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Calm - Army Of A Few
(Metalcast Records) Review by Steve Green |
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We seem to be getting a few oddities come our way recently. So here we
have some more crazy fucked up shit, this time from Sweden. This one
starts off sounding like the South Park theme tune buttfucking Suicidal
Tendencies more cyco (Miko) moments, but then it switches to a face
ripping blastfest, which just absolutely slays. Weirdest moment is on
Bittersweet Memories, when the vocals sound like a sheep, and for older
readers, they sound like Larry The Lamb. This is, despite the off the wall
nature of Calm's music and the fact that it's fucking brutal, quite an
easy listen. The musicianship is extremely tight, the production full and
in your face, and when the band get into their groove, especially on |
Another Day To Come, I can see them appealing to all Metal
fans. Hell, they've managed to convert me to their cause.
I do, at times, find the more quirky bands hard going, but everything
about Army Of A Few, just flows quite naturally. I constantly expect the
band to include some weird shit, and they never fail to deliver. But they
do it in such a potent way, that it works every single time. Their
Hardcore hearts pump the music out, while their fucked up minds add the
insanity. This is anything but Calm.
www.calmswe.com |
www.metalcastrecords.se |
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Dead Man - Euphoria
(Meteor City Records) By: Dave Schalek |
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I’ll keep this one short. The reason for that is that Meteor
City Records really has no business sending us this release as
Dead Man is nowhere near metal. “Euphoria” is light stoner
rock that mostly sounds like mellow, upbeat Led Zeppelin in
their more folk oriented moments, bits of Pink Floyd, and
loads of The Grateful Dead (whom I could never stand, sorry
Skull) thrown in for good measure.
“Euphoria”, Dead Man’s second full-length, was included in a
package of promos along with the latest from Farflung, whom I
liked very much (see review below). I initially dove into
“Euphoria” with enthusiasm and came away greatly disappointed
from the opening |
| track. Don’t get me wrong, this is well done light stoner
rock, but it’s not metal. Unless you’re willing to move
outside of our chosen art form, steer clear of Dead Man. Ugh.
www.stonerrock.com/meteorcity/index.asp |
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Detrimentum - Embracing
This Defofrmity (Grindethic Records) review by
Sam Thomas |
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Detrimentum are a band who’ve been knocking around since 1996
in one guise or another. Their recording history (less demos)
consists of in 2002’s “A Monument to the Suffering”, a mini-CD
to which “Embracing This Deformity” is the follow up. They’re
from Northampton, but have ventured to London for gigs, I saw
them myself some years ago at the delightful Electrowerkz.
I was a bit nonplussed by the biog which came with the CD, as
it described them as “blending elements of brutal death metal,
blackened doom and dark melodies” and also as having
“extensive doom passages”, basically because I’d considered
them to be a grind |
band, but, hell, everyone’s entitled to their own opinions.
Even if they’re wrong.
So I stuck the CD on to play, and, OK, it was different to the
2002 work. But that was mostly because, fashion victims all,
the vocals have now gone towards the current trend for
pig-squeals at various points. The underlying tone of the
piece is still grind (or very brutal death if you prefer to
designate it thus) but with some outstanding guitar work in
slower passages. Unfortunately, the guitar work is so
overshadowed by the lumbering, overbearing vocals that it’s
not enough to rescue this CD for me. I’m sure there is a
degree of intelligence at work here, track titles like
“Scalestomeasurethemisfortuneofman” and “Ills to which the
Flesh is Heir” certainly suggest it, but once again,
everything is obscured by the impenetrability of the vocals.
Jon Rushforth does a good job on the drums, blastbeats
resounding throughout, but any attempt at craftsmanship is
unfortunately strangled at birth by the vocals.
This is an irritating CD, produced by a band who could
definitely do better with a different focus. Or with any
focus, perhaps.
www.detrimentum.co.uk |
www.grindethic.co.uk |
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Farflung - A Wound In
Eternity (Meteor City Records) By: Dave Schalek |
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Los Angeles based Farflung returns with their seventh
full-length, entitled “A Wound In Eternity” on stoner label
extraordinaire Meteor City Records. Frankly, I’ve never heard
of Farflung (and I live in the L.A. area), even after seven
full-lengths, and the reason for that is simply that Farflung
isn’t metal. However, “A Wound In Eternity” is very well done
space/ stoner rock that takes more than a page from early
Monster Magnet and blends it very nicely with the best band
that my wife listens to, psychedelic lords Yo La Tengo.
I’m definitely all over Monster Magnet, so I was pleasantly
surprised to hear in Farflung’s “A Wound In Eternity” a lot of
similarities with “Superjudge”, albeit with a generally slower |
tempo, less concentration upon the whole Satanic drug thing
(you wouldn’t understand), and a huge tendency to meander for
long drawn out psychedelic passages taken straight from Yo La
Tengo’s playbook, as well as their penchant for just plain,
well written rock. Throw in the usual stoner influences such
as the more mellow moments from Kyuss and so forth, and
combine those influences with great songwriting, musicianship,
and a definite affinity for psychedelics (astronomy also goes
a long way in my view), and Farflung has escaped my notice for
far too long.
This is probably not going to appeal to everyone, as Farflung
does have a tendency to stray a bit far from metal at times,
but I do have a soft spot amongst my extreme tastes for well
done stoner rock, and Farflung does that well in spades. Those
of you out there with a similar soft spot may do well to track
down “A Wound In Eternity”. Well done.
www.stonerrock.com/meteorcity/index.asp |
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Final Axe - Axe Of The
Apostles (Retroactive) Review by Metal Mark |
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Final Axe were a southern California based based Christian
metal band. They released one album in 1989 and broke up 1991.
However in 1990 they recorded guitars and vocals for what was
to be their second album yet they didn't complete it and it
wasn't released. However a few years ago vocalist Keith Miles
and guitarist Ben Menchen got together and brought in Stryper
drummer Robert Sweet to lay down the drum tracks. Menchen also
played bass and keyboards and they completed this album. Quite
honestly I was surprised by the heaviness of this album.
Musically the style is reminiscent of Judas Priest and maybe
even early Grave Digger with walls of heavy guitar ripping out
shortly after each track |
begins. The vocals are deep and solid, but not a huge amount
of range overall. I always considered Robert Sweet to be the
most talented member of Stryper and it's interesting to hear
what he can do on some real metal tracks. He attacks his parts
vigorously and it's obvious that the two founding members of
Final Axe sure made the right decision in bringing Sweet to
lay down the drums.
If this album had been like this in 1990 then a lot of people
really would have taken notice. It's still very good today,
but most of us have heard a lot of bands like this although
these guys might play with a bit more conviction. My only
major gripe was that the majority of the songs are the same
pace and causes the tracks to feel like they are blending
together at times. Still fans of classic late 80's early 90's
metal will probably welcome this album. This album was
actually originally released in 2006, but is being released
again by Retroactive this month.
www.myspace.com/finalaxe |
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MSG: Schenker/Barden - In
The Midst Of Beauty (Inakustik) By: Joe Florez |
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I must say that as much of a fan as I am of Schenker’s work, I
have not been pleased with his releases past 1989 for the most
part. Sure, there are songs on each album that are decent, but
nothing came close to his 80’s material. When I first heard
that original singer Gary Barden was taking hold of the mic
again, Simon Phillips on drums, Neil Murray on bass and Don
Airey on keys, I nearly wet my pants as this would be
considered a dream team of music. My appetite was further
satiated when I read in Classic Rock Magazine (yes, this
scribe reads other publications too) that the music was a
welcome return to old, I knew I had to have this. Small side
note, Glenn Hughes was asked to be on this record, |
when things didn’t work out for him to play bass or sing,
talks fell apart and here we are now. Well, the time has come
for the review.
Opening track “City Lights” has a familiar sound to the 1980
debut except with a better production and a more modern sound.
Furthermore, the keys are heard only faintly and doesn’t come
off as obnoxious. The music is pretty simple and basic and the
solo I might add, was pretty tame. Nothing outrageous going on
here. The thing I was shocked at was Gary’s voice. Now, I know
that he is older and might not be able to capture his original
sound, but he sounded quite tired. “Competition” contains some
good background harmonies and it’s a bit catchy, but it again
it seems like the steam is running out here. Here we go now.
“I Want You” has a shot of energy injected into this track
that was lacking on the first two. The keys have a retro
classic 70’s rock vibe which comes off as Deep Purple, but I
mean this with much love. Everyone sounds like thy feel at
home with “End Of The Line” as this is more of a rockin’ blues
cut that expresses a lot of life in it and it shows. Nice use
of banging piano ala Jerry Lee Lewis. “Summerdays” is a ballad
of sorts that shows Mike’s mature playing here that is
sophisticated. Not a great number, but guitar wise, it’s good.
It’s a good thing that I gave this record a second chance
because in my mind when I first listened to this I bashed it
to bits. Perhaps, I was not in a right frame of mind cause I
just got off of a thrash fix. Also, I was expecting too much
of this to be a carbon copy of the old days thanks to what I
was reading. After clearing my head and giving it another
shot, it’s ok. I wouldn’t call it great, but good. You can
tell that what is showcased here reflects their age as they
are all getting older. There are moments where this thing does
rock, but also slows down a lot. Do not expect a completely
blown out retro record cause you will be disappointed. No
return to glam moments will be allowed here. This is just a
more mature record, that’s all. The energy levels will come
and go here and if you are a fan of the man’s music you will
notice it. May a Red Bull or two should have been in the
studio for everyone just for that extra jolt. Free of the
Shrapnel Label. This album may be hard to get as it’s on a new
German label called Inakustik. In the end, this is good.
www.in-akustik.com |
www.michaelschenkerhimself.com |
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NFD - Deeper Visions
(Jungle) Review by Steve Green |
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My first dalliance with NFD, who are led by ex-Fields of the Nephilim
bassist Tony Pettitt, was the When The Sun Dies single, which was released
early this year. The song is an absolute corker and was a perfect choice
as a single, and as an opener for NFD's third studio album. Without going
over too much old ground, frontman Peter "Bob" White is a dead ringer for
Carl McCoy and this song is right up there with anything The Nephilim have
every produced. I didn't expect anything to top this number, and nothing
comes close, but it's still (mostly) high quality 80s Goth. Move In Closer
is a more atmospheric number with a dance-like underbelly, but it still
reeks of 1987 - 88. Let It Rain, to me, feels like a bit of |
a filler, as it never really gets going, although I kind of
like the structure of the song. The Unforgiven sees NFD strip
everything back to basics, with atmospheric keyboards,
acoustics guitars, bass and vocals. It's a great brooding
number, although with a running time of just 3.19, it's
woefully short, when a 10 minute epic, a la Last Exit For The
Lost, was so possible with this number.
Moving onto the final two original numbers, Senses Alive is a
bit of a rocker, while Never Let This Die starts off in
typical "lighters in the air" fashion, before moving into the
epic territory I was expecting with The Unforgiven, although,
it too, is cut off in its prime at just over the 6 minute
mark. Rounding off the audio section of the cd are two
remixes, one for When The Sun Dies, and one for Caged, which
is from 2006's Dead Pool Rising.
With six new tracks, 2 remixes and four video clips, and a
retail price of under £8, this is the perfect time to grab
yourself a bargain.
www.myspace.com/nfdworld |
www.jungle-records.com |
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Putrefy/Blasphtized/Vomitous
Rectum - Vomiting Putrid Blasphemy (Grindethic
Records)
review by Sam Thomas |
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I do like the idea of three way splits: you get enough tracks
from each band to satisfy your curiosity, and enough bands to
make it worthwhile. This particular gem from Grindethic
exactly proves my point, I enjoyed each band, and the
selection worked well together.
First up were Putrefy, from Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, who
went for what I’d tend to think of as “traditional” grind –
which to me means the likes of Desecration – with the usual
movie/spoken clips at the beginning of (some) tracks. Vocals
were almost sub-sonic, but no pig-squeals. Best track of four
was undoubtedly the gloriously-titled “Slurping on Cuntslop”,
which actually finished with an almost surreal collection of
industrial sounding |
clattering and clanking.
Blasphtized had a slightly different take on things. As the
name might suggest, their main raison d’être would seem to be
to produce as many religiously offensive ideas as possible,
within the framework of four tracks of grind. Blackgrind,
anyone? They themselves describe their output as “slam death
metal”, so take your pick. This is definitely fast-paced
brutality, however you look at it. “Micturation in the Manger”
had me howling with laughter at the start, with the beginning
sounding just like “Nattefrost takes a Piss” (can’t think
why!) superimposed on a choir singing “Away in a Manger”.
Fortunately, the vomiting was absent on this occasion. The
lads (from London via Days of Perversion) were clearly having
a great time producing their four tracks, which is always a
good sign.
Vomitous Rectum, from Staten Island, is composed entirely of
former members of Thornefiction. (Useless fact of the day).
They are another band who are obviously having a great time
playing grind/death metal. Of the three bands featured on this
split CD, I think that they were a good choice to finish with,
as their style, whilst firmly entrenched in brutality, is
probably the most readily accessible. This is probably the
band which gets closest to the line between grind and brutal
death, staggering from one side to the other. Thoroughly
competent stuff, and very enjoyable.
Altogether, this is a pretty good release from Grindethic, and
should summon up interest in all of these bands for the
future. I’ve certainly enjoyed listening to it!
www.grindethic.co.uk |
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Suidakra - Command To
Charge (Locomotive Records) By: Joe Florez |
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Here we go again with another band that I have always heard
of, but never listened to cause I never had a chance to hear a
disc from them. I failed to realize just how long they have
been dishing out releases. They go back as far as 1995 with
their demo and then releasing full lengths from then on.
What’s funny is that Locomotive Records has acquired the
rights to this from Armageddon Records and it’s from their
back catalogue that goes back to 2005. With that out of the
way, what is it that we get? My guess in the beginning was
that with a cool name as such and the way that they write it,
I thought I would get something that could cause severe damage
to the ears in a good way. What you get is a mix |
of everything including the kitchen sink. Lead track “Decibel
Dance” has a lot of power, but groove as well. The vocals are
mixed between a clean croony voice and a gritty one. It’s
simple, yet aggressive, but from what I can tell doesn’t reach
their full potential. This is a mid paced melodic thrash
number that could have been harder. It’s alright, but doesn’t
quite blow down any doors. “C14_Measured By Infinity” remains
in the mid range era, but throws in a slick solos, at times
double bass drumming and lean riffs even though they can be
staccato at times. A little bit more meat in the song overall
and I tend to like this one more. What I didn’t happen to
catch with the band is that they have a Celtic influence.
There are bagpipes that make an appearance during “The
Alliance.” This isn’t a bad band who has good intentions, but
I was expecting more bang for your buck if you will. Even
though I love good melodies and clean voices, I also like to
listen to some serious shit and this doesn’t quite reach its
pinnacle. I would definitely recommend this to someone who is
starting out in this genre. Call this 101 of thrash if you
will. For those who have been into the harder shit for years
would want to get something with more bite. Not bad, but this
is more commercial and I think this is something that the kids
who adore Ozzfest could get behind.
www.locomotivrecords.com |
www.suidakra.com |
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Wednesday 13 - Skeletons
(D2/Demoltion) Review by Revis Doherty |
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Wednesday 13, solo artist and Murderdolls singer, has his
third album soon to be released. Many people say that the
third album is hardest to write, as you run out of ideas, and
trying to write a follow up to albums like 'Fang Bang' and
'Transylvania 90210' must be difficult, but Wednesday 13 shows
off his brilliant musical skills with his up and coming album
'Skeletons'. 'Skeletons' is meant to be his most personal
album yet, and the songs certainly show how depressing his
life must have been.
But 'Skeletons' has a twist, there is a song with acoustic
guitar in, a first for the singer, and |
not a bad one either, the acoustics really give the song a
depressing tone, and are really the kind of twist an artist
like Wednesday 13 needs. Although most of the other songs are
similar to his older material, the songs on Skeletons keep you
wanting more. And of course, as you would expect from
Wednesday 13, the freaky talking is back, and in my personal
favourite, No Rabbit In The Hat and in All American Massacre.
I own the other albums, Transylvania 90210 and Fang Bang, and
this is Wednesday 13’s best album yet, (and his other albums
are bloody good, so this is saying a lot.) There isn't a song
where I think 'maybe I'll just skip this track', as all of the
songs on 'Skeletons' are brilliant. If you see this on a shelf
then forget all the other albums you want, this is definitely
what you should buy, no competition.
www.myspace.com/officialwednesday13 |
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