| MUSIC REVIEWS (April 2007) |
| AIRLINES OF TERROR - OUR PLANES ARE UNHIJACKABLE (4 track CD) Self Released Departing from Italy these guys really kick some ass. I loved the way they mixed up some styles here & there. They are mostly a Hardcore type band with some Metal & Punk mixed with in. The music has a kind of upbeat fun sound to it, which is where the Punk influences come into play. The Metal sounds are more in the guitars. The vocals blend together both Hardcore & metal styles SCATTERBRAIN, just a bit faster!. Check these guys out, cause it's well worth it!!! |
| BLOODY SIGN - EXPLOSION OF ELEMENTS (9 track CD) IBEX MOON RECORDS I was glad to see this release in my review pile. BLOODY SIGN has been in the scene for a while now & never let up. They play some really rough & dirty sounding Death Black Metal music. The music has an old school feel to it that is raw & brutal. The Death Metal influences dominate & heavy as hell, but still toss in some grooves from time to time. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh & groggy Death Metal growl style. If you haven't heard these guys before, you must get this disc, you won't be disappointed!!! These guys kill!!! |
| EMMURE - GOODBYE TO THE GALLOWS (10 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS Damn! I was very happy when this CD kicked in. EMMURE comes at you like a hit seeking missile of pure aggression & power. The music has a very hard, crushing Hardcore smashed lots of cool grooved chugging guitar parts mixed with some breakdowns & solid thick drum beats. I loved every second of this CD. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style with some One of the best debuts I've heard in a long time! A must for fans of HATEBREED, LAMB OF GOD, PANTERA & BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME! |
| H.A.R.E.M. - SHAKE ME (12 track CD) REDLED RECORDS / THE PLEASURE RECORDS This Italian Rock Metal band has been rocking out since 1994. These guys have an 80's Metal sounding. They have a great Metal sound that reminds me of a bunch of the popular bands from some touches of Glam mixed in. If you were to mutate FASTER PUSSYCAT, MOTLEY CRUE, AEROSMITH all into one band, then you'd have a great idea what these guys sound like! www.HAREMband.com |
| LIFE IN YOUR WAY - WAKING GIANTS (11 track CD) SOLID STATE RECORDS This is the sophomore release from this melodic Hardcore band. These guys have a divers Hardcore sound that blends lots of slower melodic parts with all out balls to the wall fast paced aggressive parts. The music & vocals follow the same speed all through out. There are some good breakdowns, change ups, stop & starts & 2 steps all mixed with in their songs. The guitars have more of a classic Metal sound than a Hardcore one though. The vocals are done in a loud, yelling Hardcore style, mixed with some lower mid ranged Hardcore ones & then some more melodic & atmospheric Hardcore vocals. If you like your Hardcore well balanced then look no further!!! www.LIFEINYOURWAY.com |
| MANTICORE - SELF TITLED (8 track CD) DAMNED PRODUCTIONS Greenville, SC has given birth to one hell of a great Doom Metal band. These guys are not your typical Doom Metal band though. They blend in many elements of Goth, Death & Southern great mostly done in a thick groggy Doom Metal style with some Death & Black Metal vocals at times. If you like your Doom covered in much Sludge then you must have this CD!!! www.myspace.com/MANTICORE05 |
| MORGANA LEFAY - OVER AND OVER AGAIN (2 track CD) BLACK MARK This is a 2 song promo sampler taken from their upcoming album "ABERRATIONS OF THE MIND". These guys play some very tight & clean sounding Power Metal music. They blend in elements of Progressive & Traditional Heavy Metal as well. There is a modern Metal sound with some touches of old school Metal here & there. The vocals are done in a mid ranged melodic clean Power Metal style with some heavier & harsher Traditional Metal vocals. All that these two tracks did was left me wanting more! I can't wait for the full length album!!! |
| NINTH KINGDOM - THE DAWNING... (4 track CD) THE TEXAS DEATH SYNDICATE NINTH KINGDOM is a very impressive Black Death Metal band. They have a well balanced blend of old school & new school Death & Black Metal. I really dug the cool Death grooves they had in the songs then they hit you with crunchy & thick Black metal blast beats. There is a strong dirty war like Black Metal vibe that dominates their sound too. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style with some higher Black metal growls & then some mid ranged clean Black Metal vocals. This is sure to please fans of both Death & Black Metal music! www.NINTHKINGDOM.com (Available through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) |
| WASHED - PROMO (8 track CD) Self Released This is a Pennsylvania based Rock band. These guys have a foundation in Rock music, but do add in many elements of Metal music, 80's Metal that is. They have a very clean, tight & polished 80's Metal sound. The music is not really Glam, but does remind me of a lot of bands of that time. The guitar work is actually really good & has almost a strong Power Metal feel to it. The music also has a great ballad Rocking sounding all through out. The vocals are done in a mid to high ranged clean Metal style. They remind me of a mix between JUDAS PRIEST, SLAUGHTER, WINGER, DIO! www.myspace.com/WASHEDpa |
| SETTING FIRE TO YOURS TRULY - 4 SONG EP (4 track CD) Self Released Hailing from Akron, Ohio comes this new Metal Deathcore band. These guys have a more modern in some great influences. The vocals are done in a mid to low ranged thick Death growl & a mid ranged harsh Hardcore scream/growl style. This would probably interest fans of bands like LAMB OF GOD, BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME, THE AUTUMN OFFERING & EMMURE! www.myspace.com/SETTINGFIRETOYOURSTRULY |
| SHATTER POINT - DEAD PRECEDENCE (15 track CD) POWER PLAY RECORDS This is the bands debut full length CD release. These Canadian Metalers play a very tight & aggressive style of Thrash Metal music. They have a blend of old school Thrash elements with done in a thick Thrash Metal style which reminded me of the newer TESTAMENT albums a lot. If your a fan of the great Thrash bands TESTAMENT, EXODUS, ANTHRAX & FORBIDDEN then you'll love this band! So get the CD already!!! |
| SLEEPING GIANT - DREAD CHAMPIONS OF THE LAST DAYS (14 track CD) FACEDOWN RECORDS SLEEPING GIANTS comes to us from Redlands, Ca through their debut CD release on FACEDOWN RECORDS. They play a combine force of Metal & Hardcore music with lots of by them adding some Doom laced thickness, chugging Metal riffs & some slight old school Punk too. They have a very full aggressive & powerful sound. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Hardcore/Metal crossover style. Keep an eye on these guys, because they are going to emerge to the top & push themselves in the face of everyone in the music scene!!! |
| SUN.HAS.CANCER - BURN! (9 track CD) Self Released Wow! I wasn't expecting this, but I'm glad I got it. These guys are definitely something different in my review pile. These guys hail from Czech Republic & play some very cool Electro-Metal styled music. They reminded me a lot of BILE & RAMSTEIN, but with more Electro & less Industrial. I liked the cool grooves & electronic noise samplings they have all through out their songs. They have a lot of cool switch ups in their sound too. The vocals are done in a mid ranged throaty Metal style with touches of Electro & Industrial added. These guys would be great for fans of HANZEL UND GRETYL! I know I loved this disc a lot!!! Can't wait to get more of their stuff!!! www.SUNHASCANCER.com |
| THE TOSSERS - AGONY (17 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS I was very happy to find this CD in my hands. THE TOSSERS play a blend of Irish Celtic Punk Rock music that just makes you want to chug back a pint & sing a long, even if you don't drink. They have a very cool thick Irish sound, but it is punched up with elements of Punk Rock & Hardcore. They have a very driving & grooving style that sucks you in with their tales of friendships & hardships in life! The vocals are done in a mid ranged Punk Rock style. If your a fan of the great DROPKICK MURPHYS then your probably gonna love these guys, I know I did!!! www.THETOSSERS.com |
| THORNAFIRE - EXACERBATED GNOSTIC MANIFESTATION (10 track CD) IBEX MOON RECORDS This is some highly intense & pissed off sounding Death Metal music to the core. They have a full solid old school Death Metal sound with some modern Death Metal elements tossed in the mix. There is a harsh brutalness to their sound as well with some atmospheric type sounds too. The guitars sometimes have a Black Thrash Metal vibe to them. The vocals are done in a mid ranged very thick deep Death metal growl style. This is sure to please fans of both old & new school Death Metal bands!!! www.THORNAFIRE.cl |
| ZHAIN - NO HAY CUCHARA (3 track CD) PURPLE PLUM I don't really know much about this band, except that they are from the U.K. & that they play some really good Power Rock Metal styled music. The music is done in more of a Rock style with elements of Power & Traditional Metal mixed within. They have a Classic Rock feel to the music too. The music is very tight & well structured. Some of the vocals are done in English & some in Spanish. The vocals are also done in a mid ranged Classic Rock Metal style. Fans of 70's Rock & Metal bands are sure to eat this up!!! www.ZHAIN.co.uk |
| FEEBLE MINDED - NOTHING BUT DEATH (5 track DVD) GRODHAISN PRODS. This is a DVD release from the sickos in FEEBLE MINDED out of Czech Republic. These guys play some very crunchy & aggressive style Death metal music. They add in lots of flavoring of Grindcore to their sound especially in the guitars. There are some crusty grooves & breakdowns in their music too. The vocals are done in a mid to low ranged Death Grind growl with some occasionally higher Death Grind screams added in. If your familiar with the Czech Republic scene & dig stuff from there, these guys will fit nicely in your collection!!! www.FEEBLEMINDED.cz |
| OBSCENE EXTREME 2005 - COMPILATION (2 DVD set) OBSCENE PRODUCTIONS This is a DVD compilation release for the 2005 OBSCENE EXTREME FESTIVAL in Czech Republic. There are 17 bands on the first DVD & 28 bands on the 2nd DVD. The music is all played in the vein of Death Metal & Grindcore styles with some other style here & there. There is live footage from the bands as well as other stuff too. Some bands include: PUNGENT STENCH, BLOOD DUSTER, HAEMORRHAGE, REGURGITATE, AVULSED, DISFIGURED CORPSE & more. This has always seemed like a great festival to attend & now us poor bastards that can't make it there can finally experience it a little. www.OBSCENE.cz |
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