| MUSIC REVIEWS June 2008 |
| ASPHYXIA - SELF TITLED (10 track CD) Self Released This is a new young band from South Australia that really are going to give some of the veteran Metal bands a real run for their money. These guys average the age of 17 & play some extremely well written & aggressive Metal music. They blend in many elements of Thrash Death & Grindcore. The songs have a lot of diversity through out while sticking to the above styles. I loved how they will smash you into a wall of Death Grind & then pull back with some classic Thrash riffs. The vocals are done in a lower ended Death growl with a mixture of mid to higher Death & Grindcore type screams. This band will become well known world wide quickly if they keep at this pace! ASPHYXIAmetal@musician.org / myspace.com/ASPHYXIAmetal |
| CANDLELIGHT USA - WINTER SAMPLER (17 track CD) CNDLELIGHT RECORDS This is the newest sampler CD release for 2008 by CANDLELIGHT RECORDS. This CD showcases some of the current talent they have on their label. The bands play in the forms of Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Grindcore, Black Metal & Goth Metal. There are some highly talented & great bands featured. The bands include IN BATTLE, OBITUARY, TO-MERA, SEAR BLISS, WITCHCRAFT, ELECTRIC WIZARD, OCTOBER FILE, TAINT, ENTOMBED, TULUS, MARTRIDEN, STAROFASH, THE FORSHADOWING, INSOMNIUM, LIMBONIC ART & BLUT AUS NORD! You must get this sampler & any or all of these bands releases! www.CANDLELIGHTRECORDSUSA.com |
| CLINTONE - FULL CIRCLE (11 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS This is the label debut from this New Hampshire guitar wiz. CLINTONE has honed his guitar shredding skills & has unvailed them for us all to enjoy. The music has a definate Rock Metal vibe to it & is all instrumental. The hook heavy songs & riffs really grab a hold of you & force you to listen. The style he has in playing really brings to mind some of the greats like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen & others. Any guitar fan would highly enjoy this CD as well as be very impressed. I'm sure that CLINTONE will become a very familiar name in the guitar world! www.CLINTONEmusic.com |
| DAYLIGHT DIES - LOST TO THE LIVING (9 track CD) CANDLELIGHT USA This is the the 3rd offering from this North Carolina based Doom Metal band. These guys are in no way your rehashed typical Doom Metal band either. They come through with some original dark & gloomy sounding Doom that is very hauntingly scary, but at the same time very soothing & engulfing. There is a heavy & dark atmosphere that blankets their sound all through out. They are almost on the borderline of becoming a Black Metal band. The vocals are harsh throaty & drawn out Doom Death growls with some screams at times. After one listen to this album there is no wonder why it's one of the most looked forward new Doom Metal release this year! Definately one of the best bands doing this style today & the bands best work so far! |
| DERANGED - THE REDLIGHT MURDER CASE (9 track CD) REGAIN RECORDS Damn! This is some amazing & brutal as fuck Death Grind music. I loved every second of this album. They come at you quick, beat the hell out of you & just repeatededly keep doing it with each new song. The music is ultra fast paced Death Metal that is smashed together with Gore Grind. These sickos never let up! Theere a few stop & start parts with break downs so you can get a quick breather, before it kicks in again. The vocals are done in a very low thick Death Grind growl style. They have a lot of old school influences but spice it up with some new school elements. I loved this disc! Get this one & start the murder spree! Listen to this one very, very loud! johan@killaman.net / www.iamDERANGED.com |
| DIAMOND DOGS - UP THE ROCK (12 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS I didn't think I was going to like this CD, but I actually really started digging it as the CD kept playing. These guys have a 70's styled Rock sound that encorporates some other styles as well. The music is really up beat & rockin' all through out. They had a really good groove that hooks you in makes you start rockin' along with them. If you took 70's era KISS, especially the (solo albums), mixed it with modern day BLACK CROWES & even toss in some old 80's styled FASTER PUSSYCAT, you'd get a slight idea of what these guys sound like. If you dig any of these bands, then you must pick this up, cause your more than likely gonna love this! |
| EMBALMING THEATRE / HACKSAW SURGERY - D-COMPOSITION (16 track CD) GRINDHEAD RECORDS This is a split CD release by 2 sick bands. The first 10 tracks come from EMBALMING THEATRE. These guys play ultra fast blasting Grindcore all the way. The music is raw, aggressive, & brutal as fuck! The vocals are done in a low ended thick Grind Gore growl style! The last 6 tracks come from HACKSAW SURGERY. These guys also play a sick & twisted style of Grind Gore music. Theyare rawer sounding with lots of fast blasts, but also some slower parts tossed in the mix as well. The vocals are done in a rough Death Grind style! Get this release & Grind your head off!!! info@EMBALMINGTHEATRE.ch / www.EMBALMINGTHEATRE.ch justiceimpaled@hotmail.com / myspace.com/HACKSAWSURGERY |
| EYETOFUK /PUTRID WHORE - DRUFUKED AND PORNIFIED (14 track CD) GRINDHEAD RECORDS The first 8 tracks of this split are spewed forth by the demented EYETOFUK. These guys play ultra fast Industrial Porno Grind music. The music has tons of samples all through out that just add to the bizarreness of this great psychotic band. They are very chaotic & spastic & I loved it! The last 6 tracks are done by the the Italian Porno Gore band PUTRID WHORE! These guys play a little bit more brutal GrindGore music & don't have any Industrial influences really. They are heavy as shit & very very intense sounding. Thick ass gurggle growls from these guys! EYETOFUK@gmail.com / myspace.com/EYETOFUK carcassgrind@hotmail.com / myspace.com/PUTRIDWHOREon |
| FIGURE OF SIX - AION (9 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS Hailing from Italy these guys used to be a straight forward Hardcore band. Not anymore. They have taking their Hardcore sound manipulated it & adding in lots of other stuff to steer them away from a typical Hardcore sound. The music takes lots of elements from Metal, Death, Black, Progressive & Goth as well. There are tons of fast paced killer beats & grooves, but there is much much more. They have lots of electronic & melodic parts with keyboards, samples, guitar synths & more. There is a very strong dark & spacey futuristic atmosphere to their music that I loved! The vocals are done in melodic Metal & Goth styles with mid ranged Metal & higher Hardcore screams! This is a band that fits in no catagory & stands alone. You must listen to this disc! |
| FOREVER'S FALLEN GRACE - HEARLD OF TWILIGHT (7 track CD) AGGRESSIVE MUSIC Wow! I was was totally blown away by these guys. They are highly talented & very impressive. They play a blend of Metal styles while incorporating some Classical music into their sound. The music has a dark & dreary almost Doom like vibe to it with lots of Epic Power Metal elements present as well. There are some heavier & faster Death Metal & Black Metal parts too. The piano & keyboards really set the atmosphere for thier dark somber sound. The vocals are done in a mid ranged kind of gloomy Doom Metal style. These guys are extremely good & should not be over looked. This was one of my favorite underground releases so far in 2008! f_b@comcast.net / www.FOREVERSFALLENGRACE.com |
| GRAVE - DOMINION VIII (9 track CD) REGAIN RECORDS What can I say that hasn't been said already about this amaingly great Death Metal band from Sweden. These guys have been one of the reasons I have loved Death Metal music for so long now. They play old school Death Metal with shear brute force & just pound the hell out of anyone brave enough to listen. The music is very thick, tight & powerful Death Metal through & through. The vocals are done in a mid ranged thick Death growl style. This is better than past releases & their past stuff is incredible. There is no rsurprise why these guys have influenced countless of bands over the years. The only thing I really have to say to make you go out & buy this disc is... IT'S GRAVE! 'nuff said! |
| HATE SQUAD - DEGUELLO WARTUNES (11 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS With this new release this German H8 Core band celebrates it's 15th anniversary. These guys have become vetrans in the Thrash & Death Metal scene for years now. They were also one of the first bands to blend Hardcore into their Metal sound. They should be a lot bigger in the scene then they are! There music blends classic German Thrash with U.S. influenced Death Metal along with some good old Hardcore elements. These guys have always been one of my favorite bands of this style & this new release simply destroys their past efforts! The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh Hardcore/Thrash crossover style with some mid ranged Death growls. If you haven't heard these guys before, you must inlist & joing the HATE SQUAD! |
| HEADHUNTER - PARASITE OF SOCIETY (11 track CD) CANDLELIGHT USA This is the first new recording from these German thrashers in 13 years. Back again with the famed line up of Schmier (DESTRUCTION), Schmuddel (TALON) & Jorg Michael (SAXON & STRATOVARIUS). This is a highly anticpated release & one that I'm sure all old school Thrash Metal fans are going to love. It's weird because this album is so good & seems to just pick right up where the last one left off & that there was no 13 years gap in between. I became a huge Metal fan back in the day when Thrash Metal came into existence & still love that style more than ever today. I am glad that this genre is being giving new life & some of these greats are coming back to life. Any Thrash Metal fan would eat this up! This is a Thrashers wet dream! |
| HELL N' DIESEL - PASSIONS FOR POWER (11 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS I'm not really sure what style of music these guys would consider themselves. Maybe just hard Rock, but they have more than just taht. These guys also take some influences from Traditional Metal, Glam Metal, Modern Metal as well as some elements of Punk Rock too. There sound is pretty upbeat & rockin' all through out & really has a good groove too it. I think they reminded me a lot of MOTLEY CRUE from the "DR. FEELGOOD" era, but just in the music. The vocals are bit harder & a bit more Punk Rock sounding. At times the singer reminds me of Sebastian Bach of SKID ROW. This was a different sounding Rock band & after a few songs I was really digging it! |
| IHSAHN - ANGL (9 track CD) CANDLELIGHT RECORDS This is the eagerly anticipated second solo album from former EMPEROR vocalist & lead guitarist Ihsahn. With his long career in EMPEROR he has gain much respect through out the music scene & this new release will gain him more. He has unleashed 9 new songs all written & performed by him. There are some guest musicians from SPIRAL ARCHITECT & OPETH. The music is veryprogressive sounding Metal with lots of heavy influences of Classical, Goth, Death, Black & even some Traditional Metal. His vocal styling runs through a lot of the above styles of music as well. This is by far his freshest most original sounding work to date! www.IHSAHN.com |
| IMAGIKA - FEAST FOR THE HATED (10 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS Back again with a new release comes this great Bay Area Thrash Metal band IMAGIKA. This new release sees the band with a new label, new memebers & adding in new flare to their already amazing Thrash Metal sound. They have stuck with their signature classic Thrash style, but mixed in some very melodic passages in songs along with some all out out Power Metal songs to. The vocals follow the same path as the music. When the music switches gears to a different style the vocals go right along with it. This is by far the bands most advanced, well written & structured release so far.Thisis new direction will please old fans as well as grab them some new fans too! |
| LEFT TO ROT - BATHE IN BLOOD (9 track CD) Self Released If you want some ultra brutal & sick Death Grind covered in gore then look no further. LEFT TO ROT deliver the blood soaked goods! These guys play a lower ended sounding Death Metal style that has lots of thick ass grooves & tons of crunchy blasts. They toss in lots of Grindcore elements especially in the guitar work. The vocals are done in a low thick Death growl style with the occassional scream & gurggle added in. They top all this with gore drenched lyrics & come up with one bad ass great Death/Grind album. If you haven't heard these guys before then you must get this disc, especially if your into Gore obsessed bands! nmsickness@LEFTTOROT.net / www.LEFTTOROT.net |
| MACHINERY - THE PASSING (9 track CD) REGAIN RECORDS MACHINERY hails from Sweden & play a very involved & Progressive style of Power Metal. There are lots of hooks, twists & change ups all through out their music that suck you in & take you on a majestic journey. There are lots of Classical influences shining through in parts too. They add lots of Thrash Metal & Speed Metal to the guitar work. The drums are the full sound that really drives the band. They do add a lot of faster & more aggressive Death Metal into the music as well. These guys just hit all the great styles of Metal & blend them together for one impressive sound. This is a band that any fan of any Metal can find something they really enjoy in this band! www.MACHINERY.se |
| MAGICA - HERE AFTER (11 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS I don't know anything about this band & have never heard them before now, but I do know that they have gain a fan in me now! They play some very orchestrated & atmospheric Power Metal that has a great Epic Metal feel to it all through out. I love music like this & now this band is another new favorite of mine. They have lots of depth, originality & strenght in every one of their songs. The music is very progressive & well structure. The vocals are done in very angelic & powerful female vocals with some melodic male vocals backing them up. This band has a sound & the talent that should carry them to the top of the music scene! A must have release! |
| MONGREL - FEAR LIES & PROPAGANDA (13 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS These 5 guys from Massachusetts play a very cool gritty style of old school Punk Rock music. Their music is filled with lots of upbeat adrenaline & has a lot of cool grooves & beats all through out. They do add in some elelments of Metal & Hard Rock at times, but the main foundation is Punk Rock. It's old school Punk Rock to, not his new school polished factory made Punk Rock that is filling the airwaves. These guys have a bit of an H20, Balck Flag, Circle Jerks, Ramones, Minoe Threat & Sloppy Seconds kind of sound, which I was loving a lot! Old School Punkers will love these guys! I know I did! |
| NEFASTUS DIES - URBAN CANCER (7 track CD) CANDLELIGHT USA NEFASTUS DIES formed back in 2002 in Canada & are ready to take on the Metal scene. This new release will surely blast them a path towards the top of thescene. The band features former ION DISSONANCE vocalist Ill-Fate. These guys blend together many elements of Death & Black Metal along with tons of Grindcore influences. The music is very intense & spastic at times with some mournful atmospheric parts in the backgrounds. The vocals are done in low ended Death growls, mid ranged Death/Grind scream/growls & some more clean melodic Black Metal vocals. If you want to take a hyper intense rid into madness then pop this disc in! |
| NIGHTMARE - GENETIC DISORDER (12 track CD) REGAIN RECORDS NIGHTMARE is another band who likes to mix things up within the Metal genre. They plant their foundation in Power Metal but add in lots of Thrash Metal elements along with Progressive Metal & Speed Metal. There is a strong Epic Power Metal sound that dominates thier style. I love how they will take you down this rhythmic path & then hit you with some all out shredding parts then swing you back to the grooved parts. The vocals are done in a crossover style of Power Metal & Thrash Metal. I really dig these guys a lot & know that if they were around in the 80's they would have been one of the bigger & better Thrash/Power Metal bands to rule that era! NIGHTMARE-info@orange.fr / www.NIGHTMARE-metal.com |
| OVERTHRONE - DECLARATIONS OF SECESSION (8 track CD) Self Released This is the first full length album from this Blackend Thrash Metal band. This 2 man band consists of Nathan Nickels (guitars & bass) & Toby Nickels (Drums, Synths & Vocals). These two guys have so much talent between them they blow away some of the bigger more popular Black Metal bands out there. The music is kind of cold & somber with lots of old school Black Metal influences along with some sharp & fast Thrash Metal riffs. There is a very tight good balance between these two styles. The vocals are mid ranged harsh Black Metal growls. If American Black Metal bands were as good as these guys no one would care about the European Black Metal scene! OVERTHRONE@hotmail.com / myspace.com/OVERTHRONEband |
| PULSE 8 - TELL ME WHAT IT IS (13 track CD) Self Released These guys from Kentucky have been around for a while now & producing some kick ass music. Their music has a Hardcore Rock Modern Metal crossover style to it. They do add in lots of flavoring of old school Thrash & Speed Metal music too. The music has a strong driving groove to it that just keeps chugging along fast & furious. The vocals are done in a mid ranged throaty, but clean Metal style with some higher pitched screams at times. I still can't believe that no label has picked these guys up yet, someone should sign them! This is by far the best effort the band has unleashed so far. They just keep getting better & better! Now go check them out! contactP8@yahoo.com / www.uwillPULSE8.com |
| SADAKO - HIKIKOMORI (13 track CD) TRANSWAVED Back with their second effort is the far out & ever changing SADAKO. This time around the band has changed memebers & also their sound a bit. They have crossed over into many styles & do so once again on this release. They are a Metal band, but add touches of Darkwave, Gothic, Nu-Metal, Thrash Metal, Industrial, Hardcore & even some World Music. Their sound seems like it's all over the place, but it all transitions smoothly into each other. There are some mystical & spiritual parts with some catchy hooks & beats. They have a dark vibe that covers most of their sound through out! These guys must be experienced to fully appreciate what they have to offer! www.SADAKOmusic.com |
| SAINT DEAMON - IN SHADOWS LOST FROM THE BRAVE (12 track CD) LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS SAINT DEAMON play a very crisp & well written, crafted & constructed style of Power Metal music. They have a bit of an old school style with lots of Modern polish to it. There are elements of Thrash Metal present in the guitars & drums at times too. Thier music is quite Epic sounding too. There is a huge dynamic sound that engulfs you with each new song. The vocals are done in a strong operatic Power Metal style that reminded me of the great Ronnie James Dio. These guys could definately hold their own with some of the top bands in this genre. I would say, they could blow some of them out of the water! Power Metal fans add this one to your collection! |
| SIXONEOSIX - THE PRICE WE PAY (3 track CD) Self Released SIXONEOSIX play some really cool Death Metal music. Even though most of their sound is rooted in Death Metal they do add in some flavoring of Thrash Metal & even some Black Metal. They have a vibe that reminds me of a lot of the great Pagan & Viking Metal bands. The music is very catchy, grooving Death Rock at times too. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style, that is still understandable. I was really digging these guys a lot, because they reminded me of a combined sound of two of my favorite bands: ENTOMBED & AMON AMARTH! contact@SIXONEOSIX.com / www.SIXONEOSIX.com |
| SKITZO - MOSH TILL VOMIT (33 track 2 CD set) AREADEATH PRODUCTIONS This is a killier 2 CD set collection of one the best Thrash Metal bands that has been around for many years now: SKITZO! Lance has put together a collection of the bands past releases from 1984-1992. It's cool to hear the progression of one of my favorite underground bands out there! Most of these releases were limited quanities of demos that you could only get through the band. SKITZO plays Thrash Metal, but not your typical Thrash Metal music. These guys have been churning out great music for many years & deserve way more respect & attention then they ever get. This is available as a boxed set with shirt, patch, sticker, pin & CD or just the CD only version! www.SKITZO.biz |
| SPECIAL OPS - PHASE 2: AMIDST THE MADNESS (10 track CD) NDG ENETERTAINMENT SPECIAL OPS hail from Canada & play a modern day blend of Hard Rock & Metal music. These guys may play a very popular style today, but they sound nothing like the many clones that are out there now. They have a lot of diversity & depth to their songs. There are lots of thick chunky grooves that melt together with crunchy riffs & hard hitting beats. The vocals are done in a few styles like Nu-Metal, Power Metal, Traditional Metal, Hard Rock & Thrash Metal. These guys have a very tight, clean & professional sound that is accompanied with great song writting. This is somthing that will surely help them get noticed as they well deserve it! manager@OPSmission.com / www.OPSMISSION.com |
| THE MAN FROM THE MOON - ROCKET ATTACK (12 track CD) BLACK MARK PRODUCTIONS THE MAN FROM THE MOON is some what of a throw back to the late 70's style of Metal music. There are lots of psychedelic passages mixed within the rocking Metal grooves. The music is an inspirational musical journey & adventure thru many different moods. There are some really amazing guitar arrangements all through out, which is where most of the focus is set. There are many philosophical messages & insights that the songs deal with the way the Man From The Moon sees the world & his own life. This is some really trippy sounding Stoner Metal. |
| THY FINAL PAIN - EPITAPH (11 track CD) Self Released This is the debut full length release from this extremely good DEath Metal band out of Germany. The band features former members of the band DEBAUCHERY. These guys take things back to the old school Death Metal template & work from there. The songs are heavy, fast, brutal & intense. They add in some grooved spots along with some hooks & change ups. This helps keep everything sounding fresh. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style, but still understandable. These guys are looking for a record deal & from the sound of this CD I don't forsee them having any problem with someone signing them. These guys are incredible! www.THY-FINAL-PAIN.com |
| WITHERED - FOLIE CIRCULAIRE (10 track CD) PROSTHETIC RECORDS WITHERED formed in 2003 & have been ever evolving their soundinto something very fierce & original. These guys plant their feet in the Death Metal genre, but they add in lots of bits from Grindcore, Crust, Black & even Punk music. These guys are stretching the boundaries of what a Death Metal band is capable of. The music is ultra thick with lots of blasting noises along with crusty guitars & spastic drumming. The vocals are done in a harsh mid ranged Death/Grindcore style that also has some Crust styles at time mixed in. This is one of the heavist albums I've heard in 2008! www.WITHERED.net |