Live 4 Metal - Reviews

Battalion - Welcome to the Warzone (Shiver Records) Review by Chris Davison
	So, now that retro or the much vaunted new wave of thrash bands band wagon is being ridden all the way to over exposure-ville, what will be the newest trend to emerge from the underground be? Well, my tip is going to be for so-called “old school” death metal bands. For a little while now, I have seen some promising new acts that have more to do with the mid-tempo and ultra-heavy aspects of death metal emerging, at the expense of their more technically minded individuals. As the thrash boom has shown, however, these trends can often thrust the limelight on bands which are lacklustre at the very least. Battalion are a new death metal band that have their influences set firmly in the early 90's hey day of the genre
Luckily, Battalion are early contenders for new squad leaders rather than the cannon fodder of the less-than worthy followers. I have to say that the CD inlay was the first thing that struck me – a huge pull out piece with a depiction of some war-torn battlefield. It's a brave thing, to have such a stand-out piece of artwork, but it sets the scene perfectly for what is to come. In simplistic terms, this is fantastic song-driven death metal that's more aggressive than a pitbull on PCP with its testicles on fire, and more relentless than the Wehrmacht in 1939. Of course, all war-obsessed death metal is bound to be compared to the mighty Bolt Thrower, but in this case that isn't really a fair comparison. So, sure, there are some mid-tempo, growly, buzzsaw guitar riffed tracks like the menacing “Throne of Lies”, but there are also definite hints of the heavier moments of Amon Amarth (particularly in the deep, angry vocals), along with the catchier elements of fellow Belgians Aborted. If that doesn't have your mouths salivating at the prospect of giving this disc a spin, then chances are that you've stumbled upon the wrong website (emo fucks is two clicks down). This is ugly, unrepentant sonic violence for ugly, unrepentant death metal fans (like me!). What marks them apart from some of their old-school peers is that they aren't slavishly recreating the famous Sunlight studios sound. For one, the drums and bass are played to within an inch of their worthless lives, and the production is so powerful, it's like standing next to a howitzer as it delivers its deadly payload. The axes have that downtuned, ragged bite of course, but there are some tasty solos delivered as well as the usual brutality, and the sound is so vital and energetic that it's almost impossible to listen to the album without wanting to play at least one air-instrument through. The double-bass driven drums through nasty track, “Curb Stomp”, for example made my legs twitch about so much my wife thought I might have contracted some kind of tropical disease! All I can hope is that Battalion are able to get themselves seen live, and in particular on some of the summer festivals (Bloodstock would be nice boys!), because with a little more exposure, they could easily see their metallic prowess translated into wider appeal. www.shiver-records.com

Blackwinds - Flesh Inferno (Regain Records) Review by Crin
	Swedish Black Metal is a solid faction of the world scene with acts that have contributed to its growth and solidarity since the ascension of the mighty Bathory. Here is another band [Featuring a member of Setherial and In Battle, two bands of average qualities] that arises from the blackened mist to ensnare you in a semi symphonic web of technically motivated grisly Black Metal. The first track is surprisingly slow considering the band are adept to pummelling you into oblivion. Melodic mid-tempo Black Metal with a polished edge. This is more of a refined Gehenna meets Behemoth and rises above the mere primitive constraints of Darkthrone. Blackwinds simmering music is injected with a venomous spine that rages
constantly. The keyboard element raise the music from mere aural devastation, allowing a rousing atmospheric side to ride upon the back of the relentless guitar arrangements. This is where the band gain some individuality as this merging of eloquent orchestration and frantic guitar riffing melts into the bands own creative flair with the music being constructed thereafter. You get many a crap act signed by the whim of a label boss, an all to frequent dictating entity that we the fans feel obligated to consume. Regain Records seem to have a good ear for great music and this band are no exception. While Century Media, Nuclear Blast and even Season of Mist and Candlelight continue to force feed us dross, then let is praise the likes of Regain to keep the flame of good extreme music alive. www.regainrecords.com

Confederacy of Horsepower - Vagabond Cabaret (Pedaltothemetal) Review by Metal Mark
	Back in the late 1980's to the early 1990's there were a handful of hard rock bands who went against the hairspray and make-up look. Instead they embraced a more motorcycle meets gypsy gang look that was kind of a combination of Motorhead and Guns and Roses. These were bands like Junkyard, Little Caesar, Circus of Power and Zodiac Mindwarp. As far as musical influences most of them seemed big into either AC/DC, The Cult or both. Confederacy of Horsepower seem to not only follow in the footsteps of these type of bands, but in fact they seem very proud to be playing this no-nonsense, leather-clad style of hard rock. They love the above mentioned bands so much that they cover Zodiac
Mindwarp and the Love Reaction's "High Priest of Love" plus they have Dizzy Reed playing keyboards on the album. The main influence that stands out from start to finish on Vagabond Cabaret is the aforementioned Zodiac Mindwarp. This is evident by the low growling vocals, the by the numbers approach to the music and the clichéd, sexual innuendo filled lyrics. Unfortunately they fall into the same trap as many of the bands that tried this approach twenty years ago. That is the fact that they just don't have enough fire or interesting licks to sustain this album. Plus the vocals have very little range as I had to check the track number on my stereo to see which song it was on because the vocals just seemed to be sounding the same on every song. The attitude might be there, but music-wise it's just lukewarm for the most part with a few occasional sparkles. I like the band name and was rooting for them to pull this off because I thought it could be done. However it just seems like they were hoping that image and lyrics would be enough, but unfortunately the music weighs in as being a bit too thin and predictable for my liking. I like the idea of a band wanting to add some grit to their music, but this is just a large dose of very ordinary hard rock. www.myspace.com/confederacyofhorsepower

Do Or Die - Pray For Them (Alveran) Review by Steve Green
	They class themselves as Hardcore, they've toured with the likes of Biohazard, Hatebreed, Agnostic Front etc... and yes, this cd does contain (occasional) gang shouts, but to these ears, this sounds more like the Thrash of The Haunted and the unmistakable trademark rumble of Entombed and the first couple of songs have a very strong Slayer influence, especially in the guitar department. Proved Wrong has similarities with South Of Heaven and I can hear a couple of other parts that could be attributed to Kerry King and Co. As, (I think) this is the first time I've heard Do Or Die, I can't comment if this is different than their previous releases, but to me at least, this isn't what I'd call straight up Hardcore.
Anyway, I'll stop splitting hairs of what style of music Do Or Die play as you can make your own mind up via their Myspace page, and listen to "In Loving Memory" first. Anyway, what you need to know is, "is this any good?" Well yes, as otherwise, would I be telling you to check them out? This is full of energy, full of anger and it basically rocks like a good Swedish Thrash/Death album, which is were my argument ends. www.myspace.com/officialdoordie \| www.alveranrecords.com

Leatherwolf - New World Asylum (N.I.L8) Review by Metal Mark
	Long known for strong melodies and their triple guitar attack back in the 1980’s, Leatherwolf came back in 2006 with an album called World Asylum with former Crimson Glory vocalist Wade Black taking over on vocals. Black ended up leaving before the end of 2006 and the band brought original singer Michael Olivieri back in to the fold. They also made the decision to re-record World Asylum with Olivieri and call it “New World Asylum”. Okay, that’s a slightly long story, but it was probably worth the steps the band went through because the end product is quite spectacular. So many bands tend to get more conservative and lighter in their approach, but Leatherwolf went all out. This album
comes at you like a crushing steamroller in the style of Judas Priest, Vicious Rumors, Accept and maybe even some of Metal Church’s more recent efforts. They also easily weave in natural sounding vocal melodies and some hints of progressive metal in their music as well. It’s not all 80’s throwback as well which is a refreshing change plus they easily mix the classic metal style with a slightly more modern edge. Almost every track works out and perhaps more than anything else it’s just because the band sounds very comfortable working together. Normally my expectations on a comeback or reunion album are low, but this release easily exceeded all of my expectations. Hopefully this line-up stays on track and keeps going because there is obviously some steam and more than a few strong ideas left in them.

Resistance - Two Sides of a Modern World (Alveran Records) review by Sam Thomas
	Resistance are, unusually, from Belgium, not a country particularly noted for its contribution to metal. They’ve been around since 2003, having started out as a hardcore band with metal influences, but have gone through the usual bout of line-up changes and are now more of a brutal death metal band. “Two Sides of a Modern World” is their debut album for Alveran, the follow-up to “Trauma”, and it’s actually pretty good. They are quite straightforward death metal, mercifully without too many pig squeals. The band’s hardcore roots are still apparent, which makes for an interesting mix. There’s even a great industrial vibe to track six, “Prelude to
funeral”. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be trapped inside an industrial size washing machine on the spin cycle for around thirty-seven minutes, this will probably give you a rough idea. If you want a closer approximation, stand under a shower whilst listening… Inevitably the press release cites “Job for a Cowboy”, being as how they’re flavour of the month, but that’s being a bit unfair to Resistance. These guys aren’t copycat wannabes, they have their own style, without being particularly innovative or original. And is that really a problem? After all, if everything was cutting edge, there’d be something wrong with our definition of cutting edge. Basically, Resistance are peddling some very well-produced death metal, brutal in style, probably somewhere between Florida and JFAC in style. The album is very good, but perhaps not particularly memorable. But that’s more a feature of the style that a failing on the part of the band. As a second album, this is perfectly acceptable, and at least shows some talent and potential for improvement. www.alveranrecords.com

Soul Destruction - There's No Profit In Truth (Self Release) Review by Steve Green
	Welcome to the melting pot that is Soul Destruction. This is just a guess, but I think that getting their message across and creating songs with a real subject matter, such as how addiction affects a family, the fallout following a friends suicide etc... is more important than the style that they actually play the songs in. Musically, this flips from industrial based electronics, a downtuned groove, huge swathes of tribalism, classical interludes and touches of the Far East, man, the list is endless. The vocals are just as varied. Vitriolic rants that border on the the sound of a psychotic preacher brainwashing his attended flock, clean vocals, which during A New Religion, reminded me of early Hawkwind and countless
other variations of unfettered anger and temperate harmonies. The range of Soul Destruction's music is huge, but it's all held together with a convincing delivery and the knowledge that this is a band that will always put their all into everything they do. I think the only downside for me is that some of the ideas don't come off, with Educate being a perfect example. The band are trying to cram too many ideas into one song, so that in the end, it all seems a little messy. But at least the band should be applauded for trying to do something different. Not a bad album at all, but for the next one, I'd advise keeping things just a little simpler. www.souldestruction.co.uk

Terror - The Damned, The Shamed (Century Media Records) By: Dave Schalek
	Yet another long running band from L.A. that has escaped my notice (Farflung being another from a few reviews back). This time, it’s Terror, and no wonder. Terror is a hardcore band! What?! Signed to Century Media Records? Well, okay, they’re based in L.A. as well, so it’s not all that shocking. I’ve stated before that pure hardcore isn’t really my thing, so I was hesitant to approach “The Damned, The Shamed”, the band’s overall third full-length, and first on the giant American metal label. Somewhat surprisingly, I’m greeted with a version of mostly Bay Area thrash along with some obvious influences from NYHC crossover in the form of
Agnostic Front and the Cro-Mags. Modern metal production values, plenty of catchy riffs, hooks, and crunch, and rather typically delivered, shouted, hardcore-styled vocals appear to be Terror’s bread and butter. In addition, there’s some nice tempo variation from a mid-paced delivery to a thrash metal gallop. Simply put, this is a modern version of crossover and is somewhat restrained in nature. Don’t get me wrong, Terror has the trappings of hardcore with all of the socially conscious themes, pissed off delivery, and so forth, but the actual music on “The Damned, The Shamed” isn’t anything crushingly heavier than modern Bay Area thrash such as that present on, say, the latest from Testament. In addition, somewhat unexpected are slow moments with melodic riffing and the odd solo or two. Plenty of bass lines make appearances, as well. Overall, Terror’s first impression on me is a good one, albeit a bit of a surprise. Considering the heavy emphasis upon crossover that seems to be placed here, I just might go out looking for Terror’s prior releases. Recommended. www.terrorhc.com \| www.centurymedia.com

Ticket To Hell - Man Made Paradise (My Kingdom) Review by Chris Davison
	Thrash is not poncing about in bermuda shorts, wearing baseball caps and fluorescent T-shirts with “ironic” phrases on it. Nor is it singing endless songs about beer. Unless you're Tankard. Thrash should be angry, metallic and composed from a genuine wish to play honest, neck-snapping metal. So, while I continue to tell Municipal Waste and their wanker friends to “fuck right off”, let me hold the door open and give a hearty “step right in!” to Ticket to Hell. I am so sick to death of scene hopping, fringe wearing fuck-tards claiming to be thrash metal because it's the latest tongue-in-cheek fad to show off to 13 year old girls to. Ticket to Hell isn't a joke band. It isn't composing music for NME reading, NHS spec-
wearing turds to high-five each other to. It's an album for metal fans. Nothing more. Nothing less. Actually, Ticket to Hell is a little unusual in that it's...well, it's a one-man band. Nothing unusual in that for our doom and black metal inclined brethren, of course, but it's rather a rarer thing for those of a thrash persuasion. So, Mexican one-man band thrash metal it is then. If that rather bizarre mental image is fixed firmly in your head, let's move on to the actual music. This is pure, unadulterated furious thrash metal. Jacobo has a fine knack for writing absolutely molten metal riffs, dripping with fire and galloping rhythms, and tracks like the erm...incendiary “Eyes of Fire” are a master class in melding the modern almost death metal approach of bands like Torture Squad with an Exodus like appreciation of the power of the guitar riff. The drums are excellent, played in the old school thrash style, though interspersed with some tasteful blasting and lightspeed double bass drums, while occasional treble heavy guitar melodies are over-laden, over the top like some kind of denim-und-leather confectionery. If I have any complaints at all, it's that although professionally produced, competently played and earnestly meant, some of the songs, particularly the last three, do seem to sound a bit...well...samey. A little more dynamics could have made all the difference, but then again if you are in the mood for eight none-as-pure thrash songs played at the speed of sound and pointed right at your brain, then you aren't likely to find anything so suitable as this in the coming months. It's a funny thing, honesty and conviction. I'm not sure how I can tell you in words that this album reeks of it, but you can definitely tell that our man Jacobo really loves his metal, and that this was his testament to that adoration. There isn't a knowing, eye-brow raising, ironic moment to be had while listening to this album, and to my mind that's a very positive thing. So yeah, thanks modern thrash bands for your eighties film references and tales of undead drinking parties, but if it's all the same I will stick to some genuine Mexican metal. www.mykingdommusic.net

To The Bone - Against the Dead Hand (Rosemont Records) Review by Luke Goaman-Dodson
	This is the sophomore album from New Jersey-based trio To The Bone, a progressive-metal band with some stoner-rock and grunge influences. The sound here is very similar to latter-day Voivod, with a dose of Soundgarden and Prong here and there. The band’s main talent lies in crafting decidedly heavy riffs that sound straight-forward and at points punk-inflected while remaining precise and technical. ‘Year Of The Swine’ begins with dissonant tritone-based riff, before relaxing into a more melodic chorus decrying political and religious corruption. ‘Insectual’ is an up-tempo number that forms easily one of the album’s standout tracks, despite that fact that I have no idea what it’s about (“you’re looking kind of
insectual/without that dress made of pesticide”… er, alright then). This song probably highlights TTB’s Voivod-meets-Soundgarden approach the best. ‘Left To Rot’ is somewhat slower than the preceding songs, beginning with a treated guitar harmony that sounds as if it’s been played with an e-bow, before launching into a doomy Sabbath riff, and back again. How much you like this album really depends on how much you like Voivod’s later stuff – in that respect it’s not startlingly original, but TTB know how to do it, and they know how to do it well, so if this is your cup of tea, then stick the kettle on and make yourself a brew. www.myspace.com/tothebone