and noise. Immeasurable number of light speed blast beats. Manic drumming, heavy distorted guitars, shrieks and gutteral vocals. Experimental noise. Some stolen descriptions there. This is one of those bands I don't want to say is good or bad on this powerhouse of a release. This is a genre that has many bands and followers. If you are one of the experimental, grind noise fans. This release in truly a gem. It doesn't get any heavier or faster than this. But if it's not a genre you're into, just go to one of the site below a give them a listen. This is beyond doubt, one of the sickest grind releases of the year. http://www.antigama.prv.pl MATT KONFIRST This was an all instrumental release done by 1 guy. To be honest I found this quite boring. The guy can shred on the guitar, but the songs lacked substance and had my longinf for the play next button. I think a lack of singer really hurts. The guy is very talented and I wish him well and here is hoping he decides to get a singer. The music is sort of like Joe Satrini mixed in with some Black Sabbath doom metal. No contact info provided. STREET DOGS This is one of those new power punk bands in the vein of Good Charlotte and Green Day. The music isn't bad for what it is, and that is catchy riffs with a big of edge. The vocals are very good and the songs are strong and for this style the band is doing something right. While I am not a big fan of this stuff, I did enjoy this disc. Info: http://www.street-dogs.com YUGGOTH 6 wicked tracks of some old chunk thrash metal sort of like old Wargasm and Metall ica in spots. The band are from Russia and they go that country proud. The riffs are heacy, catchy and chunky, just the way I like em. The vocals are aggressive and the production is right on the money. The 6 songs weren't enough and left me wanting more. A band to keep an eye on. Info: yuggoth@nm.ru EVOLOTTO Groove new style metal is the ticket here. The music is ok. The vocals are the shouted kind and the band just sound like every one of the other bands doing this style. The band do mix it up a bit, but I am just not into all these bands doing groove with the tough guy vocals as only a handfull are good. This isn't one of them. Info: http://www.sinklub.com RAZOR RIDE 13 tracks of some weird, but vicious death metal. The vocals are awesome as the guy shrieks and yells unlike any other singer I have heard. The music is like if Ministry decided to go death metal. The band also mix in a tad bit of black metal here and there. The slower riffs kill and remind me of older Venom. I can see this band getting on a label soon. They are that good. Info: supreme877@yahoo.com Stratovarius Although this album starts off much differently than previous Stratovarius albums, by the fourth track it's clear that Stratovarius is back. Maniac Dance, the first track on the album, has a poppy chorus and gritty production. The vocals are extremely compressed and the sound isn't as bright as the usual Stratovarius sound. Just Carry On, track three starts to bring back the Stratovarius of old sound and the there's Back to Madness. This is the ballad of the album, although it is not a traditional ballad. It is sort of an all encompassing ballad, starting with the keyboard and even taking a brief opera break in the middle falling back into the traditional power metal ballad at the end. What is interesting and refreshing on the albu m is that the band returned to their homeland roots and titled a song in Finnish, with the English sub-title Zenith of Power even though it's the next song, The Land of Ice and Snow which seems to be based on Finnish folk lore. Overall I think Stratovarius is a solid album although not quite as strong as one would hope after all the anticipation and the drama the band has been through. The song writing seems to be lacking slightly but hopefully the band can re-create their old chemistry. The album is decent but I think we can expect better from Stratovarius in the future. Anubis Gate I may not be speaking for most. But on the average for me, I received approximately 20 cds a month to review. Sometimes more and sometimes less. And for the past few weeks I've been flooded with disks by progressive/power metal bands. Not that this is a terrible thing mind you, just that my pea-sized brain starts having trouble separating one from the next. Anubis Gate are a Danish act here with the release of their second album, " A Perfect Forever". I must say it is yet another impressive release. Powerful clean vocals and excellent musicianship run amuck on this one. A very fine blend of both the progressive and power metal genres. All 10 tracks on this one are sure to please most any metal fan of either likes. Will appeal to fans of Zero Hour, Fates Warning, Thunderstone, Saxon and Iron Maiden. Head to either website below for more on Anubis Gate. They are a band that you will regret missing out on. http://www.anubisgate.com Journey What can anyone say about a band who has sold over 75 million albums worldwide in their 30 year career? Nothing bad at least. Whether you like it or not, there are a few other people besides you who do. This is Journey's 13th studio album with all new tracks. And one I'm sure every Journey fan has been waiting for. I like the older Journey with and pre-Perry. The jamming' stuff they still play on the radio from time to time. 'Generations', I'm sure for the band is a work of art. It is very well done. But as I listen to it ,this being the third time, it's just another lite rock, pop sounding Journey record. Nothing bad about it, just Journey. Not something I'll keep in my player, but I know my girlfriend is going to love it. Come And Go This is one on the lighter side of things. California Alt-Country rockers, Come And Go release their debut album 'Shinebox' on Purify Records. So I've listened to this a couple of times and I must say that it is pretty good. I find listening to this style of music at home or in the car sort of nauseating. No offense to the few groups of this style I do like. But I personally enjoy this type of music live. And by the sounds of the disk, it will probably be an enjoyable live experience. 'Shinebox' is filled with plenty of memorable melodies and choruses. Their sound has just the right hook to real in even the slightest of rock fans. Much in the same vein of The Dave Mathews Band or Blues Traveler. Or even more so to John Meloncamp. A nice listen for the lighter hearted who visit the site. And I'm sure Come And Go will be creating quite a buzz amongst the airwaves with several tracks off this one. Zero Hour Here it is. The long awaited third album from this respected progressive metal band. My bad. I was not even aware of their existence. So many bands , so little time. Sort of confusing to me as well. 'A Fragile Mind' is an incredible album. How have I overlooked their name in mags and on websites? How have you? Well I'm here to tell you you need to check out Zero Hour's latest effort. Not only is it album of prog metal, it's heavy. Not something a lot of people associate with progressive metal. First-rate vocals from new comer Fred Marshall. Clean and clear. Much as Geoff Tate or Jonny Lindqvist in style. Superb production on the disk makes for a great listen. A selling point on the promo sheet states "Zero Hour's appeal will crossover between fans of technical metal bands Spiral Architect, Meshuggah and Cynic, as well as prog bands like Fates Warning and Dream Theater". Fans of Iced Earth, Nocturnal Rites and Icarus Witch will enjoy. Icarus Witch From time to time you here the saying, "here's a band keeping the torch of metal glory ablaze". And when you give it a listen for yourself, you don't totally agree. Well for all you 80's metal freaks, here's a band, in all honesty keeping true to that statement. Whether or not you yourself can agree, Icarus Witch are as pure of metal as Dio, Maiden, Priest, Saxon and Iced Earth. And fans of any of these or melodic power metal in general will agree. From the soaring clean vocals to the passion filled guitar work, this is an all out wet dream for those into the "true metal" scene. Very well crafted songs. If your looking for guttural screams, blast-beating double bass drums and crunchy two chord riffs that gallop at incredible speeds, don't even bother with Icarus Witch. But if your looking for actual metal, you know the stuff from back in the day, Icarus Witch is the band for you. Icarus Witch is just what the American metal scene needs to "keep the torch ablaze". Fans of the above mentioned as well as Crimson Glory, Demons and Wizards, Blind Guardian and Seven Witches will appreciate. http://www.icaruswitch.com SATHANAS 9 tracks of intense old school death metal played with lots of feeling and passion. The cruchy riffs and fast blasting parts had me smiling. The band mix it up and it doesn't get boring at all. The rip roaring solos will bring you back to yesteryear when music like this was king of the underground. The vocals are a mixture of death and black metal and totally crush. This is an excellent release chock full of music that any underground fan will want. Info: http://www.pulverised.net OPPOSITION PARTY This is like a mix of hardcore and metal. The cool thing is it isn't some jump metal crap with fake and generic hardcore. This is the real deal of hardcore. Sort of like some the old 80's NYC hardcore bands mixed with a bruising sound of metal. Think Bay Area thrash meets Biohazard. The songs are quick, fast and aggresive. A winner in my book. Info: http://www.pulverised.net DIREN GRAY This was typical groove metal that sound like every other groove metal band with the typical groove parts and the tough guy vocals. Bands like this and every other band of this style are a dime a dozen. Info: http://www.wargonrecords.com Helloween Well no matter what era of Helloween's musical career you ventured into, you were left knowing that this is a band that is not afraid to hold anything back. I got into them very early on with the release of 'Walls of Jericho'. Then it was 'Keeper pt. I and Keeper pt II'. The band proved to the world that they meant business with their melodic power metal. Helloween really set a standard by what would come out in the genre over the coming years. Always trying to push their abilities as song writers with some of the most startlingly forward-thinking and experimental metal records ever released. So I lost track after the two "keys" releases by just hearing a track or two here and there. Although legends to the melodic/power metal scene, I never really got back into the music they were producing. This latest release , as Michael Weikath points out, "Had we not been convinced that our new recording lives up to the high standards set by Keeper I & II, we certainly wouldn't have called it what we did. I feel that the current songs have no problem keeping up with the old classics. As far as I'm concerned, there is not one single weak number on The Legacy". And very true that statement is with this two disk release. There are six tracks on the first disk and seven tracks on the second disk with a video. And it is all new material. It was just that several of the tracks are pretty lengthy, so they released it as a two disk set. The old Helloween sound is back. And as an old fan myself, I was very pleased with what I've heard. There are still plenty of melodic elements which are signature to the bands sound as well as their thrash-fueled interpretation of classic heavy metal. Surely this will go down as one of the most memorable power metal releases of all time. http://www.helloween.org HATE PROFILE Typical black metal with the razor pick riffs, fast blast beats and black metal vocals. This is a one man band with the guy from Ancient playing drums. The band or project sound like every other fast black metal band from Norway. Same riffs, vocals and song arrangements. Releases like this are a dime a dozen now and there is nothing new or exciting to get over with this release. Info: http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com BEYOND TWLIGHT Some good quality straight ahead metal with power layered across it. This isn't some generic fly by night Hammerfall wanna be band, but the band play heavy metal. Heavy metal the way it was meant to be played. The keyboard parts even work and the vocals are awesome as the singer has quite a pair of lungs and puts them to use. the vocals sound fresh and you can feel the feeling ozze from his lips. If your look for metal played with power, i got your band. Info: http://www.nightmare-records.com URIZEN This was a pleasant surprise to say the least. This band combines the best of black metal, death metal, thrash metal and prog metal and throw it into a blender and out pops this. The vocals are clean, which i though would be weak, but in turn work for this band. The band can be going into a wicked fast part and then delve off into some crazy jazz/thrash part. This band is very original and I can't see why a label wouldn't snap these guys up in a minute. Info: http://www.urizenonline.com WITHER This band play like a metal grunge sort of style with some clean, but emotional like vocals. Sort of like Alice in Chains with a different style. The music is somewhat heavy and the singer doesn't go into those generic tough guys vocals, thank god. This to me wasn't a band I would do backflips over, but they are a decent band, just playing a style of music that isn't my cup of tea. Info: http://www.wither.cc LIECUS This is nu metal stuff with the groove music and the jump parts. The vocals have the clean style and then have the generic tough guy vocal style. This is another band in a long list of bands that are doing nothing new and this got really old fast. Pass on this one as it sounds likie way too many other bands. Info: http://www.liecus.com CRAFT This was better than the other black metal band as they mixed it up more and played more slower, nail biting, slower, crushing parts that buried me. The vocals are pure evil and this is black metal the way it should be. The production is solid and the fast parts are unholy. Well worth getting. Info: http://www.southernlord.com KILLING SPREE Excellent death/thrash metal is the ticket here. 12 tunes including the band's ep on 1 disc. The vocals are awesome as well. The band mix in the best of style thrash with some wicked riffing like Atrophy and Whiplash. This is excellent old school thrash metal that kills. Info: http://www.whatsmycut.com ONLY NOW EXISTING This is a one man band and the guy plays like goth type rock with alternative rock. The music isn't bad and the vocals are really good for this style of music. It is hard to compare, but I would say this is pretty original and he is on to something. Wouldn't be surprised to see a label pick this up. Info: http://www.onlynowexisting.net SUPER LIQUID COURAGE This was like alternative rock and it was a really bad one at that. Songs that fall flat and vocals that were not good and song arrangements that left me bored. The songs lacked quality and didn't do anything for me. They just plodded along track after track. Not a good release by any means. Info: http://www.superliquidcourage.com CIRCUS OF DEAD SQUIRRELS Techno dance music with a metal edge. Beyond bad. Complete and utter garbage and this is not music...period. Info: No contact info included Switched 2001's Subject to Change debut, released through Immortal Records sold nearly 100,000 copies. The success of the album landed them spots on the Warped Tour (2001&2002), as well as Ozzfest 2002. And numerous other tours with Sevendust, Fear Factory, Machine Head and Nonpoint. Just to name a few. Ben Schigel - vocals, B.C Kochmit - lead guitars, Joe Schigel - guitars and Chad Szeliga - drums are the powerhouse make-up which is Switched. 'Ghosts In The Machine' is the latest release from Switched. It is being released on Corporate Punishment Records. A great new label who seems to have the incredible knack to release only top notch acts. The new album is being released as a two-disk set. Listen close and I will explain as there is a little confusion on the info I found. Could just be me. Disc 1 is comprised of all new material. New material that was originally recorded for their sophomore release with Immortal Records. As you can see, are you ready for this? They "switched" labels after recording the tracks for whatever reasons I am unaware of. Anyways, Corporate Punishment comes along and the band decided to re-record the tracks and polish them up a bit for the new label. Disc 2 is comprised of some b-side type material, demo tracks and a couple of live tracks. So we have that clear? This is not just another b-sides release. It is a new disk with new material and a bonus disc accompanying it. Yep, a twofer. So I've given this a few/several spins in the player. I must say, or have to say, this is a first-class release and a wonderful way to start out the New Year. I'm not familiar with the bands first release, so I can't compare it to that. But after hearing what I have from the band, Wow. These guys rock. Now I must be completely honest. Their sound has many similarities to what is popular in today's hard rock radio scene. Fans of Shinedown, Crossfade, Seether, Allele to Nonpoint to Godsmack to even Nickleback will freak over this latest release. I only have the new tunes, (disc 1) and it's all of those groups and more. All rolled up into an extreme molten ball of hard rock fury. There are way to many catchy tracks on here to say which one is standout. (Like Suicide, I'm Falling, Drowning, Empty Promises) There are plenty of thunderous beats and driving guitars to please the heaviest of rockers while the great melodies and memorable vocal parts fill in the rest of what should be dubbed "the hard rock release of the year". Could it be too early to say that. Hmmm. Multi-platinum? Maybe. If all the other bands mentioned above could do it, Switched are a shoe in for it. Great album. I'm glad I was introduced. And you will be too. For more info and to listen in for yourself, check out one of the sites below. http://www.myspace.com/switched Stride Well, here's something that's a bit different...at least in my collection. It's progressive metal mixed with AOR or, to quote the band bio, they draw their energy from the technicality of Dream Theater and the polished AOR sounds of Journey. Hey...it works for me. From what I've read, their first release was an instrumental effort, one which created quite a buzz in the scene. Once they found the right singer, which they did in 2004, they took their music to the next level. Although, I think their stint as an instrumental band rubbed off on 'em a bit because, for example, track three, "Endeavor," has a drawn out instrumental section, which I really don't have a taste for. I really need to hear vocals to get into something. My only other complaint...sometimes the keyboard is used way too much. I don't mind the use of keyboards in a song. But, there's really only so much I can take. Other than that, I think it's a fine album. Good to listen to every now and then. On a personal note, I really don't think the band has hit their stride yet. After all, they did an instrumental release to get the ball rolling and, on "Imagine," they go through nine songs in less than an hour. I'll admit, they're good at what they do. But, it's still somewhat early in their career. So, I don't think they've hit their high point yet. I'd keep my eye on 'em though. With the buzz they're creating, it's only a matter of time before they go from being a good band to a great band. JEFF URSO This is an all instrumental rock/metal release. Jeff Urso can write and play some mean guitar. The riffs and solos are splendid and even with no vocals this smoked. The music is solid and the melodies and the feeling just gave me a smile. The music and the grooves just flow at a nice pace and this is one of the best instrumental releases I have ever heard. Info: http://www.jeffurso.com VADER This is a typical Vader release. The music is mostly fast with blast beats and a few slower parts. This in itself is not a bad thing though. The fast parts are vicious and throat slashing blast beats that will tear you into 2. The vocals are pure death metal style. If your a fan of this band, this is another release you will want from them. Info: http://www.candlightrecordsusa.com Ascension Theory Ascension Theory can be categorized by some as a progressive metal band. However, they are lacking one critical aspect of that category - metal. Ascension Theory are great song writers, amazing musicians and good lyricist. Throughout the duration of the album though, I was waiting for them to bust into something heavy, something I could bang my head to, but it never happened. It's been proven by other great progressive bands (Dream Theater and Symphony X to name a couple) that prog and metal can be a beautiful partnership. With Ascension Theory's album Answers the metal is missing. Don't be mistaken, the album is not full of power ballads (although it does have its token ballads) but there's a def inite lack of crunchy guitar riffs and pounding double bass. What is cool about this album, especially for a progressive band, is that there are only three members in the band. Leon Ozug takes care of the guitar, bass and vocal tracks. The female vocals on track six and seven, provide an interesting turn. Although it seems as if this move has been played out in the metal scene, Beverly Luse has a voice unlike many of the melodic female singers on the scene today. It's almost an immature voice but refreshingly different from the over the top operatic female style singers. Another nice aspect of this album is the lack of musical masturbation. Ascension Theory has found a way to incorporate their talent into their song writing without having to remind you of it with a solo in between every verse. Answers is a great album if you're just in the mood to kick back and enjoy some melodic tunes. Ignarus Who ever said rock is dead? Pennsylvanian hard rockers Ignarus bring music back to the basics with their self-titled debut album. Mixing classic rock of Black Sabbath to modern day tightens as Black Label Society and Audio Slave. The songwriting is simple with charismatic old school guitar riffs, a solid chop drum section, and vocals that actually have melody with lyrics that have meaning. These guys are not reinventing the wheel, but sure are making it better! Such featured songs are "Know It All," "All Downhill," and their new single "Onto Something." There are only two people in this group. Vocalist/guitarist Kevin Showmaker is the main songwriter and leader of the band. His haunting chilling voice sounds exactly like Lain Stanly of Alice in Chains. Drummer Dominic Vigilante offers simple beats that are not aggressive but are more rock and nothing else. The style and ideas of the band fits what they are trying to do perfectly. SHAKRA Bad new style melodic nu metal with boring melodies and music that was weak and offered not much in value. This crap you would hear on MTV or MTV 2. If tries to be metal/rock, but falls flat on it's face as there is so many of these dime a dozen bands making the rounds. Info: http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com LUXT This was like alternative metal. I liked it. It reminded me of the missed Sapphic Ode. The music is sort of like a cross between Ministry and Ramenstein. The band has a female singer, who is really good on the mic. The production is strong and songs are catchy and heavy. I could see this band getting signed and the singer is hot, which always helps. Info: http://www.luxt.com DIVER This was an alternative band and not a bad one. The band write some emotional music and I liked the vocals and the music is like rock/metal, but no groove thank god. The music does get heavy and is very weird and hard to describe. It also gets technical at times. The band writes some off the wall and warped stuff and is far from your typical band. Info: http://www.deservingrecords.com HORSE the band What do you have when you breed screamo with industrial keyboard synth elements? Los Angeles based group, HORSE the band deliver an incredible non-stop debut album from start to finish. A Nintendo new wave sound with hardcore heavy break beats, break downs, and brutal crunchy guitars that is aggressive, impulsive, and unpredictable. If the Super Mario Brothers had a hardcore band, this is the sound! Having the dizzying rhythm section of the Dillinger Escape Plan, the melodic keyboard ideas of Reggie and the Full Effect, and the sense of humor of Every Time I Die brings a new refreshing sound to the hardcore scene. With such featured songs and videos like "Birdo," and "A Million Exploding Suns," that is memorable, chaotic, and beautiful all at the same time. The power house of the bands' juggernaut sound is the keyboards. Keyboardist Erik Engstrom encapsulates the melodic side of the band. While complimenting David Isen's heavy guitar playing with subtle ideas, the softer chill-out interludes focus on the keyboard and nothing else. HORSE the band nail all the songs on this album. They bring a new sense of hardcore with so many other elements that most bands are too afraid to go near. If you like video game theme music mixed with distorted guitars, hard double bass drumming, and emotional Molotov screaming vocals then this band is for you. Any hardcore kid will definitely enjoy this album. Slave to the System Slave to the System is a modern sounding rock band despite featuring veterans to the music scene. Slave to the System's self-titled release is a blend of traditional rock and roll with some pop-like chorus. The band includes members of Queensryche and Brother Cane, which sounds like an interesting combination but the style of the band resembles Brother Cane more closely than Queensryche. The musicianship on the album is strong and the songs are well written. Most of the choruses will end up sticking in your head although the album might take more than one listen for some listeners to get used to. The sound of the band definitely has a Seattle flare, without being "grunge". "Will You Be There", track nine on the album, could be the ballad break-through on the album. Then surprisingly, the last two tracks on the album are "Ragdoll" and "Walk the Line" which would leave one to believe that they were Aerosmith cover songs, but they aren't. Both songs are more melodic and mellow, again with powerful lines that any listener is sure to remember. With the proper promotion, there is no reason why Slave to the System could not be a commercial success. Parabellum Dissonant guitars and cookie monster vocals is what Florida's Parabellum is all about. Blending influences from Acid Bath to Deicide, these guys know how to somewhat play brutally heavy metal. Too bad the band can't play as well as their stated influences. This album is monotonous where every song bleeds into the next with no new ideas but recycled riffage over and over again. All the songs are longer than typical and after a while drain your attention. Songs like "Blackened Skies," have annoying redundant vocals with simple minded guitar work and dumbed down drumming. I don't understand what the band was trying to accomplish and what their sound is. I love all styles of metal but this album I cannot recommend. If you don't love the first couple of songs then you will hate the rest of the album and will make your ears bleed. MINDFLOW More progressive metal in the vein of Dream Theatre. This wasn't bad, but there is too many bands doing this style now and to these ears this doesn't sound fresh and sounds like a bunch of the other progressive metal bands. these guys can play, the singer can sing, but the songs fall short on quality and repeated listens. Info: http://www.heavencrossrecords.net BILLION DOLLAR BABIES 4 tracks of 80's style hair band rock/metal. The 4 tunes are catchy numbers and I enjoyed them. The singer has a great voice and the tunes rock. They are all catchy numbers with lots of melody and my toes were tapping as this played on. 4 tunes was not enough. Info: http://www.milliondollarbabies.nu PROJECT STEIGER 11 all instrumental tracks is the ticket here. The music is a bit on the progressive side at times. This is a 4 piece band and they can write some tremendous tunes that are fully of power and melody. They don't sound like any one band and just play straight ahead metal with lots of power and energy. Info: http://www.projectsteiger.com SOS Some nice rock/metal with a thrash edge to it at times. The tunes are catchy numbers and yeah while they do have a touch of groove to them, I still liked this. The band also throw in some old thrash to the mix and it is a cool touch. The vocals thankfully aren't the tough guy style and if you like the newer style of metal, but not so rehash crap, thy this. Info: http://www.sosnyc.com |
