| MUSIC REVIEWS (October 2007) |
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| A PLEA FOR PURGING - A CRITIQUE OF MIND AND THOUGHT (10 track CD) FACEDOWN RECORDS Wow! I was highly pleased when i popped this disc in. These guys aren't what you would expect from FACEDOWN RECORDS. These guys play high speed velocity Metal music. These guys add in lots of flavors of Traditional, Heavy, Power, Thrash, Speed & Death Metal to create their sound. There is a blaze of high end solos mixed all within the songs. They add in some stop & start parts, tempo changes & more to give them a more unique original sound. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death Metal style with some clean more Traditional & Thrash sounding vocals. For fans of DRAGONEFORCE, IRON MAIDEN & THE FACELESS!!! www.myspace.com/APLEAFORPURGING |
| AXEL RUDI PELL - DIAMONDS UNLOCKED (11 track CD) SPV / STEAMHAMMER AXEL RUDI PELL is considered one of Germany's most versatile guitarist. He has recorded over a dozen studio albums amongst other compositions. This time around he releases a CD full of cover versions of some of his favorite artists. The style he covers them is a mixture of Thrash Metal & Power Metal music. Most of the songs you wouldn't even recognize, because he has done them in a way to make them sound almost like originals. Some bands covered include U2, KISS, THE WHO, PHIL COLLINS & even MICHAEL BOLTON! Check this out, because it's really amazing! You'll see why he is one of Germany's best!!! www.AXEL-RUDI-PELL.de |
| BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - COLORS (8 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS They have done it again. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have released another ground breaking album. These guys keep out doing themselves with each new release. There are the signature sounds that they are known for, but they toss in lots of new elements & reinvent their sound once again. The music is definately in the Metal genre, but there is so much other styles mixed with in. They have a strong Prog-Rock vibe happening a lot on this album as well. The vocal follow the same path as the music. There are some staright forward Death Metal vocals, then some clean melodic Traditional ones & even some almost Goth like ones at times! This is a must for any fan of this band & a great spot for new fans to jump on board! www.BETWEENTHEBURIEDANDME.com |
| CRIMSON MOON - XEPERA XEPER XEPERU (13 track 2CD set) DEATHGASM RECORDS This is the new digi pack release from one of the longest running Occult Black Metal bands today. These guys play some really good old school Black metal music. There is a strong harsh cold vibe that blankets their sound. There is some really dark & heavy parts all through out. The vocals are done in a mid ranged harsh Black Metal / Death Metal crossover style! The first disc is the new "SERPENT BENEATH THE SKIN" EP & disc 2 contains the long sold out "TO EMBRACE THE VAMPYRIC BLOOD" full length from 1996! All Black Metal hordes should definately pick up this release! You won't be disappointed! www.postmortemcreations.com/CRIMSONMOON.html |
| DEATHGASM RECORDS - SAMPLER 2007 (19 track CD) DEATHGASM RECORDS This is a sampler CD that contains some of the best underground Death & Black Metal bands today. DEATHGASM RECORDS has some of the best bands & releases out there & is a respected underground label. This sampler showcases some of those reasons why! There are 19 bands, most with one song. Some of the bands include NOMINON, THRONEUM, ABOMINANT, AZURE, SEMARGL, HYPERION, CULT OF DAATH, AVULSION & many more. This is a great way to check out some amazing bands off of a great label!!! P.O. BOX 681415 / MARIETTA, GA. 30068 info@DEATHGASM.com / www.DEATHGASM.com |
| DEPRESSION - EIN KAKOPHONISCHER LEBENSHAUNCH (17 track CD) APATHIC VIEW PRODUCTIONS He we have the newest release from a band that has been spreading their brand of mayhem since 1989. These guys play dirty raw old school Death Metal & Grindcore. The music has a real gritty vibe to it, this is how they like it. This recording is a live set of their last gig in 2006. The band wanted to give their fans a taste of themselves live, since they don't play out that often. The music is pretty tight, aggressive & in your face. The CD also contains 1 bonus new studio track. If your a fan of these guys, you'll surely want this in your collection! www.DEPRESSIONgrind.de |
| FREEDOM CALL - DIMENSIONS (12 track CD) SPV / STEAMHAMMER FREEDOM CALL is a great German band that has unleashed one amazing album. Tis is the bands 3rd release & by far their best effort. These guys play some extremely well orchestrated Epic Power Metal music. There are times when you can hear Traditional & Heavy Metal elements present in the sound. There is a huge sound coming out of this band. The vocals are done in a melodic Traditional Metal style with some Epic higher pitched Metal vocals. These guys remind me of QUEEN a lot, but if they were faster & had a more Epic sounding style. Check this guys out,cause I was blown away!!! www.FREEDOM-CALL.net |
| HELLOWEEN - GAMBLING WITH THE DEVIL (12 track CD) SPV / STEAMHAMMER HELLOWEEN is back with their 12th album release to date. These guys keep rolling along, beating all the latest trends in the Metal scene. These guys should be a familiar name to any Metal fan by now. They play a very cool, classic Power/Thrash Metal style of music. The music has a lot of diversity, but still sticks within the Power & Thrash range. The vocals are done in a few different styles too. There are some mid ranged clean Traditional Metal ones, some higher pitched Epic Power Metal ones & then some lower more throaty Thrash Metal vocals all mixed together. I have been a fan of these guys for years & each album just surpasses the previous! This is a great band that fully represents what Metal music is! Get this disc! www.HELLOWEEN.org |
| IGNITOR - ROAD OF BONES (11 track CD) CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC This is my first time hearing IGNITOR. These guys play old school Thrash Metal that collides with Power Metal & Traditional Heavy Metal music. The music has a lot of energy pouring from it & a good driving Thrash Metal vibe. There are some different change ups & tempo changes through out the music. The vocals are done in a few styles as well. They cross over between high pitched Power Metal, mid ranged Heavy Metal & lower ended Thrash Metal. There's a good variety of the above styles mixed together to pull you in & keep you interested! www.IGNITOR.org |
| INKED IN BLOOD - SOMETIMES WE ARE BEAUTIFUL (10 track CD) FACEDOWN RECORDS This is the second CD release from this Portland, Oregan based band. These guys play Hardcore music, but in a different way than most. They play "evolving Hardcore". This means they take old traditional Hardcore elements & mix them with somemore modern Hardcore elements. The music has a very heavy strong Hardcore aggression, but at times goes a little slower with some more melodic & grooving parts that almost sound like Emo at times. The vocals follow along the same route as the music. There are lower ended & harsh Hardcore growls & screams mixed with melodic clean Emo & Hardcore vocals. I very good diverse band well worth checking out! |
| KID BLUDO - UP & AWAY (10 track CD) OBEE RECORDS I wasn't sure what to expect with these guys, just from the bands name! KID BLUDO play a mixture of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal music. There is a classic Hard Rock vibe through out their music, but they add in lots of heavier parts that roam into the Heavy Metal field. They have a bit of Doom elements mixed within as well. There are times when the music & vocals go a little bit melodic too. The vocals are done in a few styles just like the music. The main vocals are done in a mid ranged Hard Rock Metal clean style with some lower harsher close to Death Metal ones. They also add in the flavoring of female melodic vocals to mix things up. This bands has a lot of variety & talent. Don't over look this band, cause the name doesn't fir the music style! www.KIDBLUDO.com |
| NEX - ZERO (6 track CD) DEATHGASM RECORDS NEX is a very new band that formed in January 2007. These guys play some Swedish sounding Doom Death Metal styled music. Their goal is to pay tribute to some of the pioneers in the genre like CANDLEMASS, MY DYING BRIDE, KATATONIA & ANATHEMA. With one listen to this album< i would say they have achieved that goal. The music is very slow Doomy Death Metal with lots of dirty tinges to it. There is a strong somber vibe all through out the music as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death style that is understandable. If your a fan of the above mention bands then you would definately want to pick up this release! |
| NOISELUST - SELF TITLED (3 track CD) Self Released Hailing from Greece, these guys play a different sounding style of Doom Metal music. The music is very slow Doom like, but has some different experimentation going on in it. There are some very atmospheric & somber sounding keyboard like parts. There are also some very unique sounding noise experiments happen all through out. The over all feel is kind of creepy & sludgy. The vocals reminded me of a slowed down version of CLUTCH meets CROWBAR. Give these guys a listen if your into the Doom Metal type music, you won't be let down!!! NOISELUST@hotmail.com / www.myspace.com/NOISELUST |
| PSILOCYBE LARVAE - NON EXISTENCE (4 track CD) Self Released This is a 4 song sampler CD with the songs taken from the bands full length album "NON-EXISTENCE". Emerging from Russia & playing some very good & well structured Death & Black Metal music. The music has a strong Death Metal foundation, but there are lots of very full orchestrated Black Metal sounds all through out. The music actually has a symphonic sound to it. I really enjoyed how these guys mix these two styles together, that blend so well & sound like no one else. The vocals also crossover these styles to with low Death growls, higher Black Metal ones & clean Black Metal vocals to. This band deserves a lot of attention, so give it to them!!! vital_pslr@mail.ru / www.PSILOCYBE-LARVAE.com |
| SEMARGL - MANIFEST (13 track CD) DEATHGASM RECORDS Here we have the highly anticpated follow up album from one of Black Metal's best bands. These guys play some very harsh cold old school technical Black Metal music. They have a strong war like vibe that is all through out their music. There are some atmospheric & mechanical parts mixed within the Black Metal chaos. The vocals are done in a mid to low ranged thick throaty Black Metal growl style. This is a must for any fan of old school Black Metal bands like SATYRICON, MAYHEM, EMPEROR, GORGOROTH & others in this genre. Give these guys some support, because they deserve far more than they get!!! |
| SIORAI GEIMHREADTH - SOLITUDE (4 track CD) Self Released SIORAI GEIMHEREADH play a very cold & somber style of Black metal music. At times the music can sound really peaceful & atmospheric, but at others they smash you with some hyper fast blasts & other madness in a harsh Black Metal style. A lot of their music reminds me of old school harsh, raw & cold Black Metal, especially stuff from the late 80's. The vocals also follow the same line as the music. There are some really harsh & hyper Black Metal screams mixed with some lower ended Black Metal growls. Here is another one for fans of old school Black Metal!!! Raise your horns & get this one!!! SIORAIGEIMHREADH@gmail.com / www.SIORAIGEIMHREADH.cjb.net |
| SODOM - THE FINAL SIGN OF EVIL (12 track CD) SPV / STEAMHAMMER Damn! This is one hell of a great surprise & gift fo every Metal fan out there who remembers these guys when they first started back in the 80's. This album is a re-recording of the bands 1984 EP "IN THE SIGN OF EVIL". With this release SODOM took their place as one of the leaders in German Thrash Metal & paved the way for many to follow later on. These guys also add in touches of Black Metal all through out their sound. The original line up of the 1984 classic release reunited to re-record this historical event. The band also recorded 7 bonus tracks of unreleased earlier material. If your a fan of this band or even just great Thrash/Black Metal then you must have this CD in your collection. SODOM are Metal legends!!! www.SODOMized.info |
| THE INFLUENCE - PIG RADIO (11 track CD) MICHAEL J MEDIA These guys have been around since 2005 & play an edgy Neo-Grunge style. The music has a bit of a Pop Rock sound that is very melodic & accoustic sounding at times. Sometimes the music reminds me of bands like THE POLICE, R.E.M., U2, PEARL JAM & a bit od STAIND. The vocals are done in a mid ranged clean melodic sounding style. The music is well constructed, well written & well played all through out. I could see these guys getting really big on Pop Rock radio. This isn't really my taste of music, but I can still appreciate a good band when I hear them & these guys are that type of band! dave@THEINFLUENCEofmusic.com / www.THEINFLUENCEofmusic.com |
| VOODOO GLOW SKULLS - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STREET MUSIC (12 track CD) VICTORY RECORDS VOODOO GLOW SKULLS are back & better than ever. These guys have honed their own brand of music & unleashed it to the world. They mix together Punk, Ska & Metal & then blend it together with Latin flavors. The music has a high energy all through out their songs. I dig how the music is really moving & driving at the same time up beat & grooving. There aren't that many bands playing this style anymore, but there is no wonder why these guys are striving & surviving playing this music. They do it better than most in this genre. The vocals are done in a up beat energetic Punk Ska style. there are also some really cool sing a long chorus parts too. Give these guys a listen, you'll be surprised to find yourself liking them even if your not into this style!!! www.VOODOOGLOWSKULLS.com |
| XASTHUR - DEFECTIVE EPITAPH (12 track CD) HYDRA HEAD RECORDS This is the 2nd full length XASTHUR release put out by HYDRA HEAD RECORDS. This is a one man Black metal project that comes from the twisted mind of Malefic. This music is very cold, harsh & hypnotic sounding old school Black Metal music. There is a very haunting & creepy vibe that blankets the music all through out. At some points the music is very symphonic & atmospheric & at others it's very raw dirty & cold old school Black Metal. The vocals are done in a harsh old school Black Metal scream/growl style. If you think you can handle this hate filled, yet beautifully ethereal music, then pick up this disc! |