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Nile - Ithyphallic (Nuclear Blast) review by James Young |
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Nile were always going to have a problem with this new album;
topping their last opus Annihilation Of The Wicked was always
going to be a tough job, whilst the whole Egyptian ‘thing’ was
in danger of becoming a tad tedious. Luckily, the band have
managed to make a piece of music that may not cover any new
ground, but sure does deliver in a well-crafted dose of
brutality. Nile are an original act of course, blending
ancient elements with fast and furious death metal, but what
was once shockingly unique and creative now seems a bit worn
after several albums using the same formula. Nevertheless,
this is musically as strong as their previous offerings, and
just as listenable in every way. Toler-Wade’s deep growls |
are chilling as ever, chanting at certain points such as at
the end of ‘As He Creates, So He Destroys’, in which the title
is grunted over and over again to mesmerising effect. Whilst
this band seem to have had more drummers over the years than
Spinal Tap, they seem to have found a legend in George Kollias, who
at some points seems to have at least three pairs of arms,
providing us with the classic drum attack that we expect of
Nile. At the same time, amidst the vicious vocals and
blastbeats, the guitar riffs of Toler-Wade and Sanders
superbly teleport you back a couple of thousand years to an
ancient desert surrounded by pharaohs and mummies (maybe that
part’s just me though). This is backed up by a stellar
production job, which is beautifully clear when the band are
at full speed, but gets wonderfully hazy and expansive when
the doomier riffs find their way into the tracks.
As far as track lengths go, there are three tracks over six
minutes, including the opener and closer which frame the album
- ‘What May Be Safely Written’ starts off the album off with
some epic synths whilst ‘Even The Gods Must Die’ ends it with
a slow-paced guitar solo which oozes everything Egyptian.
These longer songs have numerous twists and turns, as we have
come to expect from Nile, with the razor sharp riffs mutating
over the hideously fast blasts, and every now and again
slowing or turning into a drill-like double bass drum led
guitar solo. ‘Eat Of The Dead’, the other long number,
contains a number of doom-laden riffs, which continually
nose-dive in a wonderfully nauseating manner. The shorter
songs provide much punchier statements, and what they lack in
variation when set aside Nile’s earlier albums, they make up
for in intensity. Title track ‘Ithyphallic’ is a doomier
number, not without its insane speed bursts, but really brings
the cultural influences in spades, with a number of ancient
sounding gong parts. Riffs have always been a strong point of
Nile’s sound, and those heard in ‘Papyrus Containing The Spell
To Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In
The Water’ (there’s always at least one over the top name)
sound positively evil. Likewise, ‘The Essential Salts’ is like
a slap in the face to the listener - as if the initial blasts
weren’t enough, the ending guitar parts are positively
glowing, and amongst some of the band’s best work of all time.
As I’ve said, the album doesn’t bring things forward much from
the previous releases; take the mandatory instrumental song
‘The Infinity Of Stone’ for example. Had this not been on the
album, we’d have been wondering where a slow-moving
Egyptian-influenced song was, but can you really say it moves
things forward at all? Overall, this is a great album with an
epic sound, which is as crushing as it is beautiful. The real
challenge will be for the next album, and seeing if the band
can really do the same thing again - for the time being
they’ve pulled it off, and I sphinx you’ll love it.
www.nuclearblast.de |
www.nile-catacombs.net |
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Pro-Pain - Age of Tyranny (Candlelight)
Review by Chris Davison |
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They should force the floppy hair Metalcore brigade to listen
to this stuff. I mean, seriously. They should be brought in
shackles and have ear phones gaffa-taped to their ears, and
then punched in the face with the pounding of every riff,
while a huge LCD screen displays the legend, “This is
Metalcore”. Watered down thrash riffs, a chorus of
“Ohh-Ohhh-Ohhh's” and shitty keyboards do not a metalcore song
make.
Pro-pain are true workhouses of the scene. Since 1992, they've
produced no less than twelve albums, which is industrious by
the standards of all but the most insane of bands. Principally
the brain child of ex-Crumbsuckers member Gary Meskill and one
time M.O.D. |
Axe slinger Tom Klimchuck, this is a band that has
never surrendered their sound to passing trends or genre
conventions. Rooted firmly in the original conception of the
splicing of hardcore and heavy metal, this is angry, muscular
music of empowerment and rage. Seemingly perfectly timed, “Age
of Tyranny” deals with the current state that America finds
itself in, and thus is the perfect commentary to modern
politics.
For those of you who have never had the distinct pleasure of
listening to Pro-pain, you'll find riffs that have one foot in
the illustrious NYHC camp, and one foot placed squarely in the
tradition of fine, wholesome chunky thrash riffing. The bass
lines twang viciously like the sound of a tightening noose,
and the vocals are hoarse, shouted expressions of disbelief
and rage. The frankly stunning “All for King George” serves as
a frank example of how clean vocals should be handled in the
context of a powerful song, while “Beyond the Pale” features
guest vocals courtesy of American Power Metal band Icarus
Witch, which is a far better proposition than you would have
expected it to have been. The guitar solos are powerful and
memorable, and this remains a powerful reminder of just how
skilled veteran bands are in comparison to the upstart bands
that seem to prize shock factor over musical skills.
As a concept album (of sorts), this is going to upset a fair
few people, particularly those of a pro-Bush, pro-Iraq war
vein. I doubt that many fundamentalist Christians are going to
be queuing round the block to get a hold of the latest
Pro-pain, but those who like to keep their politics and their
music separate are likely to want to head elsewhere. For the
rest of us, this is a timely reminder that not all yanks drive
tanks. Great stuff.
www.pro-pain.com/home.html |
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Rose Funeral – Crucify Kill Rot (Candlelight)
Review by Chris Davison |
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Candlelight seem to be back from the dead. They haven't really
made much of a dent on my radar since the mid nineties, save
for the release of some later Crowbar. Now it seems that
they've got their act together and are having a mighty push to
release new music by the bucket load. Being a label that I
can't quite get out of the mould of thinking release symphonic
black metal, Rose Funeral are quite the opposite. With a main
sound that borrows most heavily from the lead-heavy school of
death metal, this is quite stirring stuff, with a distinctly
modern edge.
I generally prefer my death metal in the distinctly old school
vein, but for modern tinged |
death metal, this is actually pretty engaging stuff. Firstly,
a word about the production – and it's a word of caution. This
album has one of the most bizarre drum sounds that I've heard
in a very long time. If, like many, you think “...and Justice
For All” should have been called “...Lars drumsound For All”, you'll have a fair idea of
what the sound is like on this ugly bastard. Tinny, prominent
in the mix and at times sounding distinctly artificial, the
drums can distract from the music. At other times, I think I
like them – and in that respect remain the aural equivalent of
Drew Barrymore in that one-minute I would, one-minute I
wouldn't do her kind of way.
There's plenty of melody buried away in between the double
bass and gravelly, cemetery vocals, with chunky hardcore
inflected riffs producing a solid backbone to the music. As
regular readers will know, generally the only hardcore I can
stand involves Brazilian waxed starlets named “Candy”, root
vegetables and glass coffee tables, but from time to time just
a hintette of the wife-beater wearing muscle brigade is a good
thing. There's plenty of dynamism in the tracks, with lots of
tempo changes and some particularly effective downbeat
minor-key guitar moments, and while some of the cheesier
elements do smack a little of trying a bit too hard to sound
current and popular. By and large this is a solid,
neck-snapping release that should keep everyone happy, from
the Neanderthal Cannibal Corpse fans to the more cerebral
minded among us. I think the chances are that this is a band
that's going to improve – and for that reason, I would love to
have a listen to their next album.
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com |
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Slough Feg - Hardworlder (Cruz Del Sur Music)
By: Joe Florez |
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I was introduced to this band on their fifth offering
“Atavism” and was impressed at how original they were by not
only being true U.S. classic metal, but incorporating Irish
folk music ala Primordial style. The vocals from Mike Scalzi
are so deep and distinct that it’s original and thus making
them a diamond in the rough. The quick intro “The Return Of
Dr. Universe.” is infectious as hell with some really wicked
twin guitar work that would turn on any Thin Lizzy fan. It’s
simple and direct. After going from a really upbeat tempo
during the intro, “Tiger! Tiger! drops a couple and is, as the traditional Irish folk
influence kicks in like on any Thin Lizzy record, still
sounding very old school metal. These guys know how to |
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write songs and it shows here and we are just getting started.
“The Sea Wolf” shows another side to the band as they can
breakaway almost immediately from being completely amped up and heavy
and opt for an acoustic guitar, drums and at least one
plugged in six stringer and go for a folk sound with this
tale. The compositions swing back and forth consistently from
slow to quick, but always putting their heart and soul into
what they do and it shows in the output. There’s two covers on
here. One from Horslips called “Dearg Doom” which is you
guessed it…more contagious Irish folk rock and one from the
legendary Manilla Road. Once again, Slough Feg deliver the
goods that are always fresh and never stale. Sure, it’s has
boatloads of 70’s classic rock influence in here, but it’s the
way that they fuse it with their passion for metal in which
the end result is something explosive and exciting for fans of
music past and present. They manage to combine the two and
make them work perfectly. The best reason to listen to this is
for the vocals and guitars alone which is well worth your
forty five minutes. There’s not a dud on here and each track
is rather quick and painless. So what do you have to lose? If
you dig the music of Phil Lynott and co., then go for it. If
you enjoy vintage 80’s metal that is primitive, then run for
this disc. If you like folk music, well you get the idea. This
one has it all and wrapped up nicely on this piece of plastic.
Just like their title implies “Hardworlder (means a man who
has been through a lot and keeps on going)” Slough Feg do just
that and I am glad to have checked them out…again.
www.cruzdelsurmusic.com
| www.myspace.com/sloughfeg |
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Social Distortion - Greatest Hits
(Epitaph) Review by Steve Green |
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I was really pleased to get this cd as I knew Social
Distortion were a band I really needed to check out. I don't
know enough about the US Punk scene. Apart from the
Suburbia-era of Punk and the influences shown by Slayer on
their Undisputed Attitude, my knowledge of the scene is
limited to such luminaries as the Ramones and the Dead
Kennedy's. It's time I dug a little deeper down.
Having formed in 1979, at the ass-end of the punk scene, it
comes as no surprise that Social Distortions early material
isn't a million miles away from the more commercial end of The
Clash, with SD's Mike Ness having a snotty, yet smooth-edged
tone similar to that of
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Joe Strummer. Another State Of Mind will definitely impress
fans of the UK Punk scene, as will the catchy-as-fuck Mommy's
Little Monster, which I've been singing along to now for days
on end.
As with a lot of Punk bands, and come to think of it, Metal
bands too, once the aggression of youth has worn off, the music
begins to mellow. With Mike Ness having a thing for Roots
music and in particular Country Music, it is no surprise to
see Social Distortion exploring other avenues. At times I'm
reminded of the Pogues, without the Irish connection!!!
(Prison Bound + Bal and Chain) and country tinged rebels such
as Steve Earle and Neil Young (Story Of My Life + Bad Luck)
Which leads us on nicely to a storming cover of Johnny Cash's
Ring of Fire. While not all of the songs are Punk, all of the
comparisons I've made consist of artists who reside in the
more rebellious end of their genres. I guess a rebellious
streak can be displayed in many guises.
By the time we get to When The Angels Sing, the tone is pretty
mellow and any trace of Punk has disappeared completely.
Ness's voice has got noticeably more ragged and it suits the
change of pace too. I Was Wrong, being a prime example, catchy
as hell, but without a hint of danger. Reach For The Sky from
their Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll is another keeper (shit, I've
enjoyed all ten songs so far) as is new song Far Behind, which
hints, just slightly, to their earlier material, mainly in the
guitar work and the less than savoury lyrics. Finally, we
reach the bonus track, 1945 (13th Floor) an ass-kickin' anthem
in the vein of The Clash and The Ramones, which is a fitting
way to end this history lesson.
Greatest Hits lives up to its name and is a really interesting
compilation. And I'm pleased I've discovered a band that I
need to invest some time in getting to know properly.
www.socialdistortion.com |
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Souldrainer - Reborn (Mascot Records) review by Sam Thomas |
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Souldrainer. Such a perfect name for a band. It has all the
right overtones – in fact, it had me searching the web to see
if it had ever been used as a name for an artefact by Michael
Moorcock (it hadn’t). So it was obviously going to be a
let-down listening to Reborn, right? Well, no. In fact, given
that this is their first full length opus, all I can say is:
fuck me! It’s hard to believe that this quality of work can be
produced by a band on their debut, but that’s what this is.
Admittedly, the band has been around in some form or other
since 1998, and they are Swedish (a nation known for its
thoroughness and ability to turn out some amazing music), but
even so … |
In their current form, Souldrainer are a five piece, playing
polished and highly proficient death metal. In style terms,
it’s rather like combining the brutality of Hypocrisy with
Sentenced’s obsession with death in many forms and throwing in
a choir for good measure. The overall effect is of an
awe-inspiring beauty that is too terrible for mortal man to
behold in its entirety.
Part of the attraction of this incredibly catchy album is the
vivid contrast between the brutal death vocals (definitely
wouldn’t be out of place on the Hypocrisy album of your
choice, especially second track “Internal Suicide”) and the
pure choral sound (including female vocals). Overlay this on a
background of sheer bloody won’t-get-out-of-your-head
catchiness, and you begin to get the idea.
Normally, I’d like to pick out a track or two for special
mention (or slagging off, if appropriate). With Reborn, all I
can say is that the entire album is brilliant. In a nasty,
evil kind of way, of course. Right from the opening notes of
“First Row in Hell”, which just make the hairs on the back of
my neck stand up every time with their eerie foreshadowing of
the greatness that is to come, through to the dying moments of
“Angel Song”, this is just outstanding. And it isn’t one of
those albums that will only appeal to a limited number of
people – this is very, very accessible. OK, they probably
won’t be playing it on Radio 1, but then, if they were, would
you be listening? This is brutality at its glittering best,
and Souldrainer could well be a band that we all hear a lot
more from in the future. I definitely hope so.
www.souldrainer.com |
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The Destiny Program - Subversive Blueprint
(Nuclear Blast) Review by Steve Green |
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Hardcore isn't a style you normally associate with Nuclear
Blast. Well I thought it was Hardcore until just after the two
minute mark and opener, The Personal Revolution just wimped
out on me. If you are screaming your bollocks off, why insert
a bit of limp-fucking-wristed clean "Metalcore action" into
the mix? This style just does not work and I wish bands would
stop doing it. If you are going to be aggressive, then go for
it. If you want to sing in a nice emo style, then fuck off and
do it somewhere else.
One song in and I hate this band already. Project Hoax kicks
in and I'm loving the hostility, but I'm sitting here waiting
for the poppy shit to make an appearance. Sure enough, after a
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miserly 35 seconds it rears its extremely ugly head and it's
even worse than the first song. Track 3, Welcome Overboard is
The Destiny Program's last chance to win me over. Just under a
minute gone, the same shit happens again and the cd gets
turned off and is binned immediately and my copy of the
album will be deleted from my computer hard drive forever.
Sorry, this crap formula doesn't deserve any more of my time.
www.nuclearblast.de |
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The Sorrow - Blessings from a Blackened Sky
(Drakkar) Review
by Robert Beeton |
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You will not be feeling down and darkly depressed when you
listen to “The Sorrows” debut album “Blessings from a
Blackened Sky”, a masterpiece of modern metal. Mätze (vocals
and guitar), Andy (guitar), Toby (bass) and Dominik (drums)
deliver a compelling and passionate album which is sure to
leave its listeners wanting more. With such influences as
Pantera, Iron Maiden, Machine Head and In Flames some of the
past and present greats, “The Sorrow” clearly reassure you they
are heading in the right direction. Apart from a core created
by some of the best influences around, today’s metal has
helped mould “The Sorrow” significantly. Trivium’s sound at
points can be felt running through the |
pulsating veins of these tracks. While Bullet For My
Valentines style, clearly makes a small appearance among the
riffs that these guys throw down at you like bolts of
lightening. With so much headbanging action and a combination
of heavy bombing guitar, chain gun drumming and burying bass,
mixed with a cocktail of gritty vocals, there’s plenty of
explosive thrash action to delight all. Highlights of the
album comprise of such tracks as the powerful and hugely
intense “Numbers of Failure”. Along with the awakening of the
mighty thrash monster “Darkest Red”. And not forgetting the
sweet yet not to sweet, but damn fucking cool track that is
“Saviour, Welcome Home”.
This album brings you modern Thrash metal at its very best and
I can safely say that the future looks hopeful for this new
Blessing from the Blackened Sky that is “The Sorrow.” Expect
to see this burning debut album hit the shelves on the 6th of
August 2007. www.drakkar.de |
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