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Hardcore Superstar –
Self Titled (Candlelight Records) Review by Samuel
Munch-Petersen |
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Don’t be fooled by the title, they’re not hardcore in any way
in my opinion. They fall from Sweden and the Scandinavians
aren’t really renowned for their hardcore as such. Metal yes
of course, but hardcore not really.
The album is sort of a mix between rock and metal, which in
some ways is the same thing isn’t it?
The first two tracks seamlessly flow one into the other and
this has given them a major + in my overall ever declining
impressed state of mind with them. They sound a cross between
Avenged Sevenfold and CJ Sleez and even possibly Iron Maiden.
They look like rejects from a bad interpretation of what
hardcore followers look like and they remind me in that |
regard
of Calbian which is a band I honestly can’t fucking stand. The
music itself isn’t so extraordinary that I can say I’m
spazzing out to the tracks, but the instruments are
pertinently played and the album is crisply produced; someone
likened the production to that of Metallica’s Black album… you
can decide for yourself but I don’t think the mighty Metallica
can be drawn into the argument to boost this band’s rep.
Metallica are an institution nowadays and in most ways that’s
a shame. Hardcore Superstar seems to be jumping on the band
wagon with this sound and feel.
It’s funny how you get either immense metal from Sweden or
progressively shit rock, take Fatal Smile who I reviewed a
while back; Swedish rock that really doesn’t do anything for
the reputation of my homeland. Obviously the Swedes love this
stuff because Hardcore Superstar have had a LOT of TV and
radio coverage apparently whilst also introducing AC/DC on
tour. But is this all down to the band or indeed the PR. I
think the latter.
The album is fine, don’t get me wrong, but it just doesn’t do
much for me. It’s standard music with standard results; me
sitting there expecting more but not getting any. I can yield
that they are probably a great crowd mover and that they sound
good in a club but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get to the
gig.
And the album almost moves into a cross between power metal
and emo on track four; ‘She’s Offbeat’. Power metal yes, emo…
fuck off.
Okay the album seems to move sleekly from one track to another
and as I said before, they are accomplished musicians but this
isn’t something I can get into unless I was drunk and in a
club, dancing along to the rather bass-induced bash beats.
Hardcore Superstar are the standard rock band that we see come
alive every so often and though they pay with ability, they
don’t jingle my bells so that I can enjoy Christmas anymore
than I already hate it.
www.hardcoresuperstar.com |
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Headrush - Livin' In A Fantasy
(Rock Revival Records) Review by Steve Green |
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Two tracks (and with a running
time of under 7 minutes) sometimes isn't enough to get a feel
of how a band sounds, but I'm guessing this taster will be
more than enough to reveal Headrush's true identity. Headrush
love the 80s with a passion and particularly the glammier
side. And I'm not talking the limp wristed side - ie: Poison
and Warrant. I'm talking the real deal here. Motley Crue, Guns
N Roses and Aerosmith, in fact I think the demo version of Party Tonite sounds
exactly
like Guns N Roses covering Aerosmith's Mamma Kin. Nail on
head, well and truly hit.
www.headrushrocks.co.uk |
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I - Between Two Worlds (Nuclear Blast)
By: Joe Florez |
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Well, so much for Abbath being out of the spotlight after
Immortal. He has formed a new band formed somewhat in the
dirty rock and roll vein. I prefer to call it black and roll.
Members of Sahg and Enslaved are along for the ride as well as
former lyricist for Immortal Demonaz. What we have hear is
another slice of rock heaven. “The Storm I Ride” is a hard
rocking and jamming number filled with Abbath’s gritty vocals
that are akin to Lemmy if he had a bad cold as well as a touch
of his black metal days. The riffs are simple, but filled with
rough abrasions and a killer rhythm section. What I like most
about this is that it doesn’t only revel in the sounds of the
70’s. It has a modern edge to boot and is shown |
clearly
during the solo. The track is also clean at times and it helps
separate the guys from other artists who are deluging the
scene with the same style over and over. “Warriors” has a bit
more of an evil feel as there is this ambience included to
this slower tune. They boys still pound away, but has an old
school black metal feeling, sort of like the new Satyricon disc. It’s dark, cold and definitely cool. It seems
like from “Battalions” onward that the golden throat of old
really begins to shine and it’s quite cool to hear as he
utilizes that with the current batch of songs that he now
plays. As the disc progresses, I really shines and becomes
their own identity as they shed their influences and forge
ahead with original tunes that continuously rock and groove.
This was a real treat to hear as my expectations have been met
and then some. A surprise hit here that will surely gain a lot
of fans from all walks of the metal world sooner or later.
Great material makes for a great listen.
www.nuclearblast.de
| www.I-metal.net |
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Lähdön Aika -
Tuomittu (Thrash and Burn) Review by Marco Gaminara |
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Judging this CD by its cover would be a really bad idea, cos
to me it looks like it's gonna be more Goth than metal, and
the intro track "..." is just plain weird, so it gives nothing
away, other than that everything's going to be in Finnish. When
"Enää en Unohda" starts however Akseli Kahra's guitar is heavy
and sludgy with Niko Nevander's bass buzzing backup to make
the sound even heavier, Jari-Markus Kohijoki's drumming is
slow and doomy while Marko Nyman's vocals are clean but very
low rather than sounding like he's breathing helium. They
appear to have a gloomy disposition and the slow, heavy riffs
of "Ajatus" suit what they're doing well, Niko Nevander's
backing vocals add an element of |
aggression which complements Nyman's well. The pace is picked
up a little for "Kylmä
Maailma", and the drum pounding far more enthusiastic with
some awesome rhythmic tribal fills thrown in every now and
then. A haunting female vocal melody opens "Loppu Tulee",
flowing into solid guitar melodies that are very reminiscent
of Dimmu, sans the frantic kick drum. Perhaps it's the bass
solo on "Kenelle Kuuluu Kiitos", but musically this song is
very Candlemass, while the vocals are anything but. A very
simple guitar rhythm is used on "Ihmisraunioita", which
quickly has me tapping along. Definitely the fastest track on
the album, and trust me when I say 'that's not saying much', "Elämä
Menetetty" pulls itself out of the monotony, but slowly slides
back down into the steady pace that the rest of the album
employs rather well. The outro "..." is along similar lines to
the intro, with spoken Finnish, which sadly I do not
understand. It's a great half hour of gloomy moody music, and
if that's your bag, then you'll definitely enjoy this.
www.adicon.org/la
| www.thrashandburn.net
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Lanfear - Another Golden Rage (Locomotive Records)
By: Joe Florez |
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For twelve years now, these Germans have been perfecting the
art of progressive power metal. This is my first foray into
this five piece unit, but from what I heard these guys are
amazing. Lead singer Nuno can make his lungs soar to the
heavens and beyond kind of like the air-raid siren himself
Bruce Dickinson. The musicianship is top notch as everyone
throws down as if tomorrow wasn’t going to come. They each
know their part in terms of when to shine and when to let up
and focus as a cohesive unit. A strong and fiery opener to
show off what is to come on the title track. “The
Unrestrained” is lush, powerful and fast as the boys rock the
house with this one. The drumming is tight, crisp and clear as
Gen crushes |
though
this. The keyboard work gets a little proggy, but that’s cool and the guitars simply shred for what
is another solid composition. Like I said before, each person
knows their role. “Shades Of Black” really threw me for a loop
as not only was I getting what I expected, but the vocals get
dark, deep and sinister as in black metal style and some blast
beats have been injected into the mix along with some fancy
ivory tickling. It was cool and amazing all at the same time.
Now that’s what I call original.
Just when I thought that the
power prog scene was taking a dive for the worse a band like
this comes along and changes all of the dimensions and makes
it cool to listen to. I advise anyone who is bored with the
same old b.s. and want to invest in something fresh and
invigorating then this is your ticket. It doesn’t get any
better than this right here.
www.locomotiverecords.com
| www.lanfear.eu
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Lecherous Nocturne-
Adoration Of The Blade (Deepsend Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
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Nile guitarist extraordinaire and front man Dallas Toler-Wade
has a side project (yeah, that’s probably an unfair assessment
for the full-time members of Lecherous Nocturne)?! And, he
plays the drums?! OK, so I’m naturally intrigued as no doubt
most of you are, as well. In addition, I really became
interested while reading Deepsend Records’ promo material,
which states that Lecherous Nocturne is emulating early Morbid
Angel, Gorguts’ last two albums with the jarring and chaotic
time changes, and some black metal from Marduk and Emperor
thrown in for good measure. Essentially, I was expecting
blackened death metal with Dallas Toler-Wade showing his
musical range with another instrument. In |
addition, Monstrosity bassist Mike Poggione has a spot on the roster, so
a band chock full of death metal veterans begins to really
inflate my expectations.
“Adoration Of The Blade”, the band’s first full-length, is
pretty much spot-on when it comes to the Gorguts influence and
less so with regards to black metal. Technical death metal
with time changes galore dominates the album with better-than-average drumming from Toler-Wade (frankly, I wasn’t
expecting much, so I was pleasantly surprised), and some
technically proficient guitar work with plenty of whirlwind
riffs from Christian Lofgren and Chris Lollis. Deeply growled
vocals from Hohenstein complete the mix, although I was
expecting a black metal rasp given the promo material. This
type of a release is right up my alley and, in short, I was
impressed with what I heard on “Adoration Of The Blade”.
There is a problem with “Adoration Of The Blade”, however, and
that’s the rather flat production. The instruments are clear,
for the most part, although you’d be hard-pressed to pick out
the bass from the mix. But, the drums don’t really snap, and
the guitars do not flatten the listener as they should. In
essence, what’s most lacking is a deep, powerful sound that
technical death metal really benefits from. In addition, the
album is rather short, consisting of eight tracks clocking in
at just less than 24 minutes.
Still, minor production problems aside, this was an enjoyable
release and is worth tracking down. I can’t help but wonder,
however, if Lecherous Nocturne can continue much further in
this form, given the commitments of Toler- Wade and Poggione
to their main projects. At any rate, “Adoration Of The Blade”
is recommended.
www.deepsend.com |
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MasseMord - Hatred
Towards Mankind And Life Itself (Death Solution Productions)
Review by
Crin |
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Not to be confused with the Norwegian band of the same name,
this Polish Black Metal act are like a pneumatic drill
snapping at your teeth, bellowing forth bursts of pure Black
Metal from a splayed muzzle of a Howitzer perched on the
precipice of Hell itself.
I have heard many a Black Metal opus, but this has that extra
something that makes it utterly compelling.
Formed in 2000, the band have released four demos and oddly
enough a live album. All the members also inhabit another
Polish Black Metal band called Furia, the drummer was also in
cult Polish Black Metal act Arkona.
Massemord however are like a Tank rumbling towards you from a
poisonous fog.
Think of the Zyclon B mcd with even more bottom end |
and that
is the main foundation from where this equally head smelting
release comes from.
The songs are complex, yet their instantly accessible melodies
transform the intricacies into easily appreciated Black Metal
masterworks.
The music drifts from lightning fast to thudding mid-pace
sections that reveal the band in their many guises of neck
ripping ferocity and head pummelling heaviness.
If chaos were let out of a box then this band would be it, a
heavy as fuck [due to the bass being so up in the mix] and an
injection of melody that shouldn’t even exist next to the buzz
saw guitars and torturous vocal delivery.
The band do a fine cover of Dodheimsgards, Ion Storm,
transforming an already blazing track into a molten tempest of
ultra heavy Metal mayhem.
This has to be one of the finest Polish Black Metal bands of
recent times, a statement I will stand by.
http://rawanet.net/~mucha/mm/index.html |
www.deathsolution.com |
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Moistboyz –
Moistboyz IV (Schnitzel Records) Review by Samuel
Munch-Petersen |
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Moistboyz seem to have had a large following in the past with
their previous albums, which are all self titled with a Roman
numeral following. The band was given their name when they
started their first album with Mickey Melchiondo (Ween) in a
room on a side street in New Hope, PA. The room was apparently
‘moist’ and thus the name was born. Good huh?
They’ve kept on going since then and have had their first two
albums released on the fledgling label; Grand Royal, which is
the one that Mike-D (Beastie Boys) handles, which is always a
good thing. The third album moved to Mike Patton’s label; Ipecac Records.
The band (especially Guy Heller aka Dickie Moist) have had a
rough time through the ages but |
have devised and produced an
album that I think is largely rock based that comes through raw
and hard.
They’re not metal and they’re borderline punk to some degree
but overall Moistboyz have found something of their own in
this torrent of music that keeps on coming through the ages.
We are punched in the face with the first track; “I Don’t Give
a Fuck Where the Eagle Flies” and you know that the album will
be overly political, which is never a bad thing. Music is
there to inspire, destroy or cheer us up. To make us dance and
to make us think at the same time is often a hard task to
achieve, especially when so many people are void of
understanding of the world we live in. Moistboyz don’t break
from their ever cut-throat sounds whilst bringing us line
after line of political snappiness.
The album may be lighter than what we’re used to from the
Moistboyz but in all honesty who cares? Music is ever shifting
and if you get something that feels right and you make music
that you enjoy I don’t see why the band has to be labelled to
have “got weak”. It’s their music and their passion, reviewers
like me and you the public either enjoy it or don’t. We’re not
the rulers of what is good or indeed bad music. Personal taste
and opinion doesn’t come with a tag saying; “I am the all
knowledgeable on the subject at hand”.
Moistboyz IV is an album worth listening to. If you like the
idea of rock and roll being reinvented, almost from a
contemporary point of view, then have a glance, it won’t kill
you. It’s track after track of heavy, fast, slow, mud-filled,
loud and simple music. And it has a fucking cool album
cover/sleeve.
You won’t be disappointed if you buy the album since you are
able to relate to the tracks and simply rock out to the beats.
And one more thing, check out the history on their website,
it’s insightful reading to get you in the mood for the album
and at least give you a credible background which does need to
be considered.
www.moistboyz.com
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