| MUSIC REVIEWS (July 2007) |
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| A PERFECT MURDER - WAR OF AGGRESSION (10 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS This is the 3rd & by far the best release from this Canadian Metal band on VICTORY RECORDS. This album finds the band with a more diverse Metal sound by encompassing elements of Thrash, Death, Groove & Hardcore music all together to create their sound. They have a very cool early 90's Metal vibe to their music. I loved the heavy grooved oriented guitar sounds in their music this time. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Metal growl & scream style with some clean vocals mixed in at times. These guys would appeal to fans of PANTERA, LAMB OF GOD, HATEBREED, TRIVIUM & ANTHRAX! This is a must get album!!! www.APERFECTMURDER.org |
| CHARNEL VALLEY - THE IGNEOUS RACE (7 track CD) PARAGON RECORDS This is the second CD release from this old school styled Black Metal band. These guys take all the harsh, raw & aggressive sounds of cold old school war like Black Metal & ball them together to develope their sound. The music is structured really well with lots of depth, hooks, tempo shifts & harmonies. The music is for the most part fast paced & driving all the way. I liked the eerie coldness they have in their sound a lot. The vocals are done in a mid ranged throaty Black Metal growl style that is not over the top, but balnaced well with the music. This is a definate improvement & stronger release than their last album! One band to definately keep an eye on in the Black Metal genre!!! |
| DAMNATION A.D. - IN THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT (12 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS After an eight year hiatus this Hardcore DC based band is back. These guys play like they never stopped over the eight years. The music has a definate Hardcore foundation, but they do toss in some Metal & Punk elements for flavoring. There is a very cool old school vibe happening all through out their music. They have a lot of change ups mixed with breakdowns & grooves. I loved the sound & energy pouring out of this band. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Hardcore/Metal growl style combined with a Hardcore scream style. This is by far the best material these guys have dished out! www.DAMNATIONAD.com |
| DARKEST HOUR - DELIVER US (11 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS It's been two years since the bands last release, but it was well worth the wait with just one listen of this new album. The band has stuck to their roots, but added some extra elements in their sound this time around. The music has a more classic Power Metal feel colliding head on into new Metal Hardcore music. The music has much depth & layers, mixed with fast paced grooves & some cool tempo changes all through out. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Metal/Hardcore crossover styled scream with some clean Speed/Thrash Metal type vocals. These guys are an all around amazing band & deserve way more attention than they have gotten in the past. Hopefully this is the album that will give it to them, because it is well earned & much deserved! Get this one, NOW!!! www.DARKESTHOUR.com |
| DESTROYER DESTROYER - LITERED WITH ARROWS (12 track CD) GOODFELLOW RECORDS Wow! These guys are pissed off angry dudes! Their music is fast paced intense hate fueled Metal & Grindcore music. The music is some what spastic at times, with lots of tempo changes & stop & starts spots. The music has a strong Grindcore sound with Metal elements popping out mostly in the guitars. The vocals are done in a very harsh mid to high ranged Death growl & scream. This guys has gotting to be destroying his vocal cords! If you like your music very pissed, loud & repeatedly punching you in the face then DESTROYER DESTROYER are the guys to do it!!! www.myspace.com/DESTROYERDESTROYER |
| DIMENTIANON - HOSSANAS NOVUS ORDO SECLURUM (9 track CD) NON COMPOS MENTIS RECORDS This Long Island New York based band plays some very good dark sounding Death Metal music. They have a very cool old school Death sound that has elements of Thrash metal present as well. They bring in some raw intensity to merge with their structured Death Metal style. They do have some slow to fast paced parts which i dug a lot. The vocals are done in a mid ranged thick Death Metal growl style, with the occassional scream here & there. These guys have improved a lot since their last release & gotten tighter & much better! Give these guys some attention!!! sataninmyveins@aol.com / cultm@msn.com / www.DIMENTIANON.com |
| FAR FROM FINISHED - LIVING IN THE FALLOUT (13 track CD) THINK FAST RECORDS! This was a great change from the majority of the stuff I get. These guys play Punk Rock music & play it very well. They have a very cool Skate Punk sound that i got into big time back in the 80's when i first started skating. The music is very upbeat fast paced & driven all the way. They have a California Punk style with a little bit of gritty D.C. Punk tossed inside. The music kept me pumped the whole time! The vocals are done in a cross of old school & new school Punk styles! These guys are going to blaze a path to the top of the Punk Rock heap if they keep going this way!!! Oi! Oi! Oi! www.myspace.com/FARFROMFINISHED |
| FLESH ENGINE - '07 DEM0-LITION (3 track CD) Self Released FLESH ENGINE is a South Jersey based Metal band. These guys have been around for a few years, but are just now starting to get their name around. These guys play some really cool old school raw styled Metal music. The music is very heavily grooved sounding with touches of Death Metal & Thrash Metal mixed together to create their sound. There is dual guitar attacks, thumping bass & thick double bass mayhem. The vocals are done in a few Metal styles. There are thick mid ranged Death vocals, some clean Metal vocals & some throaty harsh Metal vocals. These guys have a lot to offer any fan of Metal music! Check them out as they are on their rise up in the underground scene!!! info@FLESHENGINE.com / www.FLESHENGINE.com |
| HYBRID - THE WILL TO CREATE (9 track CD) SECRET PORT RECORDS This is the debut release from this Thrash/Progressive Metal band & what a debut it is. These guys have a very strong solid sound that mixes sounds from 80's & 90's Thrash Metal bands & merge it with modern Progressive Metal. There are lots of all out Thrash riffs with some stop & start parts, plus some very cool tempo shifts all through out. They have a very Epic Metal sound at times, that reminds me of DIO, QUEENSRYCHE & NEVERMORE. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Progressive Metal sound with some more powerful Epic vocals mixed in. These guys have released such a great debut release I can't wait to see where they go on their next release! HYBRID@in.gr / www.myspace.com/HYBRID (Available through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) |
| KILL THE ALARM - FIRE AWAY (9 track CD) GSMAKR MUSIC I wasn't expecting these guys to sound this way. I thought from the bands name they would be Punk or Hardcore, but they are a Modern Rock band. They are a decent band & have a great radio friendly sound to their music. They reminded me a lot of the stuff that is playing on public Rock radio stations nowadays, but these guys have a little something different that could make them stand out a lot more than most of the other bands out there. The music has a better vibe & beat to it. There is a slight 80's Rock style to their music too. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Pop Rock style with lots of melody & vocal changes. If your a fan of the Rock Radio music of today then you'll love these guys!!! www.KILLTHEALARM.com |
| MEMORIA - THE MIDNIGHT BALL (5 track CD) Self Released This was something very different & very cool. This Australian based band plays dark atmospheric & acoustic styled music. They combine classical Spanish guitar with dark Folk music. The music is very uplifting, but also very dark & dreary like. There is a strong old Spanish horror vibe with Spanish traditions & roots all mixed in this errie medieval atmosphere. There are some shrieking screams, multiple vocals & other creepy & bizarre sounds mixed all within. This is definately something different than I've heard before or ever reviewed! If you have a very open mind & like stuff that sort of gives you chills & creeps while listening to it, then you must check out this band! MEMORIA@MEMORIA.com.au / www.MEMORIA.com.au |
| MYTILE VERY LORTH - DISILLUSION (7 track CD) PRIME CUTS MUSIC This is the newest release from one of Australia's newest up & coming Black Metal bands. These guys have a very cold harsh Black metal sound with lots of Death Metal elements mixed within. They have a very heavy brutal old school style that pulls many influences from both Death & Black Metal. There is a strong evilness to their sound as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Black Metal growl/scream style with some lower Death Metal growls through out. These guys will definately be making a big impact in the Australian Metal scene & the whole underground scene in general! MYTILEVEYLORTH@hotmail.com / www.MYTILEVEYLORTH.com |
| OFFICIAL SELECTIONS - HYPERFEST 2 (40 tracks 2 CDs) HAPISKRATCH This is a 2 disc CD compilation set that features bands that appeared on the Hyperactive Music Confrence & Festival that took place in Albuquerque, Nm on May 17-19, 2007. This was the 2nd annual festival of this kind that spotlights lots of independent artists. The bands play in all forms of Rock, Metal, Pop, Punk, Alternative & more. Some of the bands include: ARMY OF ME, GREEN RIVER ORDI, ASTER, THE PLATFORMS, OLD MAN SHATTERED, FULL DAY AFFAIR, GIRL IN A COMA, YOUR BALCK STAR, THE HERO FACTOR & many more. This is a cool compilation to go along with a cool festival! allie@HYPERFESTIVAL.com / www.HYPERFESTIVAL.com |
| PRISTINA - BONER JAMS '07 (8 track CD) SPARE CHANGE RECORDS PRISTINA is back & ready to destroy what ever you thought you knew about Metalcore music. These guys come out fighting & never stop. The music is based in Metal, but there are many elements from different Metal genres present as well as some Hardcore too. The music has a very cool grooved Thrash/Hardcore type style with some cool Speed & Power Metal riffs surrounded by tons of hard hitting thick Death Metal elements. The Vocals also follow the same lead as the music. These guys break all misconceptions of what Metalcore is & I'm glad they do, because this is some fresh, original well played music, that needs to be heard!!! www.myspace.com/PRISTINA666 |
| PROJECT: FAILING FLESH - THE CONJOINED (11 track CD) BURNING STAR RECORDS PROJECT FAILING FLESH hail from Virginia & play a very different sounding style of Death Metal. They have a very mechanical & technical sound to their Death Metal style. There are lots of fantasy atmospheric parts mixed with in all the Death Metal chaos. They are a 3 piece that creats some very full sounding music & features Eric Forrest (ex-VOIVOD) on vocals. I liked the chugging groove they have in their sound, it reminds me of FEAR FACTORY alot. The vocals are done ina harsh Death Metal type scream. These guys have a very orginal sound & the closest comparison would be VOIVOD, SEPULTURA & FEAR FACTORY all mixed together! info@PROJECTFAILINGFLESH.com / www.PROJECTFAILINGFLESH.com |
| SATANIC FUNERAL - NIGHT OF THE GOAT (10 track CD) NON COMPOS MENTIS RECORDS SATANIC FUNERAL features members of MORD & NAZROTH. These guys play some old school satanic Black metal type music. They have a very raw, aggressive & harsh old school Black Metal sound to their music. The music is fast paced for the majority of the songs. There is a slight static type sound to the guitars. The vocals are done in a mid to low end throaty garggling Black metal style. This is is not my favorite of Black metal styles, but these guys play this just as good, if not better than most playing this same style!!! |
| SELF TORTURE - DEAD CENTER (12 track CD) ANGER EPIDEMIC RECORDS This is the 3rd CD release I have recieved from this Turky based band. These guys play Hardcore/Death Metal music & better than most bands in the same genre. These guys have improved a lot since their last CD. They have gotten more powerful, tighter, better structured songs, faster & more intense. The music is very fast, aggressive & pissed of sounding. I like this a lot. They toss in some grooved thumping parts from time to time too. I liked the tempo changes & down shifts a lot.The vocals are done in a more mid ranged Hardcore/Death Metal crossover growl/scream style. I haven't heard many bands out of Turkey, but I'm sure these guys have to be one of the best out there! oben@SELFTORTURE.net / www.SELFTORTURE.net |
| SILVERSTEIN - ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES (11 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS This is the 3rd release for SILVERSTEIN on VICTORY RECORDS & a very good one at that. These guys have kept to their formula they had on past releases, but added much more to this one. They have added some more heavier almost Death Metal like parts to their melodic Hardcore style. There are more chugging grooves, stop & starts, breakdowns, tempo shifts & more down tempo stuff this time around. I like the mixture of the melodic Hardcore singing with the harsher more Death Metal/Hardcore like screaming. This is the best yet from this Canadian band. I could see these guys being VICTORY RECORDS best selling band, which they deserve to be! This is an amazing band with another great album under their belts!!! A must have for any fan of this style of music!!! www.SILVERSTEINmusic.com |
| SKITZO - FIVE POINT CONTAINMENT (12 track CD) OPEN GRAVE RECORDS I was very happy to find this CD in my hands. I have been a huge fan of SKITZO & been friends with Lance for awhile now. I'm glad to see someone has given them a great chance to expose their very cool style of Thrash metal music to the world! I have always been impressed with what these guys put out, but this disc blows all others away. Classic old school Thrash Metal done better than many others in their field. There is fast pacec guitar shredding, thick thundering bass & hard hitting solid drums. I loved the scrwam along choruses they have in their songs. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh Thrash metal vocal style! This is the best material so far from these guys & their old stuff was killer. Every Metal fan should have a SKITZO CD in their collection & if you don't then start with this one! Metal horns way up for Lance & SKITZO!!! www.SKITZO.biz (Available through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) |
| SNUFF GRINDER - SNUFFHOLIC (14 track CD) APATHIC VIEW PRODUCTIONS This band was a very cool change up from most of the stuff I get for review. This one man band playing some very chaotic & very good Techno/Break Beat music covered in tons of Grindcore music. The music has a very spastic & highly energetic vibe to it all through out. The adrenaline level is through the roof. The vocals are done in a lower scratchy Grindcore style with some other Techno ones mixed within. I was really getting into this a lot, because it reminded me of one of my favorite bands that's quite similar & that's BILE! If you like BILE then you'll love this band! SNUFFGRINDER@wp.pl / www.myspace.com/SNUFFGRINDER |
| THE FIRE THE FLOOD - TRUTHSEEKER (13 track CD) NO SLEEP RECORDS These guys are the latest band to come out of Charlotte, Nc playing some very cool & energized Hardcore music. They base their foundation in the Hardcore scene, but there are a lot of Metal influences present all through out their music. I liked the down beat rythmn they have in their songs a lot. There are some very fast grooves, stop 7 starts, tempo changes & breakdowns everywhere in their songs. These guys have a highly intense vibe pouring out of them. The vocals help achieve this as they are done in a mid ranged Hardcore type screaming style. They remind me a lot of bands like BURY YOUR DEAD, BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME & HATEBREED! www.THEFIRETHEFLOOD.com |
| THE JUNIOR VARSITY - CINEMATOGRAPHIC (12 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS I never could figure out why VICTORY has these guys on their label. They don't sound like the majority of their bands, but maybe that's why? These guys play Pop/Rock with a bit of Emo music tossed in the mix. I'm not a big fan of Emo or Pop Rock music for that matter. These guys play this style well & a bit different that could make them stand out from the herde a little. They are a bit too mellow for my taste. The vocals are done ina clean melodic & strong ballad like style. If you like this style of music then I'm sure you would eat this stuff up! I've heard past releases from these guys & can say this is their best effort so far! www.THEJUNIORVARSITY.com |
| THE MINOR TIMES - SUMMER OF WOLVES (10 track CD) PROSTHETIC RECORDS I knew i was going to like this band! These guys play some intense styled Hardcore music that is flavored with Metal all through out. The guitars remind me of old HELMET from the "Strap It On" days. There is that thick chugging thumping groove all through out. I liked the old school vibe they have that is meshed in with new school elements. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh Hardcore scream with some Metal screams mixed in as well. The other great thing about this band is that they are from my home state of Pennsylvania! These guys do the Pa music scene very proud! This is a must for any fan of pulse pounding in your face Hardcore music!!! www.THEMINORTIMES.com |
| UCK GRIND - JUSTICE (5 track CD) Self Release Hailing from Istanbul comes this majorly intense Death Metal band. These guys ground themselves in the Death Metal genre, but they do add in lots of Grindcore & Black metal influences as well. The music is done in a cold old school Death style with harsh heavy hitting Grindcore punching through out the songs. At times there are some more almost symphonic type parts, which is where the Black Metal elements come into play. The vocals are done in a mid ranged thick throaty type Death metal growl style. I have one of this bands other releases & I would definately say these guys have improved a hell of a lot & gotten much tighter, more technical & down right heavier! www.UCKGRIND.com (Available through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) |