Interview With New Keepers Of The Water Towers, Now On New Noise!

"This album has been considered by some to be “Dark Side Of The Doom,” which is an obvious reference to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon. How do you feel about this statement?

That is an album that we all love and draw a lot of influence from, so it’s a cool comparison. I don’t think our music sounds that much like Pink Floyd’s though. I guess it is more a general feel to the music that resembles theirs and perhaps some of the lyrical themes. It is honorable that someone thought of that record while listening to ours, but I hope that people find more to our music than just that.

Where do you stand as far as beliefs go? Are you religious, spiritual, or neither?

We are firm believers in reason, scientifically proven knowledge and the will to find answers within the unknown. It would be foolish to rule out and stop the mind’s expansion because of some presumed “eye in the sky”. Religious beliefs are counterproductive and have already set human evolution back thousands of years. It is time we let go of these fairy tales and address our thoughts to some of the more relevant topics..."

Read More Here: http://newnoisemagazine.com/keepers-water-towers-belief-influence-cosmic-child/

Heretics In The Lab - Suture (2014 NN Promo)

"Virginian Industrial act hERETICS iN tHE lAB, certainly does remind me of acts like Marilyn Manson, Dawn Of Ashes, Bile, NIN, Ministry, Lockjaw, Scream Machine, early Dope and others in that vein. Of course, I could also throw Skinny Puppy and Throbbing Gristle into that mix, because these guys wouldn’t even be around if it hadn’t been for those acts and myriads of others in the German scene like KMFDM. Now as far as the album is concerned, it consists of warm rock/metal riffs and melodies which lay overtop of electronics – just as industrial should sound. H3’s vocals are usually quite ravenous, just as you would expect for the kind of music displayed here and I couldn’t imagine the band without them. “Skin” opens the disc with thrash influence, yet I wish the vocals had more bite in this area; nevertheless, the electronic synths work to display some intriguing soundscapes. “Vampire” adds more groove riffs laden within the samples, yet it also shows that H3 does want to sing a little clean in areas, which is obviously influenced by the poppier style of industrial that NIN influenced..."

Read More Here: http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-heretics-lab-suture/

Apology For The Delay

I apologize for the delay folks, but now that all the celebrations are at an end, it's time to get back on track. Four reviews will be written tonight, finishing up the new review week. That week will be posted tomorrow or later in the weekend. Expect more to follow.

- The Fallen Alchemist

Scar The Martyr - Scar The Martyr (2013 NN Promo)

"The fact that Joey jumped out of Slipknot should not surprise none of you, especially as he’s now in the follow-up to Slipknot. Let’s not beat around the bush, these guys offer many of the same qualities that the knot offered, but with a more commercial touch that will certainly make more of a dent than Slipknot did with their earlier years. This album features of course, Joey on drums as well as former Strapping Young Lad axeman Jed Simon on the guitar and backing vocals, as well as Darkest Hour axeman Kris Norris also on the guitars. So yes, this equals plenty of duel guitar sessions, which ultimately equal out to some memorable solos for a nu-metal record. As for the vocalist, he’s an unknown by the name of Henry Derek who has a voice made for the radio and grunt that will be instantly familiar with fans of Five Finger Death Punch and Hatebreed. 

But let’s be honest, because this can be a rather light knot. Though you’ve got some heavy numbers on here like “My Retribution” or “Blood Host,” there are also a smorgasbord of radio ready tracks with crisp choruses, ready to plague your mind with constant earworms. For a man like myself, who grew up with this type of music and still considers it palatable, I have to consider a disc like this a godsend. I still listen to music from obscure nu-metal acts like The Clay People and Stabbing Westward, so this stuff stuck on me like glue. As for musicality on this one, at least they do try different things aside from nu-metal riffs, being inspired by melodic death metal ala Soilwork; and djent (of course) on tracks like “Effigy Unborn.” But the fact that I like it because it’s catchy as all hell doesn’t mean that you’re actually going to buy it. But if you love the old style of nu-metal filtered through the sound of modern metal, then this will certainly satisfy your sweet tooth..." 

Read More: http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-scar-martyr-scar-martyr/

Manes - Teeth, Toes And Other Trinkets (2013 NN Promo)

"Teeth, Toes And Other Trinkets is not a new album from Manes, but rather it is a collection of some of their scrapped material and B-sides that show the band still at their respective prime. ”Blanket Of Ashes” was just what I needed, with its return to all things avant-garde and melodic, carrying with it a sorrowful clean approach that more than made up for all the band’s previous work. A live version of “Ende” comes next, sounding a bit fuzzy while still reminding me just how good this song was when it first appeared. “Ease Yourself Back Into Consciousness” seems also a good fit for this album, as it displays tingling electronics with their unmistakable approach to vocal theatrics. It’s a very deep piece, something that carries a heavy weight of emotion behind it. All of the Satanic stuff that followed was like a taking a jackhammer to this beauty, personally. A remix of “The Cure-All” is included, but it’s not as good as the original. “One More Room” sees the band a bit more commercial, definitely injected with pop and radio ready; it’s easy to see why they chopped this one off. But it’s still a good track, nevertheless. “Nobody Wants The Truth” features turntable antics, yet is still quite reserved in its icy magnificence. “Tzolv” is an electronic piece that was likely scrapped, but there was nothing really wrong with it. As a matter of fact, it’s really quite good as it sets up for a frosty atmosphere and makes me think of the northern lights.."

Read More Here: http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-manes-teeth-toes-trinkets/

Wolves In The Throne Room - BBC Session 2011 Anno Domini (NN Promo 2013)

"I hate to say it, but this album really isn’t all that necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a Wolves fan since their debut and have considered the bulk of their work to be respectable black metal of the highest order. However, this is a very short cash grab that sees the band performing just two tracks from their latest album, Celestial Lineage. Recorded in 2011, I have no idea why they didn’t just open this one up as a freebie. How these guys managed to swim across the sea and land on English soil is well beyond me, and how the BBC let them come in to play their raucous form of black metal in a commercial setting also confounds me. But it was done and it is just as you might expect, with “Prayer Of Transformation” being the mostly atmospheric thing that was on the album (to be honest, there’s not much difference in the album recording and the live setting, aside from a large chunk of fuzz) and “Thuja Magus Imperium” being also the mostly atmospheric thing that was on the album. While there are certain black metal injections, I feel that the band abuse these atmospheres just a bit too much and are torn between a traditional black metal act and an atmospheric black metal act..." 

Read More Here: http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-wolves-throne-room-bbc-session-2011-anno-domini/

Celldweller - Blackstar Act One: Purified (2013 NN Promo & Book)

"Klayton’s one of the best there is when it comes to industrial soundscapes, even if his music isn’t quite as aggressive or scathing as many other acts in the scene. He’s molded his own path which seems to mix house, techno, trance and even dubstep together with elements of hard rock. Celldweller has never ventured into the realms of heavy metal, and I don’t expect them to – there’s more than enough great material on previous effort Wish Upon A Blackstar to capture fans with their very accessible touch to electronic rock that should ensnare those who wouldn’t be able to get into it otherwise. The record was undoubtedly catchy, making this atmosphere-laden piece a definite untapped area for the artist. Oddly enough, this is the soundtrack to a book that is included along with the album. I’ve overviewed it, but have not even had the time to skim its quaint seventy-five page length. (I’ll also add that I prefer paperback or hardcover copies when it comes to books, as it’s much easier on the eyes.) So you’ll not be getting a book review from me. At least, not this time..."

Read More Here: http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-celldweller-blackstar-act-one-purified/