|
|
|
|
|
Arnocorps - Ballsy EP (Anticulture) Review by Steve Green |
 |
I spent a lot of this summer watching practically every decent film that
Arnold Schwarzenegger made as both Sky and the terrestrial channels
bombarded us with classic Arnie films, from the hilarious Kindergarten
Cop, the blockbuster Terminator films and the futuristic Running Man.
Why am I telling you this? Well here is the musical equivalent of an
Arnie film (allegedly) with tributes to the likes of Terminator and
Commando and you know what, they fail abysmally. Now before I get my
hatchet out to finish the job off, let me state that judged in their own
right, I don't have a problem with any of the EP's 6 tracks. I'm ok with
their quick-fire blasts of feelgood Punk tinged Metal, but I don't
|
|
associate any of the songs with whatever Schwarzenegger film
they are supposed to be linked to, even when they are
singing about Sarah Connor. So the "joke" is completely lost
on me and the band should try and write some proper Metal or
follow their heroes path and retire to a career in politics.
www.arnocorps.com |
| |
|
As You Drown - Reflection
(Metal Blade) Review by Steve Green |
 |
Sweden's As You Drown are being put forward as a band that should appeal
to both the modern Death Metal brigade, meaning fans of Job For A Cowboy
and of the old school Death Metal fan, and for that, read Cannibal
Corpse. Well, with the missus having played the new Job For A Cowboy
quite a few times recently, I'd wager that's the crowd more likely to
appreciate this brutal slab of... well, modern Death Metal. But fear
not, as with the aforementioned JFAC's easing up on the pig-squealing
mania that littered their debut, these young Swedish upstarts are
definitely of the old school in terms of song writing, so maybe the
press blurb that came with this album is absolutely spot on. |
| Quite simply, for your money, you get well performed, well thought out,
crushing Swedish Death Metal. If that's your bag, head on over to the
bands Myspace to investigate them a little further. And you can also
decide if their logo looks a little like one of their label mates as
well. www.myspace.com/asyoudrownsweden
|
| |
|
Black Skies - Hexagon
(I’m Better Than Everyone Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
 |
Here’s a vinyl-only release from North Carolina’s Black
Skies on I’m Better Than Everyone Records, a small press
specializing in vinyl (promos come as CD-Rs, however).
“Hexagon” is the debut EP from this trio on a label that
also specializes in sludge laden stoner doom.
Now, I’ve been enthused by recent releases from Samothrace
and Dusted Angel, so, in my opinion, Black Skies have some
tough competition for my attention in this genre. How do
they do? Well, certainly Black Skies are trudging through
territory laid down by sludge bands such as The Melvins, but
there’s enough up tempo material and out and out rock |
oriented riffing present on this EP to bring to mind old
Black Sabbath circa “Vol. 4” or so. “Hexagon” is not even
close to said classic, but Black Skies demonstrate some
potential with catchy riffs, and a range of tempos. Somewhat
annoying, however, are the distorted vocals that have a
slight nasal inflection, and, frankly, the songwriting isn’t
nearly as good as that on the recent 7” from Dusted Angel, a
comparison band that really blew me away awhile back.
Noteworthy, though, is the EP’s artwork that I had to search
for on the band’s MySpace. Undoubtedly, vinyl aficionados
that love gatefold artwork will be interested in I’m Better
Than Everyone Records, if not this particular release.
All in all, “Hexagon” is not bad, but faces stiff
competition.
www.myspace.com/losblackskies
|
www.imbetterthaneveryonerecords.com |
| |
|
Circadian Rising - Drowned in Exile
(Self-produced) Review by Metal Mark |
 |
Pennsylvania's Circadian Rising have been around for about
two and a half years. I didn't know what to expect from this EP, but these guys certainly managed to
make quite an impression on me with just four songs. Their
influences include classic metal and early death metal. So
rather than separate the two they make a valiant effort at
combining the styles. The vocals are similar to the raspy
style used by Chuck Schuldiner of Death. The music
alternates between pounding early death metal attacks
similar to Death and Obituary and swirling passages similar
to prime Iron Maiden. I found this approach surprising
primarily just because of the ease at which they manipulate
the different sounds. The sound |
is slightly low in parts, but now that they are signed to
Turkey Vulture records I imagine that their upcoming album
will benefit from stronger production values. Circadian
Rising wear their influences on their sleeves, but they are
so smooth in their presentation that it is instantly
likable. They manage to hammer out heavier parts as needed,
yet they put just enough finesse into the presentation to
add some extra depth. The four songs managed to show me
enough to have me ready to see what these guys can do on a
full length effort.
www.myspace.com/circadianrising |
| |
|
D.O.A - The Men of Action
(Sudden Death/MVD)
Review by Metal Mark |
 |
Vancouver's long running hardcore band decided to celebrate
their 30th anniversary with this DVD collection. During all
those years they have gone through a few bass players
although Brian Goble and Randy Rampage have covered most of
the time. They have also gone through their share of
drummers including Chuck Biscuits who also went on to play
for Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Danzig and others. His brother
Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery also sat behind the kit for D.O.A
years before his death in 1994 from a drug overdose. However
my choice for best D.O.A drummer name would go to The Great
Baldini who pounded the skins for a few years during this
decade. The band has also had the occasional second
guitarist. However the central figure of vocalist/guitarist
Joey "Shithead" Keithly has kept the wheels
turning for this band. Despite the line-up changes this band
has primarily kept to their roots of being a no-nonsense
straight forward act with a focus on |
anarchy. This DVD is comprised of 26 clips with the oldest
being a live outdoor clip of "Disco
Sucks" from 1978 and the newest are from this year. A few
clips on this set appeared on the "Smash the State" DVD that
came out two years ago. Still this is huge collection of
songs that cover the band's long career. Attitude has always
been so much a part of D.O.A's approach and it has often
times been a part of the fire that keeps their music going.
This collection includes live performances recorded in Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and of course Vancouver.
There are also music videos as well and they are of varying
quality as some of the earlier ones are a bit silly, but
humor has made it's way into D.O.A.'s image at times as well
over the years. This band started out very raw and their
skills have gotten better over time and they have tightened
up some, but all of the clips show the spirit that has kept
them going for all of this time. I didn't get into this band
until around 1987 and they had been around for almost a
decade at that point. So that made them veterans by punk
rock standards yet here they are another two decades later
still ripping it up.
The audio is re-mastered on these discs
so the sound is generally solid. There is also an option to
watch all 26 clips with commentary from Joey Keithley.
Sometimes his comments are relevant to what's on the screen
and sometimes not, but he is very enthusiastic about giving
his views. As a bonus this set also includes the band's most
recent CD "Northern Avenger". I am not sure as to why this
disc is added in because if you are a fan than you likely
picked it up when it came out last year. In case you didn't
it's another solid release and one of the heavier releases.
Honestly I was overwhelmed by the amount of material on this
disc and that is certainly a good thing. There are some
great presentations of classics like "The Prisoner", "Fucked
up Ronnie", "World War 3" and piles more. The shoe-string
budget video for "We're Driving to Hell 'n Back" had me
rolling as well. There is no dead weight here for sure. The
sound quality is strong and for the most part so is picture
quality. By putting in performances from so many different
years they have managed to give a good overview of the
band's career. "The Men of Action" is a must have for fans
and it would be a great introduction for those unfortunate
few who may not be familiar to this band. |
| |
|
Goreaphobia - Mortal Repulsion
(Ibex Moon Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
 |
Philadelphia's Goreaphobia return from the dead at just the
right time. A semi-legendary OSDM act with deep connections
to others in Pennsylvania's DM scene (multiple rotations of
band members with Incantation have occurred over the years),
Goreaphobia have been kicking around in one form or another
since about 1990. However, "Mortal Repulsion", newly
released on Ibex Moon Records, is the band's first proper
full-length after a slew of on again/ off again demos, a few
singles and splits, and what have you. For whatever reason,
in the past, Goreaphobia simply weren't able to make a
proper go of it.
At any rate, the band's fortunes appear to have taken a turn
for the better. Besides finally |
getting a proper full-length released, the band recently
completed a tour with label mates Master and the up and
coming Dreaming Dead. All the while, a huge resurgence in
the popularity of OSDM has
exploded of late.
I must say that I've only heard bits and pieces of
Goreaphobia's prior output, but "Mortal Repulsion" is an
impressive exhibition of dark death metal that is heavily
influenced by the dark tones of Incantation (not
surprising), and early Celtic Frost. The dark, slightly
dirty style of riffing with a mix of tempos is certainly
reminiscent of Incantation, although Goreaphobia tend be
more focused upon thick, plodding dirges instead of
straightaway blasts. Somewhat surprisingly, hints of melody
periodically enter the picture, as well as an epic feel to
the songs, particularly late in the album with "The
Inevitable Punishment/ Faded Into Ends (Part 2)", the
album's seeming centerpiece. Celtic Frost influences can be
heard in founding member Chris Gamble's vocal delivery,
which sounds quite similar to Tom G. Warrior circa "Into The
Pandemonium".
In a divergence with other recent OSDM releases that feature
thick and modern production values, "Mortal Repulsion" is
somewhat muddy, almost certainly deliberately, with a sound
reminiscent of Incantation's early albums. However, this
sort of production style perfectly fits the moodier aspects
of Goreaphobia's crushing delivery.
The end result with “Mortal Repulsion” is a welcome return
to the fold for Goreaphobia. Highly recommended.
www.myspace.com/goreaphobia
| www.ibexmoonrecords.com |
| |
|
Harvestman - In A Dark Tongue
(Neurot Recordings)
By: Dave Schalek |
 |
Steve Von Till is well known for his work as a guitarist in
Neurosis. However, he is quite prolific as a musician/
songwriter and has appeared in numerous other projects, both
within and on the fringes of metal. One of those projects is
solely his own, namely Harvestman, and “In A Dark Tongue”
from Neurot Recordings is the project’s second full-length.
“In A Dark Tongue’ is a mostly synthesizer and guitar driven
exercise in ambience with hints of drone and classic rock.
Using outdoorsman oriented ecological themes as a muse for
the project, “In A Dark Tongue” meanders with synthesizer
and a few vocal effects that play in the background of a
kaleidoscope of strummed guitars, a couple of classic rock |
oriented riffs, and lots of layered harmonics. Percussion
appears sporadically, and when it does, the combination of
rock guitar and the drum patterns remind me of The Doors and
other similar classic rock acts. Hints of ‘70s era
psychedelics creep into the music throughout with the
synthesizer effects.
For the most part, the album works as an absorbing exercise
in mild drone and ambience combined with psychedelics, but I
do tend to find my attention wandering a bit as I progress
deep into the album. Clocking in at just under 70 minutes,
“In A Dark Tongue” is about 15 minutes too long and would
probably benefit from a trim.
You’d be hard pressed to label “In A Dark Tongue” as metal
and the album really is too long, but adherents of drone,
ambience, and even classic rock will probably find a lot to
like here. Recommended.
www.neurotrecordings.com
|
www.myspace.com/heathenpsych |
| |
|
Heavy Lord - The Holy Grail
(Solitude Productions)
Review by Strawb |
 |
The Dutch four piece have followed up 2008s Chained To The
World with another belter of an album. Heavy is still a
particularly pertinent word in the description of the band,
as this offering growls deeply in the pit of your stomach
from the instrumental opener and title track. Never a
mention of ‘Aquatic bints distributing swords not being a
system of government’ or ‘Knights who say NEE’ before we
move into Dope Smoking Daze. Vocals join here, almost as
eclectically as python inviting us to ‘Tie your brain to a
stone’. However, the odd vocal aside, this track sets the
standard for the album and your sub woofer should by now be
causing the concrete between bricks to revert to a liquid
form in |
an attempt to escape. The vocal range is limited in the same
way that Lemmy has a limited range, no screaming or
screeching, but if you like it, and I do, there are no
complaints on that front. Magician Of Black Chaos wrings its
opening from my speakers, just concentrate on the drums for
the first couple of minutes, not to the exclusion of
everything else, but just because you really should. As the
vocals open, each word seems to be reluctantly sung,
conjuring an image of a man in a black hood extracting them
with the use of glowing coals. The pace does pick up when a
tempo change is implemented about three quarters of the way
into the song, a subtle ploy by someone whose mother was a
hamster and whose father smelled of elderberry's. Baphomets
March omits the long instrumental opening to introduce a bit
of variation to this area. The vocals do display a bit more
range here and there is even the odd patch of an upbeat
tempo, however the overall deep and heavy principles are
enforced by a brilliant and iconic bass. The same bass
begins Gods Of Doom, a substantial intro before the rest of
the band join and bring their own talents to bear. In
patches the pace picks up, and just for a few bars here and
there the tempo rises, but mainly the overriding principles
remain. In these days of short tracks to please the MTV
generation, F.T.S.S.will really piss someone off with its
almost prog endurance of nearly nineteen minutes. But bear
with it, grab each element, the guitar being let loose at
around the two minute mark is a particular favourite. The
bonus track Get Down There You Bitch could be described as
experimental in the opening phase as an almost punkish sound
emits, but it is thankfully brief before normality
[heaviness of the type known only to the shoulders of Atlas]
returns. And whilst throughout the album I still find some
of the vocals indecipherable, I’m sure there is no lethal
rabbit anywhere, and no cardboard cut outs, just genuine
substantial usage of big, roughly hewn stone blocks as Heavy
Lord produce a musical equivalent of Arthur's Camelot.
As I leave now to clean Sir Robins armour of stains, let us
agree that later, whilst I check the internet to establish
the airspeed of an African Swallow, you will check out this
excellent band at
www.myspace.com/heavylord |
| |
|
Hiss Of Atrocities - Rituals Of The
Lost (Self Release)
Review by Steve Green |
 |
I had originally sent this album to a potential new writer to cover, but
unfortunately the scumbag did a runner without sending me a review.
Luckily I'd burnt a copy onto my hard drive just incase this situation
arose, so let's get down to business shall we?
Although based in the US, Hiss Of Atrocities are a multi-national band,
with members coming from both Italy and Kenya, as well as the US and
their roots began at the Berklee College of Music. So as you'd expect,
this is musically proficient, but it's not really firing on all
cylinders. I find Mike Zero's vocals, although enjoyable, quite
limiting. He has now left the band, so I guess that's not a problem for
future releases, but for this album, I'm a big |
|
fan of the softer moments, but the more groove orientated
parts veer too close to the shit Pantera did many many years ago, so it's lacking somewhat in
originality. But once you peel away the more formulaic parts, some of the
music is beautifully constructed with many different flavours, which
reflect the bands diverse make-up. And to be honest, they should have
played on this a lot more. As it stands, they sound like a typical
American Metal band, when they should be playing on their various
heritages to build a more original sound. Hiss of Atrocities, in my
opinion, should ditch the band name and rebuild their sound completely,
because with this level of musicianship, their potential is huge, but
they need to play to these strengths. Let's hope they find a suitable
vocalist to help propel them forward asap.
www.myspace.com/hissofatrocities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
