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| MUSIC REVIEWS (August 2009) |
| ACT NOIR - AUTMATISME PSYCHIQUE (11 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC ACT NOIR has members that reside in both Denmark & Italy. They play a very unique style of Dark Rock music. There is a lot of really spacey & trippy parts in their sound. The music has an almost New Wave of Goth Rock vibe to it all through out. I can definitely hear influences from the 70's & *0's Goth Rock bands. The vocals follow the same path as the music. It's really melodic dark & Gothic. The music has a slight Progressive feel to it as well. I could see this being played in some erotic Vampire type club somewhere in Europe. If your into this style then you'll definitely dig this band! Dark & haunting all through out! www.ACTNOIR.com |
| AURA - A DIFFERENT VIEW FROM THE SAME SIDE (8 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC AURA was born back in 1996 & has gone through many line up changes. They have released a lot of self financed releases, but this is their debut CD release for MY KINGDOM MUSIC. These guys play a very advanced style of Progressive Metal music. The music is very intricate & complex all through out with many twists & turns. They have a very 70's influenced style of Metal sound. The song structures are very strong & well written. The music has many different levels of complexity. The vocals are a mid ranged melodic powerful clean Rock Metal style. There are definite influences from DREAM THEATRE, QUEENSRYCHE & GENESIS all present in their sound. myspace.com/AURAonline |
| AVENGER - FEAST OF ANGER JOY OF DESPAIR (9 track CD) DEATHGASM RECORDS Emerging from the darkness of Czech Republic comes the fourth full length release from AVENGER. These guys play a fast paced mixture of Death & Black metal music. The music is very raw, aggressive & spastic at times. You can almost hear some Grindcore influences, which is a very popular style of music from Czech Republic. There are heavy old school elements present all through out the music as well. The music has a really cold & harsh vibe to it all through out. Harsh, scratchy groggy Black Death vocals just add to the severe intense sound of their music. This is a must for fans of bands like DISINCARNATE, MARDUK, MASTER, DISSECTION & MANIAC BUTCHER! There is a bonus video track for the song "Joy Of Despair" included too. myspace.com/AVENGERofficial |
| AZARATH - PRAISE THE BEAST (11 track CD) DEATHGASM RECORDS "PRAISE THE BEAST" is the brand new full length album form these Polish Death Metal gods. The music is ultra fast & intense all through out. There is a thick blanket of dark evilness that covers all the music. At times there are heavy influences of Black Metal present too. There is strong solid old school Death & Black Metal elements running through out the songs too. The vocals blend thick Death growls with higher Black Metal growls. Inferno from the great BEHEMOTH is featured on drums, which just makes this one more reason that this is a must. If you were to collide old school Florida Death metal with new school European Black Metal you'd get an idea of what this amazing band sounds like. Just buy this album & crank it already!!! Horns up!!! www.AZARATH.tez.pl |
| BROKENCYDE - I'M NOT A FAN...BUT THE KIDS LIKE IT! (17 track CD) BROKEN SILENCE RECORDINGS BROKENCYDE is a band I have been hearing a lot of both good & bad stuff about. After hearing them I understand why people have much to say about them. They blend Screamo, Metal & Hip Hop together to create their unique sound. A lot of people don't like this, but I am a fan of any band that wants to do something different than the masses & especially when they do as great as BROKENCYDE. I'm not a big fan of top 40 Hip Hop, but I do dig some of it. All their music has a lot of energy that keeps the music flowing, plus it's a good balance of Screamo, Metal & Hip-Hop. I of course, like the Metal parts better than the Hip Hop. A lot of people give me crap about liking this music, but if it's as good as this is, I don't care what style of music it is. Open your minds people! www.BROKENCYDE.com |
| CARRY THE TORCH - A TRIBUTE TO KID DYNAMITE (39 track CD) GET OUTTA TOWN RECORDS KID DYNAMITE was & still is a huge influence in the Punk Rock & music scene in general even though they broke up almost a decade ago. This tribute album contains every recorded KID DYNAMITE song redone in praise some of the biggest & up and coming bands in the Punk & Hardcore scene today. Some of the bands featured include SMARTBOMB, FALLEN FROM THE SKY, DENY EVERYTHING, DEATH IS NOT GLAMOROUS, GET BACK UP, TO THE LIONS, THE GEEKS, THE WONDER YEARS, THIS IS HELL, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR & 29 other bands. This is a must have for any fan of Punk Rock / Hardcore & especially of the great band KID DYNAMITE. www.getouttatownrecords.com |
| CONDEMNED - CONTORTED AND ROTTING (5 track CD) Self Released CONDEMNED hail from Houston, Texas & play some very brutal old school Death Metal music. They have a very fast paced aggressive sound that mixes in choppy Death grooves & breakdowns along with slower lower end Death riffs. There is a very heavy & brutal mix of Texas & Florida Death Metal styles. The thick sludgy sound adds to the bands sickness. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style with some lower ended Death gurgles mixed within. These guys have been around for a little bit, but are sure to drill their way to the top of the underground Death Metal scene, very quickly! Keep a watch on this band, because they will be blasting your ears making you beg for more! www.CONDEMNED.ws |
| CONQUEST OF STEEL - STORM SWORD: RISE OF THE DREAD QUEEN (14 track CD) NO FACE RECORDS Quickly becoming legends of the underground Metal scene CONQUEST OF STEEL have unleashed their third album. "Storm Sword" is a concept album & the best effort so far from these guys. They play a Traditional style of Heavy Metal music that combines elements of Progressive Metal & New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. These guys have taken what their bands of the past have influenced them with & molded it into their own sound. Their last two albums have been great master pieces, but this one surpasses them both. Fans of greats such as IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, BLIND GUARDIAN, DIO, RHAPSODY & DRAGONFORCE will love this amazing band! Check out the interview I did with them a few years back. This band is highly recommended to every Metal fan! www.CONQUESTOFSTEEL.co.uk |
| CUNT SCRAPE / DEATH FUCKING CUNT - SPLITROAST (15 track CD) PRIME CUTS MUSIC This split release is described as Gahstronomic Gynecological Grindcore vs. Extra Defective Chromazonal Tech Slam. One listen & you will understand, maybe? The first 11 tracks come from the band CUNTSCRAPE. These sickos blend together the seed of Grind, the mash of Thrash, the stench of Death & the cock of Rock. This is some of the most fucked up spastic & intensely good Grindcore around. The last 4 tracks come from DEATH FUCKING CUNT. DFC play some old school crusty Death Metal music that injects many elements of Grindcore into their sound. The music has an old school vibe with some new school technicality. Their sound is catchy, brutal & spastic. A good match up of two great bands & they both have the word "CUNT" in their name! myspace.com/grindcologyst myspace.com/DEATHFUCKINGCUNT |
| DARK CELEBRATION - PLEGETON (7 track CD) PARAGON RECORDS DARK CELEBRATION has been around since 1996 & is now releasing their second full length CD release. The band plays in the tradition of old school Death Metal music, but add in touches of Black Metal & Thrash Metal all through out their songs. The foundation is rooted in Death Metal from the early days. The vocals are done if a throaty & groggy styled Death growl, which is where most of the Black Metal influences come into play. Some of the more faster, rawer & spastic parts have a vibe of old school Black Metal too. Some of the guitar work is when the Thrash Metal influences can be heard. This is a must for fans of old material from MORBID ANGEL, WAR, NAGELFAR, KRISIUN, THE CHASM & MARDUK! www.DARKCELEBRATION.com.br |
| EDGAR ALLEN POETS - CRYPTIC CODE (4 track CD) Self Released EDGAR ALLAN POETS is a two piece Alternative Rock band out of Italy. These guys are not the typical sounding Alternative band though. They have added in some different elements to help them stand out form the rest of the bands playing this style. There are influences of Gothic, Classic Rock & Grunge all present in their sound too. The music has a bit of a dark vibe to it that reminds me of some of the early 80's Dark Wave bands mixed with Modern Rock. The piano playing also adds a lot of flavor to their sound. The vocals are done in a crossover style of Goth, Rock & Alternative as well. Don't pass this band over, cause they are not the typical band of this style. Check them out! www.EDGARALLANPOETS.com |
| ELDERHEAD - HILSEN FRA VINLAND (4 track CD) Self Released ELDERHEAD comes to us from Vinland, New Amsterdam & play some old school style of Vinlandic Black Metal music. The music has a strong hatred & evilness to it that reminds me of a lot of the early Black Metal bands out of the Nordic countries. The songs tackle Anti-Christianity, Anti-Priest, Patricide, War & Death amongst other things. Their sound is very raw, aggressive, in your face evil Black Metal through & through. Haunting harsh low ended thick Black Metal vocals round out the bands sound. All new school Black Metal fans beware, cause you may not be able to handle these guys who take Black Metal back to Hell from which it originated! myspace.com/ELDERHEAD |
| EMPYREAN - QUIETUS (10 track CD) PRIME CUTS MUSIC Extreme Metal band EMPYREAN are ready to unveil their debut CD release to the masses. These guys plant their music in the Death Metal genre, but they are much more than that. Their music encompasses inspiration from melodic, dark, symphonic, spastic & brutal forms of music. They take you into a spiralling blast of Death Metal mayhem to bring you out into a melodic atmospheric Black music. Thick low end vocals mixed with higher screechy Black Metal screams add to the bands already diverse sound. Bands that come to mind include EMPEROR, DIMMU BORGIR, OLD MAN'S CHILD & ARCTURUS. With comparisons like this, you know you can't go wrong! myspace.com/EMPYREANband |
| EVEN VAST - TEACH ME HOW TO BLEED (10 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC EVEN VAST was created by two of the founding members of CHAOS AND TECHNOCRACY back in 1997. They have taken their creativeness from that band & developed a new sound of Gothic Rock. They blend in many emotional elements to create their sound. There are very atmospheric passages all through out. The majority of the music is done in a Dark Wave style mixed with Modern Rock sounds. There are a lot of gloomy inspired parts with modern Electronica grooves. The vocals are dark atmospheric & melodic female vocals, that add to the bands already dark sound. They do a cover of a JOY DIVISION song too. Fans of early 80's Dark Wave music will really enjoy this! www.EVEN-VAST.com |
| FATTOOTH - SELF TITLED (9 track CD) REVERSED RECORDS FATTOOTH hail from Canada & play a crossover style of Punk & Metal music. They also throw in a lot of Cock Rock Metal influences into their sound. The music has high energy, grooves galore & a lot of hard hitting Rock. The music takes you on a roller coaster ride with lots of twists, stop & starts, down tempos & more. The vocals are harsh raspy & aggressive Modern Rock with Punk attitude & Metal balls. The band features Gene Hoglan who has performed with ZIMMER'S HOLE, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DEATH & TESTAMENT. A great listen & fun entertaining band & album! Can't wait to check them out live sometime. Watch for these guys cause they will become well known very soon! myspace.com/FATTOOTH |
| FORGOTTEN SUNRISE - WILLAND (11 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC FORGOTTEN SUNRISE has reinvented themselves over the years. With this new album "WILLAND" they have done it again. The band combines many elements of Death Metal, Psychedelic, Club, Trip Hop, Techno & more together to create their sound. The music is some what schizophrenic sounding & trippy all through out, but is very heavy & intense as well. There are lots of Industrial Death influences all through out their sound as well. The Death sounds mostly come in the vocals, while the Industrial & Techno is in the music itself. They remind me of a combine style of DEAD CAN DANCE, BILE, MOBY, MINISTRY, ULTRA VIOLENCE & SKINNY PUPPY. All open minded Metal heads should give these guys a listen! www.FORGOTTENSUNRISE.com |
| HELL'S THRASH HORSEMEN - ...TILL VIOLENCE (7 track CD) ALWAYS AT WAR RECORDS HELL'S THRASH HORSEMEN are a Russian Thrash Metal band. They play Thrash Metal in the vein of old school Thrash Metal from the 80's These guys have a tight & technical sound with some well written song structures. There are some influences of Progressive & Modern Thrash Metal in their sound as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged rough Thrash Metal style. I grew up listening to Thrash Metal so I am always excited to find a new Thrash Metal band, especially a good one like these guys! I love all these new Thrash bands coming out with the Thrash revival! Check these guys out especially if your into the bands TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, DESTRUCTION, KREATOR & MEGADETH! myspace.com/HELLSTHRASHHORSEMEN |
| IMMORTAL REMAINS - EVERLASTING NIGHT (10 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC Dark harsh & evil Black Metal is what IMMORTAL REMAINS delivers to us. These guys play Black Metal that combines influences from the old & the new. There are some really harsh aggressive high pitch screams mixed with low ended Death growls. The music itself takes us down a dark & ever winding path into the depths of hell itself. Fast paced intense Black Metal mixed with heavy aggressive Death Metal & some cold somber Black Metal is what makes up their sound. There are some melodic & slower parts, but it's mostly filled with blasting evil through out. This is a must for fans of CRADLE OF FILTH, BEHEMOTH, OLD MAN'S CHILD, DIMMU BORGIR & FORGOTTEN TOMBS! Hail Satan!!! www.IMMORTAL-REMAINS.de |
| IMPERATIVE MUSIC - VOLUME ONE (19 track CD) IMPERATIVE MUSIC This is the first volume in a compilation series put out by IMPERATIVE MUSIC. The CD features many new bands in the Metal underground music scene today. The bands on this compilation play many different styles of Metal such as Death, Thrash, Black, Progressive, Gothic, Power, Modern & more. The bands featured include BACKSTABBING BASTARD, FACEOFF, SOUTHERN EXTREMITY, DARK MATTER, WE ALL FALL, TOXXIC TOYZ, ALCHEMY, HERITAGE, THE DIVINE MALEFACTION & 10 others. The compilation features photos, web address & what album the song was taken from for each band. This is a killer compilation with many great new bands! Get your copy today & discover some great music! myspace.com/IMPERATIVEMUSIC |
| KULT OFENZIVY - Radikalni Ateismus (7 track CD) DEATHGASM RECORDS Czech Republic has birthed another extreme Black Metal band in the form of KULT OFENZIVY. The music is relentless violent & aggressive old school Black Metal in it's most hated & evil form. There is a raw noisy & dark sound to the music that is covered with dirty gritty sounds. The music just pounds the hell out of you & beats your ear drums till they bleed. The vocals are mid ranged thick throaty Black Metal & are done in the Czech language. If your ready for a harsh beating & you think you can handle the mayhem, then pop this disc in & blast it! myspace.com/KULTOFENZIVYblackmetal |
| MALFEITOR - INCUBUS (10 track CD) AGONIA RECORDS "INCUBUS" is the second chapter from Italian Black Metal band MALFEITOR. The band features M. Fabban of ABORYM on bass & vocals. The band combines crushing old school blasphemous Black Metal with some new elements to create one monstrous & devastating Black Metal album. Merging influences from old Swedish & Norwegian Black Metal & unearthing some fierce, intense evilness in the form of unholy Black Metal. Harsh, spastic & groggy Black Metal screams & growls round out the bands sound. All fans of old Black Metal greats like IMMORTAL, DARKTHRONE, DARK FUNERAL, MARDUK & BURZUM will love these guys! The evil has risen & it's name is MALFEITOR!!! myspace.com/MALFEITOR666 |
| MALLEUS - TO FADE INSIDE A WASTE (5 track CD) Self Released MALLEUS is a killer band that blends a bunch of styles of Metal together to create their sound. They lay most of their roots in the Metalcore genre, but add in flavoring of Thrash, Death, Black & Doom dig a lot. The stop & starts, breakdowns & tempo changes also add to the bands killer sound. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh aggressive Death growl type scream. If you were to melt together LAMB OF GOD, PANTERA, JOB FOR A COWBOY & THE FACELESS, you'd get a close idea of what this very cool band sounds like. Check them out! myspace.com/MALLEUSgrosseto |
| MOWOR - MAKE IT A DOUBLE (14 track CD) SUBURBAN NOIZE RECORDS This is the third installment in the legacy that is known as MOWER. These guys hail from San Diego, California & play a very aggressive & in your face of Hard Rock Punk music. They blend together the attitude of Punk Rock mixed with Hard Rock grooves & smashed together with heavy Metal energy! There has been a big buzz going around about these guys & now I know why. They are a fucking killer! The band has reinvented them selves on each outing & have done it again here. The first 9 tracks are new fast paced Punk induced Metal tracks. The last 6 tracks are by their alter ego SLOWER who have redone some older songs in a Punk Jazz Fusion style. This is an amazingly killer band that deserves to get a hell of a lot more attention than they are! www.MOWERmusic.com |
| NAHUI - A BLUE FIRE (8 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC NAHUI is from Italy & they play a different form of Progressive Rock music. It has lots of touches of 70's Prog Rock mixed with Modern Rock & some Alternative music as well. The music is where most of the Progressive 70's Rock comes into play. Most of the Modern Rock & Alternative influences come through in the vocal styling. The band has a lot of depth to their songs. The vocals remind me of a more melodic version of Bono from U2. I'm not a big fan of this style of music, but I know a good band when I hear one & these guys are talented! www.NAHUI.it |
| NEXUS - THE PARADISE COMPLEX (8 track CD) Self Released NEXUS is a Western Australia based band & they have released their first full length album. "THE PARADISE COMPLEX" is a concept album that follows a protagonist as he claims the ultimate source of knowledge & power for himself. They combine many forms of extreme Metal together to create their impressive sound. The influences include many elements from Death, Grind, Progressive Math Metal & Avant-garde. These guys deliver the goods big time. This is one of the most diverse & impressive extreme Metal bands I have ever heard to emerge from Australia. Check these guys out, you won't be disappointed!!! www.NEXUSmetal.com |
| NOVA ART - FOLLOW YOURSELF (11 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC NOVA ART is a very different Metal act coming out of Russia. They combine many forms of Metal music together to come up with their sound. The band base most of their roots in the Progressive styles. The vocals also follow the same pattern as the music. They combine melodic clean, mid ranged Thrash & higher pitched Power Metal vocals together. This is one band that every Metal fan can find something to enjoy about this incredible band! Buy this CD, open your mind & blast your speakers! www.NOVA-ART.ru |
| OCEANS OF NIGHT - THE SHADOWHEART MIRROR (8 track CD) AMBIENT Scott Mosher is a legend in the underground Progressive Metal scene. He has combined the worlds of Progressive Metal, Melodic Hard Rock & Ambient music together. With his new band OCEANS OF NIGHT with Scott Mosher doing all guitars, bass & keyboards & Scott Oliva on vocals, he has done it again. OCEANS OF NIGHT have a very Progressive sound with some really dark & ambient passages all through out. I like the fact that it combines many influences from 70's Prog Rock bands as well as 80's Power Heavy Metal bands, as this is a lot of the stuff I grew up listening to. Some of you might know Scott Oliva from his New York based IRON MAIDEN tribute band LIVE AFTER DEATH! If you enjoyed Scott Mosher's other works than your gonna love this new project!!! www.OCEANSOFNIGHT.com |
| ROSSOMETILE - TERRENICA (10 track CD) MY KINGDOM MUSIC After a 5 year absence this Italian Progressive Metal band has returned with their newest offering "TERRENICA" The band plays a different than normal style of Progressive Rock. They add in some Ambient, Alternative, Modern Metal & Power to create their sound. I like how they take you from one end to the other on a magical & mystical Prog Rock journey. The diverse angelic female vocal stylings of Angy help give the band a sound all their own as well. This is a must for any fan of THE GATHERING, DREAM THEATRE, RUSH & Prog Rock in general! www.ROSSEMETILE.it |
| SCARS - DEVIL GOD ALLIANCE (12 track CD) Self Released SCARS is one band I have enjoyed immensely since first hearing them a few years back. They have unleashed their newest effort that is a Thrash Metal classic in the making. These guys hail from Brazil & play old school styled Bay Area Thrash Metal. There is tons of killer riffs, grooves & all out slamming parts. The vocals are a mid ranged Thrash style. Any fan of the bands like FORBIDDEN, KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX & SLAYER will love these guys! If they were to come out in the late 80's to early 90's when Thrash Metal was on the rise these guys could have been at the top of the scene! Thrash til Death!!! www.SCARS.com.br |
| SEPTIK - GRAN RESURRECTION (11 track CD) WINTERTHORN SEPTIK is a New Jersey based Death Metal band that formed back in 1991. The band split up in 1994 & 10 years later WINTERTHORN released a digitally remastered edition of the bands album "INCEPTION OF DECAY" With the over whelming response to this release the band reformed in 2007. The result of this effort is 11 new tracks in the form of "GRAND RESURRECTION". They play a classic style of old school Death metal with touches of Thrash Metal mixed within. I dig the heavy aggression they bring forth with the killer Thrash grooves. The vocals are mid ranged groggy sounding Death vocals that are understandable. They remind me slightly of a mix between BOLT THROWER & ENTOMBED! myspace.com/SEPTIKusa |
| THE ULTRA SIBERIAN PANT FACTORY - OMNIUMGATHERUM (7 track CD) SELF RELEASED This is the debut release from this Houston Texas based band now known as THE PANT FACTORY. They originally started out as an instrumental band but then added a vocalist. Their music is a bit hard to describe because they have pushed themselves musically & mentally into many different directions. They incorporate many elements of Progressive Rock, Math Metal, Hard Rock & Jazz Fusion. The vocals follow the same pattern as the music, by using different vocal styles of the above genres. If you were to melt together TOOL, MASTODON, YES, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, CYNIC, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME & more you would have a close comparison as to what THE PANT FACTORY sounds like! www.USPFX.com |
| TICKET TO HELL - MAN MADE PARADISE (8 track CD) MY KINGDOM OF HELL "MAN MADE PARADISE" is the debut full length from TICKET TO HELL out of Mexico. TICKET TO HELL is the brain child of former ANTIQUA member Jacobo Cardova doing all the instruments on the album. This is an adrenaline junkies greatest fix. Thrash Metal to the extreme with touches of melodic Death Metal mixed all within. Highly intense energy coursing through every song. The vocals are mid ranged Thrashing Death vocals reminiscent of SLAYER mixed with some DEATH. This is an amazing great release that will shred my CD player for a long time!!! myspace.com/TICKETTOHELLband |