Grade 8 "s/t" 2002 Lava Records by: Wayne Klinger I'm not too familiar with this band or where they come from but they are anther one of those "Nu-Metal" types I cringe over. They got the heavy riffs and fluctuate the raspy to aggressive vocal style with the "rappy" thing going on. Best case scenario would be Limp meets Mushroomhead and P.O.D. on this 12-track debut which isn't my bag of chips but I'm sure everyone who has hit puberty will run out and buy it...I just see too many bands doing this, they all sound the same; pretty much what these type of people say about Thrash and your "true" Metal bands--tit for tat I guess. Grade 8 is worth the time but as far as any originality, I just don't hear it. www.grade8music.com www.lavarecords.com

Beyond The Embrace "Against The Elements" 2002 Metal Blade by Wayne Klinger Here's a decent band on Metal Blade that are a more aggressive Progressive Metal and are a 6-piece; something very common with today's bands next to power trios. BTE reminds me of the good old days of Thrash and Progressive bands like Wild Dogs, Leatherwolf, Metallica and Megadeth with the fast, galloping stuff to mid-paced crunchers with a technical delivery of that like Watchtower or Hades. The vocals are somewhat in the Hetfield vein but not to the point it's mirrored. This band isn't the most original either but I love them for the vibe, the attitude and the music just has balls. www.beyondtheembrace.com www.metalblade.com

SANCTUM AZ Independent By Jonathan Mariante Black Sabbath meets Pantera in the 70's...that's the best way I can think of to describe this band's music. They play riffy, groove oriented hard rock with a crunch, very influenced by the two aforementioned bands. The production has a raw, stripped down, 70's feel, a la Sabbath. Singer John Secrest is a bit like Phil Anselmo, but less aggressive. Guitarist Jason Green has a lot of Tony Iommi and Dimebag influence in him, and he's a very good guitar player, throwing in a smoking solo on each song. Of the five songs on this disc, "Shell Of Myself" and "Welcome All" are like a slightly less heavy, 70's Pantera, with some dashes of Sabbath. There are stronger dashes of the Sabs in the songs "I'm Not Your God" and "Until Now". The former, in fact, reminded me of the Ozzy tune, "Gets Me Through", although it does kick into high gear at the end. Finally, we have "Az One", a more middle ground rock tune, live a heavier Pearl Jam. These guys are a fairly decent band and they can play (Jason Green's guitar playing especially caught my attention. This guy can shred when he wants to!). They wear their influences on their sleeves, but they've cranked out some good, rocking tunes here.

Amon Amarth "Versus The World" Metal Blade By Paul Autry It's no big secret that I'm not a huge fan of death metal. I don't make any effort to hide the fact that I just can't get into this style of music. For the most part, at least in my opinion, it all sounds the same. I've written about numerous releases and I hardly had anything nice to say about them. Don't get me wrong, some were good for what they were. But, most of them were just plain horrible. When I recieved Amon Amarth's latest release, "Versus The World," I knew what the band was all about and I figured this would be another quick review where I explained why I didn't like what I was listening to. But, when I gave this disc a listen, I was a bit suprised because it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. As far as the music, it was, of course, heavy and rather strong. It was enough to satisfy my hunger for a good metal meal, that's for sure. Usually, my biggest problem with death metal is the vocal style. I don't believe a lot of these people can actually sing, that's why they hide behind those typical death metal growls or the whispering death metal screams...those of you who are into this style of music know what I'm talking about. Anyway, on this release, the vocalist has a brutal vocal style. But, for the most part, I can actually understand what he's saying and that's always a plus in my book. It's still not as clear as I would like it to be. But, it matches the music and that's a good thing. It's not over the top brutal and it's not too weak. I guess you could say it's just right. Now, I still wouldn't rush out and buy this release because it's not something I would listen to on a regular basis. But, for those of you who are into death metal, this is one I would recommend checking out because it's a lot better than 90% of the albums that I've had to review in the past. On a final note, I recieved a promotional copy with nine songs. But, the commercial release will be a limited edition with a bonus disc that will feature 14 additional tracks. So, if anything, at least this band is willing to give you a little more for your money...more, shall we say, bang for your buck! I'm sure you can all appreciate that, huh? http://www.metalblade.com

Sheavy "Synchronised" The Music Cartel By Vinnie Apicella How much influence doe the seventies' have on a resurging Rock music? How bout going all the way back to 1970 for starters. How much influence does Black Sabbath have on Heavy music? Go all the way back to 1995, or somewhere thereabouts, to when a Canadian foursome going by s-HEAVY, pronounced just how it's spelled, decides, well we're not just going to borrow from the best, we're going to BE the best. And that's BE as in literally! Okay, okay, so the Sabbath comparisons, and specifically singer Hennessey's remarkable burglary of the original madman's beer soaked prime, have been done to death over and again and so what of it if it gets you noticed? The one friend in Sheavy's corner, besides being able to craft catchy Rock tunes and revise Radio Birdman retro-ism's, is that for all the droves of distortion pedal dopeheads running the bong water dry, they don't sound like any of them! And personally I'd rather be scoffed at while being compared to Sabbath than I would to hear I sound like every other stone-faced denim clad rusty zippered rip off of a fume-sucking era. I gave these guys major airplay on my old college radio show and that would've been for their "Electric Sleep" record, an easy riding classic that's still a step above the many others since-save for Orange Goblin who was doing some intense, if not insane things of their own, though not one could probably remember what they were if you asked 'em. Sheavy might be a bit more coherent but they're not wacky enough to disassociate from that which they've descended from. That said, let's welcome aboard famed Sab producer, Mike Butcher, formerly having final stamped such works as "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Sabotage." Now here's the irony-this record doesn't sound nearly as much like Sabbath as their first couple. It's true, Hennessey's Ozzy incarnate, but musically, we're stretching boundaries while maintaining tightness of focus that was "The Electric Sleep." "Celestial Hi-Fi" came out a couple after that one and sought refuge in the stars, granting the listener the necessary psychedelic road trip from dust to dawn; and now down again we come for their catchiest disc so far. Beginning with the farthest reaching tune, "Invasion of the Micronauts," it's got a cool uptempo vibe that in another life would scream "hit-single" to Rock radio stations that gave two shits, but here, it'll go down as a Pearl Jam styled feather weight amidst the dynamic density of the surrounding. "Firebird 350" jets out the space dock with a two and half minute rumble that throws early indications this stands to be the most exciting Sheavy album. "Last Of The V8 Interceptors" continues with a vintage opening riff that segues into a quickened verse and catchy groove that stands among the album's best. The title track employs a slight but useful synthesized effect over another non-stop riff, a real standout quality of Sheavy's music and sonic step above this go round-Dan Moore's really working the fretboard and the Butcher's pulled every ounce for a striking rhythm set up that's like an STP boost in a sandy tank. The choruses achieve a quick chokehold rather than the occasionally long-winded doze offs from the prior. Overall, we're making great strides musically, incorporating more percussive elements-the six minute "Ultraglide" comes away as a near epic styled portrait of echo and fade amongst a mournful discourse. "AFX. Thrown For A Loop" then, does just that afterwards, having effectively slowed your senses to a near dull, then grinding your organic gears into high and off you go rubbing your eyes, focusing on the ensuing blur in front of you, headed for the highway, hell, or just somewhere you aren't ready for. "Synchronized" is the most complete Sheavy record yet; Their fourth, they've stepped away from precept, accepted the welcoming hand of the "Hard Rock" alliance and returned to earth more dominant and distinguishable than ever before.

The Church "Parallel Universe" Thirsty Ear By Vinnie Apicella We should've seen it coming. but we didn't. And how could we? Nothing The Church seems to do, better than two decades now, seems to fall into complacency. Their timeless mix of majestic atmospherics with the cutting edge has afforded them a longevity few others could ever hope to boast of. When one thinks of the likes of REM, U2, Depeche Mode, all share similar qualities in achievement, heightened status, soaring sales, missteps, bumps in the road, and so forth, but equally, all have maintained an integral relationship amongst themselves and their fans and all have survived changing conditions to the world around them. The Church belongs there yet remain mysteriously separate. And so we might suggest their accomplishments to this point become all the more impressive without benefit of the hit single or soundtrack success. What the Australian aesthetic does is create rich, soulful sounds that encapsulate the mind on a multitude of elemental levels. They've gone the way of the Pop tilt in the past and been successful-"Starfish" was an attractive example of such; they've gone avant-garde to post-modernism on subsequent follow ups that were difficult to track by comparison, appreciable in their range of depth more so than the quick "Gold Afternoon" type fix. "After Everything Now This" revealed The Church's full range of motion earlier this year, stepping onto and across varied boundaries as one associates to Gothic music, Electronic, World, Pop, and Modern Rock and touching each so as to reveal itself momentarily, before shifting, hovering, orbiting from an advantageous viewpoint, to reconstruct and recreate vivid passages where all is one. "Parallel Universe" then, takes that work, remixes the ten tracks onto what is disc one, adding cerebrally drawn enhancements, some subtle, as with "Stay All Night" or "Radiant," relaxed and withdrawn, as they were meant to be, while at other times, sudden primal urges surface in the form of a potent dance beat with electronic impulses adding dimensionally ascending motifs to something like "Let y=x" and its "Survival mix" or the bass heavy groove of "Earthfriend (Version)." Disc two features six previously unreleased tracks drawn from different periods within the three years in the making "After Everything." sessions, led by the stratospheric eleven minute opener, "1st Woman On The Moon," which wastes little time stretching the intuitive expanse. "Espionage" is a tightly drawn percussive follow up that's a precursor to the magnificently mixed "Reward," an effects driven masterpiece of dark wave and audio erotica; without question one of their finest moments on record. "There You Go" hushes to a momentary lull before "Twin Star" exits in a reroute to an earlier Gothic type chapter, languid and sudden, typical of the customary parameter shifts, past to present. "Parallel Universe" is an embodiment of The Church at their most passionate and provocative, where standards blend with deviation, pride with progress, all furthering the lift for another inspired flight of fancy for fashionably late fans.

Meatshits "Violence Against Feminist Cunts" Moribund Records By Alex S Johnson This one's a tough call. As music, it's not bad -- a techno/death/industrial hybrid with ultra-guttural vocals and splinter-fast grind, featuring Meatshits founder Robert Deathrage backed up by Seattle's own Infester, the 25 (!) tracks move like a flame through gasoline, broken up by a myriad samples imported from horror, porn and exploitation flicks. The Intro and Outro from Italo-splatter maestro Dario Argento's movie Tenebrae make a case for this slab being satire, however heavy-handed the execution, since that flick, like much of Argento's work, renders run-of-the-mill misogyny through a very artful lens. However, at face value the album's preoccupation with degrading and punishing women ("Moaning Lisa," "Beauty is the Bitch," etc., etc.) while no different from the product of a thousand death-grind-gore bands one could name, looks like a direct confrontation with the so-called "PC" crowd (an invention of the radical right if ever there was one!), not to mention the entirety of the female sex. Okay, so they ridicule gays too (wow, that's a brave stance!), so I guess you could say that Meatshits are equal-opportunity offenders. The album took about five years before its official release due to artist-label problems, and since has acquired the kind of status awarded Nazi dinnerware or Jeffrey Dahmer's fridge. Ultimately, at the risk of being forever branded as a humorless pansy, I don't think this album succeeds as anything more than slickly packaged hate speech masquerading as music. It's not outrageously insensitive fun, like Anal Cunt's stuff, just mean-spirited drool. Let's put it this way -- Would you buy an album called Kill the Greedy Jews? If you think that sounds cool, then Meatshits is your band.

NIGHTINGALE/Alive Again "The Breathing Shadow Part IV" The End By Chris Forbes Very emotional songs on this that range from rock orientad material to the heavier stuff. I am sure many underground people will hate this release, but I loved it. Great songs, vocals and this just plain kicks butt. Info: www.theendrecords.com

UNTIL THE END "Let The World Burn" Eulogy By Chris Forbes Boring generic mosh core type of metal that has been done a million times already. Typical vocals, riffs, etc. Next. Info: www.eulogyrecordings.com

DIABOLICAL "A Thousand Deaths" WWIII By Chris Forbes A nice slab of death metal with a touch of black metal here and there. This is like a mix of older Morbid Angel and At The Gates. In other words...it kills. Powerful screamed vocals and crushing after crushing riff melt you. Info: www.ww3music.com

SCARVE "Luminiferous 9" WWIII By Chris Forbes To my ears this is boring death metal that did nothing for me at all. It's hard hitting and fast, but the songs lack quality to these ears. It just didn't pack that wallop punch. The songs just lack something. Info: www.ww3music.com

FANGORN "Same" By Chris Forbes Eric Rutan's Hate Eternal has scored another masterpiece, this is their sophomore effort on Earache Records. Eric Rody's speed drumming is most impressive, great technique. "Beyond Redemption", "The Obscure Terror", "Rising Legions of Black", & "In Spirit" are abusive trax. If you haven't seen Hate Eternal live yet-then what the fuck are you waiting for?-go see Hate Eternal live on tour with the one and only Cannibal Corpse now.

ANTIQUE "Same" (Trostlos) By Chris Forbes Beyond awful dark classical music that put me to sleep. Info: http://disemia.com/trostlos

SNOWDOGS "DEEP CUTS FAST REMEDIES" Victory Records 2003 By Troy Hanson Snowdogs, to use a pun, are a bunch of mutts. As a pair of Finnish brothers and an American drummer living in London, with a really bad band name, the background of this band is as diverse as their sound. This album is a veritable Gong Show of alternative rock. Don't be deceived by the fact their signed to Victory... there's not a single hardcore song on this album. This is one of those records you have to take on a song-by-song basis, because their style is so eclectic. Their punk stylings are offset by sing-songy rock anthems, with songs influenced by Celtic music, blues, grunge, country-western, and ska. For example, the song "Freedom For Everyone" seems like a mix of Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag" and 'We Are The World'. and it still manages to be cool. If you're looking for hardcore, you won't find it here. But if you're looking for a good punk/rock album that you won't get bored with, this is a real catch. "Freedom For Everyone", "Million Pieces", and "Drive" are all catch as hell.

SOMEHOW HOLLOW "BUSTED WINGS AND RUSTED HALOS" Victory Records By Troy Hanson Somehow Hollow has gotten a lot of hype on the hardcore scene, because it's the new project by the former guitarists and bassist of Grade. For those who aren't in the know, Grade was one of the pioneer bands of the new wave of American hardcore. They weren't what you'd call legends, but their mosaic metallic-indie-emo-hardcore style made for a powerful show and two classic albums. Grade has since parted ways. To say that Somehow Hollow is rising from Grade's ashes would be giving them far too much credit. It's more like they're feasting on Grade's remains. The way they bandy a good band's (Grade) name around in order to promote a bad band (Somehow Hollow), is shameful. This record is a disgrace. Its eleven tracks range from generic and ineffective emo-core to absolutely awful, pitch-it-out-the-car-window emo-core. This band sounds like it should be on Vagrant with all the other whiny crap that's coming out these days. Hardcore fans should avoid this record.

Infinity Minus One "Tales From the Mobius Strip" indie By Melanie Falina Out of Boston, Infinity Minus One has just released their huge sounding four-song CD, "Tales From the Mobius Strip." Hailing classical music, video games, and film scores as the ingredients to their sound, this buffet of influences is obvious right away. The first song on their CD, "At the Doorway of Existence," at first I thought that maybe it had kind of a Rush sound, then a moment later, I thought Fates Warning, then I decided on how Infinity Minus One does have their own unique sound in addition to resembling an array of other sounds and styles. The other thing I found interesting about these guys was the list of their ascribed instruments and band duties. Fronted by vocalist Denis J. Lanza, he is joined by Kairo Zentradi who plays both the guitar and keyboards while chiming in with vocals. Kevin Hammer who plays keyboards, guitar, and "random nonsense." Then there's Kelly Conlon on bass, and Libor Hadrava on drums and percussion, vocals, and the violin. Yes, the violin.that made me look twice too. "At the Doorway of Existence" is a heavy, big sounding progressive tune with reflective lyrics and heavy keyboarding. "Face to Face" is a mellower tune with haunting guitar riffs and piano parts. "Independence Day" is an instrumental and another big, kind of Rush-ish sounding tune. "Architectural Martyr" is an odd song with some cool sounding harmonies, but a little busy with the drums and sound affects being a bit overdone for the melody of the song. Lyrics are also printing on the insert of the CD, which is always a plus in my book. Infinity Minus One is a band to check out if you're in the mood for something different from the mainstream. They've created a sound that honors the roots of good, classic rock and roll while hinting at and playing with it's future. You can find Infinity Minus One via the net at: http://infinityminusone.com and download samples of their tunes from both "Tales From the Mobius Strip" and their first demo release at: http://mp3.com/infinityminusone. And the guys can be reached by email at: infinityminusone@bigfoot.com.

Zandelle "Twilight On Humanity" SPV By Paul Autry I've got a few releases here that are all excellent recordings. But, the real problem here is that the musical style is somewhat similiar and I can pretty much write the same review for all three releases...and it doesn't help that they all come from the same place. So, let's start with Zandelle. It's a monster of a recording because it's got that huge sound...and I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about. Kinda epic in quality, a bit progressive. It's more straight forward than the other releases that I'll be telling you about in a moment. I guess if you really wanted to, you could use the term "raw" to describe what I'm trying to get at here. It's raw, but, it doesn't sacrifice any of the quality to achieve that vibe if you know what I mean. A good release for those of you who enjoy this style of music. It's another fine release from SPV/Limb Music and, to be honest, I don't think I've really heard an album from these people that I didn't like. They put out a lot of great releases and the main focus seems to be on the QUALITY of music in steady of the quantity...even though they have that as well. Let me just say that "Twilight On Humanity" is another release that you can't go wrong with. http://www.spvusa.com http://www.limb-music.de

Luca Turilli "Prophet Of The Last Eclipse" SPV By Paul Autry I love music that has that big sound and that's just what we have here. Once again, to use a description that I've used before...it's kind of epic, a bit progressive. But, there's more symphonic elements to be found here. With ten songs that clock in at close to an hour, there's a lot of music to take in and, yeah, it washes over you like that tidal wave in the movie "Deep Impact." About the only track I really couldn't fully get into was "Timeless Oceans." It's a cool song and it still has that big sound. But, after hearing this entire album, this one was a bit, shall we say, too mellow for my tastes. Now, I'm sure there will be some people who will say that this style of music has been around for some time and it's been done before. Well, yeah, but, not everyone can perform it at the level that Luca Turilli is at. You take an average rock band, even one that's been around forever, and see if they could play any song from this release and, no matter how close they might come to copying it, it'll still come off as a sloppy, second rate version. You have to be pretty much born to play this style of music and if there's a hospital that delivers these kind of musicians, well, I wouldn't be suprised if that was where Luca Turilli was born. This album is simply brilliant. Nothing more really needs to be said. http://www.spvusa.com http://www.limb-music.de

Shadowkeep "A Chaos Theory" SPV By Paul Autry Here's yet another SPV/Limb Music release that's got a huge sound. I would place this one somewhere in between the Luca Turilli and Zandelle releases. This one seems to be a bit more heavy and, believe me, the musicianship on this release is simply excellent and the high quality production will make your listening experience all the more enjoyable. I guess I should use the term metal here because that's what it really boils down to. I would like to see more people focus on this style of music because, let's face it, when you've got an album where there's not a weak song in the bunch, it's something you wanna listen to over and over again. Yes, people, this is a very solid and strong album and this is what metal should be all about in this day and age. Shadowkeep seems to me a band that strives for perfection and, let me tell you, they came pretty damn close. It's well worth checking out. I guarantee that, if you give it a listen, it'll quickly become one of your favorites. http://www.spvusa.com http://www.limb-music.de

Symphorce "Phorceful Ahead" Metal Blade By Paul Autry I like a lot of what Metal Blade decides to put out but, when it comes to this release, this may very well be the finest album that they've ever released. I'm sure some people may argue with that and maybe I came up with that statement because a lot of what I recently heard from Metal Blade was in the black or death metal genre and 99.9 percent of that stuff just doesn't float my boat and, when I heard this release, I was totally blown away and, of course, with that kind of reaction, I'm gonna give this one a few words of praise. But, that praise isn't coming just because I wasn't into the last few releases that were sent my way. Oh, no...this is a really great album, plain and simple. It's got a massive sound, it's heavy and it's a very strong metal album that has a lot of variety from song to song. It's a thirteen song release that clocks in at over an hour and there's so much power and energy to be found here, it'll make your head spin, there's no doubt about that. You'd be doing yourself a favor by checking out "Phorceful Ahead," I promise you that! http://www.symphorce.net

Bathory "Nordland" Black Mark Records By Vinnie Apicella The name has lay buried in the bowels of Black Metal past for the late great kings of the earliest Nordic uprising all those years ago. And concurrently, with the seeming resurrection of Black Mark, the one time rulers of Scandinavian dark, Bathory rises again from a decade long dormancy to unleash "Nordland" upon the masses, a two-part package that's expected to be completed in February 2003. Bathory's history dates back to a time when names like Blood Feast, Celtic Frost, and Venom dominated the underground with their black mass conjuring and cult followers united by the fire of the extreme that ultimately developed into the popularized Metal sub genres of Black and Death and the countless droves who'd follow, not the least of which includes names like Cradle Of Filth, Dark Funeral, and Amon Amarth among many. Bathory's resurfacing yields the most majestic and atmospheric offering of their near twenty year career (which will be officially 20 in March of 2003), which has included any number of recognized classics - "Bathory," "Twilight Of The Gods," "Requiem," and survived various attempts at scientific self-discovery as well as the sinister leanings of Quorthon's solo sell out attempts along the way. "Nordland: 1" is along the lines of Bathory's ever present Nordic trace that first gave rise on earlier epics like "Hammerheart" or the revered, "Blood On Ice" release. It's knee deep in swords, steel, snow and self-discovery as if from a wide eyed child's imaginative journey where reality and history clash in an epic confrontation that's inevitably an ode to a proud yet unforgiving homeland where "Dark grey skies and endless forests" reign supreme. At the onset, "Prelude" serves as the expected calm before the storm here. "Nordland: 1" is tied together by dominant themes of the great Nordic landscape and Norse warriors in an ever changing climate from present to past amidst great use of lyrical foreshadow, instrumentalism, and contemplative affectation. "Nordland" and "Vinterblot" are back to back follow ups that employ a wayward seafaring stab at adventure on the high seas - envision an early age Running Wild dressed in skins and draped in black. "Dragons Breath" then becomes the early epic favorite - a six-minute monument to the mythological beast's fury and the free breaking spirit of a slowly developing conquering hero. "Rings Of Gold" is an acoustically led pause to reflect upon earth and sky in a dreamlike return to origination before yielding to the eight minute mini-tale of "Foreverdark Woods," which itself soon crumbles to the suddenness of "Broken Sword." For its battle-ready nature, there's a slight return to the "roots" of the past where Bathory's acclaimed power, becomes blinded by aggression. "Hall Awaits A Fallen Brother" embarks on another eight-minute excursion through the mists of time ably assisted by crudely channeled guitar power and double bass drums, either of which serves to enhance rather than dominate. Much the same can be said for "Nordland: 1" overall, as the dynamism of shifting tones between the enchanted and extreme embody and embolden a densely produced record that's aurally prescient and conscientiously portrayed and performed by the resurgent Boss and Quorthon team. In following their massive "Destroyer Of Worlds" mixed bag undertaking of a few years back, Bathory's satisfied to revisit their roots with a nationally symbolic glimpse that's entrenched in rarely footed Nordic Metal extremes. if not set to reopen the rusty gates of yesterday's dark dungeon.

Various Artists "Go Kart vs. The Corporate Giant 3" Go Kart Records By Vinnie Apicella Great opening track by this thing called Capture The Flag - feels like I'm listening to early Cro-Mags, circa '83 or '84 with their addictive blend of Metal shred and catchy top of the lungs verses. The Control's one of the later model discoveries by the GK people and combine the exhilarating thrills of high speed Prog-core tightly wound and emitted amongst a two minute barrage of bottom-less dollar store style. Daycare Swindlers is one of my latest faves from the guys; a definite cross breed of early age H/C ala Crumbsuckers and Circle Jerks with little or no production effects and plenty o' raw factor to recall the glory days of non-for-profit Punk. Guff, not "Gutt" as I almost called them, and why not anyway, the same fate befalls us all after forty. they're the early fave for Pop crossover of the list on their charming "Making A Difference" contribution. Toxic Narcotic does a 180 and gives ya a little taste of venom with their "We're Not Happy Till You're Not Happy" down for life style of Hardcore/Noise in the finest English Dogs drunken fuck everything tradition. Go Kart's been making their move in the last year and several months. Not satisfied to stick solely in one end or another where Heavy Rock and Punk is concerned, yes, the buzz cut factor is in full effect in most cases, but as evidenced by the 18 or 20 contributors to this 30 track tirade, there's plenty for everyone to groove to in their gathering place of choice. Seemed for a while they'd been missing the boat or just MIA after some respectable but sporadic releases - now we're hearing all kinds of cool stuff from newcomers like Pseudo Heroes and Manda & The Marbles, to soon to be staples like Toxic Narcotic and Two Man Advantage, and the ol' school powerhouses like GBH, who just did a scathing new "Ha Ha" record a few months back - featured from it we find "Punk Rock Ambulance," a throaty sounding contender for one of the album's best; And then there's The Varukers, very much from that same class of yesterday's aggressive Street Core activists who even in old age, could care less about minimizing content or volume, and remain one of today's Hardcore extremists even after all the mileage they've logged. Hey let's face it, young or old, Punk music, at the core, will always have a fight the power quality that lives on in any age, any state, and recognizes no boundaries. INDK and Sick On The Bus are two more prime examples of yesterday's stick swingers smashing through nu-school rules of conduct. While many of these bands featured here, some twice over, are essential, there are other new arrivals with only a web site to call home and are the real sleeper hits - I mentioned Capture The Flag earlier, great band, given space for two songs, "Fly Like The Wind" and "The Zero Effect," and Guff, serving up a milder more melodic chunk of Punk and Power Pop; Revolution Summer's got an early out of control Ramones' feel on their "Qualitative Leap" tune before turning into a near dead ringer for AFI; definitely something we need to hear more of. So yes, there's many a worthwhile upstart to discover - and there's a few poorly placed copies scattered throughout, not so much for the "I heard that one before" quality, I mean, of course, but I don't go for this paint by numbers shit; if you want to be like Rancid, be like Rancid, or sound like Green Day but at least give 'em credit! Thankfully, the scales are tilted heavily towards world domination rather than mild opposition and cut and run. These guys ain't here to make any friends, they mean business and if you're expecting handshakes and well-intended niceties in the lyrics, you'll wanna book a flight to the Southwest. Brothers of Conquest, how could I forget them, probably the best heavy fuckin' Rock band no one's ever heard of, with their Death Rock, Punk, Metal, and booze-soaked Blues going on in one lethal dose of aural damnation that can't be fully appreciated until you heard their "All The Colors Of Darkness" in its entirety over and over again. The 3rd in the NY-based label's fight against the oppressive corporate giant reveals their deadliest offensive yet, with a varied assortment of Punk styles united under the flag of freedom and forward progress.

Raised Fist "Dedication" Burning Heart Records By Vinnie Apicella "You've got nothing to say, and that scares me." And so reads the last line from "Message Beneath Contempt," one shot fired among an endless array of sonic artillery geared to reduce radicalist movements to rubble. A raised ire leads to raised voices, arms, fists, and of course, plenty of unleashed rage against the machine, for this eleven song frontline pleasure cruise that promotes the idea of listener awareness to new heights of hostility. Burning Heart's uncovered some terrific talent over the years, scouring Scandinavia for some of the better Swedish Punk Rock and HC that every once in a while makes an unlikely impact on the rest of the developed world. and not all of them need be Hellacopters reruns or checkered flag flyers to get noticed. "Dedication" is Raised Fist's third LP, and fifth release overall since their '93 arrival, and with it, comes a greater degree of just that, "dedication," to the lyrics but also the playing involved that's given greater focus to the overall song from the typical three minute, three chord punch out. No, we'll not confuse them with the many Emo-core crossover types gaining mass appeal for whining and progressive posturing over a six minute sequence of events that loses focus halfway in; Raised Fist's taken the strongest element of HC - the voice, and backed it up with defiant chops and percussive break-in's that change time suddenly and attentively flow forward following yer expected verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, return pattern while mixing in some sorely missed hooks and harmonies, effectively poking distinguishable holes in the sonic wall of density that primes the issue. Sweden's version of Sick Of It All leaves no stone unturned in voicing their displeasure with decision makers in whatever form they exist; touching upon social, political, and economic conditions along the way and exerting their people over the power viewpoint in amplified terms that are clear and easy to understand regardless of origin. Alexander's bark and the remaining trio's bite make for an unbeatable combination of musical pride that hammers home the point with an extra dent or two for good measure. A modern production adds to the integrity of the mix which in most cases resonates with plenty of redistributed open chorded power, though we could pick apart the rhythmic guitar levels here or there and make a strong argument against the last couple of Machine Head releases (see Bergstrand). "Dedication's" an honest and unilaterally voiced record that matches wits with infancy stage greats like Agnostic Front, 7 Seconds, Gorilla Biscuits, and today's Hatebreed propelled by the foul taste of Propain's styled riffs and rage and mid-range pummel making for a memorable modern day record few others have capably delivered.

Shy "Unfinished Business" Z Records By Vinnie Apicella When we last left Shy they were a dazed and confused ship without a shore; The crashing wave of Grunge and Alternative quickly wiped out a once burgeoning generation of followers, successfully downing the fair haired Pop Metal prototypes and setting them adrift in a sea of dread; Denizens of fellow glamsters, who honestly weren't even in the same class with Shy, were all suddenly held with zero esteem for a new culture of negativity seekers and the hardcore faithful could only soak in self-pity over that which had been robbed from them. Such is the fickle finger of fashion. Truthfully, Shy's best moments had already passed by that time; Their original vocalist had since founded the progressively-shaped outfit known as Siam, while the rest of Shy carried on, seemingly half-heartedly, with another vocalist, dabbled in and out of image, and disbanded without so much as a "Where Are They Now?" local news segment - though in the Far East, we should acknowledge that anything's possible. Shy's "Resurrection" came by way of the unlikely Neat Records and their impressive team of Metal enthusiasts with a knack for reclamation project rejuvenation. Shy, and quiet, for a number of years, they were recalled to reissue some of the early stuff, which included their original "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" LP and unexpected "Live" record from their late '80s tour with the legendary Gary Moore. And along with a number of B-sides, unreleased rarities and handful of "A" quality tracks, Shy basically had four or five year's worth of material hitting the market without lifting an instrument. This time they come back armed with ten brand new tracks and the tenacity to prove the promise that existed all those years, still remains a driving force toward the ultimate fulfillment. While many an AOR group has been known to enjoy some success overseas and maybe even earn a few for the struggling Indie, few have ever returned to revisit the same degree they had the first time. Shy remains all but non-existent on western shores and that's difficult to comprehend. But Bon Jovi's probably the biggest they've ever been and Bob Rock's presumably still producing records and writing "hits" and so to a band like Shy, I say why not? They were right there riding with the big boys when the mid-to-late '80s party vibe and pretty faced pretense was in full swing, and their "Excess All Areas" record was "breaking down walls" left and right. Sure they were plagued by industry dissent and performance drop afterwards, but by then, the glam scene went from flourishing gold to bare scalped and thin anyway and seriousness overtook silliness to where even JBJ and crew knew to lay low a while. "Unfinished Business" is just that. To say this record is the roaring beast of a comeback fans have been waiting for and sees the band gone H/C to stamp out the last days of a disillusioned youth, well no, it's not that. But for anyone that indeed missed the band that at their prime were on equal footing and then some to the Bon Jovi's, Dokken's, and Journey's of their time, you'll be pleased to know this erases all doubt and about a decade's worth of indeterminacy that followed. Considering that I have the "original master" of the CD, thanks to Mr. Roy Davis, band bassist, "Madhouse" Rehearsals alum and facilitator of all things Phoenix, without whom I might have to rely solely upon the ever responsive folks over at Z who seem unwilling to acknowledge there might exist an audience outside of five feet in front of them; And as such, I can give a full recall of the songs, only a few of the out of sequence titles escape me. To put it simply, the album sounds like "Excess All Areas" with a rougher edge owed greatly to a coarser production - then again, I did mention "OM" earlier, did I not? This is in fact the original band save for new drummer, Bob (last name withheld for security reasons?) with the penchant for tennis shirts and tenacious 4/4's and quick fills. Best tracks that I can discern the titles of include the opener, "Change Of Direction," of which this album is thankfully anything but, and comes across similarly as did their acclaimed "Break Down The Walls" hit, or the later "Let The Hammer Fall" from the album of the same name and same previously mentioned grouping of do-overs. Afterwards we're peppered with some cute and cozy "hit" candidates, led by "Mary-Anne" and "Heaven Tonight," two unbelievably catchy numbers that straight away drain the flood of a fourteen year misery; There's a slow one that clocks in sixth that I can't for the life of me figure out what it's called, although I have ruled out the aforementioned two as well as "Breakaway," "Communicate," and "No Other Way," all three of which are album topping highlights in their own right, far surpassing even my own expectations that they could rival even a hint of their prime. Tony Mills, operating again with the band for the first time in over a decade, hasn't lost an ounce of vocal ability, though again I'll yield to the "mix" and not attempt to compare it to the production room polish of the past. But the man can still hit the high note, successfully holler and harmonize at the drop of a verse and still inexplicably remain housed in the "Who's It?" list along with Triumph's Rik Emmett, long after he'd already bested about 90% of the rest ten times over. And Shy, as a unit, still remains a cut above the Pop/Metal field in playability factor. Led by Steve Harris - the "other" Steve Harris who's every bit the Maiden bassist's equal on the six string; an amped up English version of Steve Stevens who can at once shred with the nimblest of fingers, cascade a catchy chord progression or thread the darting needle with the perfect melody to fit an otherwise simply structured song. Yes, long gone is the big hair high wire act, in no greater abundance than with Mills, he of the formerly feathery and light façade, gone biker rally rebel; and never was image the intended focus of the band, as others are wont to admit in the aftermath but never truly convincing even to themselves; Shy is again the tight band they once were, still writing solid, catchy and melodic Rock tunes that follow closely their early "Excess All Areas" formula, a little caught up in the Commercial afterglow one might say somewhere at mid point, but luckily not enough to anchor itself down as had the last Journey disc; "Unfinished Business" licks a few wounds and lays it on the line after some eleven or twelve years away from the scene and about another two remembering that Alice isn't in Wonderland anymore. or at least in this case that'd be full time Rock band in a sparsely booked Sable Rose studio.

Iron Maiden "Edward The Great" Sanctuary Records By Vinnie Apicella Before picking apart the track selection and yet another stab at mass market consumption that's seeing them slowly gain ground on Rock band gone capitalist kings in disguise, Kiss, I want to first comment on the absolutely awe-inspiring cover art for the hands down leaders of coincident underground album artistry. All Hail Eddie, indeed! Better yet, buy his "Ed Hunter" CD-Rom; it's worth the price of admission solely for the characterization if not the stodgy Doom-like game play. "Edward The Great" is their latest foray into the keep the motor running derby while life on the road and at home prevails upon the development of new material - but rest assured, according to Mr. Harris, the acceleration pedal shall be depressed soon enough. Does the Metal world need another Maiden comp? Nah. But then considering that '98s "Best Of The Beast" seemed to somehow fly by unnoticed, and given the fact that Iron Maiden is indeed back to the reclaim their rightful throne as indisputable industry leaders, why let the grass grow too high? Sure some will view this as another rip off stab at gaining a few extras from the fan as the band regains the monumental momentum they hadn't known for fifteen years; Others will welcome the fact that Maiden's still releasing anything together and against, still, the opposing winds of industry commercialism. The re-releasing of two full catalogs within the span of, what, two or three years, was a little nonsensical, for sure, but then again, can there be such a thing as over saturation in a truly "Metal" market these days anyway? So here we have "Edward The Great," a by design by-product of Eddie's latest six-disc archive casket set from a few months back, and mainly the subservient initiative for the "new" fan just discovering or rediscovering the band, as the case may be. Be it known that there are no overlapping tracks between this and those. And for the new fan, there's some priceless material here that you're lucky enough to pick up on now - all the classics from "Run To The Hills," "The Number Of The Beast," "The Trooper," "Wasted Years," "The Wicker Man." and of course, the late great Eddie's dominance, embossed in great detail on the front cover, though oddly enough, nowhere to be found again within the contents. For those of an already established fan base, well, it's Iron Maiden, so you're not buying it for the remastered songs you already have anyway; it's just another addition to your collection, and as far as collections go, it's not earth shattering but gets the job done. Again I'll revert to "Best Of The Beast" that was a full on spread of the many faces of Maiden during their then 20 year anniversary. So with the exception of a couple of the newer tracks here, you're basically getting the same thing, only with the added advantage of hearing Blaze Bailey digitally remastered twice over! Most everything that's supposed to be here is; the band is represented well, though I would question the fact that nothing from their first two albums is included - two very essential albums as any true fan will tell you. So if the idea is to exploit only the Dickinsonian period, why then was there a need to include "Man On The Edge" and "Futureal?" Not bad songs by any means, in fact I wouldn't mind it if they included "Sign Of The Cross," "Aftermath," or "Lightning Strikes Twice." We could probably do without "Can I Play With Madness," one of four inclusions from their poor sounding "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" 1988 release which is a little too overexposed here. For those who didn't get an earful of their last live release, "Live In Rio," that's absolutely necessary for any such initiation into the world of Maiden and the universal acclaim they continue to boast - here you'll get a quick glimpse of its monumentality with the closing, "Fear Of The Dark," originally done on 1992's under appreciated album of the same title. Lastly, the 24 page cover leaflet, done on glittery, glossy paper, mainly involves song lyrics and a couple unforeseen group photos, with the random skull, snake, and gold emblem thrown in for regality. So for the newcomer, "Edward The Great" is an essential acquisition into the world of one of Metal's all-time great packages. For the long time fan, there's nothing I or anyone else can write here to convince you to buy or not buy - you already know the songs, you probably already have the remasters, and you might even be a little bit pricked about missing the "Brave New World" tour. But as a fan, it's something you'll inevitably add to the collection because, well, that's what we do.

Banned From Utopia "So Yuh Don't Like Modern Art" Flavored Nations By Melanie Falina Frank Zappa tribute band, Banned From Utopia, was formed in 1994 by several musicians that had actually played with Zappa in the past. This 10-song cd is a crisp sounding, beautifully recorded collection of Zappa remakes along with a few originals as well, done in Zappa fashion. With six instrumentals, "Dupree's Paradise," "Sinister Footwear 2nd Movement," "Tink Walks Amok/Thirteen," "Bad Dog," "Filthy Habits," and the jazzy sounding "Twenty Small Cigars," you get a blatant dose of just how clear the sound of these records are. Every little cymbal sound, every not of the acoustic bass, the powerful horns; each instrument and the vocals are all put together with precision. Zappa's sound was one that could easily make musicians trip over each other's part if not done well, but this collection of musicians not only doestn't allow that to happen, but they make these songs flow as easily as if they were performing something far simpler. Banned From Utopia's whopping 14 members include: Arthur Barrow on bass, Bruce Fowler on trombone, vocals, euphonium, and synthesizers, Marvin Fowler - scratcher, Tom Fowler on electric bass violin, and acoustic bass, Walter Fowler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Ed Mann on marimba and percussion, Robert Martin on vocals, piano, and synthesizers, Tommy Mars on piano and organs, Mark Matthews on guitar, Kurt McGettrick on sax, clarinet, and piccolo, Mike Miller on guitar and vocals, Phil Teele on bass trombone, Chad Wacherman on drums, and Albert Wing on tenor sax. Wow! The non-instrumentals on "So Yug Don't Like Modern Art" include it's title cut, "Freeway Vigilante," "Jailbait Babysitter, and "Christian Coalition Blues." For more information on Banned From Utopia, david.counter@flavorednations.com.

GROTESQUEUPHORIA "Euphoric Discordance" By Chris Forbes Didn't think I would like this, but I sure do. Sort of Autopsy meets Long Island death metal. The riffs are chunky and the vocals aren't so low that they become cheezy. The production is strong and I think this cd is good enough that the bnad deserves a deal. Yes they are thatgood. Info: www.grotesqueuphoria.com

GRIEF "Turbulent Times" Southern Lord by: Chris Forbes This is 67 minutes of pure death and doom that you may want to kill yourself after you finish listening to it. Slow, sludgy doom that will have you on your knees. OLdmna dying vocalshad chillsgoing up anddown my spine. While I can only listen to this sort of stuff when in the mood, this will have you feeling sorry for yourself in no time I assure you. Info: www.southernlord.com

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