| MUSIC REVIEWS December 2005 |
| A CHANGE OF PACE - AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE (11 track CD) IMMORTAL RECORDS This si the first time I have ever heard these guys. They play a mix of Punk, Metal & Rock music. The music has an upbeat Punk sound with Metal tinges all through out. They sometimes have a bit of Emo type influences shinning through. This is mostly in the vocals. The heavy guitar riffing has a strong Metal type vibe, which was also my favorite part of the music. The vocals blend together melodic styled Emo type vocals mixed with some rougher Punk vocals & then they go into a deep Metal hardcore cross over style. These guys really mix it up a lot & they do a good job of it. This would eb good for fans of a lot of the newer bands out there in the same vein. www.ACHANGEOFPACEmusic.com |
| ASG - FEELING GOOD IS GOOD ENOUGH (11 track CD) VOLCOM ENTERTAINMENT ASG play a good mix of Metal & Punk styled music. The music is very fast paced Metal driven type music with a rougher Punk Rock edge to it. I love the music a lot. It just keeps pushing forward & never lets up. The Punk influences come in in the attitude the band possess in their music. They have an old school almost Stoner Rock sound as well. They blend these three styles together quite well. The vocals are done in a Punk/Metal crossover style. If you combined the likes of FOO FIGHTERS, MOTORHEAD, CLUTCH, T.S.O.L., & maybe some old MISFITS you'd get a good idea of what these guys sound like!!! www.ASGnation.com |
| BELLUM / RHUNE - SPLIT: VINLAND RISING (7 track CD) NON COMPOS MENTIS RECORDS / DESASTRIOUS RECORDS The first 4 tracks on this split come from BELLUM. These guys play old school dark Black Metal type music. The music is kind of cold & dark sounding all through out. It's a little rough in the mix & the vocals are kind of low. The vocals are done in a low harsh hallowed Black metal style. The last 3 tracks come from RHUNE. These guys also play an old school style of Black Metal type music. The music here is a bit dark & rough sounding as well. The vocals are done in a harsh screaming/growl low end Black metal style. These two bands are a perfect match. The songs here were all recorded in 2001-2002. Old school Black metal fans will dig this one!!! |
| BIOLICH - THE SPACE BETWEEN HOME AND TODAY (6 track CD) PARAGON RECORDS This is the bands first mini CD release. These guys play a good mix of Death Metal & Grindcore. The music is very tight & brutal as hell. They also toss in some Avantegarde styled music as well. The music will go from a nice melodic atmospheric vibe straight into a full on Death/Grind chaotic masterpiece. These guys have agreat balance of both styles all through out their music. The vocals are done in a mid to low ranged Death growl along with a mid ranged Grindcore growl/scream. They even toss in some melodic styled vocals as well. This is one for fans of DEMOLICH, GORGUTS, BOTCH, CRYPTOPSY & NECROPAGHIST!!! www.myspace.com/BIOLICH / hillswestmusic77@yahoo.com |
| CARNAL REDEMPTION - CEREBRAL CHAOS (5 track CD) Self Released After a long delay because of the bands military services they are back with a new CD release. These guys play a strong style of Death Metal music. They blend together many elements of both old school & new school Death Metal. They take a lot of the brutality from old school & the technicalness from the new school. There are some decent hooks & grooves all mixed in. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl, like a lot of the old Florida Death Metal bands. They are a very well balanced band that brings a little something foreveryone to the Death Metal world. This is a must for true Death heads!!! 3 KESKINIOUS ST. / VIRONAS 162 31 / ATHENS / HELLAS CARNAL_k99@yahoo.gr / http://CARNALREDEMPTION.cjb.net |
| DIA DE LOS MUERTOS - DAY OF THE DEAD (5 track CD) CINISMO RECORDS This is one hell of a release. These guys have unleashed one amazingly good release. The music spans a few forms of Metal music, from Thrash, Death, Grind, Nu-Metal, Sped & more. The music is very tight & fast as heel sounding. There are some very cool grooves & breakdowns as well. I loved the crunchy heaviness of the whole disc. The cool thing is that they didn't have a singer so they had a different singer from other bands sing each song. They have guest singers from BODY COUNT, ASESINO, STATIC-X, A.N.I.M.A.L., MASACRE & DREAMS OF DAMNATION. This is a cool concept & really gives a different vibe to the band. They remind me of old SEPULTURA, BILE & BRUJERIA!!! promo@DDLM.net / www.DDLM.net |
| EVE'S DOWNFALL - DEMO 2005 (3 track CD) Self Released This is the debut demo release from this Los Angeles California based band. This 3 piece blends together elements of Doom, Sludge, Death & a little Punk. The music is mostly in the meatl vien, but is heavily Doom oriented. The music has a thick trudging sound which I liked a lot. There are some good hooks here & there as well. The vocals are a combination of low end demonic Death Metal style vocals along with some melodic Doom Metal type vocals. This is a cool start for this band & I'd really like to see where they go in the future. This is for fans of old BLACK SABBATH mixed with some L7, OBITUARY, CROWBAR, CLUTCH & CARCASS!!! EVESDOWNFALL@yahoo.com / www.EVESDOWNFALL.com |
| GOONS OF DOOM, THE - BIKEY ZOMBY (5 track CD) VOLCOM ENTERTAINMENT This is the first time I have ever heard these guys. They play a cool & funky style of Punk music. The music is very up beat & grooving all through out. I liked the twangy guitar sound they have. There are some cool change ups & breakdowns in the sound as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Punker style with a little Classic Rock tossed in. This is a very good release & a must for fans of the bands THE WHITE STRIPES, THE STROKES, THE HIVES & VIOLENT FEMMES. www.GOONSOFDOOM.com |
| INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY - THE INERRANCY OF PROFANATION (8 track CD) UNMATCHED BRUTALITY RECORDS This is the long awaited second release from this Texas Death Metal band. These guys play balls out unique & extreme Death Metal music. They have a very low end Death sound that reminds me of a lot of the bands from the early 90's. The music is very brutal old school styled with heavy technical new school Death Metal mixed in. The vocals are done in a low end Death gurggle. They toss in some cool blast & grind beats all through out as well. This is a must for fans of FLESHGRIND, INSATANITY, IMMORTAL SUFFERING, INTERNAL BLEEDING & MALIGNANCY!!! INSIDIOUSdemise@sbcglobal.net / www.ISIDIOUSDECREPANCY.net |
| MALEVEILLANCE - INSIGNIFIANCE (13 track Cassette) TOUR DE GARDE These guys hail from Canada & play some very aggressive & harsh styled Black Metal music. The music is mostly dominated by Black Metal, but there are plenty of Death metal influences present within their songs. The music is very fast paced & chaotic sounding at times. There is some good hard hitting beats pushing the music forward & in your face. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death/Black Metal crossover styled growl/scream. This is a decent release for any fand of either Black metal or Death Metal to check out!!! mvlbm@yahoo.com |
| MORBIUS - SOJOURNS THROUGH THE SEPTIAC (7 track CD) NON COMPOS MENTIS RECORDS This is one Death Metal band I have been a fan of for a long time. They have really improved a lot over the years & this new disc blows all other efforts away. The music has gotten tighter, faster & all around better. I love the fast blasts mixed with the stop & start parts. There is even a bit of groove tossed into their chaotic Death Metal Mayhem. There are some really good song arrangements as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style. These guys are one of the better Death metal acts that has lasted through the years & they stand out a lot as not being your tipcal sounding Death metal band too! Check these guys out!!! MORBIUS_deathmetal@yahoo.com |
| NIGHTSTALKER - JUST A BURN (11 track CD) MAD PROHET RECORDS This is the 4th & newest release from this band out of Greece. NIGHTSTALKER play a combination of Hrad Rock, Heavy Metal, Stoner type music. The music is pretty hard hitting & has some cool grooves all through out. There is a decent Stoner vibe in their sound & there are even some psychedelic sounds as well. The vocals are done in a mid range Stoner/Doom styled vocal. The band features the bass player from ROTTING CHRIST too. This is must for fans of KYUSS, MONSTER MAGNET & ZAKK WYLDE'S BLACK LABEL SOCIETY!!! info@NIGHTSTALKERband.com / www.NIGHTSTALKERband.com |
| SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS - THE CITY SLEEPS IN FLAMES (11 track CD) IMMORTAL RECORDS I heard 1 song from these guys before & liked it a lot. Now I have the whole disc & it is extremely good. These guys play a combination of Metal, Punk, Hardcore & Emo all tougether. They have a solid Metal foundation, but it is covered with tons of Punk, Hardcore & Emo influences. The guitars have a really fast paced Metal style, while the rest of the band has a Punk/Hardcore sound. The vocals is where I hear the Emo elements coming into play. The vocals are a mix ofr all the styles above. There are harsh screaming, almost growling Metal./Hardcore crossover vocals, upbeat Punk ones & melodic & powerful Emo styled vocals. This is a great disc for fans of newer styled music like HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, ATREYU, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE & THE AUDITION! www.SCARYKIDS.com |
| SCID - FUCKED BEYOND RECOGNITION (11 track CD) UNMATCHED BRUTALITY This new disc is a collection of the bands first two EP's all on one disc. This German based band plays extremely good Death Metal smashed together with Grindcore. The music is ultra fast & ultra violent sounding. The Death Metal elements are brutal as hll & have some melodic parts tossed in as well. The Grindcore elements are highly intense & soaked in Gore. The vocals are done in a low end Death/Grind crossover styled growl. These guys a highly recomend for fans of this genre!!! davidrambeck@gmx.net / www.SCID-deathgrind.de.vu |
| SEMPITERNUS - EXISTENCE DEMO 2005 (4 track CD) Self Released SEMPITERNUS is a band out of Greece that plays a mix of Thrash & death metal music. They don't always stick to the above styles though. They do toss in lost of atmospheric parts as well as some Progressive Metal & Power metal influences. The music is mostly dominated by Death & Thrash. The Thrash elements are mostly present in the guitar sound. The Death Metal comes into play in the drums & vocals the most. The vocals are done in a low to mid ranged Death growl. This is a decent 4 song demo & I'd like to hear more from them in the future!!! EVAGELOU PAPANIKOLAOU 7 / SALAMINA-GREECE / 18900 SEMPITERNUS1997@yahoo.gr / www.SEMPITERNUS.tk |
| STRIDE - IMAGINE (9 track CD) SENSORY RECORDS / THE LASER'S EDGE This is the second album from this Houston, Texas Progressive Metal band. These guys are a very talented & impressive Progressive/Power Metal band. They have a tight, technical & highly involved sound. The music is quite powerful in all aspects. They blend together insane chops & anthem like melodies. The vocals are done in a mid ranged clean styled vocal along with some higher pitched melodic vocals. These guys would be perfect for fans of DREAM THEATRE, FATE'S WARNING & QUEENSRYCHE!!! www.STRIDEonline.com |
| STRIK-9 - PHILADELPHIA IN RUINS (10 track CD) Self Released STRIK-9 comes from my home state of Penssylvania & my City Of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia. These guys don't show much love though. These guys play all out, powerful & straight forward in your face Metal music. They blend many elements from different styles of Metal. There are many influences of Thrash, Death, Speed, Grind & Power Metal all present in their sound. There is a lot of heavy grooving in their sound as well. I liked the thick bass sound a lot. The vocals are done in a few styles as well. There is harsh Thrash, low end Death growls & even some higher pitched Hardcore type screams. These guys are extremely good & could fit into any Metal fans CD collection!!! STRIKENINEssp@aol.com / www.STRIK-9.com |
| SUPERMERCADO - SCARY BABY (11 track CD) DARKSTRA RECORDS SUPERMERCADO is a Chicago based Rock Band. These guys play a blend of melodic Rock, Soul vocals, precision guitar Metal & low gut crunch grooves. The music is a hard driven style that goes from fast grooves to slow melodic parts. There lost of Metal influences in their sound as well. I like how they mix all the styles together, swaying back & forth between them as well. The vocals are done in a mix of clean Metal/Rock vocals & some higher pitched ones. These guys remind me a little of FAITH NO MORE, (new) RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SOUND GARDEN & MINDBOMB. The band features members from PIVOTMAN, EROTIC UNIVERSE & MINDBOMB. www.SUPERMERCADOrock.com |
| THE TENTH CIRCLE - OF WAR AND REFLECTION (11 track CD) BLED OUT RECORDS Here we have another great band to emerge from my home state of Pennsylvania. These guys are from Lancaster & play an extremely heavy style of Death metal music. They do toss in some elements of Speed & Thrash Metal as well into their sound. The music is very fast & extremely tight. The drumming is highly amazing & fast as hell. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style. These guys remind me of a lot of the bands from the mid to late 90's like CRYPTOPSY, VITAL REMAINS, SKINLESS, MALIGNANCY & FLESHGRIND!!! This means you must pick up this disc!!! If your a fan of the above bands, you won't be disappointed!!! www.THETENTHCIRCLE.com |
| TO ARKHAM - BORN TO HATE (4 track CD) Self Released TO ARKHAM comes to us from Paraguay & play an old school style of Black Metal music. The music is cold harsh & fast paced Black Metal music. There are plenty of elements of Death Metal present all through out the music as well. There is a dark damp vibe to their music too. The vocals are done in a hallowed Black Metal / Death metal crossover styled growl & scream. There is a lot of hyper intense parts in their songs. This would be good for fans of old school Black metal. Check them out!!! BRUNNO GUGGIARI / 2251 C/ PIRIZAL / ASUNCION / PARAGUAY TOARKHAM@hotmail.com |
| TORN ASUNDER - RECOLLECTIONS (8 track CD) SPARE CHANGE RECORDS TORN ASUNDER has been tearing up the scene for 10 years now & don't show any signs of stopping. These guys play a combination of Death Metal & hardcore type music. These are my two favorite styles of music so of course I loved this band. These guys take the best elemenst of both styles & melt them together to create their style & sound. There is havey & brutal Death marches as well as hard hitting Hardcore grooves & rhythms. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death/Hardcore crossover styled growl/scream. These guys are amazing & extremely good! This is a must for any fan of Hardcore or Death Metal music! Get it now!!! www.TORNASUNDERband.com |
| VALIENT THORR - TOTAL UNIVERSE MAN (13 track CD) VOLCOM ENTERTAINMENT This is my first time getting to hear these guys. They play a combine style of Thrash/Punk music. I haven't heard a lot of bands playing this style. The music sounds more like Thrash Metal music than Punk, but it has a whole Punk vibe & attitude to it. They remind me of a Punk version of the band THE DARKNESS combined with H20 & IGGY POP. The music is very driving & has a good beat all through out that pulls you. The vocals are where I hear most of the Punk influences coming in. They are done in a bit of a fast paced yelling Punk Rock style. This is a really cool combination of styles & I really like this band a lot! This is well worth checking out!!! www.VALIENTTHORR.com |
| VILE - THE NEW AGE OF CHAOS (9 track CD) UNIQUE LEADER RECORDS VILE has been in the underground scene for awhile now. With this their thrid full legnth release they are ready to lead the scene at the front of the Death Metal Elite. These guys play ultra fast & extremely heavy Death Metal music. These guys are not your typical American Death Metal band though. They mix together elements of Grindcore, Black metal & Death Metal with melodies & groove to create their style. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl that reminds me of some of the great in the scene. They intertwind current events in with horrific fantasy in their song topics to accompany the music perfectly. These guys are one of the best underground bands out there & deserve much more attention then they get!!! Pick this one up!!! It's a must!!! goldenears69@yahoo.com / www.VILEstench.com |
| KEYDRAGON - UNCONTROLLABLE FORCES (14 track CD) KEYDRAGON STUDIOS This California based band is back with another new release. The mastermind behind this band is Ron Langford doing bass, keys, synthesis & vocals along with some other musicians & vocalists. They center their sound on Metal, but they toss is Thrash, Doom, Classic Rock, Death, Progressive Metal & even some Jazz sounds too. This band mixes it up a lot. The thing that really makes them stand out is the Psycho Sax all through out their sound. It almost sounds out of place, but they make it work, some how. The vocals are done in a mid ranged almost Death growl with some female vocals in the back. This is a different sounding band with a lot of orignality!!! Check it if you have an open mind!!! 13682 CRAWFORD LN. / GRASS VALLEY, CA. 95945 www.KEYDRAGON.com |
| MASTIC SCUM - MIND (13 track CD) CUDGEL AGENCY I was hoping to get this CD for review. I just sent out an interview to these guys & couldn't wait to check out the new CD. These guys should be familiar to most people in the underground scene. They play a very intense style of Death Metal music & have been shredding the scene apart since 1992. They toss in lots of Grindcore & hardcore elements into their brand of Death Metal. This band has a very intelligent sound & are not in anyway your typical Death metal band. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death Metal / Hardcore crossover style. These guys are one of the best in the scene today & deserve much attention!!! ROTENSTERNGASSE 21/7 / 1020 VIENNA / AUSTRIA info@MASTICSCUM.com / www.MASTICSCUM.com |
| OPPOSITION PARTY - ZOMBIFIED (11 track CD) PULVERISED RECORDS This is my first time hearing these guys & I like what I hear a lot. These guys are a mix of Death Metal & Speed Metal music. The music is played at a very fast paced & heavy as heel too. I like the fact that there is some cool grooves in the music as well. They have an almost old school Metal sound to their music as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Speed almost Death style that reminds me of the great Lemmy of MOTORHEAD a lot. If you were to take bands like MOTORHEAD, SODOM, DESTRUCTION, VENOM, EXHORDER & added some Death Metal, you'd get a good idea of what these guys have to offer. Get this one!!! OPinfo04@yahoo.com |
| SATHANAS - ENTERING THE DIABOLIC TRINITY (10 track CD) PULVERISED RECORDS SATHANAS is a band band most underground people should know by now. These guys have been in the scene for some time now & are still going strong. These guys play Death Metal music with lots of Black Metal & Thrash metal influences tossed in the mix. The music is hyper fast at times & then more mid ranged & a bit of groove oriented Metal. There are some good hooks as well in the songs. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh Black/Thrash Metal style as well as some low end Death Metal growls. These guys are one of the best in the scene today & are better than ever!!! SATHANASjim@comcast.net / SATHANAS1@hotmail.com / SATHANAS2@hotmail.com |
| WE ARE THE FURY - INFINITE JEST (Promo) (5 track CD) EAST WEST RECORDS Here we have the debut CD release from WE ARE THE FURY (formerly know as THE FURY). These guys from Ohio play a combination of 70's Glam music mixed with some great late 70's post Punk music. The music is very catchy sounding & really pulls you in. They have a cool sound & vibe to their music. The vocals are done in a mid ranged clean Glam/Punk sound as well. These guys would be great for bands like THE DARKNESS, THE STROKES, THE HIVES & THE WHITE STRIPES. I really dug this disc a lot. Check it out if your into the bands mentioned above!!! www.WEARETHEFURY.net |