|
|
|
|
|
Monster Magnet - 4-Way Diablo (SPV)
By: Dave Schalek |
 |
You may be surprised to learn that I’m a huge fan of Monster
Magnet. Arguments aside as to whether you consider Monster
Magnet metal or not, Dave Wyndorf and company are immensely
talented and can simply produce seriously kick ass rock music
with the best of them, regardless of genre, metal or not.
Personally, I consider them to be a stoner metal band that
firmly straddles that line between metal and hard rock,
thereby allowing them to appeal to a wide range of people.
In my opinion, I think that “Dopes To Infinity” and
“Powertrip” are Monster Magnet’s best albums, although I
certainly like their early albums, as well. Consistently
throughout their |
career, I’ve always found something to like on each album
(including the undeservedly maligned “God Says No”), but,
given that Wyndorf’s addiction problems seemed to fuel some of
his creative energy, Monster Magnet always seemed to be on the
verge of disaster. Thankfully, Wyndorf seems to have gotten
his health back in order for the release of “4-Way Diablo”,
the band’s first release since 2004’s “Monolithic Baby!”
Monster Magnet are at their absolute best when they’re able to
hammer home the catchiest of riffs that are combined with
psychedelic elements. Although their sound has become somewhat
typical of mainstream rock music since “Powertrip”, they’ve
managed to write a lot of insanely catchy songs that keeps me
looking forward to each new release. With that in mind, I
eagerly dove into “4-Way Diablo”.
Initially, I made a huge mistake by playing this album while I
was distracted by work. A few of the initial songs turn out to
be the weaker tracks on the album, and I had a bit of trouble
getting past these tracks while I was dealing with outside
issues. However, after a couple of aborted attempts, I finally
sat down to give “4-Way Diablo” a serious listen, and I’m
certainly glad that I did. Yes, one or two of the first few
songs are not great, but around the fourth track or so, “4-
Way Diablo” really gets rolling with some seriously kick ass,
catchy songs with plenty of solid riffs and the seamless
weaving of psychedelic elements within the songs. Including a
mind melting cover of “2000 Light Years From Home”, the album
finally comes down at the end with a light keyboard epilogue.
Overall, “Powertrip” and “Dopes To Infinity” are still the
best Monster Magnet albums, but “4-Way Diablo” is a fantastic
addition to their catalog and will please any fan of the band.
Excellent.
www.spv.de |
www.monstermagnet.net |
| |
|
My Fate - MMVI (Self Release)
Review by Robert Beeton |
 |
Finish Metallers “My Fate” Introduced their new EP “MMVI”;
their latest instalment following up their two Eps
“Bloodstains”(2000) and “Sinking”(2001) along with their two
albums “Happiness is Fiction” (2003)and “Kill the
Light”(2005).
With new vocalist Jukka Ruostila replacing Antti Ojanen, “My
Fate” is starting out fresh and reflections of this can be
seen in “MMVI”. Just from listening to the self recorded album
portrays how much passion and hard work has gone into the
production! With massive and aggressive lashings of screaming
and growling vocals added to the mix, remixing the sound of
“My Fate” into something new, who can’t say that this might be
one |
of their best efforts so far!! “Drifting in Shadows” combines
a balance of dark heaviness with great immensity and heartfelt
emotion through the more slowed down segments on the track to
hopefully create an explosion of power that hopefully pull you
into their world. Then you have “Follow the Blind” which is an
indulgence of solid melodies met with deep crushing and
creeping guitars that could pull down practically anything in
their paths. This is where you can feel their passion and soul
when it breaks down and builds with compelling melodies
performed by the guitars (Jaakko Jarvensivu and Mikko Lehtinen),
huge lines played by the bass (Roope Lehtinen) and drums (Vilho
Rajala).
Give “My Fate” a listen for your self and see what you think
to this fast growing metal band from Finland!
www.myfateband.net |
| |
|
Ravendusk - Astroblack Advent (Mondongo
Canibale) Review by Crin |
 |
Symphonic Black Metal with a heavy use of orchestral
arrangements and epic guitar melodies. Here we have a crisp
production unleashing an obvious Dimmu Borgir style of
flamboyant Blackened Metal. The vocalist even has a very
Shagrath vocal snarl, and overall the quite easy listening
extremity the band employ is both is a stark reminder how
acceptable this once rib cracking sub-genre was.
There is obviously a great deal of work and thought gone into
the arrangements and overall creative process here. The sound
is lush, thick and smoother than a shaven cunt, but this
polished sound takes any dread away from the music’s heart.
There is nothing that will |
cause you to shit yourself, and Black Metal should in theory
give you slight palpitations at worse, at best cause your
balls to explode.
This is safe, well executed symphonic Black Metal without the
bite of similar acts like, Obtained Enslavements ‘Witchcraft’
opus, and numerous Cradle and Dimmu offerings.
Many of you more orthodox Black Metal fans will choke on their
own vomit at the very thought of entertaining the likes of
Ravendusk, the bad taste of the so called selling out syndrome
of Dimmu and Cradle still bitter to the taste. That said, if
you are into this style of music, you’ll enjoy it.
For fans of Dimmu, Stormlord, Cradle of Filth, and all
keyboard overkill Black Metal inspired acts.
www.mondongocanibale.com |
| |
|
Seeds of Sorrow - Promotional Cd 2007
(Self Release) Review by Steve Green |
 |
It seems as if Spinal Tap managed to reach as far as Austria.
I mean that in a completely inoffensive way as Austrian Death
Metal band Seeds of Sorrow, who in the past have dabbled in
Doom and Melodic/Swedish Death Metal and have had countless
band members, with only guitarist Sigurd Krieger staying for
the duration of the bands on and off career, have finally got
their act together.
So here we are in 2007 and a new groovy Death metal direction
and I have to say I'm really impressed with what's on offer.
If you can ignore the slightly ropey production and take into
account that the wheel isn't exactly being re-invented here,
then you can accept |
this demo for what it is, a good old blast of Death metal.
Seeds of Sorrow are a band that really need to get their shit
together. They've played some very high profile gigs and have
shared the stage with some of the biggest names in Metal. Yet
they've been together, on and off for 12 years and they are
still releasing four track promos. The last three years have
been very quiet for the band, but I hope with the talent
displayed here, that they take the band forward and build upon
the four songs here and get themselves a proper deal. Support
them via
www.seedsofsorrow.com |
| |
|
Somrak - The Abhorred Blessings (Decadence through Ruination)
Review by Crin |
 |
Black Metal from Slovenia that is trapped in the mid-nineties.
Whereas some bands deliberately try to sound bleak, some, like Somrak, just cant avoid sounding like a garage Black
Metal band straight from the icy mires of Hell.
This is the nature of their surroundings, the scene playing
catch up if you like. Musically, the vocals are hoarse barks,
the guitars, fuzzy drones, the drum work as basic as you would
expect. This has none of the raw terror of Darkthrone, none of
the simmering intensity of Gorgoroth, Here we have a rather
bland, nondescript Heavy Metal style of song arrangements
bolstered by some coarse vocals and retro like songs. This
style of Black |
Metal, likewise employed by bands like [early] Bulldozer and
Czech band, Root,
affords the music a wider breadth, a looser atmosphere and a
greater potential for a variety of moods and back to basics
Blackened Metal. There is a great raw innocence that can be
discovered here, with catchy riffs, easy to absorb tracks and
desolate emptiness.
As for an identity of their own, I feel that is lacking only
for the fact the music is so shallow in depth, there is little
room for diversity and expansion of tone.
I found it an enjoyable album though thinly produced and very
eastern European.
So here we have a band who’s apparent disabilities become in a
twisted way their strengths, having a style that is not overly
common. Not distinctively Black Metal in tone, but Black Metal
none the less in texture.
www.myspace.com/abhorbless |
| |
|
The Glasspack - Dirty Women (Small Stone)
By Metal Mark |
 |
The Glasspack hail from Louisville, Kentucky and they are
churning out a rather high-energy brand of music. They attempt
to combine large doses of heavy, fuzzed out riffs with a punk
rock pace and attitude. Really it boils down to being a bit of
a mixed bag, but leaning more towards the positive side. I
love the guitar sound as hits me head on has me thinking of
psychedelic late 60’s pre-metal mayhem and early 1980’s punk
rock at the same time. However a huge chunk of the band’s
energy seems to be in say the first minute or so of each song.
After the energy level drops some as many tracks just settle
into being repetitive and they seem to be waiting for the song
to end. Also the vocals are terribly low |
|
and I tried playing it on different players hoping one of them
would help, but it didn’t. To me this type of music needs some
aggressive vocals to compliment it. Unfortunately, the vocals
tend to be muddled and difficult to hear so they sort of rob
the overall sound of some of the energy that it could have
had. That might actually be intentional, I really don’t know.
I think they control the pace and have somewhat of a handle on
a slightly unique guitar sound. Still they really need put
more into it and find a way to make the tracks a little more
interesting if they hope to be more than moderately
entertaining. Certainly above average and they have some
potential so I hope they keep reaching and pushing for the
next time they record.
www.smallstone.com
|
| |
|
The Grieving Process - Assimilated Deformation
(Anticulture) Review by Andrew Ward |
 |
The Grieving Process first got together in the summer of 2006
so surely their first output can’t be up to much can it? The
five musicians that came together to form this New Jersey
death metal monster had all been in other hardworking local
bands that simply fell by the wayside. So are they really that
good? The answer is a one hundred percent yes. Their aim was
simple; write a brutal death metal album with no compromise,
just simple brutal music without engaging in the current “our
sound is more technical than yours” battle which seems to have
taken over the genre in recent years.
On first putting the CD in the stereo and noticing that the
album only runs at twenty five |
minute, one minute of which is the intro, you think to
yourself ‘oh, a half arsed effort’. Wrong, how very wrong that
thought is, twenty four minutes of sheer brutality that goes
straight for your jugular and rips it out without giving you a
chance to react.
The first track ‘World Breaker’ is mid paced with a feel of
Six Feet Under, the brutal vocals of Cannibal Corpse before
picking up speed and leaving you feeling like you’ve been in a
car crash. The second track ‘Hunger for the Dead’ picks up
where ‘World Breaker’ left off, brutal and fast with sickening
guttural vocals from vocalist James Van Damm (No Room In
Hell). The rest of the album continues in much the same way,
flurries of blastbeats, imaginative, but not technical for the
sake of it, guitar work and guttural vocals that sound like
his voice box is about to fall out.
If you’re a fan of brutal death metal or just death metal in
general then this album is definitely worth checking out. Are
‘The Grieving Process’ the face of the future of brutal metal
music? Based on this output, they stand a damn good chance.
www.anticulture.co.uk
|
www.myspace.com/thegrievingprocess |
| |
|
The
Meads of Asphodel - Life Is Shit EP 7" (Firestorm
Records) Review by Steve Green |
 |
So here we have the latest release from underground oddballs,
The Meads of Asphodel. As ever, they take a break from
convention and present here a 7" single of Punk covers.
First up is a cover of Stiff Little Fingers, Straw Dogs, which
is a dual vocal affair, I didn't dare call this a duet,
between ex-Hawkwind/Meads bassist Alan Davey and Meads growler
Metatron and it flows along quite splendidly. Something that I
can't really say about the cover of The Ruts classic Babylon.
Musically, this is faithful to the original, it even features
The Ruts guitarist Paul Fox, and the frantic drumming of
Urakbaramel adds a nice edge to the proceedings. Vocally, this
just isn't a patch on Malcolm Owens original, and it |
has to be said, perfect performance. I kind of like the
contrast between Metatron's raw delivery and J.D Taits, high
pitched rasps, but the song doesn't feel Punk in the slightest
and feels completely out of place here.
Bringing up the rear is a corking cover of The Stranglers,
Tank. Getting Mirai, from Japanese Metallers Sigh to recreate
Dave Greenfields trademark keyboard sound is a masterstroke.
The whole quality level is lifted up a few notches and makes
up for the slight disappointment of The Ruts cover.
As ever, you never know what to expect with The Meads and this
EP is a nice addition to their eclectic collection of
releases. Expect a few more covers with a split cd planned
with UK Black Metal stalwarts Thus Defiled... and just wait
until you hear them pulverize The Kinks, You Really Got Me.
www.themeadsofasphodel.com |
|
|
|
Turbonegro - Retox (Cooking Vinyl)
By: Joe Florez |
 |
It’s been a mere two years since releasing Party Animals which
was met with lukewarm results. I guess when you make a major
comeback after a long hiatus and ride high with Scandinavian
Leather you would think that the success would continue, but
everyone delivers a clunker somewhere in their career, no?
Well, when I found out that Retox was on the horizon, I was
not only curious, but excited as well in hopes that they would
deliver another exciting gem in the world of pomp music. Mic
madman Hank Von Helvete sounds bizarrely like King Diamond in
the opening of “We’re Gonna Drop The Atom Bomb.” The signature
riffs have refused to take a seat back as you will be able to
recognize the playful |
and catchy pop/punk strumming complete with distortion. This
highly energetic jam will not only get you jumping up and
down, but this will be an anthem that everyone will be singing
loud and clear in the live circuit. “Welcome To The Garbage
Dump” comes complete with straight up punk vibes and shredding
solos that every fan has come to love the band for. The one
thing or few that I love about Turbonegro is that they are very crafty and witty about their
songs and titles such as “Hell Toupee.” Get it? Hell To Pay?
Or the double meaning that comes with a song like “I Wanna
Come”: ‘I wanna come. To the party at your house. I wanna
come. But I can’t get off.’ What I love about “I Wanna Come”
is that it’s very reminiscent of Alice Cooper in his heyday
circa Welcome to My Nightmare, due in part to the atmosphere
conducted on here which is melodic and dark and the way Mr.
Oslo sings which is more than comparable to the man that
originally started the sinister make-up craze.
Once again, you
are getting a jam packed record filled with gay inspired
lyrics and retarded song titles. This is simple music that
will get you charged up if you are into
glam/pop/punk/rock/metal at it’s most pompest. Turbojugends
unite as the boys have struck back with another winner that
you can be proud to crank up on your stereo. This more than
makes up for the subtle last effort.
www.cookingvinylusa.com
| www.turbonegro.com |
| |
|
Vrolok - Void (The Divine Abortion) (Drakkar Productions)
By: Dave Schalek |
 |
This is really vile. Really gross black metal with quite the
genuinely evil touch is USBM band Vrolok’s specialty.
Dissonant riffs, layered rasps and other vocal tricks, almost
dreamlike passages, bizarre song structures that are quite
jarring, sloppy guitars, and a mix of tempos typify the style
of “Void (The Divine Abortion)”, the fifth overall full-length
from this outfit that is fronted by Diabolus, a prolific
musician with roots to USBM greats Black Funeral.
As I listened to “Void…”, my first exposure to Vrolok, I was
immediately struck by the |
similarities to some of Black Funeral’s later output, namely
“Az-I-Dahak” and “Ordog”. It
was with no surprise that I subsequently discovered Diabolus’
ties to that band, but there are some differences between the
two bands to be heard. The bizarre riffs, thin production that
fades to near nothingness, tortured shrieks interlaced with
rasps and moans, etc. that have become typical of Black
Funeral’s sound are all present here with Vrolok, but the
music is a bit sloppier and less mechanical sounding. This
organic quality to Vrolok’s sound does not necessarily make
the music more palatable, but it does differentiate between
the two bands, albeit slightly. Also, unlike Black Funeral’s
latter material, Vrolok changes style through the album with a
plenty of moments of an almost traditional black metal sound
mixed with some tempo changes that range from all out blasts
to a glacial, funeral doom pace.
Like Black Funeral, Vrolok is a harsh listen and you’ll
probably find it difficult to get through “Void…” in one
sitting. However, Vrolok is also one of a few bands to really
capture a grimy feeling of pure disgust and vile evil, and
that is reason enough to track down “Void…” As a postscript,
it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Diabolus wrote and
performed the instrumentation on “Waters Of Weeping”, the
latest from Black Funeral as well as this release. Prolific
indeed. www.drakkar666.com/
| http://vrolok.luxferous.com/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
