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Annihilator - Metal (SPV) Review by Marco Gaminara |
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Having gone from recording with a full band, to doing
everything alone and then back to a full band, Jeff Waters has
now done something a little different, for Annihilator at any
rate, and recorded with ex-members Mike Mangini and Dave
Padden and a host of guest guitarists and a female vocalist.
The rather simple title is kinda apt when you consider that
there's no point in saying more than what the album is
actually composed of. Anyway from the opening riff of "Clown
Parade" – feat. Jeff Loomis (Nevermore) you can tell that it’s
Annihilator and the tone is set. "Couple Suicide" – feat.
Danko Jones (Danko Jones) and Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) has a
very funky vibe akin to "W.T.Y.D." and Angela's |
growls appear out of place, but at the same time they also add
another dimension that would not have been there otherwise. Pretty much their
version of stating solidarity in the metal community over 20
years, "Army Of One" – feat. Steve ´Lips` Kudlow (Anvil), has
some awesome drum fills happening. More soloing than anything
else "Downright Dominate" – feat. Alexi Laiho (Children Of
Bodom) felt like filler. "Smothered" – feat. Anders Bjørler
(The Haunted) was more standard fair with an early 90's feel
to it but "Operation Annihilation" – feat. Michael Amott (Arch
Enemy) has Jeff doing the vocals and it's far chunkier guitar
riffs make it stand out, but it's definitely a reworking of
"The Fun Palace" for the chorus. Picking up the pace
considerably "Haunted" – feat. Jesper Strømblad (In Flames) is
an 8 minute epic, but doesn't drag on owing to its allegro and
frequent tempo changes. Keeping things up-tempo "Kicked" –
feat. Corey Beaulieu (Trivium) is all about the triggered
kick-drum and man can Mangini kick the shit out of the thing.
I've just realised the pun I made there, and admit to it being
unintentional, but quite wish it wasn't. Nice and solid, but
slow and chunky at the same time "Detonation" – feat. Jacob
Lynam (Lynam) plods along and it actually rather enjoyable.
Finishing it all off is "Chasing The High" – feat. William
Adler (Lamb Of God) is kick arse and a great way to end the
album cos is does so on, trite as it might be, a high. It's
fast, intricate and has a kewl mellow break that's very
reminiscent of late 80's Annihilator, so basically back to the
good stuff.
www.annihilatormetal.com
| www.spv.de |
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| Demonical -
Servants Of The Unlight (Cyclone Empire) Review by Will
Knott |
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Not heard of Demonical before? What about Centinex? Thought so.
Well Demonical are made up of 3 ex-Centinex members. Johan Jansson
(guitars & vocals), Martin Schulman (bass) and Ronnie Bergerståhl
(drums). With Johan not singing in Demonical, it's up to vocalist Ludvig
Engellau to growl over the very Swedish Death Metal.
This is 90s style Swedish Death Metal (Entombed, Dismember or Grave
anyone?) that's as much groove laden as it is brutal. The first couple
of numbers, unfortunately err on the periphery of being predictable.
It's not until the arrival of all out assaults, Burned Alive and the
rather appropriately named Feeding The Armageddon, which is blastbeat
heaven, that
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Servants Of The Unlight begins to feed my desires. From
there on, Demonical can do no wrong. The grooves are darker and filled
with renewed energy and Ronnie Bergerståhl's kick drum leads the way to
hell. Bucking the trend is the war themed Leipzig 1945, which, although
only clocking in at around the four minute mark, has an epic feel.
Mainly due to the sluggish, almost funereal pace. Unfortunately the song
is cut off in it's prime and is never allowed to develop into the
monster it should have been.
Servants Of The Unlight is far from a perfect album, yet when Demonical
get it right, the do so in style. Let's hope the follow-up shows the
promise that this solid start hints at.
www.demonical.net
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Flagellation - Incinerate Disintegrate (Last
Entertainment) Review by Steve Green |
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Having formed back in 1997,
this is only Flagellations 2nd release. With their only prior release
being a three track cd limited to 500 copies. Various problems including
living too far apart for rehearsals and a 5 year hiatus has seen
Flagellation being kept under wraps, that is until now. With all the
problems that have stood in their way, it's a shame that this release
doesn't really do it for me.
I can't put my finger on the problem with this MCD, but my juices aren't
leaving their warm home. I don't have a problem with the
vocals, the guitars cut nicely through the mix, even the solos
are good. The keyboard flourishes are welcoming and the rhythm
section fires on |
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all cylinders, yet this Symphonic tinged Thrash/Death isn't
making an impression on me. Maybe it's because Purified By
Fire is a little too close to Dimmu Borgir for comfort, especially with the ICS Vortex style
clean vocals. Maybe your views will be different than mine, have a
listen at www.myspace.com/flagellationswe to find out. |
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Griffin - The Ultimate Demise (Burning Star Records)
Review by Strawb |
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Griffin are a five piece Norwegian metal band.
Their first album came out in 2000, and this is their fifth
release, and the first one with this line up, with three
personnel changes since the last disk.
Inserting the disk into my cd player showed twelve tracks, a
misnomer as the intro and outro are plinky wastes of space,
reminded me of a ballerina jewellery case my sister used to
own.
So a ten track album with a running time of 37 minutes, yes 37
minutes.
This seems short for the 21st century, but the band quote
influences from the 70s when this length of album was
commonplace.
And it is 37 minutes of quality. |
From the opening intro of the ultimate demise to the final
notes of Here Comes The Pain I really enjoyed this album,
underlying bass, driven guitars and full use of the drums. It
is played at pace throughout, each band member gets a chance
to show their considerable talents, both individually and as
part of the blend.
During my initial listening, I was struck by the clarity and
high production values on this disk, which may reflect on the
fact that it is the bands second release produced by legendary
King Diamond guitarist, Andy LaRocque.
The bands influences of 70s and 80s bands shine through, and
certain tracks I would compare with early Maiden, when they
were fresh and hungry.
The vocal range and power of Rolf Bakken I found particularly
impressive, although it is never overpowering and always
complimented by the other members contributions. I just like
good, clear, powerful vocals.
Personal preference will dictate which tracks we all favour,
but for me the stand out ones were the title track and
Restless Dreams.
There is not a weak area on this album, so it is one that I highly
recommend.
Griffin are contracted to a Greek record label, to be found at
www.burning-star.net/burning/index.html
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and more about the band on their website
www.myspace.com/griffinusa
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Hoods - Ghettoblaster
(A-Team) Review by Steve Green
Kill Kim Novak -
03:05 (A-Team) Review
by Steve Green
Die Young TX -
Graven Images (A-Team) Review
by Steve Green |
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Sacramento, California's Hoods fire out a
dozen tirades of violence in about
22 minutes. No, there's no fucking about on this disc. This is a potent
maelstrom of in-your-face hardcore. Yet, for all the aggression, it's all very much under control.
Stacks of melody, (well it's catchy as hell in places, especially on
"Road Warrior") an occasional dropping of the guard with the party
anthem "Don't Fight, Let's Party Tonight" and even an injection of
humour with a song title like "Willie Nelson and a Twelve Pack". Which
is actually about life on the road.
Out of the three releases, this is the one that makes your blood boil,
the one that pumps up your testosterone and makes you want to join in
the gang shouts at full volume. You can join the army too, at
www.hoodsarmy.com
This one's a taster for Kill Kim Novak's debut which is
due this autumn. 03:05 unites their 2 debut (and sold out) releases, a
demo from 2003 entitled Kopfleuchten and another from 2005, called
Kaskaden. Kopfleuchten is the quieter of the two releases. There are
elements of Hardcore, albeit very melodic, a bit of screamo and a whole
lot of mellow, bordering on melancholic, shit going on. I even detect a
smattering of 80s Goth with some of the guitars, especially on
Take It and on Unterjocht, which reminds me of Bauhaus.
Kaskaden see KKN move into heavier territory. The production is louder
and so is the music. The guitars still have a tendency to move away from
their hardcore nucleus, but vocally, this is a hell of a lot more
aggressive. Apart from Girl I Feel, which borders on Pop-Punk!!!
A slightly strange mixture of sounds, but it works and this is a decent
release. Although I still can't work out why a bunch of Germans want to
kill Kim Novak!
www.killkimnovak.de/index.html
Whether you like Die Young may be
decided by The Rev. White Devil's vocal style... and
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of course if political hardcore is your thing. Personally, I
can turn a blind eye to the politics, the subject bores me
rigid and shouting "Fuck The Imperialists" doesn't get me off.
Anyway, back to our mate Mr Devils' vocals. He's got a style
which is similar to Jello Biafra's mixed with Nuclear Assaults John Connelly...
well sort of. It's a unique style and his delivery isn't your standard
hardcore bark either. Personally, I'm ok with it, but I can see it
putting some people off.
Musically, this has a retro Punk/Thrash feel, but is laced with
angry-as-fuck Hardcore beats that fire along at breakneck speed. Their
music is as fiery as their political vitriol.
www.dieyoung.com
From the three release I have from the label, it seems as though the
A-Team are building a roster full of bands with distinct identity's.
Which is a refreshing change from the money grabbers than usually jump
on any trend to make a fast buck.
www.alveranshop.com/index_web.php |
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Machine Head - The Blackening
(Roadrunner) Review by Rob Beeton |
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It is clear that Machine Head are making a stand with this
brutal, bloody massacre that is “The Blackening”. I personally
wasn’t a Machine Head fan at first until I picked this up in a
music shop and tried it out. From listening to this I realised
I might have been sleeping beauty, as I was missing out on a
lot! This is some of today’s metal at its very best. From
simply listening to a few tracks on this album, will clearly
tell you they mean business and are not here for any
shit.
“Clenching the Fists of Dissent” sets the album off with an
acoustic build up, then sending you flying into a riffage
frenzy, accompanied by heart pounding drumming picking at your |
brain cells. Throughout you almost feel like you’re in a gut
wrenching whirlwind with lashings of fast paced guitar
rattling in your ears. It’s not till you get through the track
that you discover how brutal it really is.
Beautiful mourning is a song that will leave you spiralling
gracefully from the sky until you hit a wall of axes slicing
and carving at your being. However.
If you like to go fucking crazy in a mosh pit then look no
further then “Aesthetics of Hate”! Headbang to this and it
will
completely decapitate your head from you shoulders.
Drums that feel like a ton of fucking bricks crashing
down upon you and guitars that would shred your flesh from your
bones like a cheese grater clearly explains the power of this
heavy onslaught. Want to see what it feels like to be in an
earthquake caused by a giant? Then tear up the place while
listening to this.
Machine Head not only deliver in this breakthrough piece of
work but manage to keep a balance throughout with the mere
eight tracks that makes up “The Blackening”. Robb Flynn with
his meaty raw vocals and words that make you feel like you
have mini Pac man eating away at you gradually, make the album
feel like it’s just come from the slaughter house. Hooks from
songs like “Now I Lay Thee Down” will make you want to listen
to this album over and over again like a crazed little “Take
That” fan.
As I progressed through the album I discovered the battle was
not over but the full scale war was starting. From the fires
that Machine Head have lit, you’ll find that this album has
some tracks aimed directly at true thrash fans. “Slanderous”
makes you feel like you’re being chased by horde of angry
rhinos, while Halo sets you of in haze then lets you out to
strut around like a drunken motherfucker. Then as you think
you’re the bees knees, the headache kicks in blowing your ear
drums to smithereens like a chavs bass bins. The pace slows back
down just before you are injected with yet another dosage of
turbulent sludge like riffs in “Wolves”. To put the album to
sleep “A Farewell To Arms” shows the balance with a slower
pace and this truly shows what Machine Head are capable off.
Machine Head have made a remarkable comeback after the
struggle with which they have faced over the past five years
or so. With a dish of albums like “Supercharger” and the
fierce “Through the Ashes of Empires” it is has paid off, with
“The Blackening” adding the cherry to the cake. They have
cranked up the aggression and have finally created a piece
which will be an injection of poison in your veins. All I can
say is if you’re not Machine Head fan then you will be
from listening to “The Blackening”.
www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk |
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Machinery - Degeneration (Last Entertainment) Review by Steve Green |
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The buzzing guitar intro of Salvation For Sale is about as close as it
gets to an aural orgasm. The money shot wasn't as explosive as I would
have liked, but you can't win them all. Machinery are musically, a
Thrash based band from Stockholm. What makes them stand out, is the
measured approach of vocalist Michel Isberg, who treads the fine line
between Power Metal and traditional Heavy Metal. He has a clean set of
pipes, that when asked to step it up a few gears, does the job
admirably, with the odd burst of aggression. That's normally provided,
for the most part, by the music.
As I said, for the most part, as the do tend to drop into Power Metal
territory at the most
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unexpected moment. River Red starts off with a bouncing (Sepultura-ish) rhythm before dropping down to a melodic Power
Metal vibe. A strange tangent to create, but one that does actually
work. For me though, it's the likes of ferocious foot tapper Blacker
Than Pain and the old school Thrash of Taste Of God , that do it for me.
The vocals shriek with conviction, that is until they once again revert
to a more traditional style. The ebb and flow of styles works a treat,
despite the occasional look of exasperation from yours truly. At least
I'm not complaining of plagiarism.
I think Machinery have a relatively unique style and while that works
for me, I'm sure some people will prefer something a little linear.
www.myspace.com/machineryswe |
www.lastentertainment.com |
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Martriden - Martridem (Candlelight Records)
By: Joe Florez |
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Of all places, this extreme four piece unit hails from Montana
and not Norway or any of the other cold countries up in
Scandinavia. This debut E.P. is an exercise in brutality. The
cold guitar riffs haunting keyboards that add an eerie vibe to
the opening track “Blank Eye Stare”, fierce drumming and
desperate growls from Mike Cook that are akin to Mr. Akerfeldt
will have the fans of the dark side screaming for more. It’s
packed with energy and a certain catchiness that isn’t
currently being captured both here and abroad. There’s plenty
of changes in here that include acoustic passages that would
make Opeth proud. “The Art Of Death Infernal” sounds like old
school death metal with low tuned six strings |
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and sinister vocals that are grim and ugly as sin. The one
thing that remains consistent is the groove and rhythm that
follows some of the more ferocious drum bashings and riffs. At
twenty five minutes and four songs, they are a bit lengthy,
but deliver a lot of promise. The guys have plenty of momentum
to keep them going and hopefully see their star shine with
hard work. The full length is in the process now and if this
is any indication of what’s to come, then we don’t need to
worry. There are touches of death, black, melody and then some
which is good for shaking things up from track to track. This
is a need to know band for sure and quickly too before
everyone else discovers this underground secret.
www.martriden.com
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www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
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Nocturnal Rites - The 8th Sin (Century Media)
By: Joe Florez |
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NT have always for the most part, put out exceptional records,
especially Grand Illusion, New World Messiah and Afterlife.
Not only is it the music that helps by becoming stronger and
stronger with each release, but vocalist Jonny Linqvist has
also improved greatly and here is no different. “Call Out To
The World” has everything you need to not only make it a great
opener, but a standout track as well. This highly energetic
and uptempo composition contains sickening riffs that add a
little bit of staccato action, but remain on full throttle in the
metal vein. The solos also shred without sounding like filler.
The rhythm section refuses to quit as Owe (drums) and Nils
Eriksson (bass) rock the house. The light keyboard work |
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that is heard faintly on here is used just right. But, it’s Jonny
who steals the show again with his vocal ranges that go all
over the place from high to mid and back again without
cracking his golden throat. This is memorable as hell and can
definitely be an anthem track performed at all of their live
gigs. After a few tracks bursting with speed, the Swedes bring
it down a notch or two with “Not The Only” which utilizes some
minor string arrangements to make it sound like an orchestra
in some sections and Jon’s singing is more passionate here and
he drops an octave or two here as well. This mid paced song is
still filled with power and emotion. You can feel it here.
“Not Like You” is definitely one of the faster numbers on
here, but never taking anything away from them. They continue
to deliver the goods with tremendous amounts of quality. You
know something? When you put one quality disc after another,
you would think that a clunker would be in the pipeline down
the road because it’s inevitable. However, I think those
clunkers were in the very beginning of their career and now
their star shines brightly here because they have served up
something that is just as good if not better than Grand
Illusion and that was a primo disc too. This is essential for
any true metal head.
www.centurymedia.com
| www.nocturnalrites.com |
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| Subcyde - Subcyde (Last Entertainment)
Review by Steve Green |
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Ready for a serious dose of Pantera worship?
Kind of unfair to lump such a comparison on Swedes Subcyde (which I have
to say is an awful name) But telling it like it is, this is a more
thrashy version of Pantera, right down to Antonio da Silva's vocals,
which are a more fluent take on Mr Anselmo's. I can even imagine Phil
Anselmo singing some of the lyrics especially on third track Power
Smash. "You better watch your back, because everything comes
back - You better grow some balls boy" You kind of get used to
the bulldoze affect and the carnage becomes the norm, and
despite the complete lack of originality, it is a storming
track. And a lack of originality is the only real problem
here. The first four
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numbers are complete Pantera clones, admittedly all done very
well. Plus the fact that Pantera were completely washed up by
the time they called it a day, it's good to see another band
carry the flag.
Testament sees a slight change in direction as the pace is picked up and
the plagiarism has all but disappeared. Sacred Scars is another
stand-out track. Heavy as fuck, but with an inviting atmosphere, it
shows Subcyde are capable of breaking away and doing something
different.
If you've read this far, you already now what to expect. If this is your
thing, then go grab it at
www.subcyde.com |
www.lastentertainment.com |
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