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Alberto Rigoni -
Something Different (Lion Music) By: Joe Florez |
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Alberto is a bass player who has worked with the progressive
Italian band Twinspirits. Here he is delivering a solo
performance on his debut offering. I must admit that my ears
pricked up when I heard that this was a bass instrumental disc
because I am a huge fan, if you can’t tell by my previous
reviews. So, I couldn’t wait to pop this in. One thing is for
sure, this isn’t a paint by numbers prog metal disc. This is a
bit more experimental and free flowing. “The Factory” is a
joyous number with Alberto plucking away with a smooth
swagger. There is a nice groove and pacing throughout. There
is an ambience to this song as well. Programmed drums add in
to the equation as well to give it that sci-fi touch. There |
is a nice build up here as things manage to get tense, but
smooth out. I found myself air bassing to this one. A real
please here. “Trying To Forget” is a softer composition that
just features Rigoni and a peaceful vibe. Call it a ballad of
sorts, but it’s short and actually quite a touching peace. You
would think that he would get all technical ala Billy Sheehan,
but he sincerely plays from the heart and it’s quite
compelling. “Glory Of Life” offers a more rock n’ roll
environment. The guitars are plugged in and the drums are more
organic. Again, nothing over the top, just well placed
instruments all gelling well. To break away from the vocal
free presence that has plagued this disc “BASSex” features a
female singer and things get a tad funky here for all of the
right reasons. It’s just a fun tune to get your groove on to.
Overall, the title does say it all. This is a unique listening
experience that will leave a positive lasting impression. I
had a smile on my face after it was done.
Thirty-five minutes
was perfect for this disc. It was so out of the ordinary.
There was absolutely zero flashiness or Alberto trying to be
the showstopper on all tracks. Everyone plays nice with each
other and each track is different from the next. This
something that all musicians should give a chance to. Thank
God someone like Mr. Rigoni had the smarts to take a pretty
much vocal free disc and turn into something special and not
make it into a clinic session. Each track was composed with
great care and it shows. I know this will fly under the radar
and not many people will get it cause it’s not from the likes
of a Steve Harris, Sheehan or Stu Hamm, but I seriously
suggest checking this out. This is a worthy listening
experience. www.lionmusic.com
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Burning Skies - Greed.Filth.Abuse.Corruption (Lifeforce) Review by Steve Green |
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The closest I normally get to Bristol, is to the mother-in-laws at
Thornbury, a safe 15 miles away from the centre of Bristol. When I have
visited the centre of said city, also the home of Burning Skies, I looking
forward to leaving it before I've even got there. Pretty, it most
certainly ain't, nor is the music on this cd. Burning Skies create a huge
slab of grinding death metal, that is utterly relentless, but at the same
time, is accessible from the off. Make no mistake, this is as punishing as
hell, but its groove just lets you in, and you can bounce along to this
until your heart's content. The samples are sparse and utilized well, and
overall, this is as cliché free as it gets, bar the song titles, which is
quite remarkable considering the bands |
genres of choice. And while I've touched upon the song titles:
"Slashed, Thrashed and fucked up beyond recognition" wins it
by a short (battered) head.
Special praise must go to producers Patrick W. Engel and Alexander Dietz,
who have, I'm sure, helped to shape this wall of sound, into its palatable
existence. This hits very hard indeed, but every note is crystal clear and
even though there's a lot going on at all times, you can pick up every
instrument and vocal with ease. I still need to give this a few more spins
to fully appreciate how good it really is. Check it out via:
www.myspace.com/burningskies |
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Corporation 187 -
Newcomers of Sin (Anticulture) review by Sam
Thomas |
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“Newcomers of Sin” is Corporation 187’s third album, their
first for Anticulture, having previously been on Earache. They
are so Swedish that they’re in danger of becoming a cliché,
but on the other hand that’s better than aspiring to
mediocrity. And, in point of fact, they aren’t quite like
anyone else. But I bet they all drive Volvos and are regulars
at their local IKEA…
OK, unfairness stops now. This is actually a seriously good
release, and it’s both original but also comprehensible. By
which I mean that it follows understandable musical forms, but
blends them together in a great way. Oh yeah, it’s damn catchy
to boot. |
If you haven’t had the good fortune to catch Corporation 187
before, either live supporting the likes of Arch Enemy (wiped
the floor with them, in my opinion) or on previous releases,
then they’re an interesting mix of death (Gothenburg style
vocals, but never, ever describe them as “melodic death”) and
thrash – think The Haunted meet old-style Dark Tranquillity
and the mauled survivors form a band. If you have heard
“Perfection in Pain” then the good news is that, although the
band sound tighter than ever, you’re in for much of the same.
And thank fuck for that, after all you can’t improve on
“Perfection”, can you?
Quite amazingly for me, the track that stands out from this
album is the title track, but to be honest, it’s all pretty
damn good. It’s strange to see a band who’ve perfected their
own little niche like this and who don’t see the need to head
off in strange directions.
This is an appallingly catchy release (unfortunate when you
find yourself singing along to “Suffer as One” in your local
supermarket, I grant you) which should appeal to a wide
cross-section of the metal fraternity. I thoroughly enjoyed
it, and hope that we don’t have to wait as long for the next
release.
www.anticulture.co.uk
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Eyelash - Bow To The People (Eversholt Music) Review by Steve Green |
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We don't review one track singles on this website, but I'm making an
exception, just this once, as I really like this song and Eyelash are a
band I've never even heard of before. So what can you expect in the
proceeding 3 minutes and 37 seconds? Sassy female fronted rock that has
the attitude, and the danger of the Bon Scott era of AC/DC, mixed with
sex, drugs and lashings of sleaze. This is raw as hell, but it's so
captivating that I can't wait to hear their debut album, which is due out
in the summer. I just hope the rest of the songs match the high standards
of this one. Have a listen via
www.myspace.com/eyelashband
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Icon - Right Between The
Eyes (Wounded Bird) Review by Metal Mark |
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This was the fourth and final studio album from Arizona (and
at one point LA) based Icon. By 1989 they had been up, down
and changed singers and drummers before landing on Megaforce
with distribution from Atlantic. There is no doubting that
they were a very competent band of musicians even when they
released their 1984 self-titled debut. However their downfall
probably had to do with the fact that they sounded too much a
like a more established band. You will read very few reviews
of Icon’s CD that don’t mention that “they sound like Dokken”
and indeed I agree with that fact because they always sounded
to some extent like the band who wanted their name to rhyme
with rockin’. Icon |
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had obviously heard Whitesnake’s 1987 self-titled album by
this point as well because there are a few tracks here that
fall into that style as well. I mean there is no denying that
this is a solid enough hard rock outing, but by 1989 it had
already been done and the market was so packed with poofy
haired bands hoping to be the next Motley Crue, Poison or
Whitesnake. Icon had no problem creating decent hard rock
songs and they were certainly consistent, but they never
really defined their own sound or at least not enough to stand
out. Even though this is likely their best album, it’s easy to
see why they didn’t really make it any bigger than they did.
However hard rock lovers will likely be thrilled that Wounded
Bird has re-issued it and you can now get it for under $15.00. |
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Lost Moon - King Of Dogs
(UK Division Records) Review By Strawb |
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There was no accompanying bumf with this CD and my
internet research did produce results, unfortunately my six
words of Italian proved inadequate, so the biography side is
that Lost Moon are a four piece from Italy, and from their
origins in the 1990s they have progressed to this release
which would appear to be their second CD, following on from
the 2002 release “Lost Moon”. They have performed live, in
Italy, the last time being in 2006. They describe their sound
as “a mix of heavy psychedelic stoner and hard tribal
rhythms”. Means not a lot to me, but I have listened to it all
and there are some highlights worth a mention, the
over sampling of the vocals on Storm Begins, the guitar work on
the |
solo on Flying With The Wind and on Nature In Black, and the
licks on L.H.2000. I criticise the length of some of the
tracks, noting that Until The Stars Are Falling Down would
make a very good two-minute track; unfortunately, it is over
five and that Going To Neptune is over eight minutes of space
rock, but Hawkwind it ain’t and it is way too long.
The nine tracks run for a total of forty nine minutes and I
found this to be music which does not demand that the volume
be cranked up. The consistent and persistent use of fuck and
its variants was unwarranted and somewhat tiresome. The
dubious use of the English language seems to have been
compounded by a particularly error-ridden translator, and the
vocalist pronounces the words as if they are all strangers to
him. I am unfamiliar with the Italian metal scene, and if
Lost Moon are representative then I am lucky to be so.
Now, thank Tony and his stunted fingers of greatness I can
consign this CD to the drawer of ‘reviewed, to be played at
parties of those I don’t like’ because I have far better
things in my collection to listen to.
If you parlez Italiano then do your internet bits at
www.lostmoon.net
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Lurker Of Chalice - Self
Titled (Re-issue) (Southern Lord) By: Dave
Schalek |
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Undoubtedly, like me, you are waiting with bated breath for
the next round of full-lengths from San Francisco’s black
metal mastermind Wrest. Wrest’s two main projects, Leviathan
and Lurker Of Chalice, are depressive, suicidal black metal of
the highest possible caliber, although the two projects are
different shades of the genre. Upcoming are both “Massive
Conspiracy Against All Life” by Leviathan, and “Perverse
Calculus” by Lurker Of Chalice.
I have not yet heard either of the new full-lengths, but, to
tide us all over for a bit (not to mention getting us all
worked up), the geniuses at Southern Lord have decided to
re-issue the self titled debut full-length from Lurker Of
Chalice with a new digipack packaging and |
the inclusion of a bonus track, “This Blood Falls As Mortal
Part IV”, from the original, exceedingly rare, vinyl pressing
of the album. The album itself was originally issued in a
limited pressing in 2005 (vinyl and CD) and almost immediately
sold out. As you might imagine, the original pressing is now
quite hard to find.
For those of you that haven’t yet heard this masterpiece, the
self titled debut is considerably more atmospheric than
Wrest’s output as Leviathan. Although harsh at times like the
music found on Leviathan full-lengths, most of the songs take
on a dreamlike quality as you drown in layers of sub-harmonic
atmosphere and dark ambience. Wrest’s vocal delivery is much
murkier, as well, with the rasp mostly excised and a muted,
heavily distorted and down tuned spoken word delivery takes
form instead. In addition, the bonus track is a 10 minute plus
opus of perfectly executed dark ambience.
In short, if you’re already familiar with this release, but
don’t have a legitimate copy, then you’ve no excuse to not go
out and track this down immediately. Those of you new to Wrest
have no excuse, either. Buy or die.
www.southernlord.com |
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Neurasthenia - Possessed
(UK Division Records) Review By Strawb |
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OK, pop quiz, Hotshot
A] Neurasthenia is characterized by general lassitude,
irritability, lack of concentration, worry, and hypochondria.
The term was introduced into psychiatry in 1869 by G. M.
Beard, an American neurologist. Neurasthenia covers a wide
spectrum of symptoms, including painful sensations or numbness
in parts of the body, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and fainting.
Some medical historians believe that neurasthenia may actually
be the same as the modern day disorder of chronic fatigue
syndrome.[copyright will be with the site I copied it from,
namely www.psychnet-uk.com ... Or... |
B] Neurasthenia is a four-person Italian thrash / metal band
who have been around under this name since 2004 and before
this eight-track CD have released two five trackers and a
single.
Which is true? Well, they both are, but it is possible only
one answer is relevant to this review, because on the evidence
presented the band are not suffering any of the symptoms of
the disease.
Enjoyable album to listen to, their command of English is much
better than my command of Italian, but they are taken to
depths of language they were unfamiliar with before seeing the
song sheet and whilst this leads to some gaffes and to be
honest almost snigger-worthy moments, they are much better
than other recently reviewed bands. I can’t help but think
they would be much better in their native tongue; would I have
such a soft spot for Volume 4 if Ozzy had been roaring out in
Swahili?
Other than this issue I look at my notes to find all the rest
are issues of praise, a well-mixed album with good playing of
all instruments, each being outstanding on different tracks,
and some well presented and varyingly styled vocals. The
opener, Screaming Corpse, has a clicky intro, then a patch
which resembles a Doctor Who theme, then a snatch of nursery
rhyme, before we immerse ourselves in the thrash we seek.
Majestic March I have marked as one of the better tracks on
here, Assassination has almost rap like vocals for a while
[how wrong is that?] before redeeming itself with an
outstanding instrumental after the final “you bastard”, and
Night Under Terror has squeaky door opening, followed by more
from the sound effects box, sirens and screams for over a
minute before turning into a serial killer song, and it is
frenetic throughout and a worthy closer.
This album almost manages to overcome the language problems.
www.neurasthenia.it
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www.myspace.com/neurastheniaband
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Sworn Amongst - And So It Begins (Rising Records) Review by Steve Green |
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Sworn Amongst seem to have made huge progress in the past couple of years,
just on the strength of their music. Appearances at Download and
Bloodstock having been gained without music industry and label politics.
But judging by the opening number, and title track, And So It Begins, I've
no idea how they've managed to achieve so much. A horrible, and utterly
predictable melodic chorus, right in the midst of some "proper Metal", is
like your missus telling you she has crabs, just as you are about to enter
her. A complete bloody turn-off. I'm not sure if they switched bands for
track 2, The Rules of Engagement as this is what I was expecting before
the off, old school REAL Metal. Not the gay fucking shit that |
starts the album. Here's a lesson to be learnt for all young
bands, it's either old school or nu-school, there's no batting for both sides as the two just
don't mix.
And while I quite like the old school Metal of Sworn Amongst, I can't
really see where all of the huge waves of praise are coming from. They've
been compared by one reviewer to Burn My Eyes era Machine Head and Chaos
AD era Sepultura, even to Pantera, Megadeth and countless other big names,
and I don't think that they are anywhere near that level. The downer for
me, is the melodic vocals on the choruses. They don't appear that often,
but when they do, they kill this dead for me. That alone will put off
older fans such as myself, although I'm sure that's the obvious appeal for
the Kerrang generation.
Judging by some of the reviews I've seen, I'm most definitely in the
minority with my views. Don't get me wrong, some of this album is
top-notch, the riff heavy Drive, being an obvious example. And when they
are going at full throttle, the musicianship is jaw-droppingly good but
all I'm saying is, don't believe the hype. Kind of the same way I don't
think Airbourne are the future of Metal. Approach with caution.
www.myspace.com/swornamongst |
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