| MUSIC REVIEWS (June 2006) |
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| AKOMPILATION - VOLUME 2 (22 track CD) AKOM PRODUCTIONS This is the second installment in this underground compilation series. The compilation features bands that play melodic, aggressive, alternative & brutal styles of music. This compilation contains all underground bands & a lot I have never heard of before. This is Like, because I get introduced to a bunch of new stuff. The bands all hail from Italy, France, Japan, Holland & UK. There are 22 bands & 22 songs all together. Than bands include LAST RITES, FEAR FLAMES, SERPENT, NOWHERE, RUNT, EAT ME CLOWN, TILT, EFFIGY, LOCKDOWN, SKODA, SLITER, UNIT & 10 others. This is a great compilation that follows in the tradition of the first volume!!! VIA S. ANTONIA / 108-45017 LOREO (RO) - ITALY AKOM_PROD@libero.it / www.AKOMPROD.com |
| BULLETS AND OCTANE - IN THE MOUTH OF THE YOUNG (12 track CD) RCA RECORDS This is my first time hearing these guys & I don't really know much about them. They play a really hard hitting & aggressive style of Metal music. It's got some elements of Heavy Metal, Thrash, Speed, Hardcore & Punk Rock all mixed within. I really dug the fast paced aggressive drumming & bass parts a lot. There is a definatel Speed or Thrash Metal vibe coming from the guitars as well. The vocals are done in a Metal style that is laced with some really cool Punk influences. These guys have an old school Punk Metal crossover vibe all through out the music. The album was produced by Page Hamilton of HELMET. This is a great album release & well worth checking out. So do it! www.BULLETS-AND-OCTANE.com |
| DRAGONLORD - BLACK WINGS OF DESTINY (Sampler) (2 track CD) ESCAPI MUSIC This is just a 2 track sampler CD for promotional use & the tracks are taken from the upcoming full length album "BLACK WINGS OF DESTINY". These guys play some really good Thrash / Death Metal styled music. The music has a really strong heavy sound which is where the Death Metal comes into play, but then it is doused with tons of great Thrash Metal elements. There is some really cool atmospheric keyboard parts that break things up a little bit & give their sound more depth. The vocals are done in a harsh Death / Thrash crossover style as well. I really dig these guys a lot & was quite disappointed to only have these two tracks. I will definately be looking for the full length album now. This is great for fans of old school Death/Thrash with new school influences!!! |
| EIDOLON - THE PARALLEL OTHERWORLD (10 track CD) ESCAPI MUSIC EIDOLON was born back in 1993 in Toronto, Ontario Canada. These guys have been shredding out their blend of Power Metal for 13 plus years now. The band has been signed to METAL BLADE RECORDS & now with new singer Niles (PAGAN MIND) to ESCAPI MUSIC. It has been three years since the last release because the two borthers in the band were in MEGADETH for awhile. These guys have a classic old school Power Metal & progressive Metal style with some slight Thrash Metal influences coming through in the guitars. The vocals are done in a Power Metal style with some other almost harsh Thrash Metal vocals mixed in. This is by far their most diverse & best structure & written album to date! www.EIDOLON-nightmareworld.com |
| FORCE OF EVIL - BLACK EMPIRE (12 track CD) ESCAPI MUSIC This is my first experience hearing these guys & I really enjoyed what I heard. These guys blend many elements of Metal music together to develop their style & sound. This I really enjoyed as I am a huge fan of all styles of Metal. There are elements of Thrash, Power, Progressive, Speed, Death & even some Black Metal all mixed together. The guitars are done in a fast Speed/Thrash style, drums & bass make up the Death Metal, keyboards take care of the Progressive & Black Metal & the vocals crossover from Power, Thrash, Death & Speed Metal. This is a Metal fans dream band. The songs also deal with a lot of Horror Movie, which I also loved a lot too!!! www,FORCEOFEVIL.net |
| FOUL STENCH - THE BONE (9 track CD) Self Released After over a decade, my boys in FOUL STENCH have returned & released some killer new music. The sickos from Ohio have returned! They have a new drummer (Stool Sample) who used to be in the bands DECAY, MY OWN VICTIM & did work with James Murphy. These guys play really cool, raw Death Metal music with some major pissed sounding aditude. The music hits really hard, aggressive & has a thunderous sound to it. I loved the fast paced blasts & crazy shredding a lot. The vocals are done in a mid ranged, raw throaty Death growl style that has an almost Punk undertone to it. I'm glad to see this great band back in the underground scene. if you haven't yet be prepared cause you shall soon get a wiff of FOUL STENCH!!! P.O. BOX 5872 / DAYTON, OHIO 45405-5025 www.myspace.com/FOULSTENCH.com |
| GOLEM - BLACK ERA (11 track CD) Self Released GOLEM is a melodic Death Metal band from Italy. These guys have been around for a few years now & play extremely well structured Death Metal music that fuses elements of Thrash Metal & Death Metal together. There is some really intricate guitar riffs along with some intense drumming. The music takes some elements from both new & old school Death Metal & Thrash Metal. I love the breka downs & the change ups that flow through out their songs. The vocals are done in a harsh almost screaming Death & Thrash crossover style. These guys should be a lot bigger in the underground scene then they are now. I hope to see these guys get some of the recognition they rightfully deserve in the scene. Keep an eye out for this band. Trust me!!! info@GOLEMneverdies.it / ottavio.m@tin.it / www.GOLEMneverdies.it |
| HONEY FOR CHRIST - THE DARKEST PINNACLE OF LIGHT (5 track CD) RUNDOWN RECORDS This is the first release from this band on RUNDOWN RECORDS. This is a three piece Metal act out of Northern Ireland. These guys blend together some influences from Thrash, Death, Speed, Power & Traditional Heavy Metal music to create their sound. The music mostly stays in the Thrash, Speed & Traditional styles, but pulls from the other styles at times. The fast more aggressive parts is where the Death Metal mostly comes into play. The vocals are done in a melodic Heavy Metal & Power Metal style, that reminds me of some of the bands from the 80's playing this style. This is a decent release & worth checking out!!! So give it a listen!!! info@HONEYFORCHRIST.com / www.HONEYFORCHRIST.com |
| IAN - DRAIN YOUR DREAMS (Album Preview) (3 track CD) Self Released IAN is a one man project playing some very different sounding Metal music. The music has an old school Thrash Metal meets Death Metal crossover style that reminds me of when Thrash & Death were merging back in the late 80's & early 90's. The music is a little bit in the background comapred to the vocals. The vocals are done in a throaty harsh Death almost Black Metal like style that is a little raw at times. This is some pretty cool sounding stuff that reminded me of some of my favorite underground bands like MORTUARY OATH, ANGELKILL & PAX MORTIS. 2060 S. BAY ST. / EUSTIS, FL. 32726 IAN@drainyourdreams.com / www.drainyourdreams.com |
| JR EWING - MAELSTROM (10 track CD) DIM MAK RECORDS Emerging out of Norway in 1998 comes this post Hardcore styled band. These guys have put out a bunch of 7'"s & a couple of full length release. Here they offer their newest album, which is a bit different from past releases. They have an almost Alternative, Post, Scremo Hardcore sound that is really popular at the moment. The music is really aggressive for the most part & has some really cool change ups & grooves. The vocals are done in a few different styles. There is some harsh Screamo vocals mixed with some more melodic Emo ones & some all out intense Hardcore ones. Fans of this new wave of Hardcore bands will most likely enjoy these guys. www.JREWING.com |
| LAST RITES - HATE (5 track CD) COOL BLOOD RECORDS / AKOM PRODUCTIONS This is an aggressive Thrash Death Metal band emerging from Italy. These guys blend two of my favorite styles of Metal together to create their sound. The music is very strong, intense & well arranged. They blend the old school with the new school of both styles which helps in developing their sound. There is some really involved guitar work & cool grooving Thrash sounds all through out. The vocals are also done in a crossover style of Death Metal & Thrash Metal, but leans more towrads the Death metal style. Fans of ARCH ENEMY, CARCASS, ANGELKILL, DEATH, SEPULTURA & KREATOR will dig these guys a lot!!! I know I did!!! info@LAST-RITES.cnet / www.LAST-RITES.net |
| LUCKY STRIKER 201 - SELF TITLED (10 track CD) Self Released This is an album that doesn't really exist. This is the bands first downloadable album from their official website. . These guys beleive that Music is Art & art is not for sale... This is the reason for this free album. The music these guys play is a bit different sounding Metal music. This is because these guys like to blend in many elements of Industrial music as well into their sound. The music is Industrial induce Metal & I like this a lot. There are some really cool hooks, grooves & change ups all within their music. The vocals are done in a mid ranged melodic raw Industrial / Metal crossover style similar to MARILYN MANSON. I really dug this CD a lot & you can get it for free at their website, buy simply downloading it. What are you waiting for? LS201@fr.st / www.LS201.com |
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| OLD PAGAN - THE SIGN OF THE BATTLE DARGON (9 track CD) Self Released This is a great one man band project from Machosias who was formerly in the band PAGAN WINTER. This music is some what similar to that great band. The music is played in a Blackend Thrash Metal style. The music has a strong old school Black metal vibe with some Pagan & war like elements present all through out. They do pull from old school Thrash Metal influences as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh Black/Thrash Metal crossover style. This is a definate must for fans of old school Black metal music!!! BRUNNEN STR. 8 / D-66538 NEUNKIRCHEN/SAAR / GERMANY OLDPAGAN@gmx.de |
| PRIMAL DAWN - ZEALOT (4 track CD) Self Released This is a the newest release from this great Black Death Metal band hailing from Dublin, Ireland. I loved this bands previous release (which I distribute) & this new disc blows that one out of the water. These guys have progressed & improved tremendously. The music is very harsh, heavy & brutal as hell sounding. I loved the mixture of the two styles together. There is a lot of tightness, aggression & fast paced music here. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh Death growl mixed with a slight Death scream. This is the best stuff yet from this great band. Keep a watch on these guys, because they will be getting bigger in the underground, very quickly!!! PRIMALDAWN@gmail.com / www.PRIMALDAWN.cjb.net |
| SPEED KILL HATE - ACTS OF INSANITY (9 track CD) ESCAPI MUSIC This is the debut CD release from SPEED KILL HATE which features members of OVERKILL. These guys play East Coast Thrash Metal music that is laced with Death Metal influences. I love this sound a lot, it has a very aggressive gritty street sound with the harshness of a New York City vibe. The music is ultra fast Speed / Thrash Metal music that has a great groove & heavy ass beat to it.The vocals are done in a mid ranged Thrash/Death crossover style. I grew up listent to bands that played this style & I will always love this music. These guys are doing a great job in keep this style alive & I'm sure we will be seeing a lot more from this band. I sure as hell hope so!!! www.SPEEDKILLHATE.com |
| STREETCULT STREET TEAMS - LOUD MUSIC SAMPLER VOLUME 6 (10 track CD) STREETCULT STREET TEAMS This is the 6th volume in this really cool sampler series from STREETCULT STREET TEAMS. These are promo CDs that are giving away to promote some really cool new bands popping up on the scene. This CD contains 10 tracks & 10 different bands playing, Metal, Thrash, Death, Industrial, Hardcore & more loud music. Some of the bands include MEGAHERZ, SCUM OF THE EARTH, ALEV, FIVE FOOT THICK, DISARRAY, VEGAS TEMPER, DEAD BY WEDNESDAY, JAVIER CANALES, VENGENCE & THIS YEARS ADDICTION. Contact this promo label to get your free copies of this CD & future CD's www.STREETTEAM.com |
| THE ACACIA STRAIN - THE DEAD WALK (11 track CD) PROSTHETIC RECORDS This Springfield Massachusetts band is back & has unleashed one hell of a great new disc. They have a new line up this time around too, with a new drummer & bassist. These guys play really heavy Death Metal influenced Hardcore music. The music is very fast, heavy & intense as hell. They plow you over from the first song, down to the last track. There is tons of great mosh worthy grooves, crashing drum beats & lots of breakdowns, change ups & anything else you can imagine. I really dig this style of Death-Core that these guys play. If you thought their last disc was heavy them you better prepare yourself, cause this ones gonna knock the crap out of you! Juts get it!!! www.THEACACIASTRAINmusic.com |
| THE AUTUMN OFFERING - EMBRACE THE GUTTER (11 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS I was so glad to get this CD in my collection. I kept seeing the comercials on Headbangers Ball for it & loved what i heard. The CD is exactly what i expected it to be. These guys blend together every good aspect of both Metal & Hardcore to create a very feirce, intense & powerful sound. i loved the great Thrash Metal, PANTERA inspired guitars along with the heavy Hardcore drums & bass sounds. The vocals are middle of the road meeting point for both Metal & Hardcore vocals. If any fan ever thought Metal & Hardcore shouldn't mix, then they need to listen to these guys, because they melt the two styles together better than anyone else I've ever heard. Check this one out, cause it's amazingly good & you will hear the best of the next wave of this style of music!!! www.THEAUTUMNOFFERING.com |
| THE FORCAST - IN THE SHADOW OF TWO GUNMAN (12 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS THE FORCAST is a young up & coming band out of Peoria, Illinois. This four piece plase some up beat sounding Indie Rock music that takes some elements from Punk Rock, Emo, Classic Rock & Pop music. There are some good grooves & some poppy sounding parts all mixed with in. The vocals are done in a an almost Alternative Pop or Punk style. I did like the blend of the male & female vocals alot, but prefered the female vocals more. These guys are a lot different from anything else I've heard from VICTORY RECORDS, but they still have that certain vibe that makes them fit in well with the rest of their bands. Not my favorite of VICTORY bands, but still a good band over all. www.THE-FORCAST.net |
| THE SEVENTH GATE - FOLIE A TROIS (5 track CD) Self Released This is the newest offering from the 3 maniacs in THE SEVENTH GATE. This new disc see the band following along the same traditions as past release. They play some great Death Metal music that is poked & proded with many elements of Grind-core, Crust & some Black Metal too. The music is very brutal & angry sounding all the way through. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl/scream, a low end Death gurggle & a higher pitched Grindcore scream. This one has a lot folks & if your not prepared you will have your ears shredded. This is a shredding you will surely enjoy!!! Play this disc & let the blood start to flow!!! mikebeer7G@yahoo.com / silenceinheaven@aol.com / www.SATANROCK.com |
| THE WARRIORS - BEYOND THE NOISE (11 track CD) EULOGY RECORDS This is a young Hardcore Punk band out of California. These guys play very well for an average of 21 years old in the band. They say no one knew how to play any instruments when they formed the band in high school. With one listen to this labum you would find that hard to beleive. They play a ver energetic & hyper style of Hardcore music that injects Punk influences into their sound. There are a lot of twists & changes in their music which I dug a lot. These guys are slowly creeping up in the Hardcore scene & have toured with some big named groups already. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh screaming Hardcore style. Think of THE SPUDMONSTERS, DOWNSET & MERAUDER. This is a good combination in my mind, so I really enjoyed this new offering!!! www.THEWARRIORZ.com |
| TORTURE - STORM ALERT (11 track CD) ESCAPI MUSIC TORTURE originally formed back in 1986 in El Paso, Texas. This album was originally released on an indie label based in London back in 1989. The album never got released in the states & shortly after the band folded. In 2004 the band started to reunite & they started remastering this disc for an American release. These guys play some old school meets new school Thrash Metal music in the veins of DESTRUCTION, KREATOR, OVERKILL, FORBIDDEN & SLAYER, mixed with some slight Death Metal influences. The vocals are done in a this style of music as well. There are two new tracks also on this release. It's amazing that such great bands like this never lasted & now can actually make a great comeback, which I'm sure these guys will do!!! www.TORTUREband.com |
| VIA MISTICA - UNDER MY EYELIDS (12 track CD) METAL MIND PRODUCTIONS This is the 3rd full length album from this amazing Doom / Gothic / Metal band. This band has a very different & sound all their own. They blend both majestic atmospheric & symphonic dark music with heavy intense & brutal music. They also incorpotrate a cello into their music. These guys & girl are highly talented & extremely good. I loved the blend of the delicate angelic female vocals with the heavy growling Death like vocals. This is one band that really needs to be heard to fully appreciate the greatness that they posses. I highly, highly recommend this album. I loved every second of it. This is one of the best releases I've heard in a long time!!! VIAMISTICA@o2.pl / VMISTICA@gmail.com / www.VIAMISTICA.com |
| WASTEFALL - SELF EXILE (11 track CD) THE LASERS EDGE / SENSORY Coming to us from Greece is this Heavy Metal band name WASTEFALL. These guys play some old school styled Heavy Metal mixed with new school Power & Progressive Metal music. This is their third album & first release from SENSORY RECORDS. The music is very tight, well structured & has a lot of depth to it. These guys remind me of DREAM THEATER, HELLOWEEN, NEVERMORE & even a little PANTERA. The vocals are done in a Progressive/Thrash/Power Metal crossover style. The music sometimes has a Thrash metal style to it as well. I didn't expect to like this, but found myself playing it over & over again.!!! |