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June / July 2006Cardinale | Facedowninshit | Nightmare | Voodoo Moonshine | Queensryche | Dead to Fall | Saxon | Enforsaken | Witchery | Inner Surge | Man's Evil | The Hidden | Luca Turilli | Quinta Essentia | Gat-Rot | Moonspell | Fields of the Nephilm | Bloodaxe | Mower | MTV2 Headbanger's Ball | Euroforce | In Flames | Steve Cone | Smoky Mountain Skullcrushers | Avian | Retisonic | Anthenora | J.D. Bradshaw | Greenhaven | Scalamercalli | Entwine | V:28 | Thor | Satariel | Daylight Dies | Venom | Dismember | Bruce Turgon | The Trews | Xasthur/Leviathan | Katatonia | Mona For Now | Intronaut | Stereo Fuse | Overloaded | Judas Priest | State of Integrity | Thryfing | Dawn of Defiance | Alev | The Strongest Proof | Evil Beaver | Evildoer | Luca Turilli's Dreamquest | Nachtmystium | Insense | Thunderlords | John Tapella | Uncrossed | Southern Black Sand | Smakone | Hymns of the Wicked | Dawn of Defiance | Toxic Virgin | Speed Kill Hate | Babylon Mystery Orchestra | Bathtub Shitter | Dryline | Soulfly | Melisend | Megaherz | Sapthuran/Leviathan | Amoral | Mardo | Hevin | Herod | Bleeding Kansas | John Tapella | Curt Shaw | Jorn | Manngard | The Abominable Iron Sloth | Hoover's G String | Godsmack | Beyond Agony | The True Wake | Boris | NSI | Survivor | Infected Malignity | Event Horizon | Psionic | Neils Vejlyt | Eidolon | Deadstar | Beyond Twilight | Fivecore Records | Killer Sixgun | Divided by Zeros | Shitkickers | Octagon | Loudlife | Isolated | Doppler, Inc. | Bludgeon | Torture | Storm the Castle | Bal-Sagoth | Enslaved | Vreid | Beyond Twilight SMAKONE Typical modern death metal with 2 different singing styles, one clean and the other generic death metal style. The music is mostly groove death metal with some keyboard parts. Think Ministry if they played groove metal. This was pretty bad and the riffs and vocal style has been done to death. Info: http://www.season-of-mist.com Hymns Of The Wicked This is basically your standard metalcore album-fast, furious, angry, angst-ridden, and aggressive; riffs, riffs, riffs; tonsil-torturing vocals; a lot of Pantera influence...need I go on? That's not to say these guys are bad. They are quite decent musicians, are good at what they do, and their music can certainly leave a boot mark on the listener's rear end. They are, however, a bit formulaic and seem to be doing things by the numbers. If you're a fan of this style I suppose that won't be a problem though. As far as your basic metalcore goes, this is pretty good. There are a few ballads on here as well (I guess the band had to stop and catch their breath a couple of times), those being "Innocent Man", the title track, and "Apocalypse", this last one very Smashing Pumpkins influenced. All of these are somber, shoe-staring songs that harken back to the 90s a little bit. On the high speed tune "Dead Logic" there's a little reggae break in the middle, which I thought was kind of cool. These are the album's stand-out points. Aside from that, this is a fairly standard metalcore album, but it does what it does pretty well. And it does rip! http://www.hymnsofthewicked.com DAWN OF DEFIANCE 7 tracks of some raw death metal done old school. The chainsaw pounding guitar sounds reminds me back of those demos I used to get in the 80's. The vocals are like Possessed in some spots. The music is pure brutal death metal with no groove or blast beats. This is pure death/thrash all the way. This band plays with more emotion and feeling that a lot of bands can't match. Info: http://www.dawnofdefiance.com Toxic Virgin Toxic Virgin is a German rock band that does not really bring anything new to the table. Sulphur is their fourth independent release. The vocals on the album are whiny and the melodies do not really offer much of a hook. The musicianship is solid but no real standouts. Track five, "The Clown" has an interesting intro but loses any appeal when the vocals kick in. Production on the album is decent and the packaging is really good, especially for an independent release. It's also really hard to tell stylistically where Toxic Vrigins are going on this album. Although bands should not be pigeon-holed into genres, it's hard to tell if Toxic Virgins want to be seriously considered as a band or if they are going for a more party-rock image like in track eight "Whiskey a Go Go" named after the club in Los Angeles. And then there's the token power ballad, "We'll Make it Through" which is probably the most cliché ballad ever written, using lyrics like, "love letters in the sand" (a la "I remember you"), back up vocals and production that Poison used twenty years ago and a sub-par guitar solo. Sorry, but Toxic Virgins is really not worth investing your money into. Maybe if they were in a bar I'd stay for a couple of drinks though. Speed Kill Hate So what do yet get when you put three parts Overkill and one part Mario Frasca together? "East Coast Thrash". The names at the top dummy. Speed Kill Hate is the brainchild of Dave Linsk. Dave enlisted the vocal extremities of long time friend Mario Frasca along with Overkill band mates Tim Mallare - drums and Derek Tailer - bass. I do believe they have already replaced Tim with Tony Ochoa from the band Sindrome for work on touring and the next album. They are moving things right along. So with three parts Overkill, they can't help but not sound reminiscent to it. As they do. There is somewhat of a harsher tone to it. If that's possible. This is seasoned thrash at it's heaviest with some killer new - school production. Very tight and aggressive. Minor death elements throughout. This is what thrash metal is and what thrash metal is meant to be. Speed Kill Hate are heading for a town near you. Are you ready? You better be. Because they're gonna hit you with a "Wall Of Hate". Hope you be able to "Face The Pain". Killer debut. http://www.speedkillhate.com Babylon Mystery Orchestra I'm not quite sure I understand this CD. After several listens, I realized that although music doesn't need to be as superficial as "Cum on Feel the Noize" (which I actually like), I don't really want to have to consult Cliff Notes to understand what the album is about either. "The Great Apostasy…" falls right in line with the current popular controversies surrounding the Da Vinci Code and the ails of the Catholic Church. This in-depth analysis of the origins of Christianity and the real meaning behind the religion definitely makes one contemplate his or her beliefs, even if those beliefs are none at all. Outside of the intellectual content of the album, musically, there are some pretty interesting parts that help to create the vibe within the context of the album. Almost reminiscent of Opeth stylistically in certain parts, Babaylon Mystery Orchestra is definitely talented songwriters. The music is dark, at times heavy, and gothic feeling. The vocals are hard to describe. The singer, more talks with effects on his voice rather than sings. There is not much vocal range at all and at times the vocals are monotonous. There was obviously a lot of thought and time put into this album though. The packaging is great, complete with Bible verses to accent the lyrical content of the album, quotes from authors such as C.S. Lewis and Voltaire and artwork from a variety of artists, one I believe to be William Blake. The album is musically very good and the content interesting but the only thing that really lacks is strong vocals. If you have some free time, the album is worth a listen because it's not like anything you've ever come across. BATHTUB SHITTER This was some pretty bad grind. The music is mostly fast with low gutteral vocals and then some really annoying high pitched (like a female) vocals. The music is a combo of slow and fast stuff and didn't interest me at all. The music was just chaotic and didn't do a thing for me. Info: http://www.bathtubshitter.com DRYLINE Great just what we need another groove death metal band with the growl vocals and groove happy riffs. I am so sick of all these Pantera death metal wanna a be bands popping up. You know the drill with these bands, the band play jump metal riffs and also throw in some speed now and then and have the death metal and the screamd vocals as well as clean style vocals. Wow that is so original. A generic band that sounds like all the rest. Info: http://www.zerosumrecordings.com Soulfly So this one has been out for awhile now. What more could be said? Not a hell of a lot. Unless Max does a complete 180 degree turn, he can't screw up. This is Soulfly. Yeah, I'd say I was a fairly big fan. Not that I follow their every move. But I have all the albums and have caught them the past three tours. You all know what I'm talking about. Right? Yeah. Off the fuckin' hook. 'Dark Ages' may be, a bit heavier then 'Prophecy'. Well a bit more dark. There is not one boring/bad track here. Max has even kept the core band found on last year's 'Prophecy' which are Marc Rizzo - guitars, Joe Nunez - drums and Dave Ellefson). Billy Milano also does vocals on the track 'Molotov'. I read his vocals were recorded over the phone. Pretty cool. Anyways, if your lazy ass hasn't gone out and bought this one, get up off it. Hell, it's been out since October '05. SOULFLY RULES. http://www.soulflytribe.com MELISEND Decent doom metal. The band mix it up a bit and throw some mid tempo stuff in and I like the violins and thank god no female opera vocals. The production is raw, but not super raw and the guitar sound doens't sound like a million other bands. The band sort of have that 70's vibe with them and mix it in with doom metal. Not bad and looking forward to more. Info: http://www.melisend.com Megaherz Well these Germens are pretty cool. They tend to roll through several genres with their brand of 'vigorous metal'. It's hard and it's German. It's hip and it's heavy. All sung in their native tongue and so are the titles. Their sound is somewhere in the neighborhood of industrial, goth, dark rock, electronica and fat grooves. It rock and rolls along without ignoring the more sensitive, down tempo beats. Not real sure if America is ready for this, but they seem to be loving them over in Europe. For fans of Ministry, Rammstein, Misery Loves Co., Static X and Twenty Ripped Angel. There are some fairly catchy tunes here that will get you grooving along. At least check 'em out. Something new is not always bad. A couple standout tracks, "Ja Genau, Eigentlich, Weiter." http://www.megaherz.com SAPTHURAN/LEVIATHAN 2 really bad, primitive black metal bands. The production sucks, the playing sucks, etc. Sapthuran offer up little except fast pick riffing riffs and black metal vocals with some weak playing. I don't care if it's a 1 man band, he sucks. Leviathan are even worse and offer up nothing of value, just a bunch of noisy black metal. better if left to bands that can actually play and sound decent. Info: http://www.battlekommand.com AMORAL This was a wonderful display of bone crushing riffs with some melody with it and some great death metal vocals. This was plenty brutal and had just enough melody and style that I couldn't help but love this release. The band mix in some thrash with the riffs and speed and this is not some At The Gates wanna be 3rd rate clone band. The production is good and it is heavy enough that the death metal crowd will eat it up and also has a bit of melody and stuff to it to attract other fans. Info: http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com Mardo Like a blast from the past, Mardo come rockin' at you like something straight out of the 70s. These guys are a hard rocking band who crank out some smokin' rock and roll with a lot of 70s influence. They put then pedal to the metal, with a rough, gritty, raunchy, bluesy style. No frills and nothing fancy, just pure, raw rock and roll. Guitarist Robert Mardo really packs a punch with his playing, cranking out some smoking axework, in the style of guitar masters like Joe Perry, Steve Marriott, and Eric Clapton. He can really shred, and has the talent to be almost in the same league as those aforementioned players. Robert's brother, Aron, handles the band's vocal duties. His voice sounds like a combo of Steven Tyler and Chris Robinson. The band take influence from classic hard/blues rockers like Aerosmith, Black Crows, Brother Cane, Humble Pie, New York Dolls, Hanoi Rocks, and Slash's Snakepit. There is even a bit of R&B/soul influence in Mardo, like on the song "Bang Bang (New Gun)" and their cover of the soul classic "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". A bit of Sly And The Family Stone is to be heard in these songs. Finally, the band shows they have a sensitive side with the ballad "Just Remember", the album's closer. This song is a bit like "She Talks To Angels" by the Black Crows, played on acoustic guitar. There's just one word to describe Mardo-Rockin'! These guys let loose and rock out like there's no tomorrow-or perhaps I should say like it's yesterday. They take all the classic elements of true hard rock which have been neglected for so long and bring them into today, with a vengeance. Today's scene really needs a shot in the arm, and this just what the rock and roll doctor ordered! HEVEIN This band has a female cello player and yeah it works to some degree, but the songs lacked passion and I just felt the music wasn't strong enough as with the vocals. The music kinda plods along and tries to be like all thse other melodic bands that play death metal with goth overtones to it. The cello parts were fine with me, but all the mellow parts and stuff, just sounded like way too many other bands and lacked to me any promise. Info: http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com Herod Well the first 3:03 of this tells the tale. First track in, Buffalo, NY metal masters Herod will have you hooked in. The next nine tracks complete the circle of some of the most groovy blend of power/thrash metal riffs around. The second release here is nothing to turn your head to. Herod are keeping the trash torch lit and held high. You thought 'Art Of Dying' by Death Angel was good. Well this album here just passed up the leaders. Great dual lead guitars, clean to gruffy vocals (mainly clean) and a funky high driving rhythm section that has seen it's share of espresso. Jason Russo's vocals are right there with Lance King (Pyramaze), Hansi Kirsch (Blind Guardian/Demons and Wizards),Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica) or Tim 'Ripper' Owens (Iced Earth, former Judas Priest). A kick ass thrash album. Plenty of galloping riffs and double-bass drumming to show what whiplash is all about. They remind me of, but not a copy to Heathen, Fifth Angel, Death Angel, Amorphis and Havochate to name a few. You've got to check this one out. Thrash where thrash needs to be. http://www.herod.cc BLEEDING KANSAS 14 hard hitting metal core tracks. This band blend the best of underground metal, some punk and a whole lot of attitude. The songs hit hard and hit often. The band mix in some groove, but it mixes in with the old punk style and for this band it works. A solid, but not over the top production made this a winner in my book. Info: http://www.abacusrecordings.com JOHN TAPELLA This started out bad with a woman singing those annoying opera like vocals and then thankfully she stopped and John stepped in with some tasteful guitar licks. After that she starts signing again and to me it is so out of place and I really couldn't get into this all that much with her vocals. John can play the guitar and not just leads, he also can write and play some stylish riffs, but he needs to find a male or female singer with some balls so to speak and lose the opera vocals. Info: guitar@guitarempire.com Curt Shaw Now I know I had a bio sheet somewhere. I had no luck at navigating at Curt's website either. From what I gathered, Curt is originally from Illinois and is now in Virginia. What other bands he's been in is beyond me. Not quite sure why he is not in one now. Well he is, but I mean with vocals and such. Curt Shaw is yet another guitar virtuoso. There are some ripping metal anthems here that are overflowing the cup with intricacy. Nothing too heavy or thrashy. Just some good ole '80's style metal. The theme runs quite the same as most albums of the era and style. It is a guitar heavy disc. There are towards the end of the disc several, very beautiful acoustic, ballad type tracks. Again, can't tell you the names of them as they are not with the promo copy I have in my hands. I can say that Curt Shaw is made up of Nick Prysiazny - drums, Wayne Barry - first lead on "Deny Your Past 2/low accent keyboards on "Class Sick", (hey, there's two titles) and of course, Curt Shaw - all other instruments. So yeah, there are no vocals. But still not a bad listen. He is an incredible guitarist and this disc showcases that. So head over to his website and see if you can come up with more than I did. I'm getting impatient in my old age. JORN A 3rd rate Dio wanna be band. The songs were just there and didn't do anything except just play on. There was nothing to keep me interested and I was just waiting for each song to end. Not a band one. Info: http://www.candlightrecordsusa.com MANNGARD Excellent death/speed metal with some thrash and grind throw in to the mix. 9 tracks of pounding death metal that will hammer you like a nail through a board. This was fresh to my ears and the vocals are like a mix of death metal and industrial. The band is hard to describe, but they take a bit of everything and warp it all together and it comes across like no other band. Well, worth getting. Info: http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com THE ABOMINABLE IRON SLOTH This was another groove/sludge metal band with those At The Gates vocals. Sure this is heavy and the band don't use as much groove as most of the other bands, but the vocals are bad and the music is pretty forgettable really quick. The tunes kinda just dragged on and that made an even more less listening experience. Maybe if your into sludge, but otherwise stay far away. Info: http://www.ironsloth.com HOOVERS G-STRING This was a power pop type of punk band. This wasn't really my cup of tea, but if your into bands like The dead Milkman and Husker Du, and the like then you'll like this. The guys play simple poppy punk tunes with some punkish, but not angry vocals. A funny cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on fire" is also included. Info: http://www.hooversgstring.com Godsmack Anyone who's heard Godsmack will notice the obvious: They're heavily influenced by Alice In Chains. With that said, this CD, to me, sounds more like a slightly ballsier Nickelback... or Staind. The song titles seem incredibly familiar (if not outright generic). Still, with the exception of the 'Voodoo' sequel, I didn't notice the catchy hooks I'm used to hearing from these guys. The overall feel reminds me of what 80's rockers started doing in the 90's. In fact, if you do the research you'll find some of the band members, in fact, were in 80's bands prior to Godsmack. As a whole, "IV" is somewhat like the newer, much weaker Metallica material. Sorry, none for me, thanks. Let modern rock radio listeners have this one. They'll love it. BEYOND AGONY Another Pantera wanna be groove band with the tough guy vocals. This is yet another case of another band that is copying what Pantera did and offers nothing new to the music scene. Bands like this are all over Headbanger's Ball and Ozzfest. If you really want another copy band in your collection by all means buy this, but for me, I'll pass. Info: http://www.beyondagony.com THE (TRUE) WAKE Another At The Gates Swedish style death metal band is what we have here. The band have a bit more melody than most of the other bands I have heard doing this style. The vocals are the screeched, screaming style that every band seems to do nowadays. This wasn't bad, but it wasn't so hot neither. I can at least listen to this band and not be bored by track 3. If you like the Swedish style and those types of band, here ya go. Info: http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com BORIS Holy shit prepare to be steam rolled. This is doom/sludge metal of the highest order. Bone crushing almost agonizing riffs flow through your head. Vocals from the darkest depths known to man. An early 70's sludgy production that only makes this band that much better. This was so atmospheric and you will be taken on a rollercoaster ride that you will not want to get off. Prepare for takeoff and prepare for the ride of your life. A top 10 of 2006 so far in my book. Info: http://www.southernlord.com NSI This was some pretty trippy stuff on this. The music is sort of groovy in parts, but that death metal groove more like White Zombie and moves off into some trippy, weird, stuff. I would say this is a band/project of many styles and will keep you guessing. It took me a few listens to get into this, but once there I was hooked in. Keep and open mind when you listen to this one. Info: http://www.insideoutmusic.com Survivor Survivor already has four or five hit compilations available. If you don't have any of them in your collection, "The Best Of Survivor" gives you another chance to add some of Survivor's best material to your collection. Of course, they're gonna start off with "Eye Of The Tiger" because, for most people, when you mention Survivor, this is the tune that everyone remembers. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it was featured in a "Rocky" movie. Besides that classic number, there's five other tunes that make this release worth while, at least in my opinion. Those tunes would be "I Can't Hold Back," "High On You," "The Search Is Over," "Is This Love" and the other "Rocky" favorite, "Burning Heart." Personally, I was never a huge fan of Survivor. Besides "Eye Of The Tiger," I believe their best material came with two albums, "Vital Signs" and "When Seconds Count." That was the best of Survivor, in my opinion. You also get some of Survivor's other popular tunes like "Poor Man's Son," "Caught In The Game" and "American Heartbeat." About the only song that I could've done without as "Moment Of Truth," which was featured in a "Karate Kid" movie. I mean, come on, we're talkin' about Ralph Macchio. They should've stuck with writing songs for Sylvester Stallone. At least those songs had a little punch, if you know what I mean. All in all, it's not a bad collection. Long time Survivor fans will already have these tunes. But, if you're new to what the band has to offer, this is the perfect place to start if you want an idea of who the band was and what they were all about. INFECTED MALIGNITY While I wasn't a big fan of the low vocals, at least they didn't get super low. The music had some groove parts, but some of the fast parts ripped me apart. The band is somewhat technical and when they slam into the blast beats, it is a hell of a ride. I am not a big fan of this style of death metal, but when it is done right it can be great and this band does it right. Info: http://www.unmatchedbrutality.com EVENT HORIZON This was a weird band. The band mix in a bunch of different style including thrash, progressive and just weird off the wall riffs sort of like Human Remains at times. The music is aggressive and band can be going in a metal spot and they break out into some off the wall riffing. The vocals are also very original as the guy has a solid voice and he uses it to good means. For those not into the norm. Info: http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com PSIONIC Very cool 4 track CD here. The band play a mixture of death metal, goth metal and space metal! The 4 tracks are hard hitting, original and powerful with some great vocals too boot. The production is solid and this band I could easily see on the label as they are that good and one of the best unsigned bands I have heard. Info: http://www.psionic.info NEILS VEJLYT This is an all instrumental release and while I do think this guy has some talent and can play guitar, this was quite boring. The songs have no punch and it is just song after song of this guy wailing away with guitar solos. No melody, no song structure, etc. I think this guy needs to get together a band and a singer and then we can really judge him. Info: http://www.roninrecords.net Eidolon This CD gets off to a kind of a slow start, as the opening (title) track is almost twelve minutes long, slow, overindulgent, and rather boring. I was thinking that all the songs on the album would be akin to this and that this was going to be another album of characterless, generic progressive metal. After this song, though, things pick up a bit. The other songs are more power than progressive. They are faster paced with lots of power metal riffing, the music melodic but gutsy, with some brilliant guitar work from Glen Drover, and an operatic, Geoff Tate like singer in Nils K. Rue. However, although the band can play well, the songs all sound relatively alike, none of them really standing out individually, and the same goes for the band as a whole. They really don't sound much different from many other prog/power bands. They just seem to be going through the motions. The most interesting song on here is a version of someone else's song-a cover of the Mercyful Fate classic, "The Oath". It follows the original almost note-for-note, and Nils sounds almost exactly like The King, so much it's scary! If I didn't know better, I'd have thought I was listening to the original. However, if a song that stands out most is a cover, I think that shows that the band has some work to do. As I said, they can play, they just need to create a less-generic sound so they'll stand out a bit more. http://www.eidolon-nightmareworld.com DEADSTAR This wasn't bad. The band play death metal with a groove aggressive style, but at least come across as more than some Pantera wanna a be band. The band mix in some swedish death metal along with the groove metal stuff and it makes for one crushing release. The band mix in the perfect blend of modern death metal and those razor sharp swedish death metal riffs and some melody and this just crushes. Think Ministry meets swedish death metal. Info: http://www.deadstar.com Beyond Twilight Beyond Twilight are a typical progressive metal band who have made a typical progressive metal album. The style is like Gamma Ray meets Dream Theater, with power chords blended with complex, intricate, technical keyboard arrangements. Keysman Finn Zieler is a very good player, and he plays like a one man orchestra. The songs are slow paced with a dark, somber atmosphere, and of course there's a lot of classical influence, and it's very melodic. This is also a concept album, as is often the case in prog. It's the story of a scientist who creates a clone of himself, and his experiment goes horribly awry, eventually leading to his death. Kind of like a modern Frankenstein story. The band is talented, no doubt about that, but they're really not much different from any other prog-metal band around today. For all the talent they have, they don't really do anything to make themselves stand out. FIVECORE RECORDS Valiomierda play some wicked old school metal core....Frontside Five play hardcore with an old school edge sort of like Agnostic Front....The Orbiting Nubs played fast thrash metal with a jazzy tyep of edge that didn't appeal to me....Black Lamb play metal like The Cult...not for me at all...Tard play modern punkish metal like you hear on the radio and Exit Strategy played boring metal core. Info: http://www.5corerecords.com Killer Sixgun Sixgun is actually Greek guitarist Lakis Ragazas. The first tune on this eight song release, "Run (If You Can)," brings Steve Vai to mind. "Stay With Me" was kind of mellow. Great sound though. As far as the instrumental stuff goes, "The Jeckyl & Hyde Jam" was probably my favorite. It's got a nice little groove going on. The two best tracks on this release, in my opinion, are the ones that feature vocalist John Jeff Touch, who's one of the leading rock vocalists in Greece...or so it said on the website. I never heard of the guy. But, man, can he belt out a tune. Forget the instrumental stuff...Lakis Ragazas should've laid down a full length album with this guy because these two tracks do some major rocking. "Highway Of Love" started out with a guitar riff that would've made Judas Priest proud. That's who this tune brought to mind. "Reach Out" was one of the best rock tunes I've heard in a long time. It has the perfect blend of guitar and vocals. It brought Mark Slaughter to mind...only with more vocal control. Seriously, if Lakis Ragazas and John Jeff Touch would form a band together...or even make a studio album...they would rule the world. I don't know too much about these guys...but...there's an amazing amount of talent to be heard on those two songs. You can hear a sample of "Highway Of Love" on the Killer Sixgun website. Go check it out and tell me that's not one of the greatest songs you've ever heard. Hopefully, we'll hear more from Killer Sixgun in the future because this dude can freakin' play...and when you add the vocals of John Jeff Touch...amazing. DIVIDED BY ZERO'S This wore on me and I like the band. The band play modern metal with lots of melody and the songs are just so catchy and damn good I couldn't help, but like them. The band suck you in with the melodies and the vocals are very good and he has a really good voice that fits this band. This blows away 99% of the crap you hear on the radio passing itself off as metal. Info: http://www.sdividedbyzero.tv Shitkickers Why don't you belly up to the bar and pour yourself a huge bottle of what Shitkickers are serving because you all might like this. It's different...that's for sure. Well, maybe not so different. There's a band called Hayseed Dixie that does something like this. You might have heard of them due to the fact that they've done tributes to both AC/DC and Kiss, which is how I became familiar with them. Shitkickers, however, are doing original music here...and damn if this stuff isn't catchy as hell. It's no secret that I'm a huge rock/metal fan...and I used to have this saying that I would throw out there when talkin' about a band that I liked that wasn't rock or metal. I would say, "It doesn't have to be metal to be good...it just has to be good." After going through the sixteen tracks on "Noon's Delight," my old saying certainly works here. This stuff is great, it's as simple as that. Their music is a combination of punk, blues and bluegrass. That might not sound interesting when you read that description. But, when you listen to the disc...it makes a lot of sense...and you can't help but start to enjoy it. Shitkickers also seem to have a major love of alcohol, which is a good thing. They kind of remind me of a bluegrass version of my favorite drinkin' band, American Dog. How can you not love a band with tunes like "I Need A Bottle," "Bloody Mary," "Whiskey Haze," "Beer N' Bacon" and "Rat Farts?" There's also a bit of humor to be found in lyrics like, "I don't ever play no drinkin' games cuz drinkin' is not a sport. But, I'll thank you for your support" or "I'm drinkin' cuz I can't sit up, I'm drinkin' cuz I won't fall down." I hate to say this because it sounds kind of cheesy...but...this is fun music...and you don't have to be drunk to enjoy it. But, if you're gonna get drunk...this is a good album to throw on while you're doing it. Once you get to liquid la-la land, you'll be belting out your own version of these tunes. So, pass around the bottle...play another song...and be sure to tip your bartender. http://www.myspace.com/shitkickers OCTAGON This is typical black metal with the fast pick riffing and the black metal vocals that has been done to death by a 1000 other black metal bands. The production is raw and while this didn't suck, it wasn't so great. Just another typical black metal release. Info: http://www.autopsykitchen.com Loudlife I can't believe this is an independent band. There's something seriously wrong with the music business if people aren't paying attention to this band. This ten song CD is one of the best releases that I've heard in a long time and, the beauty of it is the fact that Loudlife has a fresh and original sound...at least in my opinion. They mention a Soundgarden meets Led Zepplin sound in their bio. If that works for you...great...more power to you. Personally, I wouldn't name drop any other band when trying to describe Loudlife because, in all honesty, they don't need to do that because, from what I heard, the music is strong enough to stand by itself. Who do they sound like??? They sound like their own band and that's the biggest compliment I can give any band. After all, in this day and age, everything's been done before. The only way a band can rise above everyone else out there is to take something that you've heard before...and make it different. I think Loudlife has accomplished that...and then some. I don't like to go beyond a simple description when I'm talking about a band...and it doesn't matter who I'm talking about. When it comes to Loudlife...my first impression, which is usually the one I go with, would be to call them a modern hard rock band that goes a bit heavy at times. Lorraine Ferro is a powerful vocalist. I listen to...and enjoy...a lot of female singers. Lorraine has a set of pipes that can bury them all...I kid you not. Go to their MySpace page and listen to "Let Go Of The Wheel" and you'll see what I'm talking about. This is one of my favorite tracks on this release. Nothing more needs to be said other than it's a kick ass song. I'm also rather fond of "Far Below The Surface," which is another great track that stood out for me. Another thing that caught my attention was the production, which was, in a word, excellent. Someone clearly knew what they were doing behind the scenes. If you're looking for something new, something good, something that will entertain you while kicking your ass...you don't have to look any further than Loudlife. Listen to this disc from start to finish one time...that's all it will take to turn you into a fan. At the end of the year when I try to come up with my top ten albums of the year..this one's gonna be on that list. No doubt about it. Do yourself a favor and check them out...NOW! http://www.loudlifeband.com ISOLATED 5 tracks of some Immolation/Incantation like death metal. The riffs are crushing and they are wicked, fast, and will smash you into oblivion. The vocals are real death metal vocals, not those cup the mic or see how low we can go kind. The 5 tracks just made me want more. This band can punish their guitars with their riffing and the fast parts, the drummer slays his kit. This band should have no problem getting a record deal. Info: http://www.isolated.pl Doppler, Inc. A very cool title-and obviously a jab at the whole "nu metal" thing. Unlike most nu metal bands however there is some talent involved here, that talent being Doug Doppler. Doug is a shred master who seems to be new to the scene and is vying for a place among the Kings Of Shred, like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Doug seems to have what it takes. His playing style is very similar to those guys, and he certainly can play. He shreds for all he's worth throughout the whole album. His playing is very technical and skillful, but also gritty and groove oriented. He can make his guitar talk, that's for sure. On one song, "Bring It On", he's joined by two legendary musicians; bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Brad Gillis, respectively. These three really go for broke on this track! It's a little harder and meaner than the album's other songs, and Doug and Brad really push their talents to the limit, their playing a little over the top in some places. They compliment each other with their guitar skills. They really do "bring it on", and make this song stand out. Doug and his boys also get a little funky in places, like on the songs "Bumpin' Grind" and "Funky Armadillo". The rest of the album is instrumental shred rock in the vein of the aforementioned Satch and Vai. In fact if I didn't know better I'd have thought this album was by one of those guys. My one complaint about Doppler is that he seems to be trying to imitate his heroes, rather than create a style of his own. He could be mistaken for any number of shred masters, and get lost in the shredding shuffle. However, I do believe this is his first album so one should cut him some slack and give him a chance to come into his own. Given the chance to do that, he could very well become part of the new generation of shred gods, because there's no doubt he's a great guitarist and has what it takes. BLUDGEON This is a thrash/hardcore band. The band mix in some hardcore with Pantera like metal and also some thrash metal to boot. The production is hell bent and the guitar crunch will des band. Pure intensity. Info: http://www.magiccirclemusic.com Torture I bow to this re-release of an old metal classic. Torture are a band from the 80's from Texas and this is one slab of spped/thrash that is a must own. Mix Slayer and Celtic Frost and just plenty of great songs and power and incredible vocals and you'll have this. 11 tracks that just numb the brain. You can feel the emotion, hate, and passion that just fires from this band. Riffs that will snap you neck in 2. A must for any old school metal fan. Info: http://www.escapimusic.com Storm The Castle This is a free demo and while I didn't do backflips over it, it wasn't bad. The band play metal sort of like NWOBHM style, but with a pit of a punk style too. It is hard to describe really. The band have their own sound, and heck it is free, so check out the bands site and get this. Info: http://www.stormthecastle.com BAL-SAGOTH This was some solid death/black metal. The band rip through the songs with a vicious passion and the vocals are pure hell. The production is decent and this wasn't some fly by night death metal band. The band can write some kick ass stuff and the fast parts had me numb. Info: http://www.candlightrecordsusa.com ENSLAVED This was horrible. Melodic metal with no power and little passion. The songs were weak and sucked and for a band calling themselves Enslaved they should be ashamed of themselves. The press release calls this daring, I call this a SELL OUT all the way. Info: http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com VREID I can totally dig this. Awesome riffing and great vocals. Sort of like if Motorhead played thrash metal. The riffs and the music are fairly fast and quite catchy. The guitar sound this band gets is quite good and the production stands out and lets it all be heard. 8 tracks and not bad one in the bunch. Good, quality release here. Info: http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com Beyond Twilight Before I even get into this release, there's something I'd like to say. I'm a simple person and, being so, I don't like to put a lot of thought into anything. So, when I got Beyond Twilight's latest release, "For The Love Of Art & The Making," and I read the press material that explained what this release was all about, I knew I was in trouble because this wasn't an album that one could simply listen to...you have to figure this one out and, to be honest with you, that's not something I'm even gonna attempt to do. As I said, I'm a simple person...I'm just gonna listen to this release and enjoy the music, which you can do. Personally...I really liked Beyond Twilight's previous release, "Section X," because I could give it a quick, simple review. It's progressive metal, it's got a great, epic sound...a high quality recording. The same can be said about "For The Love Of Art & The Making." However, there's just a bit more to this release than meets the eye. You see, this is a concept album that isn't really a concept album. It's a single recording that's divided into 43 sections. Not an original idea. But, you'd be hard pressed to find another song...or composition, as the band seems to call this one...that's as complicated as this release. The press material makes mention of a puzzle and how each track is a piece of that puzzle. One must listen to this release numerous times in order to really understand what it's all about. The band does say that it's not something for easy listeners and I guess I'd have to agree with them there. If you view "For The Love Of Art & The Making" the way I do, as a progressive metal release, yes, you will enjoy it. But, if you sit down and actually spend some time listening...and I mean really listening...to this release, you're eventually gonna get a lot more out of it. Highly recommended. |
