Week 55 (6-12-2012)

Fear Factory - The Industrialist (2012 Landfill Edition) - What the fuck is this, Fear Factory? Please, tell me what the fuck this is supposed to be. Did you guys just decide to ruin the entire legacy of the band with this copy and paste bullshit? Honestly, not a worse album could exist in the band's discography. But as we all know, the band has had their share of hits and misses. "Mechanized" brought the band back into their own, and then as soon as everyone started to care about them, an "Obsolete" knock-off disc comes along with a forgettable story, and only 37:00 of real music.

There are no memorable riffs here. There are no memorable drums, because there's not even a real drummer. Gene said, "Fuck this shit!" and hopped off. Good thing too. After this garbage, I wouldn't care if the band ever released another album. Burton manages a few good choruses, but they're nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing memorable. Even when the band tries to be heavy, they just sound plain, dull and boring. This has got to be one of the worst metal albums I've heard this year, and is definitely one of 2012's biggest disappointments.

Revolver gave this 4 stars. They were paid. There's no fucking way that this album deserves that high of praise. Even the reviewer sounded like he wanted to say, "this is Fear Factory doing nothing new or original" but he sugarcoated his feelings with marketing speak. Should I even explain the songs? Should I even give you track names? No. Because they all sound round-about the same, or worse. Better yet, there's a shitty little instrumental called "Religion Is Flawed Because Man Is Flawed 1:52" and that goes into the album's awful atmospheric closer of a track, "Human Augmentation 9:04."

This honestly sounds like something that they threw together at the last minute. There is no muse, no inspiration - it's as cold and dark as the bleak dystopian story, which is also not surprisingly; unoriginal. Do not buy this album. The band does not need compensation for this crap. If you must listen to it, either stream it or torrent it. The limited edition is no better. I've renamed it fittingly after the second of the bonus tracks, "Landfill 3:45" which is where this album belongs.

Bonus Tracks:

Blush Response 4:39 - This is a dub-step remix of "Difference Engine 3:37." I'm sure that's all that I need to say here.

Landfill 3:45 - This song and it's unfinished lyrics and chorus, all need to be thrown into a landfill somewhere. It should have been 86ed and forgotten. No one needed to hear this, and it's not worth spending extra money on. It's tantamount to the band literally taking a shit on your face.

Fuck this album, and to hell with this band. This is a damn good swansong for these guys. It's over. Go back to your respective projects, or go retire somewhere. Even the message is getting old. We've heard it all before. I'm glad I didn't buy this album, and I would probably buy it just to send it back to the band with the words, "GAME OVER: PLEASE TRY AGAIN" etched on the front of it.

Highlights: Nothing. Save yourself a precious hour of your life.
(12 Tracks, 57:00)

1/5 (4.0)



Huntress - Spell Eater (2012) - A band that I heard about in Revolver, Huntress is a prog/power thrash band (that's actually heavy) with a female vocalist who's hot as Hell. But she probably doesn't even believe in Hell, because she's a hardcore Pagan. All of the lyrics (or most of them anyway) are related to paganism and are very blatant. But this band, unlike many others of the type, is not concerned with folk music and Odin, it's more based along ancient Wicca with a dash of traditional Paganism.

But enough about the lyrics. Jill Janus is definitely a force to be reckoned with in metal, bringing her King Diamond-esque vocal approach and mixing with a bark that I would expect from Joan Jett or The Genitorturers. She hits some great vocal lines during some of the choruses and it really works for most of the songs.

There's also a bunch of dudes in the band, and they play the instruments. Those dudes are fucking good by the way, and they definitely have thrash, prog and the art of shredding a good solo down. The band also incorporates bits of doom in their sound, which helps it even more, I think. Many of the eerie riffs also help the vibe of the disc, although I'm sure it won't look to some Pagans who believe that music like this might give the faith a bad name. Especially with the lyrics revolving around death, rape by an incubus and school shooting "Terror 3:11." Great, just what we need. Another band telling disenfranchised youth to go shoot up their schools. Great job, guys.

There are some good melodies here, some of them remind me of Mastodon at their proggiest. The drummer definitely holds his end of the deal up also, with some great work on the kit. He doesn't really blast much, but the does bring the thunder when he needs it. As I said, the guitarists are both badass and an integral part of this band.

Some people might not dig Janus's vocals and I can understand that. But you've at least got to take the riffs, the percussion and the sheer structure of the band into consideration. These guys pull a lot of tricks here, and you won't expect the precision and structure of this to be near as good as it actually is at first listen. So even if you don't like her vocals, the band certainly has the chops and the skill that got Napalm Records to notice them and sign them.

I'm gonna be honest with you, I wasn't so sure about this band; but I've already worn this album out. Dani Filth's vocals never bothered me and I am still a huge Cradle of Filth fan. But there are several vocalists that have really gotten on my nerves. But I've heard much worse than Jill. Besides, I love when she pulls off a scowl. It's utterly demonic.

All in all, if you're looking for something new in the power/thrash genre; this might help fill the void for a while. It's actually pretty damned heavy so be ready for that. There's a lot here to like and it's definitely worth checking out.

Bonus Track

The Dark: The Dark is definitely a track that shouldn't have been cut from the disc. While not as good as some of the others, it still has some good riffs and is certainly better than "Snow Witch 5:04" the album's worst cut IMHO. Try to get a version of the disc with this track on it.

Highlights: Spell Eater, Senicide, Sleep and Death, Eight Of Swords, Aradia, Night Rape, Terror (Hey, I said the lyrics were bad, but the song is good.), The Tower (11 Tracks, 46:00)

5/5 (8.0) (Despite some tracks being not as good as others, the musicality on this thing is impressive.)



Horseback - Halfblood (2012) - Unfortunately, Horseback's new album isn't anywhere near as good as their 2009 disc. I'll have a review for the 2011 two disc in a short while, but I figured that I'd cover the newest one first. The production values are much higher and the scowls are certainly more audible, but less is being done with the music that interests me. Personally, I don't think they can top what was done in 2009, and this album is just a reminder of that notion.

It's certainly a good disc, but nothing that you'll be playing for the rest of your life. Unless you like to get really fucked up and listen to drone. There's a lot of drone and ambience here, and not so much of the relaxing blackened metal influenced rock music. Really, it sounds like a sort of ritual and that's probably what it is. Again, God only knows the things my computer has summoned throughout the years, with all the odd rituals that I've played. This is yet another one of those.

Take "Halucinogenia I: Hermetic Gifts 3:55" for example. It's a light ambience and chants in a scowl. These are most certainly occultic chants, there's no mistaking that. even if these are lyrics, they are most certainly spoken in the format of an induced state of gnosis. Something was being summoned. The second part of this adds more atmosphere and instruments (particularly the shakers, which have been used in tribal rituals for years) But even if it might sound like sleigh bells, Santa Claus is definitely not coming to town. The third part of it adds guitar drone and electronic effects. You might think it's a good atmosphere, but it wasn't really what I was looking forward to.

There's even one song here called "Arjuna 5:32" that lets you hear how much of geeks these guys really are. Whoever had the idea to use clean vocals with no tone or inflection, that guy's an idiot. The secondary vocalist sounds like some computer geek who'd be showing me how to upgrade my OS or something like that. Then the scowler scowls along with him in the worst monotone. Whew, that song had such a good beginning too. But I guess that only geeks are really into this trippy occult stuff anyway. It naturally lures us in.

I think it was the first two tracks, "Mithras 5:05" and "Ahriman 3:55" that I actually enjoyed on this disc. All of the rest were okay. I suppose if you don't look at this as a metal album, because it's not - and it's not really a musical album either, so much as it is an atmosphere; you'll enjoy the disc more. Maybe you want to leave your body. Perhaps this atmosphere will help you achieve that, I dunno.

Highlights: Mithras, Ahriman, Halucinogenia I,II,III (7 Tracks, 43:00)

3/5 (6.0)



Odium - Burning The Bridges To Nowhere (2012) - Odium is a melodic deathcore band that has some promise, and some technicality in sections. But the band's singer has a clean vocal approach that is easily good enough for the radio. As a matter of fact, the closer track "The Descent 4:27" is one of those songs that would wind up in rotation for weeks, if not months.

But that's not one of the heavy ones. The other 40 minutes of this disc however, is full of heavy melodic death/core tracks. The riffs are interesting enough, the drums bash around a good couple of times and the vocals sound a little like a cardbard cookie monster, but the clean really balance everything out. In the end, you wish that you just heard a metal album with the singer singing, rather than the other guy who just really doesn't add much to the band. All right, sometimes he pulls off a good growl, but that's rare.

The band does have a good sense of structure however, and I was a little surprised by that. There's actually a lot of different collections of riffs and ideas thrown into this amidst the strong choruses. That's much different from some other deathcore bands out there, who don't even care about melody. By the way, there are some great solo portions on this disc that you also wouldn't expect. Think of Deadlock during the "Wolves" era, right before they started to suck.

There are people who might compare the clean vocalist's tone to that of the Chevelle or even Maynard James Keenan, but it does echo that style. Plus it's much heavier than anything the two of them have ever done. Yes, even though slight tempos occur, the band still manages to stay in the same style. It's definitely core with prettied up clean vocals, but it manages to pull enough extra bells and whistles that make it actually worth checking out. Might have some stuff to do with Jesus also, but that's big in metal lately.

Highlights: Burning The Bridges To Nowhere, Blue Channel, Insomnia, Claw My Eyes Out, Identity Of The Doomed, No Way Out, The Descent

3.5/5 (6.5)



Rush - Clockwork Angels (2012) - Rush's new disc starts out surprisingly heavy, almost in the vein of hard rock or prog metal. But sadly, it doesn't do that for long. "Caravan 5:38" is a decent opener, "Bu2b 5:09" is very much a classic, "Clockwork Angels 7:30" is a amazing, and "The Anarchist 6:51" and "Carnies 4:51" are both decent tracks.

But that's where the quality drops. The music gets softer, slower, and more predictable. "Halo Effect 3:13" is a relatively boring acoustic, "Seven Cities Of Gold 6:31" offers nothing at all of merit, and despite the atmospheric nature and strong chorus of "The Wreckers 5:00", I'm sure I've heard better from the band.

The disc picks up the heaviness with the thrashier nature of "Headlong Flight 7:20" but Geddy's vocals don't really go well with it. It really sounds like Tool in certain areas to be perfectly honest. But there are some great guitar theatrics that make the song still quite enjoyable. No, this isn't a bad album. It's just not a perfect one. But I don't think that fans will be upset with the work here.

Take, "Wish Them Well 5:25" for example. The vocals are decent, but the it's the prog theatrics that really make the song what it is. Geddy Lee does a few vocal tricks on it, but he mostly bores the crap out of me with it.

As for the closer, "The Garden 6:58" well, it's a good prog-rock ballad. Geddy's vocals seem to work well with it, and I guess it's a good way to close out the album.

Honestly, this disc tries to mesh together a more metal based sound, while still keeping the prog rock classic nature of the band intact. There will be songs on here for new fans, and fans of heavy metal; as well as the older generation who still remembers the early Rush. But I do believe that both demographics will enjoy both of these deviations, as they are done rather well for the most part. This album could have been a lot worse than it is, and we should be thankful.

There are memorable riffs here, great vocal lines and choruses; and the band sounds strong and well structured. There is filler, but not enough of it to kill the great songs that are on this disc. It's just five minutes over an hour long, and some of these prog epics are well worth hearing. Just be ready to skip a few of them.

Not bad, Rush. You've definitely still got it after all these years.

Highlights: Bu2b, Clockwork Angels, The Anarchist, Carnies, The Wreckers, Headlong Flight, The Garden (12 Tracks, 65:00)

4/5 (7.0)



Blackstar - Barbed Wire Soul (2012 Special Edition) - Jeff Walker's new project is a mix between classic rock, punk, and heavy metal in it's most anthemic. Now the date on this says 1998, but I've also heard that this is a brand new album and band from 2012, so I'm not sure if this is really new or not.

EDIT: Peaceville 1996

Regardless, the production value sounds a little bit raw, yet it still has some polish in areas. The band does a great job musically, especially on songs like "Smile 3:39", "Better Than The Devil 4:42", and "Instrumental 5:31." Which is actually not even an instrumental.

There are also some horns and saxophone play on "Rock and Roll Circus 4:15" and "Waste Of Space 3:52" respectively. You wouldn't imagine hearing sax and a few horns on these rock tracks, but they do appear and make the tracks stand out from the others.

For the most part, Walker's vocals suck. I'm going to be honest. The vocals and lyrics sound terrible. There are no good vocal portions on this album, and Walker ends up sounding like a stoned goblin the entire time. But you can tell that he is trying to sing and should have never stopped making Carcass albums, because no one really cares about this guy much anymore - especially after "Welcome To Carcass Country." (2006).

However, the guitar playing is pretty good - nothing special; but there are a few good riffs and solos on this album. Yes, it's stuff that we've heard before; but at least that part of the experience is good. Sometimes the music on the disc is so good that Jeff's horrible croons seem to no longer matter. Honestly, this sounds like a man who isn't quite sure what he wants to do anymore. From legendary grindcore, to legendary death metal, and then to country and rock/metal fusion - I truly think that he's about out of ideas, and hope that he soon retires.

Relax Jeff, you've given us Heartwork and that was enough. All this other crap just pales in comparison to the work that you've already done and it's forgettable. Go take a long (non-musical) break.

Bonus Tracks:

The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill 2:47 - It had the right idea of being heavier than some of the others, but the lyrics were ridiculous and after a while I thought Walker was rambling drunkenly.

Running Back 3:09 - Jeff's song about running back to some woman is probably only a track that he will care about. It sounds like a lame heavy pop song.

Peace Dog (The Cult Cover) 3:37 - This song is actually pretty decent. There's some good guitar acrobatics, but it was already done much better by The Cult.

Demos of "Revolution Of The Heart","New Song","Don't Want To Talk Anymore","Waste Of Space" and "Instrumental" also appear. "New Song" is better than it's album version, since it doesn't contain the woman or the kids; and "Waste Of Space" is better than it's album version, which was renamed "Sound Of Silence 3:46" which is the worst song on the disc, due to Jeff's use of softer whispered vocals that really sound like garbage.

Also, the demo of "Instrumental" is actually an instrumental.

The bottom line is simple. This is for hardcore fans of Jeff Walker, not Carcass. Problem is, there aren't too many people who are fans of Jeff Walker alone. That's where the album fails. In the end, it's just a simple little disc that might be good for a couple of listens. I don't recommend buying it, unless you've listened to it and enjoy what you've heard first. As I said, the band kicks ass.

Jeff Walker, well... He doesn't.

Highlights: Smile, Rock And Roll Circus, Waste Of Space, Better Than The Devil, Instrumental, The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill, Peace Dog, Instrumental (Demo Version) (19 Tracks, 74:00)

2.5/5 (5.5)



6:33 & Arno Strobl - Giggles, Garlands, & Gallows (2012 Free Album) - 6:33 is one hell of an avantgarde metal band. Think a mix of Ayreon and Arcturus and you might think you have it, but you don't. There's more shit in these two songs alone, then I've heard in a full album from either of those bands.

The amount of musicians that worked to make this music is pretty large too. I think they announced seven people's named at the end of the second track, "Chapter II: MIDGETS 11:50." Trust me, in just three of these tracks; there's about an album's worth of ideas. This is literally 21:00 composing Chapters 1 & 2 and then a bonus 4:24 for a perverted little song called, "I Like It 4:24."

The disc is jazzy, it's got some electronics, some techno, some death metal vocals, some nasally clean singing, some interesting guitar riffs, and about a hundred million other things. If I was able to write a list of everything that I heard on this disc, it would probably be about a page long. The quality on the disc is surprisingly high, for it to be a free release. But if the band wants you to donate a little, you probably should - because this band would more than likely use that money to make an awesome full length, if they haven't released one already.

By the way, the lyrics come with this. If you can read them. Kudos if you can understand them. At first it's simple, but then it gets weird. It's about a man killing another man for fucking his wife, then he becomes a clown and then the dwarves kill the clown. I think.

I'm not sure what drugs you have to be on to get this, but the concept and lyrics are as avantgarde as the music. Which is really out there. If you're into something that's really completely different, then this will probably be good for you. About as good as a fucking hit of acid, I imagine. Imagine it the metal equivalent to LSD.

Highlights: The entire recording (Since it's not a disc.) (3 Tracks, 26:00)

DOWNLOAD HERE: http://www.633arnostrobl.bandcamp.com

777 (10) (Never heard anything quite like this. The future of Avantgarde?)



Emptiness - Error (PR2012) - The third album from this blackened death metal act that was formed from black metal to begin with, (Phorgath and Olve are in Enthroned) brings about the same raw and dirty black metal influenced death metal that you would expect.

The band does evoke a sense of dread through most, if not all of the nine tracks on this album. The vocals sound very garbled in some instances, and they can be hard to decipher. Nonetheless, they still have the same overly demonic feel that one would expect in a band of this nature. The music itself is surprisingly slow and atmospheric, yet still manages to pack a very grimy punch.

The band certainly experiments a great deal on this album, and some of this sounds like a bad trip mixed with black and death metal. I just really wish that I could hear it better, because it's hard to differentiate instruments sometimes. The drummer seems to be able to hold his own, but I've heard nothing fancy or noteworthy, other than a few blasts every now and then. Yes, this is THAT kind of record.

The riffs definitely echo both death and black metal, respectively; and occasionally you'll hear a few solos. But sometimes the solos on this thing sound like they might have been cooked up in another world. It is true that this is more of an experience and not something of a hard-driving nature. While there might be heavy parts, atmospheres are definitely the biggest part of this album. Again, imagine it as a really bad drug trip mixed with black and death metal and you've got it.

Thought they have something unique to offer, I feel that most people will like the band for their straightforward death metal portions, and less for their weirdness. Of course, there are those people who might really enjoy this bad trip, and that's great. I'm sure it's the kind of album that grows on one with several listens, but as a reviewer; I am not granted that convenience. But black and death metal fans both need to check out this interesting band, who amazingly manages to meld all of this together in a package that doesn't seem so messy.

If you're interested in a bad trip, this band offers one of the bleakest musical adventures that you might go on this year. I definitely recommend at least checking them out. Not something you hear every day.

Highlights: Best when listened to as a whole. Certain portions of certain songs stand out, but no songs in particular. (9 Tracks, 38:00)

4/5 (7.0)



Bestial Holocaust - Into The Goat Vulva (PR2012) - Bestial Holocaust for the most part, is a Brazilian black/death/thrash band that has much in common with bands like Slayer. Of course, you're still going to hear black metal tinges being put into the music, and the barks and growls of their frontman is unmistakable for the genre. Unless you're familiar with the dialect, you won't understand the vocals; but that doesn't mean that you won't feel them. Sometimes he even lets out a small shriek as a nod to the classic thrash vocalists that inspired him.

The disc definitely contains thrash metal riffs, but there also some proggy portions of the disc that you may not expect. But even though some of this contains prog, these guys still sound like they are ready for warfare on a massive scale. This is the kind of stuff that probably makes Brazilian priests shudder in fear and swear that these guys are demon possessed.

Despite the fact that some of you might pass on this because you've heard it before, the band does do some interesting things particularly on the track "Eterna Transmigracion 5:17." There is a rather trippy portion of that one that is unlike anything else on this album. It really makes this band stand out to me, and shows that they have potential. Other than the fact that they mix proggy riffs with thrash riffs and are able to still make it sound quite demonic and not artsy.

Nonetheless, Bestial Holocaust is the kind of black/thrash that will appeal to those who enjoy listening to black metal in it's earlier, thrashier days. There's no synths or effects or clean vocals. It's just uncompromising black/thrash with a few bells and whistles that you wouldn't expect. Definitely worth checking out.

Highlights: All of them. (8 Tracks, 38:00)

4/5 (7.0)



77 - High Decibels (PR2012) - These Foreigners have one mission, and that mission is quite simply to bring the American side of good old rock n' roll to their side of the woods. As you would expect, there's an accent on the vocals, but after a while it stick to you like glue. One could say that the band heavily ripped off ACDC, but they did a damned good job of it. Yet there are some other "good old American rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and CCR" that also have influenced this band.

Nevertheless, most of you are going to say ACDC rip-off band from the first few licks on the album, and that's fine. These guys aren't trying to hide it, and as I've said, they do a damned good job of it. Take a gander at the title track, the 8:31 multi-faceted epic "Promised Land," or the awesome closer "Things You Can't Talk About 5:32" with it's incredible rock solo. I haven't heard a rock solo that sounds that good for a long time folks, and these guys managed to pull it off and actually impress me.

At first glance, I was going to pull the plagiarism card; but I can't do that. This is simply one hell of a tribute album and it will definitely bring that classic rock sound that ACDC is known for back to the masses, especially those who though "Black Ice" wasn't the best thing those guys could've put out.

I'm going to tell you right now, and without a doubt - if you want to rock and roll, and you're not ashamed to say so, (even if some metalheads will call you out) then this is probably one of the best albums for it that you'll hear this year. Several bands out there might try to copy ACDC and make it sound boring and unoriginal, but these guys took my ear and I'm fucking thankful for it.

Highlights: High Decibels, Are You Ready For Rock N' Roll, Promised Land, Things You Can't Talk About (11 Tracks, 51:00)

5/5 (8.0)



Cardiac Arrest - Vortex Of Violence (PR2012) - Labeled as "Heart-Stopping Death Rot" this brutal death metal band definitely has the chops to make some solid death metal that you'll actually remember. The riffs are solid, the drums pound with a fervor, and the vocalist vomits forth an unholy bark that sounds like it came from the hounds of Hell themselves.

This band isn't about pretty little soundscapes. Cardiac Arrest wants to take your heart out and feast on it, with an absolute aural assault to the senses. Even some solos make an appearance in the music every now and then, and they're definitely well warranted. The production value of the disc sounds a little organic, but that's the good thing about it. Nobody wants this over produced sounding schlock that most mainstream death metal bands put out these days. Whatever Fear Factory might have called death metal this year, it isn't death metal.

This is. You can hear the drums, each and every beat of them, the vocals come bellowing out at you, and the riffs still manage to be heard despite everything else. But I'm going to tell you right now that the drummer is a very tight link in this band, and they wouldn't be half as good as they are without this guy.

This disc will get you banging your head immediately, with songs that are both fast and groove oriented. It's got the best of the American scene and the best of the Swedish scene here together and playing nicely.

Those of you looking for something more than death metal won't find it here, but those of you who are looking for death metal will find it here. There's really no other way to put it. The vocalist is great on the mic, the drummer's a beast, the riffs are good enough and the solos are great. What else do you want?

Get your fucking heart ripped out by these guys.

Highlights: The Whole Disc (11 Tracks, 48:00)
5/5 (8.0)



Chaos Inception - The Abrogation (PR2012) - Alabama's own Chaos Inception have released their sophomore album of absolutely uncompromising tech-death that has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus or the Bible. Instead, it's all about the ancient ways, which some say are the best ways. So there's definitely no down-home Alabama sound here.

Matt Barnes has some really unique melodies in certain sections that make this band stand out among others of this genre. ("Phalanx 3:54" for example.) He also plays some pretty damned good solos that really manage to stick out in a few of the tracks. Gary White's drumming is certainly solid enough, and he blasts his way through most of the album, but you will hear that technicality in places.

Technicality seems to be part of this disc, but it's mixed well in with the brutality and gives us something that actually lets up on all the time signatures that many death metal bands these days flood us with. As for vocals, Chris White certainly has a good sense of gravel, and he uses some other shrieks and screams from time to time. You can even hear where he's running out of breath in a few sections. But that's normal. You ever done death metal vocals before? It's tiring as hell.

In truth, this band gives us the best of both worlds. It's a devastating album with some art on the side. There's no synths, there's no clean vocals. It's certainly death metal, and it's very well produced. (That might hurt some of you, but I can't understand why it would.) You're going to get 30 minutes of great death metal that will blast your ears out. There's also some great riffs, solos and drumming as well as vocals. These guys bring the package and seem like they could really go far in the scene. Help them get there if you like them, by supporting them!

Highlights: The Whole Disc (Again) (9 Tracks, 30:00)

666 (9.0)



Dehuman - Black Throne Of All Creation (PR2012) - Another great death metal band, Dehuman from Belgium; has now decided to throw their hat into the metal ring. This is the band's debut album, which is described as an "old school sounding album that doesn't sound like it was produced twenty years ago."

Having opened for Agathocles and also having played their homeland many times, the band definitely already has a fanbase. It's well worth it, too. The band has some truly great riffs and some venomous vocals. The drummer definitely knows what he's doing behind the kit and things don't sound at all boring. This is death metal for those who really want to hear something that sounds old school, but doesn't rip anyone else off.

Some may argue back that we're all ripping someone else off, and that's probably right - but at least they're not doing it blatantly. They're also doing it with a very tight sound that's able to change tempos and rhythms and riffs at the drop of a hat. I like that in a band, it shows character. The fact that this band can literally begin with one style and chunk it out to begin another style that transforms the song but maintains it's nature is something that I've always considered talent.

I've really got to mention the riffs on this one, because they really stick out to me. This guy's a great guitarist, throwing out some amazing melodies that definitely keep me listening, especially when he decides to throw hints of prog into the mix. You're going to hear that there's just a little but of Cynic Influence here, but you're going to like that. Because it's actually death metal and not whatever crap Cynic's doing now. (I call it making money.) Not to mention the guitar solos on here, that certainly make their mark on this disc.

The drumming is also important, because the drumming in death metal is what makes it death metal after all. Well, this guy's an absolute virtuoso on the kit and he's playing like he's been sitting on that kit for goddamned twenty years. I'm telling you, this drummer and this guitarist give you an absolute assault that you're not going to fucking forget.

If you want drumming that sounds like there's actually a man behind the kit, and riffs that don't sound copy/paste, and a vocalist that has a mix between gravel and escaped patient from an insane asylum, then you're going to fucking love this one. And I don't just mean love it, you're going to refuse to listen to anything else for a while. This is a treasure that I believe death metal fans will truly appreciate it and you need to pick it up immediately. Let these Belgians know that Americans do want their fucking death metal, so that the label will send more of it our way!

Do not miss this. Essential.

Highlights: The Whole Disc (Yet Again!) (9 Tracks, 44:00)

777 (10)



King - Forged By Satan's Doctrine (PR2012) - Well, not everyone excels at death metal. Take King for example. These Brazilians look like a bunch of young guys that enjoy dressing up in funny costumes and pretending to worship the devil with their use of Lovecraftian lore. (There's nothing demonic about that, really.) They look like that had fun with the Necronomicon and then said, oh okay, Jesus sucks too. Yeah, same old, same old.

Yeah, it's Satanic death metal. They consider it to be uncompromising, but after a while it just really gets kind of dull. There's two people on the vocals, one growler and one screamer and the riffs sound good enough - but nothing really amazing or mind blowing. They pretty much are playing Morbid Angel with better production. Sometimes they use proggy riffs too, but then the vocals will come in out of nowhere and really not do that much.

Despite what these guys are doing, and their blasts and the screams and their growls and their somewhat proggy, somewhat technical riffs; I think that I've heard much of this before when it was called Morbid Angel. I'm not saying that the band is bad, they certainly bring a "balls-out" evil attitude with them, but it just doesn't say much for music in general. Just a little mindless in areas, but there are signs that the band has some skill. Maybe with time, they will further develop it.

Oh yeah, there's one other thing. "Macabre Satanas 2:15" has a chant taht they use over and over for about 2:15. "It consists of Satan Satan Satanas over and over again. After hearing it, I already thought of two parody versions. You can literally put just anything in there, and in time you'll be laughing at that song. They could have just left it off in all honesty. What a waste of studio time.

Bonus Tracks:

Nonlaughter: Zero Fucking Happiness - Yeah, this old demo track isn't so great. There's also zero fucking skill on this one.

What's Satan Domain - This actually features some choir samples and a ridiculously long, 7:10 of decent death metal. Yeah, they tried to be epic; but I've heard this thing all before. Truthfully, I'm beginning to find Satanic death metal to be a joke these days. I don't even pay much attention to the lyrics, it's all about the music and there's little here to impress me there, either.

I'm not saying that King is a bad band, I'm just saying that they didn't really offer me anything new or unusual, however I found that they were quite solid in all actuality; and nothing was really done wrong here besides the closer track which was unnecessary. There's some talent here, some skill, and definitely a hell of a lot of brutality. But if you're looking for something that redefines the genre, you should look elsewhere.

Highlights: Summon Shub-Niggurath Ye Black, No Mercy Just Death, Evil Evangelization, The Ruthless Attitude Of Evil Sobervia, Satan's Fabrica
(11 Tracks, 48:00)

3/5 (6.0)



Vesperian Sorrow - Stormwinds Of Ages (PR2012) - Texas epic extreme metallers, Vesperian Sorrow are certainly no stranger to me. I jumped at the chance to review this disc and it was well worth it. As much as I loved 2006's "Regenesis Creation", 2012's new album was well worth waiting for.

But with six years comes it's share of differences. For instance, this disc has more of a gothic feel and a much higher production value that definitely dwarfs the production on their earlier disc. The vocals are absolutely killer, comparable to latter God Dethroned, but even better I think. The melodies and riffs are fucking beautiful, as well as the solos. The drums blast every which way and still manage to not lose the atmosphere that the synths carry so well.

I honestly didn't expect this much of a gothic metal influence this time, but it seems to have worked well for the band. Don't worry though, as there is still plenty of black metal influence here as well. It all melds together so seamlessly, just as I would've expected.

Sometimes there are layering effects on the clean vocals (which sound very dark regardless) and some female vocals on major standout, "Casting Dawn Into Shadows 5:23." I've ever heard full on clean in "Eye Of The Clocktower 7:14" and never knew that their vocalist had such a great singing voice. Speaking of that track, it's a long epic, and definitely deserves that title.

Fans of more popular black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Old Man's Child that feel those bands haven't offered anything that great in a while might want to check the Vesperian camp over here out. But I won't even lie that I am still drawing some major vocal comparisons to God Dethroned here, and I like that a great deal.

This disc is actually full of surprises and every damned one of them is worth hearing. When they say "epic" they mean epic. I literally feel this disc as the soundtrack to a very dark fantasy role-playing game. You could probably play it during Dark Souls. But I'm sure that these guys don't care, and probably play it too.

There's not one song here that I can't recommend, not one instrumentation that I did not like here. Everything definitely was set to kill, and to thrill. This is not boring, and it's most certainly brutal. You're going to hear great riffs, great drumming, fucking killer vocals and the kind of synths that make this kind of metal epic. I had no idea I was going to enjoy this disc so fucking much, so I recommend that you check it out too, because it's one of the year's best, quite simply.

There's so much meat to this album, and so much ground has been covered in each and every one of these songs. If these guys don't get known for this fucking disc, then they just won't get known and I'd piss all over the scene for it. This is the kind of metal that's going to mean something, and I'm sure that the underground embrace is going to come for them soon enough. This is a disc that was well worth waiting for, quite possibly the best of their fucking career.

You can't go wrong with this one.

Highlights: The Whole Disc, even the intro! Play it again and again.
(11 Tracks, 57:00)

777 (10)



Katana - Storms Of War (PR2012) - I figured I'd end this with yet another unexpected surprise. Katana is a Swedish traditional heavy metal band that is supposedly in the veins of Judas Priest, Saxon and Iron Maiden. But I'm hearing more Iron Maiden than anything else in this sophomore release. The disc is literally incredible, reminding me of "Number Of The Beast" and "Powerslave" era Iron Maiden at their very best. Songs like "Khublai Kahn 6:34" , "Wrath Of The Emerald Witch 5:13", "In The Land Of The Sun 8:02" and closer "The Wisdom Of Edmond's Field 6:21" sound just as good as anything that Bruce fronted Maiden ever did.

I just slapped myself, because I never expected to say anything like this. Just imagine me listening to this disc on my mp3 player at work with my mouth dropped open the whole fucking time. They've got the riffs, the progressions, the lyrics, the vocal emotion, everything that I expected from Maiden. As far as I'm concerned, they can keep right on making albums too.

Again, many of you can make Iron Maiden comparisons to this band, and that's fine. I'm sure they're well aware. But think about it just for a second. Who can actually do Iron Maiden as well as Iron Maiden can? I'm talking about memorable riffs, great solos and instrumental portions where the band really gets to build the atmosphere of the song, and some of the best vocal harmonies I've heard since Bruce grabbed the mic after Samson finally laid down it's set of Barbells back in the 80's.

This is about as traditional as metal can be, and it's about as good as anything I've heard from a traditional metal band in a while. I can only imagine what these guys can do live, and I hope they come to our shores soon. I would love to see a show where these guys opened for fucking Maiden. Could you believe hearing "Khubilai Kahn" and then it goes into "Alexander The Great?" No. You can't, because it's that fucking awesome.

These guys definitely bring the balls back into traditional metal, taking the cheese and corniness that newer bands have brought to it. It's not about being corny, it's about being true. These guys have it all, I fucking loved every bit of it. From the Priesty intro, to the Maiden-y closer. When I was young, this was metal to me and in many ways, this still is. A tear almost fell when I heard this damned thing, and I'm very grateful for having the privilege to review it.

Please pick it up and support the true bringers of heavy metal.

Highlights: Once again, all of it. It'll bring back memories. (10 Tracks, 49:00)

777 (10)

More to come. Shitloads more, in fact!

New Look, Same Attitude.

There's a new look to the site, just in case you didn't notice. But that doesn't mean that the reviews have changed. As a matter of fact, since summer keeps dolling out more albums then I can keep track of, I'll be updating for quite a while. Even though week 55 was just posted, I already have listened to all of week 56 and am already working on listening to the material for week 57. Week 56 will be up ASAP, and 57 soon after. I can't promise to have the newest stuff reviewed and posted immediately, but I'll do the best I can.

Those album covers in the background aren't just covers that I thought looked interesting and thought I'd post, they're actually the covers of some of my personal favorite albums of the past and present. Due to blogspot's 300kb file rule, I've had to lessen the quality of these images, which makes them a bit blurry. But you can of course still tell what the majority of these albums are. Do you recognize any of these?

Nevertheless, displaying the albums that I've personally enjoyed helps my readers to know what my tastes are. As you can see, they vary. There's a little bit of everything back there, so maybe you're going to be even more fucking lost now.

Finally, you might notice the slogan at the bottom of the banner. It reads:

100% Real Reviews For Those Who Disagree With The Elitists And The Paid Puppets Of The Industry!

What does this mean, exactly? It means that just because Revolver magazine might have been paid to give that last Korn album 4 or 5 fucking stars, doesn't mean that it's really that fucking good. Obviously the disc is far from metal, or even rock music. When I see that a dub-step disc gets a 4 or 5 out of 5 in a magazine that is geared to listeners of "Hard Rock and Heavy Metal", I frown in disgust.

I also tend to disagree with the reviewers of Metal Storm and in Decibel Magazine. I'll admit that there are times that I can see what they are saying, but half the time I'm scratching my head. I almost wonder if these people are listening to the same albums that I am, or if the site or magazine let the right people review the right discs. I am still gobsmacked by the fact that such a unique a monumental disc like the latest Carach Angren got a 6/10 in Decibel, and the latest disc from some grindcore band called Kraanium, who lack any semblance of originality or taste - actually received a 7/10. That album was one of the worst pieces of music that I have ever heard. Every song sounded the exact same and there was no structure, form, or anything of that nature. Whereas Carach provided me not with just an incredible black metal disc, but an atmosphere that made their twisted stories come to life.

Since there is no fine line drawn between crap and masterwork, I feel that I have to make one. That is what I have been doing for 3 years now and I hope to continue on for many more. Remember, there's no bullshit here. Just honest reviews, where the music is the center point. Not the bands, nor their images. It's their music that I review and nothing else!

Vore - Gravehammer (2011)

Vore - Gravehammer (2011) - While I've heard of these guys, I've never actually listened to their music. But a couple months ago, I happened upon their page and found that I actually really liked it. Since the band is classified as doom/death, and that is one of my favorite genres, especially when done right; I knew that I had to check it out.

I was always curious as to what the band's name meant, and I found this definition:

"Vorarephilia (often shortened to vore) is a sexual fetish and paraphilia where arousal occurs from the idea of being eaten, eating another, observing this process, or by the general process of eating. The fantasy most frequently involves the victim being swallowed alive, and may or may not include digestion. Since the fetish is physically impossible to achieve in real life, it is enjoyed through pictures, stories, videos, and video games. It may be seen as a variation on macrophilia in some cases, and may also be combined with other fetishes.

The word vorarephilia is derived from the Latin vorare (to "swallow" or "devour"), which is cognate to Greek βορά (vorá, "food"), and Ancient Greek φιλία (philía, "love")."

Immediately, I was intrigued by this (especially being a big fan of the Bloodbath song, "Eaten" which I played religiously at one point) and felt that this also gave me an idea of their sound. It is quite simply like something being eaten, digested and then shit out again. The band had a very dirty doom/death style that I think is absolutely at peak levels on this, their fourth disc.

Vore seems to prove that they don't need to release an album every other year, like 9/10 of the scene and that's what makes their sound seem to pay off so well.
It is definitely worth the anticipation and could see the band gaining greater fame in the musical industry if they desired it.

The band sounds as crisp and clear as any well produced disc that a major label shits out these days, but the music is actually memorable, and puts a possible spin on an old sound. There are definite experimentations this time around, and the use of atmospheres works well to their advantage. The music itself is hard, crushing, and over all, brutal. If you don't like this disc, I suggest that you get your head examined, or check out the new Korn album as metal may not be the choice of music for you.

The riffs are fleshed out into grandiose rhythms that quake with an epic ferocity. Whatever the hell came out this year that thought it was heavy, these gentlemen have stomped well upon. Songs like "Gravehammer 7:43", "The Cruelest Construct 8:32", "Doomwhore 7:43" and "The Claw Is The Law 8:32" really cement the fact that this band is certainly a force to be reckoned with. The drums on the disc are pummeling as the killer vocals that Page is belting out, sounding as good and gravelly as they need to. Sometimes there's a scream used, but it does work well with the music.

Effects are used on the disc as well, making things even more epic than they already are. This is probably one of the most bombastic and epic doom/death discs that I've ever heard, and it's up there with my best of 2011. People who thought the new Esoteric was good, haven't yet heard this.

The melodies on the disc are superb, and at first you wouldn't expect to hear beautiful melodies and solos on a disc as dark and uncompromising as this, but the melody really helps to shape the music. From a musical standpoint, this disc is extremely well crafted, right down to the bass rhythms. Vore sounds incredibly technical here, and the polish of these songs can be well felt. While I am not sure of their other discs, this album is certainly one of my personal favorite discs of the year, and I wasn't expecting that.

The artwork on the disc was also quite attractive. It really screams death metal when you've got an armored fire elemental with a warhammer on the front of it. This is probably one of the discs that I would've bought when I was younger, just because it had a badass looking thing on the cover. Trust me, when you're young, that shit matters. But what makes that concept even more great, is that the disc sounds as epic as the goddamned cover art looks. That's pretty fucking tough to do guys.

As far as I'm concerned, this disc is far better than the new Amon Amarth released this year, and it should be selling umpteen million copies. If the band doesn't become a couple thousand (maybe a million) dollars richer from this effort, I'd be shocked and would lose my faith in man entirely.

This disc has prog, it has thrash, it has death metal, it has the sheer epicness of what death metal fucking should be. Slow and brutal, but delivering on every song with an unparalleled and uncompromising approach, I definitely have enjoyed this disc much more than most of the death metal I've reviewed this year. It's better than the Paganizer I reviewed also, even though I loved that disc too. But not near as much as this one.

Some of you might think that I'm just talking flack to butter up the owner of this board, but I will tell you with all sincerity that that is not true, as I have nothing to gain from this. I am simply reviewing this as I would any other album. If you PM me, I will tell you the same as I've said here. This disc threw me for a fucking unexpected loop. I was expecting some slow doom death with southern influence. But what I got was some epic doom/death with tight and well-crafted musicianship.

Well, you know how I am about 1:00 instrumental pieces, "Uroborous" (It could have been part of the song) but I think that's a minor gripe compared to the death metal that I've been delivered here. I really don't think there's anything more you can ask for in a doom/death album.

You really should buy it, because it's worth it. Hell, I would. I still can't fucking get over how good this disc is. Get your hands on this shit now. The wait was worth it. This is how death metal should sound, as far as I am concerned. A great disc to play while killing thousands of monsters in Skyrim or Diablo III.

It's perfect for a killing spree. Summon up some demons to battle, and go get your Gravehammer.

666

Week 45 (Backtracking)

Abigail Williams - Becoming (2012) - Abigail Williams is slowly but surely becoming a name in American black metal. What started out as some sort of newfangled black "core" has actually become something noteworthy in the black metal scene. Of course, albums like their last, "In The Absence Of Light" show that they were ready to throw all of their core fiddling away like a bad idea into a rubbish bin.

So what has now become of them? Well, I think someone got them drunk in Emperor's liquor cabinet, because I'm seeing massive song lengths, with names like "Elestial" and "Infinite Fields Of Mind." What's next? A cover of "Cosmic Keys To My Creations & Time?"

Still, a part of me is ready to dive into this disc, knowing that they've been experimenting and I even expect to hear some goody-goody prog and atmospheres this time around. Let's just see what Abigail Williams is "Becoming", shall we?

The disc starts out with "Ascension Sickness 11:11" which already starts out with that atmospheric nature that I thought it would. There's all sorts of bells and whistles from the get-go. Hey, this might be pretty good. On second thought, let's add the fact that whoever got them drunk in Emperor's liquor cabinet also took them to see old man Varg. This disc is raw, melodic, and has a barely audible vocal tone that most black metal fans will find authentic. Gone is the high production value, but the atmospheres are simply wonderful. There's also a growl/growler in miniscule parts of this song, who doesn't need to be there. But I can excuse a mistake. The violin playing here also adds well to the melody.

Quite simply, the music speaks for itself. This one's going to be a buy before I'm even finished this review.

"Radiance 5:33" starts out very slow, with almost growl vocals. However, I can see that they are intended to be part of black metal and I consider this song still very much black metal, especially towards the latter part of it. The melodies are strong and the vocal work is top-notch for the genre. This is once again, a respectable black metal album.

"Elestial 8:12" starts off with a very soft nature and escalates into standard black metal fare. Yes, I said "standard black metal fare." They can be called poseurs no more! This is honest fucking black metal just the way that grandma used to make it. The song then takes a turn about 2:30 and goes back into a slow, depressive nature. But the melodies are so good, I wish I had better speakers to fully absorb them. The bit-rate is 320, but my speakers can't really do this album justice.

Next is "Infinite Fields Of Mind 10:11" which starts out with a very light and beautiful melody amidst sounds of the waves crashing back and forth. It's very relaxing. Then a sort of portal type effect comes into play, that opens the way for black metal blasting and melody. The song of course slows down and allows for some more melody, and then speeds back up again in standard black metal fare. There's still a bit of a whirlwind effect here, like the band is playing in some sort of ethereal dimension. At about 5:04, the song begins to slow once again, and enters into some drum play. The drummer here is a pretty skilled guy, I'll say that. Some nice riffing comes into play definitely building a nice musical atmosphere, and then some classic (80's) black metal riffing comes in. Damn, this is a good one folks. I never thought I'd say that about this band. Can they do no wrong on this disc? Damn... at about the 7:00 mark, you've got some definite good riffs going on, and then you've got some great drum work shortly thereafter. I'm convinced now. These guys matter, and if you've got enough brain cells in your head, you'll understand that point. I'm speechless, folks. Certainly speechless.

"Three Days Of Darkness 2:27" comes in next, obviously a reference to the three days of darkness in 2012. I don't know much about that subject, but so far I haven't seen three days of darkness. However, I don't know if we'll have a winter this year, at least around these parts. The instrumental is short, but it's very good and not just thrown together. It is in the style of Burzum in places, but also has some uniqueness of it's own.

The instrumental goes right into "Beyond The Veil 17:31" which is the album's damn near twenty minute closer. The instrumental actually continues into this track, which is now just a violin. Drums come in at the 39 second mark, and a guitar can be heard adding atmosphere. Eventually the songs gets a little fuller per se, and the intro to this epic starts out rather well. Yes, it is quite epic.

The track eventually adds vocals and gets much heavier, but still retains an epic notion. There's a lot to this one, folks. Alright, we've got a drop at about 6:40 now, which brings in violin and drums that threaten to ignite, but don't. At 8:00, the tempo changes and the violin as well, making a sort of world music sort of sound. This eventually goes into a heavier but still violin fuelled section that also brings back the vocals, which come out nicely.

This track is much more folky than the rest of the tracks here, but it's a welcome difference. It's just damn near perfection. Abigail needs to tour this one, and then quit. This cannot be topped.

Now we're almost into the 14:00 mark, where only violins are heard and some cymbal taps. Then the spatial effects come in, and it feels like I'm going into a portal or some sort of alien space craft. But the drums and violins are still going throughout. Then the vocals come in, but only to let out a word? Or is that a sound effect and not a vocal at all? I think i hear a woman's voice harmonizing now, but that might also be a vocal. Perhaps that's the violin... I don't know!

The song finally starts to cool down at about the 17:00 mark, but there' s all kinds of weird space effects to end out the disc. Yep, that's it. It's over.

Well, to be honest, haven't heard black metal like this in a while. This disc is truly memorable, and I think it would make any fan of the genre pleased. If you bought this disc and don't like it, then just mail it to me. I don't see how not liking this one would even be possible, but it is for some, I suppose. I think it's definitely one of the best damned black metal discs I've heard in quite a while. If you were looking for an American black metal band to give a shit about, you can add this to your pile of Absu, Nachtmystium, Agalloch, Goatwhore, and the thousands of other good black metal bands out there in the US. But these guys are definitely going to make a name for themselves with this one.

This is what black metal is supposed to be, and it's good to see that they've taken the torch from the ancients like Burzum and Emperor, and made something truly fucking, and I'll say it one more time... memorable. This might be the year's best black metal disc, and it's only the end of January. Yes, I know Nachtmystium is releasing a new one this year, but they'll have to work hard to top this. Pure excellence.

Highlights: The Entire Album (6 tracks, 55:00)

666 (One of the best black metal albums of the year.)



Lamb Of God - Resolution (Real Thing 2012) - Now some of you might even be wondering why in the hell I'm doing this. Well, the answer is quite fucking simple. The old version of this disc was an unfinished mix, and now I've got the real thing. But to be honest, I would have been happier with the unfinished mix. The rawness made it sound much more fierce.

I'm going to point this out right now. I fucking hate Blythe's vocals on this disc. They just don't good. It sounds like he's worn the fuck out, too. I can barely hear the rhythm guitars and even though there's more focus on percussion this time, (and it sounds pretty good) the disc to me sounds like a band who's just plumb worn the hell out.

If this was supposed to be our new Pantera, they sure as hell didn't last long. Fuck, they should've quit after Wrath. I just can't be happy with this disc. Blythe ruins the whole goddamned package for me. I'd have taken this disc and thrown it at him. I'm really disappointed. Blythe's vocals should've been in the goddamned background, and the guitars and drums should've been up front. We only needed a little bit of Blythe, not all of him. I honestly can't believe this is the final mix. Who mixed this shit? I'll have his fucking balls!

Even when I turn the volume up, the drums and guitars don't get any louder. But Blythe's vocals still resonate like an air horn. His style always was raspy, but it didn't need to be up front. The raw quality is what makes the music. To make this shit well produced kills the whole fucking thing.

This isn't the same Lamb Of God that made Wrath and Sacrament. Those guys were abducted by aliens and replaced with soulless robots. Where's the goddamned riffs? Seriously, this is a full album? No fucking way this comes after Wrath. What the hell? Listen to "The Undertow 4:46" and point out how many riffs you remember from their other albums.

The only thing good on this disc is the fucking percussion. Damn it. Goddamn it. Fuck me with a steel bar. This is copy and fucking paste bullshit if I've ever heard it. WHAT! That's not a fucking solo!

I expect them to go for mainstream radio play next. I'm really fucking disappointed with these guys. It's corporate metal in the disguise of thrash! Damn it, I'm losing oxygen! Give me some fucking real metal, stat!

Alright, so the album still has some strong tracks on it. They're just towards the end of the disc. A weak start, but a powerful finish. But it's not enough to save them from being less than mediocre. If "King Me" is killing you, then perhaps you should stop being the king.

Highlights: The Number Six, Invictus, Insurrection, Visitation, King Me (Due to it's uniqueness)

(14 Tracks, 56:00)

2.5/5



Biohazard - Reborn In Defiance (2012) - Don't be alarmed, but this is the first full length Biohazard album that I've ever heard. Of course, I have heard their early stuff and remember that old video for "Punishment" but I haven't actually heard a full length disc from the band. But I'm pretty sure that I know what to expect here. Hardcore.

But what makes this album so good, is that it seems to capture the nature of the band in a very memorable fashion. The songs vary in tempo and style, and they all seem to turn out pretty damned good for the most part. The opener "Vengeance Is Mine 3:24" comes in thrashing with wild guitar solos strewn about, and the second track on the disc, "Decay 4:24" seems to feature more of a sing-along clean vocal chorus. "Reborn 4:52" seems to go back to the style of the opener track, and is followed by the much slower and melodic track, "Killing Me 4:49." One can start to sense a pattern forming here, but for the most part, all of the songs on the disc seem to be solid enough to enjoy.

For instance, I thought "Killing Me" was a little weak at the beginning, but the chorus really started to stick after a while, and then the solos came in pretty well, so it was balanced out and I rated that track about a star higher than I normally would have. (It's a 4 now, instead of a solid 3.) So despite that this album could have been a bunch of throwaway material, it's actually balanced out by the musicality that includes a classic hardcore, punk, and thrash nature.

"Countdown Doom 4:56" sounds more hardcore than any of the other tracks, reminding me quite a bit of "Punishment" actually. I pointed it out, because it's classic rap lyrics make it different from any of the other tracks thus far. I'll also throw the acoustic bass and rapping track, "Vows Of Redemption 4:57" in there. That track also had a light melodic chorus and has a few heavier points. Clearly, the band has evolved their style on this disc. I'm really impressed with some of these.

Surprisingly, there's a ballad on this disc, "You Were Wrong 6:05" where the clean vocals are done by the vocalist who usually does the gruffer vocals. His singing voice isn't that great, but he sort of reminds me of Chad Gray a little. There is a mediocre ballad solo on this song as well. This one's radio worthy, and sounds like a hard rock track that got mixed in. If not for the shredding, I might have hated it. But that guy can fucking shred.

Thank god that "Skullcrusher 4:14" comes in and brings back the heavy. The disc's final song is the anthemic "Never Give In" which sounds like it has one of those simplistic bass riffs that you'd hear in Quake 2. The song itself is solid and good way to finish the album. But the closer track, "Season The Sky 4:07" is actually an instrumental (which I don't necessarily classify as one of the main songs, because it sounds like the credits to a good horror film and carries a great solo with it) that seems to end the disc in a very different sort of way. Some might say that it wasn't really needed on a hardcore album, but this isn't truly a complete hardcore album. The band is experimenting, because they're tired of the same old shit, apparently.

It's a good disc with some hits and some misses, but should certainly appeal to fans of the band. Of course, it might not resonate well with them either. It just depends on how open they are. I personally thought it was good, a swell offering from a hardcore legend.

Highlights: Vengeance Is Mine, Decay, Reborn, Countdown Doom, Come Alive, Voice Of Redemption, Skullcrusher, Never Give In, Season The Sky

(13 Tracks, 54:00)

3.5/5



Savage Messiah - Plague Of Conscience (2012 Free From Earache) - Yes, you read that right. The new album from these power thrashers is free from Earache Records. I can't remember how to get it, so go there and get it yourself if the promotion is still open. It comes with a picture file that includes everything you'd need to make the cd yourself. If you want to put it on a disc, that is. But who does that anymore?

Anyway, this album is so fucking good, that I can't believe it's free. It's definitely a must for fans of Iced Earth, Brainstorm, Chinchilla, and other power/thrashers that I currently can't remember. The disc is definitely most in the vein of Brainstorm though, utilizing the groove/thrash style that they have used on such numbers as "Firewalking" , "Temple Of Stone" and "Shiva's Tears." But there are also faster songs on the disc, like the opener, "Plague Of Conscience 5:31" easily my favorite on the disc.

I also need to point your attention to the album art, as it is very blatant and might even offend some masons. (No, not brick layers.) Nevertheless, I do believe that even though there are good people who are in freemasonry and do things to benefit the community; the inner sanctum and most sacred orders of the society are indeed connected to, if not are; the illuminati. There's too much information out there about this, and too many people that have a great deal of media influence or power (Simon Cowell and the music industry, for example.) who are in high orders of freemasonry.

Crowley himself studied well upon it, and even though they are utilizing the same sorts of energies one might in any other ritual, their means seem to be diabolical and the media is as one of the pictures in the album artwork puts it, "a puppet on the strings." Most of the modern music industry, from Lady Gaga to Evanescence are all part of this media fad, which is driven by shows like Pop/American Idol, The Voice, and Cowell's X-Factor. Of course, Cowell is a handler for many puppets. But you could further research this stuff.

(By the way, I don't consider Crowley a diabolical figure. I think he was very wise, but was tarnished by rumors and lies spread about in the early media)

The album offers everything that you could want in a power thrash album, which includes but is not limited to: impressive drum work, powerful solos that make even weaker numbers worth listening to, and spot on vocals that deliver well with each note. There's even some prog in sections.

The disc ends with the closer "The Mask Of Anarchy 8:37" and while it starts out a little softer than the rest, it's certainly got it's heavy sections and is a well end to a terrific album. I don't have one complaint about this disc. It's just very good power/thrash with no bullshit ballads, and a worthy message that you'd better soak into your ears because it's coming....

Er... It's already here. Did you not get the memo? People keep saying, the new world order/illuminati ARE coming, but the trick with that is that it's a ruse. They're not coming, they're already here. Any noble sacred society keeps themselves well hidden and the curtain is our media. I could write about seven more paragraphs on the details here, but this should suffice. Shit, folks. It's right in front of our faces if you'd look. The television is the biggest eye into it.

This might just be one of the best power/thrash albums I've heard in a while. I definitely consider that you get it, and since it should still be free via Earache promotion, you need to hurry your ass over there and download yourself a copy. It's certainly worth hearing. Free metal with a good message. That's a beat that we can all thrash to.

Metal Storm gave it a 7.1/10, and I'll admit that some of the songs are weak on this disc, but they make up for it with the great musicianship and killer solos. If they didn't, this album would be ranked significantly lower, I don't care if it's free or not.

Highlights: Most of the songs on the disc, but certainly the title track. I think it's the best one on the album.

(10 Tracks, 53:00)

4.5/5



Coldworker - The Doomsayer's Call (PR 2012) - According to PR, Sweden's Coldworker is a grindcore based death metal band that has been making discs since 2006. Released on Listenable Records, this disc was mixed and mastered by the legendary Dan Swano. The idea of the disc was to "create strong individual songs that combined to make a really strong Swedish death metal album." It is also supposed to be the best example of the band's sound to date, where blastbeats meet heaviness and grooves with eerie melodies and overall catchy songs.

The disc actually does sound rather core, but features just as much of a death metal influence as you would expect. The songs are still kind of catchy, but sound much different from each other, with the first song, "A New Era 3:55" being more of a traditional Swedish death metal song with core influence, but the second song, "The Reprobate 3:16" starts off much faster and has an almost punk nature. there's also a screaming solo.

The third track, "The Glass Envelope 3:17" almost sounds like a complete second half to the track that came before it. If you hadn't looked, you'd have thought it was the same song.

"Flesh World 4:45" follows right after, starting out much slower, but enveloping into standard death metal fare. I'm really not crazy about the core vocals on this disc, they throw me off. But the band does have structure and I'll give them that. There's some technicality in the music for sure. This track is certainly one of the better tracks, with the vocals showing some power and there's a nice little solo.

"Murderous 3:15" starts out very technical, but doesn't derive from the formula very much. I haven't reached half of the disc yet, but there's little a derivation in the band's formula. However, they usually throw a solo into every song. They also seem to want to bash your brains in with a sledgehammer. Definitely not relaxation music.

"Pessimist 2:55" is short, but it starts out with a good groove. Certainly not a ballad or instrumental track. This band is also interested in ripping your head off and putting on a wall. I guess they'll then throw darts at your eyeballs.

The drummer is a beast, and really seems to fuel the band's sound. The band incorporates a lot of technicality and structure to even the shortest songs, but still provides an unbridled rage throughout every minute of this disc.

"Monochrome Existence, 5:01" is the longest song on the disc, and that's because it starts out with a very worthy intro. The drums don't start to blast until about 1:15 seconds in. While not much different than the other songs, this track is still pretty good. These guys are certainly talented with making worthwhile death metal.

"Vacuum Fields 3:18" does differ from the formula for a few seconds when it first starts, but then it goes right back into bashing you in the head with a nail spiked bat. "Living Is Suffering 3:07" is next, but I barely even noticed it. Sounded like all the others, really.

"The Walls Of Eryx 4:26" comes in next, starting out very different, and following a different tempo. The whole song actually seems to have much more going for it than most of this disc. It's a good thing that they showed here that they can do more than blastbeats. But that's alright, because the next three songs are short and I'll bet they follow the same formula.

Yep. "Violent Society 3:11" comes in with the blast beats and fierce vocals. It's certainly more brutal than the rest of the tracks though. Definitely worth a listen.

Oddly enough, "Beyond The Stench 2:47" starts out very proggy, but that goes into a very fast drumming (not blasting) and gives it a definite death metal feel. Nothing I haven't heard before, but plenty of technicality here.

The disc wraps up with "The Phantom Carriage 3:23", which isn't a ballad of any sort. It's another dead-on brutalizer, and it will show you no mercy, just like the rest of this ferocious beast of a disc. There's something special about this one that makes it appeal to me, but I can't put my finger on it. But the track's too short to give a damn. Hence, the grind influence as most grind tracks were short and sweet... I mean, brutal. Short and brutal.

Overall, this is a definite must for fans of both grindcore and death metal. People looking for melody should go somewhere else, because this disc is more about technicality and brutality than anything else. It's a little more than half an hour of music that you'll probably play again and again. But I don't think it's the best thing I've ever heard. It's just not really my cup of tea.

Regardless, go and support the band by buying their album if you like it, when it drops on February 13th. You can also go to the band's bandcamp page, where you might be able to snag a copy early, or just preview the tracks.

http://coldworker.bandcamp.com/

Highlights: Fleshworld, Monochrome Existence, Vacuum Fields, The Walls Of Eryx, The Phantom Carriage (For those of you who like the same tempo and brutality, you'll like everything but most of these tracks I've selected.)

(13 Tracks, 46:00)

3/5 (Of course, I've no doubt in my mind that some people might see this as needing to be much higher. Again, not my personal cup of tea.)



Pharaoh - Bury The Light (PR 2012) - According to PR, this American "brilliant rousing heavy metal band" has changed it's sound drastically. I suppose it's become much darker than 03's "After The Fire" or 06's "The Longest Night." Instead, the new album has ties to the much darker, but fan favorite "Be Gone" which was released in 2008. In that album, the bandmates were experimenting with different forms. Apparently, the lyrics on the disc are a contribution from all four band members, and they seem to live a good while from each other, so there was a lot of different collaborations and such.

Apparently, the disc still retains the core of the band's sound but features "unexpected pathways." For me, this is a good sign. Especially when there are plenty of heavy metal bands in the genre that don't prefer to experiment. Then there's a whole lot of yada yada about the disc being a call to action to seek salvation in the darkness to receive the new light and bonding against false goodness. Yeah, yeah. Whatever.

The disc starts out with "Leave Me Here To Dream 5:02" which doesn't sound too dark. The vocals remind me mightily of Manowar, and that's a good thing. The disc sounds old school in terms of production, but certainly has structure and great guitar work. There's some prog in places, (as is with most power metal these days) but it is phenomenal. Shit, listen to that riff. That's sounds really spatial. Love that kind of stuff. Wow. That was impressive.

The disc continues in this epic fashion, greatly reminding me of Manowar, but in my opinion, this is the best Manowar album that Manowar didn't put out. Tim sounds every bit just like the lead vocalist of Manowar, and I was curious at first if he was also the vocalist for Manowar (because I can't remember who sings for them now, but I'm sure it's not Ross "The Boss", unless it is.) because the resemblance is that damned uncanny.

But unlike Manowar, this band plays a very epic (with a capital "E") style of progressive power metal that is absolutely mind-blowing in some sections, thanks to their amazing guitarist, Matt Johnsen. That guy's a fucking beast, who writes amazing riffs and melodies that definitely made me poke my head up from the game I was currently playing. (This time it's Titan Quest, btw.)

This isn't just a disc that you should check out, it's one you should own. This is probably the best classic power metal band I've heard in years, and their sound is absolutely fucking incredible. The band seems to be capable of no wrong on this disc that features such powerful vocals, impressive guitar work and great storytelling. It's everything one could want in a power metal album, and I highly, highly, highly recommend that you get this disc.

This is a band from America that has the power to really go out there and be the next Manowar. Call it blasphemy now, but listen to the album and tell me I'm wrong. I'm speechless, blown away and cannot believe what I've just been given the pleasure to preview. I certainly hope that true power metal fans and "defenders of the heavy metal faith" so to speak; will go and buy this one, because you want it in your fucking collection. I'm telling you, this is what fucking power metal is.

There are some absolutely amazing riffs on this disc, and wonderful solos too. There's not one thing wrong with this disc at all. I'm telling you, I've heard a lot of power metal, and this is some the best I've ever fucking heard. No ass kissing, just the truth. These are ten songs of greatness, and even the short 1:37 second closer ends out the album with just as much magnificence as it began.

You'd be a fucking idiot not to get this one if you're into power metal, especially Manowar. This is a blast from the past in the best of ways. I'm more than impressed. Go check this one out, and support these guys by buying the disc when it hits the shelves on February 24th. They deserve it!

Highlights: The entire epic disc. (10 Tracks, 49:51)

666 (The best Manowar disc I've never heard. Literally.)



Swallow The Sun - Emerald Forest And The Blackbird (2012) - Say what you will, but Swallow The Sun has definitely decreased in heaviness since their debut, "The Mourning Never Came." It's one of my favorite doom discs of all time, and the band has since been able to top it, although I rather enjoyed their third disc "Hope" and haven't cared for much of anything since that one.

However, I find myself actually enjoying a few of the tracks on this 66 minute monster of an album, with most of the tracks being over the 5 minute mark. The longest track on the disc is the title track, which is close to ten minutes (9:57) and is about as boring and uninspired as anything I've heard from them yet. The screamer's vocals don't even go with certain riffs and it sounds like a sort of hodgepodge of things being throw together. What an awful way to start the album.

Tracks like "This Cut Is The Deepest 5:20" certainly show a more gothic vocal (ala current Paradise Lost) from the band, with a croon and sounds almost light enough to be played on mainstream radio. "Cathedral Walls 6:47" which features a Liv Kristine sound-alike who goes by the name of Anette Olzon is certainly a strong doom track about heartbreak with some worthwhile melodies, but Anette's vocals should be featured a bit more I feel. She was used in two verses, I believe.

The band has really taken to a lighter style of playing with brief outbursts of heaviness. I had no idea that they'd turn into something like this. It's almost a caricature of the band's sound, I think. After "Hearts Wide Shut 5:55" and "Silent Towers 4:01" I'm not even sure if this is still Swallow The Sun.

It's not all bad though, "Labyrinth Of London: Horror Part IV 8:29" actually brings back the heaviness that the band is known for and shows you that they are still capable of TMNC/Hope style death metal. But I'll be damned if they fuck it off again with another crooner called "Of Death and Corruption 5:00."

Oddly enough, the band goes does a sort of "Vikings and the harsh winter" deal with "April 14th 8:28" which has some good narration by the vocalist. His singing may have gotten on my nerves, but he can narrate. Also, I'll state that this song reminds me of the sort of doom that My Dying Bride championed in their early years. (Apparently, they're still capable of it.)

"Night Will Forgive Us 6:40" ends the disc on a monstrously strong note with incredible melody and the death/doom power that the band is known for. This is the right way that the album should've ended, even thought it began a little recklessly and had a bunch of slow crooners in the middle. There's still some death metal in here folks, but just a handful of it.

Good for doom metal fans, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. But I heard someone talking about how the album put him to sleep. The guy said, "Thanks, Swallow The Sun for the nap." Of course this is one individual so you shouldn't base your opinions on his. The disc is certainly different, but it's not awful either. I'll say it's a solid disc, but it doesn't hold a candle to Insomnium's death/doom masterpiece of last year.

On a further note, the title is a little odd. Shouldn't it be, "The Emerald Forest and The Black Bird?" Who taught them grammar?

Highlights: This Cut Is The Deepest, Cathedral Walls, Labyrinth Of London, April 14th, Night Will Forgive Us

(10 Tracks, 66:00)

3/5



Eluveitie - Helvetios (2012) - Well, whether we wanted one or not; there's a new Eluveitie album. It's 17 tracks spread across 59 minutes, so you can expect plenty of little intermission pieces, I'm sure. The disc opens rather epically, with one of my favorite intro pieces for an album in a long time. I don't want to spoil the epic intro for you, but from a writer's perspective I thought it was written and read beautifully. It's too bad that the album won't hold the same sort of epicness.

The first actual song on the disc is the title track, which doesn't sound all that good really. It sounds like rushed melo-death that wants to mix In Flames and bag pipes together, still! This was good for a while, but I'm not sure if I can make it through a disc that's as uninspired as this one has been, thus far.

Alright, so maybe I miss-stepped a little. the songs "Home 5:16" and it's following track, "Santonian Shores 3:18" show that the band is playing with a little more structure and are using some melodies that seem to be effective. One of the guys is even trying to attempt a sort of solo with the bagpipes or bagpipe synth effects they're using (my guess is it's sythns.)

"Scorched Earth 4:18" starts out with a long chant amidst what's supposed to be desert sands. Haven't heard that before in their music, so kudos for taking it out of familiar territory. Apparently, I've tripped on my tongue again. This track doesn't start out with a chant in the desert, it is a chant in the desert. The entire 4:18 is a chant amidst some bagpipes. It's quite nice, actually.

"Meet The Enemy 3:46" is a pretty decent song too, has some good parts in it, but still standard fare for melo-death. I also heard some core breakdowns, but I sort of expected them. "Neverland 3:42" features a female on backup vocals during the chorus, and in some other parts of the song, but it's not that much of a song if you take the whole Celtic feel out of it. It'll sound like an absolute generic melo-death thrasher.

"A Rose For Epona 4:26" makes me wonder if this song might be about Link's horse. Why the hell not, right? I'm sure these guys have played the Legend Of Zelda before. This one's different because it features primarily a female vocal (ala Battlelore) and Lacuna Coil style riffs. We knew it was coming. You can skip it if you want, but I think her vocals are pretty good, albeit a little too loud. She seems to be pushing too hard. Bagpipes come in around the third quarter and pull of a solo. I still think her vocals are too loud.

"Havoc 4:04" starts out with a nice violin piece and incorporates a meaningless scream. Yes, this one sounds like death thrash, but with bagpipes. "The Uprising 3:41" sounds pretty much like "Havoc" in it's death thrash nature, but features the narration which sounds good. I'm already starting to notice a patter here, and it's simple. This band seems to like to make the same song over and over again in some instances.

"Hope 2:27" starts out with a good flute piece, then adds acoustics and some light percussion. Good for even people who don't like metal, because there's none in it. "The Siege 2:27" starts out heavy and has a very harsh scream. That other screamer is awesome. He sounds a little black metal and it works. This is a different style for the band and it works. There's actually a little bit of technicality and groove here... um, and a rousing violin piece. Then female vocals come in? Huh? Why? People who don't normally like this band might find this more modern metal influenced song to be more up their alley.

"Alesia 3:58" reminds me of Evanescence in the beginning, female vocals and a piano. The riffs definitely sound as basic as well, but there's some death metal vocals in this song too. The chorus is strong here, but the riffs are so goddamned basic. They run out of ideas? However, the song does have some good structure toward the end, and finishes with a choir.

"Tullianum 0:24" is so short, that it's not even worth mentioning. "Uxellodunon 3:51" is probably the last actual song on the disc and it's got a very powerful chorus that seems to drive the song. A good way to end the metal portion of the disc. "Epilogue 3:14" ends the disc with the same badass narration that it began with, and then goes into a symph-laden folk piece with the flute as a main instrument. Then a choir joins in amidst a synth that sounds like it ended Lord Of The Rings.

(*Some of the parts I labeled as bagpipes were flutes, so I need to clear that up. There are bagpipes on the disc, but more of this album is flute.)

Helvetios is a good album from Eluveitie, amidst some simplicities that don't help to make the band stand out. Yes, they use folk instruments; but the playing is still rather basic and I think they get by with far too much. Despite the large following that this band has among the Neo-Pagan crowd, (which I was once a part of) metal listeners can definitely find better folk metal out there than this one. It's far too mainstream in a sense, despite some improvements in structure.

Still, with songs like "A Rose For Epona" and "Alesia" we seem to know where the band is heading. Not the best folk disc of the year, but worth listening to if you like a modern style of metal and folk mix with some old school melo-death that lacks tempo change. Still, it's catchy and heavier than you'd think. Folk metal fans should check it out and will, regardless.

Highlights: Prologue, Santonian Shores, Scorched Earth, Meet The Enemy, Neverland, A Rose For Epona, Havoc, Hope, The Siege, Alesia, Uxellodunon, Epilogue

4/5



Eisbrecher - Die Holle Muss Warten (2012) - German industrial metallers Eisbrecher are back at it again, already. After releasing their best of album, "Eiskalt" in December, the band are already unveiling their new and highly awaited fifth album.

So far, the disk isn't a disappointment. They haven't pulled any weird shit yet, it sounds very comparable to other industrial metal bands, including Rammstein of course. There are still heavy ballads on the disc like "Augen Unter Null 4:00" with a female vocal choral duet, but this is definitely the Eisbrecher we know and love.

Believe it or not, the title track is also a ballad and it also features a female vocal duet. But I'm telling you, it's definitely a good, catchy song. Definitely German radio friendly though, not so sure if they'd play it over here in the states, but it would certainly work over here too.

So far this disc not the heaviest thing I've ever heard, but I'm happy with it. As for the track length, they're all quite small and the longest track is "Atem 4:22" which tells you that these were pretty much geared for easy radio play in their native country. If you want to play the sold out card, you're already too late; because the band has sounded this way since it's inception. They've always had a sort of "melodic heaviness." But don't worry, because there's still some heavy stuff here and there, and even a solo "Herz Aus Eis 3:56" but if you turn your head for a second, you'll miss it.

"Abgrund 4:18" sounds a little different than the rest of the tracks, adding a little more of a heavy edge. But it's sandwiched in between two very light hearted ballads, "Ein Leben Lang Unsterblich 3:42" and "In Meinem Raum 3:12" which the latter of which is very strong.

Again, this disc has about the same amount of heaviness as would be in a hard rock album. It is very centered on the choruses, and if you are one of those people who likes a good sing-along chorus, then this disc might be for you. There's even the club friendly, "Keine Liebe 3:57" with it's dance beats and female backing vocals.

Even the heaviest track on the album, "Exzess Express 3:25" has a melodic chorus that goes into a shout of "Exzess! Express!" However, if you're looking for heavy German industrial, that's all I've heard of it from this disc. I'm serious.

"Rette Mich 3:56" is the kind of whiny crap I don't care for. Some people might like it, but I'm not digging this one. Then finally, there's the closer "Atem 4:22" which is the longest track on the album by a whopping four seconds. It's no surprise that the track is also a lighthearted ballad, like many of the others you'll hear in this disc's 48 minute playing time. Surprisingly it's heavy in the latter portion, but has a weak chorus.

This disc is probably good in the right setting. Maybe it's good music for slow lovemaking. Maybe it's a good disc for some intimate Valentine's Day time for a couple. But I honestly couldn't see myself head banging to the majority of songs on this disc, and if I did, most metalheads would probably look at me funny.

With a disc that has so many "probably's" and "maybe's" and ballads, it's clear that the disc isn't the best that the band's ever made. But it's certainly not their worst. It's simply another drop in the bucket with hits and misses, and is definitely geared towards the mainstream.

If you like heavy industrial or German metal, you might want to skip this one. But if you like light industrial with bits of heaviness and strong melodic choruses left and right, then this is going to make your love day even more special. I just don't want to know what you're doing while you're playing this one.

Highlights: Tanz Mit Mir, Augen Unter Null, Die Holle Muss Warten, Herz Aus Eis, In Meinem Raum, Keine Liebe, Exzess Express (13 Tracks, 48:00)

3/5



Megaherz - Gotterdammerung (2012) - If you thought that Eisbrecher was the extent of German industrial released last month, you were wrong. Megaherz has been making albums for quite a while now, and this is their latest. You see, Megaherz has Eisbrecher actually beaten by quite a few years and they've been out as long as Rammstein.

Let's see how they've matured.

The first track, "Jagdzeit 4:15" actually has a driving beat and a much longer solo than Eisbrecher has ever thought about. Maybe this is the heavy one you want to get. But this is only the first song, and these are much longer than Eisbrecher's little ditties, with the second track close to the 6 minute mark. That second track by the way, is called "Heute Nacht 5:41" and has a much stronger chorus than most of the last Eisbrecher album.

And in comes the thrash with "Keine Zeit 3:49" Yeah, so far I'm definitely saying that Megaherz is the better of the two. At least I can actually bang my head with this one. Also, the band has definitely one-upped their last effort, 2008's "Huechler." This is just the kind of structure, heaviness and overall replayability that the last album needed. It also has the chops to compare against Rammstein's latest, 2009's "Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da."

Songs like "Rabenvater 3:57" remind me that there is still hope in the German industrial genre. It's heavy sense and use of organs work well to the band's advantage. "Herz Aus Gold 5:27" also seems to work well in the band's favor, with a strong chorus, good synths and some experimenting on the vocals in places.

Of course, there's also a few so/so tracks like "Prellbock 4:10", and "Feindbild 4:41" with it's German rap nature. "Abendstern 3:42" can also be thrown into filler category, but some people might like it's melodic nature. The guitars are at least more pronounced than on that Eisbrecher disc.

The closer to the disc is "Kopf Oder Zahl 4:07" and it's a bit different in style than the rest of the tracks. However, it has a very heavy latter portion that ends the disc out with a force.

There are two extra tracks here and they're both remixes of the opener, "Jagdzeit."

The first one was remixed by Grendel, the man who made black metal scowls and electronic music work years ago. (But he doesn't scowl anymore.) I've always loved Grendel's work, and I definitely love this remix and would give it five stars. But if you're not a fan of Grendel or electronics, you'll hate this. But for me, I think it sounds better than the original! Remember that Varg himself liked to go to electronic clubs and rather enjoyed the music.

The next track is a version by Blitzkid Gunnar, who I've never heard of. This remix utilizes more guitar, but it ain't touching Grendel's mix IMHO. Oh shit, it's that dub-step shit. Nope, Not digging this. As a society, how did we ever make music that sounds even more robotic than it already was? Maybe if I had circuits and wires in my brain, I'd enjoy this one. But I'm going to go with the former remix. This one gets one fucking star.

With two major German industrial releases out this year, I'm curious if any of this music was actually used in the soundtrack for the space Nazi flick, "Iron Sky." Apparently the film was debuted in Germany, which I find odd; since you can't even buy the original Wolfenstein PC game there, due to it revolving around the Nazi party. People are really frightened about a fourth reich over there, just in case you didn't know.

Regardless, this album is the much heavier of the two, even though it has more filler. But for some people, the heavier filler might be better than the light-hearted pop style of Eisbrecher. Or you can wait for the new Rammstein album, which should be out this year. Of course, "Mein Land" didn't sound too promising, so I don't expect much from that one.

Highlights: Jagdzeit, Heute Nacht, Keine Zeit, Rabenvater, Mann Im Mond, Kopf Oder Zahl, Jadgzeit (Grendel Remix) (13 Tracks, 58:00)

3/5 (But it's much heavier.)



Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline (2012) - Alright, folks. This "darker, heavier" album might be more metal than anything they've released in a while, and it even contains two solos, (a band first) but that's just not going to save these guys this time.

I'm halfway into the disc right now, currently listening to "End Of Time 3:52" and for the most part, the disc isn't that great. The band seems to have lost it's luster and there's not much more here than a retread of a retread of a retread. As far as I'm concerned, "Unleashed Memories" was the band's best offering, and this new stuff just doesn't seem to cut it. Marcos and Scabbia still duet on most of these tracks, and somebody must've told Marcos that he was a good singer, because his vocals are over this thing.

To tell you the truth, this "End Of Time" is a pretty decent pop song, but it's not really metal or even rock. I guess I can expect this sort of thing from this much "heavier, darker" album. (Insert sarcasm.)

The whole thing just has a gloss over it that I just don't care for. It's all about simplicity as far as musicality, and the vocals are very high in the mix. Please god, I hope there isn't someone who thinks this is metal, because it's not. It's hard rock with slight, and I mean slight metal influence.

There's only five songs left now on this 45 minute disc, and I'm honestly just waiting for track 10, their cover of REM's classic "Losing My Religion." If they fuck this one up, I'm done with them. They did Depeche Mode justice, but I have my doubts here.

I used to think that Lacuna Coil was heavier and darker than Evanescence, but those days are now over. They sound roundabout the same, except with a male vocalist. God, this shit is so corporate and devoid of the artistic talent they once had.

Finally, the moment has come. The REM cover is decent, but it's not great. They did a sort of electronic thing with it, and Marcos's vocals ruin the performance for me. Damn, I prefer the original. The tempo is too light-hearted for the darker tone of this song. Whose idea was this?

The closer however, has a glimmer of hope. "My Spirit 5:49" actually reminds me a little of the band's first EP and has sort of a nostalgia flavor to it. It's actually a great song that doesn't belong on such a bad album. The solo on the track is actually quite respectable as well. This track is well worth a listen.

I'll be honest, this Lacuna's nail in the coffin. There's nothing here I haven't already heard, and everything has been done better before. Even the cover song faltered. The closer is the only real thing of merit.

Don't buy this album. I mean it. Go listen to "My Spirit", and if you like it, then purchase it from their I-Tunes store. The rest of the album is just wrapping paper for the real gift that is the closer here. It actually seems like somebody in the band actually knows how to play the damned guitar. Who'd have thunk it?

Highlights: Kill The Light, Intoxicated, My Spirit (45:00, 12 Tracks)

1.5/5



Aeon Of Horus - Exile EP (2011) - This short EP from technical death metal band Aeon Of Horus is worth listening to, but not worth buying. Of course, I'm against many EP's, because they're short and usually have little to offer. Here though, the fan of technical death metal will find great bits of melody amidst the technical death structure with bits of core and a solo or two.

The disc offers re-imaginings of "Light" and "Symbiosis" but also features some new material, "Shatters I and II." The disc finishes off with "Icon (Metre Rule Remix)" and has no metal to offer in it whatsoever.

There's not much here, but it's not bad. Still, it's more of a teaser than anything else. Just wait on this one, I'm sure the new album will be out in a few months.

Highlights: Light, Symbiosis, Shatters Pt.1 (6 Tracks, 23:00)

2.5/5



Hearse - Single Ticket To Paradise (2009) - After doing some research, I was able to find out just what happened to the ex-lead vocalist of Arch Enemy after he'd done such an amazing album with the band Non-Exist. That album itself is probably upwards of a lost relic, definitely worth having if you can still find it.

But now it seems that he's been fronting a death metal band by the name of Hearse. I've haven't heard any of their older releases, but decided to get the newest one just to see how it was. The result was certainly noteworthy. From the intro alone, I'm reminded of the same great riffs that comprised the Non-Exist album, and the whole "rock and roll" sensibility that the album followed. Make no mistake folks, this is death and roll the way that it should be done.

The very minute the first song comes blaring at you in the face, you're already left with a sense of greatness. It's already formed in your mind that "this is going to be a kickass album." It's definitely one of those kind of listens. Not focusing much on technicality, or brutality, but rather death flavored rockability; the band hits you hard and fast with great melodies and soaring riffs. Just like one would expect as an evolutionary step from the Non-Exist experimentation.

Sadly, the disc can't keep up with the splendor of the opener "Misanthropic Charades 5:25." Most of the other tracks just seem to lack substance, and even though "Single Ticket To Paradise 4:55" is a good instrumental, it's got some odd talking in it that takes away from the song. Most of the experimenting that comes in later, destroys the whole flow of the album. Eventually, it just starts to sound rather droll by the end of the disc.

Damn, what a shame. The band sounds like they were half-assing this disc, really. It's just not that good, even though it hooks you in from the intro and opener. It's like biting into piece of pie and later realizing that there's excrement inside of it. It tasted good until you reached the excrement. But it's already by then too late to come to realization that you've been eating shit!

Yep, this one's a real stinker. Sorry guys, but maybe that's why you haven't made another album in three years. Perhaps 2012 will be a better year? I have heard that some of the band's older albums are better, so go check those out instead. This is a single ticket to boring retread-ville that we've heard so many times before. But it all started out so damned good.

Highlights: Intro, Misanthropic Charades, Single Ticket To Paradise

(9 Tracks, 47:00)

1.5/5





Diabolical Masquerade - Death's Design (2001) - Digging up ancient history, this 2001 album from the now defunct black metal band Diabolical Masquerade, is much better than 99's "Nightwork" disc, which was certainly different from the norm. Especially during the time it was released as black metal bands were still making standard-fare black metal and without all the bells, whistles, prog, and structure of today. With the exception of some of course, some like these guys.

This disc is odd in the fact that it's got sixty-one tracks. No, that's not a typo. This thing literally has sixty one fucking tracks. At the top it says, "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack." But there is no film that goes to this soundtrack. Essentially, it's a soundtrack to a movie that never existed in the first place.

Thankfully, lyrics come with the this folder, (What? You think I actually bought an obscure album from an obscure black metal band that released over ten years ago? Yes, I'm sure it's possible, I could probably Ebay the thing for 3.00, if some snobby guy isn't charging 30.00 for it now.) so I'm able to decipher what this disc is about.

To tell you the truth, it's interesting black metal and each part of this 43 minute track seems to go right into each other. Every track is just another part of the song. (For example, one part might be verse and another might be some orchestral effect or atmosphere.)

The disc is split up into several different "movements" but each of them seem to work well with the other and create a very varied black metal experience that I would recommend for only the most experimental black metal listener. I personally think it's quite interesting, but could turn off some people. Things get more hectic as vocal effects come into play, odd atmospheres and everything else you can imagine from this experimental prog black metal band. Clean vocals even come in on track 18, "Spinning Back The Clocks 1:42." The track that follows this one is the longest track on the album at 2:18, "Soaring Over Dead Rooms."

Again, I can easily decipher that tracks 20-25 are pretty much one song that totals about 2 minutes. Many of the songs here seem to follow this fashion. 26-29 cover the 9th movement, which you could just as well call track 9, despite the fact that this style is getting frankly annoying.

Alright, the band had originally recorded 19 songs. They were about 2 minutes a piece or so, and instead of releasing them as they were; someone must've come up with this whole "movie soundtrack" idea. But turning 19 solid tracks into 61 pieces is probably why this flopped and became the band's swansong. But they all seem to work together as a whole.

Through the magic of adobe audition, I've been able to successfully merge all of these tracks into one single 43:00 piece. After listening to all of this material in succession, I've discovered that this is a really good black metal disc. There are so many good experiments and out of the box experiments used on this disc, that I'd consider it a must for the experimental metal fan who thinks he has everything.

Even though it's a much older disc, that doesn't mean it's worth forgetting. Bands do die, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the music they once made. This is an example of clearly brilliant black metal album, one which can be enjoyed time and time again. Even in our world of Nachtmystium's kitchen sink metal, no band has done a thing like this. Quite simply, this is a must have. Despite my earlier bitching, this is an unreal formula that manages to stay together throughout it's many different incarnations. It's truly legendary. This swansong from Diabolical Masquerade is probably the best way for any band to go out - with a fucking bang.

Highlights: All 61 tracks work together to create a black metal masterpiece.

EDIT: This band is a two piece, consisting of Blakkheim and Dan Swano. Even more reason to get it.

(61 Tracks, 43:00)

777 (You see that? That means you'd better get this one.)