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January / February 2004Conspiracy | Legen Beltza | Bernie Torme & The Electric Gypsies | Khanate | Drawn and Quartered | Law of the Plague | Leslie Mills | Forge | Mighty Sideshow | Chicklet | Crown 10 | "Hell at Last: A Tribute To Slayer" | St. Madness | Mushroomhead | Van Helsing's Curse | Asterius | Trivium | King Prawn | YOB | Havochate | SPF 1000 | MXPX | Twisted Method | Omen | Tartharia | Sludge | Vader | Pure Sweet Hell | Living Colour | Andreas Lantz | harmful | Jack Starr's Guardians of the Flame | Life of Agony | Queensryche | U.D.O. | KMFDM | Deadsoul Tribe | Apartment 26 | The Rising | Eddi | Dirtwater | Christopher | Edguy | Starless | Ricky Warwick | Devil May Care | Dead Cell | Acumen Nation | Burial Ground | Swarm of the Lotus | Phil Naro | Green Carnation | Triumph Conspiracy Conspiracy has some potential but I wouldn't run out and check out their demo. Although some of the guitar riffs are crunchy, they aren't crunchy enough. The vocals on the first two tracks sound like Phil Anselmo in his sleep and the drums are boring. This band needs a sheer dose of aggression in order to keep the listener from falling asleep. The last thing this demo needed was the cliché closing ballad. It would have been better going out kicking some ass. I know it is only a demo so I don't expect Grade A production but this sounds like a room mike and a tape recorder. It's muddy and the effects are horrible. Every song musically sounds the same. Overall, this band is boring but with some balls and some lessons, I think they could be ok. http://www.conspiracyrocks.com Legen Beltza Hailing from Spain, Legen Beltza has just released Insanity, an 11-song CD mixed by Jeff Waters of Annihilator fame. Loud and thrashy with diabolical vocals, guitar solos reminiscent of the early 90's, and depressing, angst-ridden lyrics, Legen Beltza kind of comes across musically as a crossbreed of Megadeth and old Iron Maiden. If you read their lyrics along with the songs you'll notice that their vocabulary is actually a little better versed than most rock bands, however; vocalist Xanti's accent is a little too prominent and awkward sounding in several of these songs. The opening cut, "Hate" has got overpoweringly high, scream-y vocals, likewise on "Insanity" and whose guitar parts are redundant and about as fun as a multiplication table. "Dying" though, has got cool yet basic bass and guitar rhythms, but then "Klaustrophobia" veers back towards the evil and scary theme that dominates this entire disc. In the song "Only Human," the opening verse goes: "Living like sh*t Feeling like a parasite my daily hope is reduced to drugs." If the grunge era did anything for me, it got me pretty tired of the 'life sucks and I want to die' type of songs…in jest, I might suggest that the lyricist switch to uppers. The Thessalonian Dope Gods The Thessalonoian Dope Gods originated in Ohio, then moved to the Chicago area. They're listed among the 'industrial metal' musical genre, but that's only if you're painting with the big brush. High Idol Pulsation is a 10-song collection of tunes that are a little off-the-wall sounding. I like when bands can produce albums where each of the songs sound a little different from one another, but these songs are so extreme it's a little unsettling aurally. "12-Gauge Deed" has got a cool, mellow acoustic spine, but the vocals ruin it. This song would be much better if left instrumental. "Scarehead" has got some experimental fluctuations musically, but again the vocals turned me off, in this song sounding comically goth. And "Rattle" sounds like a suicidal Robert Smith of The Cure. There are some highlights on the disc, however, that include "Burying the Equilibrium," which sounds kind of like Rob Zombie gone rap. "Only God is Meaner" - metal with groove and with a slight punk feel to it. And "Handful Of Stars, Mouthful of Retch" is thrashy yet catchy. With such varied sound even within the confines of one CD, I think The Thessalonian Dope Gods should try to define their musically personality a little better. 'Industrial Metal' is too simplistic of a title for this array of styles, and that's not a bad thing. But from a potential fan's perspective, a bit more musical consistency would do this band well. Bernie Torme & The Electric Gypsies This is a live recording of Torme and his Gypsies, recorded at various venues between 1999-2001. Bernie and the boys crank out their brand of rough and ready old school hard rock (which contains a touch of punk), and being in a live setting adds to the raw feel of the music. Bernie scorches on his guitar all the way, and sings with guts, while the other two Gypsies (bassist John Pearce and drummer Simon Jeffery) also kick out the jams. The whole band rocks for all they're worth! All the songs, such as "All I Want", "Ball And Chain", "Bad Blood", "Ghost Walking", "Chasing Rainbows", "Golden Pig", and "Star", are straight ahead, no frills, raunchy hard rockers. Rock and roll played the way it was meant to be! Things are slowed down on one song, "Mystery Train", a ten minute long ballad, and the album closes with a cover of the Sex Pistols' classic, "Pretty Vacant". This is a good live album, showing what Torme and his cronies can do in concert. They do sound good on stage, and appear to be giving it their all and rocking to the max, as any good band should do when they play live. Khanate This is the soundtrack to your death. Slow punishing, wanting it to end misery riffs and vocals. The vocals are like a mans last dying breaths and the band play raw stripped down misery music. Depressed? Wanna be more depressed? Then pick this up. Info: http://www.southernlord.com Drawn and Quartered This release has been a long time coming. The band have strayed away from the Cannibal Corpse sound and are now more in the Immolation/Incantation mode and that is fine by me. The band sound much better and the band can really blast into some hyper fast parts without sounding cheezy. The band sound more mature and this is just pure unholy death metal that will make you smile for being a death metal fan. Info: http://www.moribundcult.com Law of the Plague I thought this was going to be some Slipknot clone band, but boy was I wrong. The band doesn't play that nu metal crap, instead it is just a touch of that and they just play their own style too. Think Ministty in spots. The vocals are good and powerful and fit the music quite well. A solid release that should do quite well. Info: http://www.sinternational.net Leslie Mills Leslie Mills is a name you should remember. She's a beautiful woman with an amazing voice. My first impression was, hey, it's a pretty good album. However, I didn't want to put that in writing...at least not right away. At first glance, I see the pretty face, I see the major label and I'm quick to think that they're about to introduce the next Britney Spears and, personally, I'm not about to say something positive about something that I feel is gonna give music a bad name, much like Britney has done. She's someone the world could've done without. She belongs on a street corner, not in a recording studio. Her first album was cute for what it was...a product. Nothing more. Her 15 minutes were up by the second single. After that whole nightmare the industry likes to call a recording career, I feel like throwing up. So, my first listen, as I said, it was a pretty good album. I'll look into it a bit more. A quick look inside the CD cover and I notice that Leslie co-wrote all of the songs and she produced the album as well. She can write her own material, well, that just made a good album even better. Since I now believe that I won't be seeing her giving Madonna a lip lock in order to make people care about her, I thought I would go online and do a little research, see what I could come up with. After reading a review or two and checking out some of her history, I came across an article that mentioned her worldwide publishing deal with Paul McCartney's MPL Tunes, Inc. I was impressed. When I saw that Sir Paul told her that she's a wonderful writer and that she's got a great voice, I knew one thing for sure...Leslie Mills was an honest performer. No plastic Barbie doll pretending to be a singer here, this is the real deal. No puppet on a string. After my online history lesson, I went right back to the album and I went through it, track by track, with a lot more focus and now I feel more comfortable telling you what an exceptional release this really is. When you spend your money here, you're getting an album from an actual artist and that's something that each and every one of you should appreciate. I know I do. Now, as far as her musical style, here's the best part. At first listen, I'm sure you'll say it's a pop album, which is something I would agree with. But, if you pay close attention, you'll see that Leslie has a lot more depth and substance. Take the title track for example, it's pop with an edge. Actually, it's more than that, it's a rock 'n' roll song. Scan through some of the other tracks and you'll hear more of that. There's a lot of upbeat material on here. There's also some beautiful stuff on here, such as "Violet" and "Far From All The Tears." On those two songs, Leslie has the voice of an angel sent from Heaven. Go back to what I said at the begining of this review. Leslie Mills is a name you should remember because there's no doubt in my mind that she's gonna be a big star. She's an artist who has a lot to offer and, if you give her music a chance, well, it'll be one of the best albums that you have in your collection. Trust me on that one. Forge I don't know if this music on this release is heavy enough to actually bring on the apocalypse. But, they're on the right track and they're going down that road with a little variety. When the opening track kicked in, I figured this band would continue to sound like a thrash version of Motorhead with a little rock thrown in to give it a little more mainstream flavor. But, there's more to the music of Forge. There's some of the punk vibe here. There's some groove. Maybe a slight hint of alternative metal and, I'm not quite sure how you'd describe track three, "The Torch," but, the first term that came to my mind was progressive pop metal. I don't know, this song kind of threw me for a loop. The rest of the album, however, had me bangin' my head to the beat. You know, some might say that they've got a sound that's been done before and, yeah, I may be quick to agree with you. But, they're doing it a bit differently than everyone else and, for that, I gotta give 'em a thumbs up because at least they're taking a fresh approach with their music. That's what I like to see in this business. Give 'em a listen and see what you think. Mighty Sideshow I'm not quite sure how to give this album the kind of write up that it deserves. So, I'm just gonna go with my first impression here. Let me start off by saying that this is a really good album. But, the thing is, they're not breaking any new ground and, in the long run, that might do more harm than good. The band has a lot of potential, there's no question about that. They're a talented group and they've got a solid collection of material to back it up. Any song on this release could be a winner if given the right amount of exposure. The only thing I think they really lack is that one song that just catches your attention the moment you hear it, if you know what I mean. I went through this album a number of times and I couldn't pick out any one song that stood out for me. The whole album was good, as I've said. But, each song is good on the same level and having a sound that's been done before doesn't make it any easier to pick out a stand out track. As for their sound and how I would describe it, well, it's a heavy rock album. It's as simple as that. It's one that you can put on and enjoy no matter what kind of mood you're in. But, there's just a slight extra punch that's missing. I think this band is gonna do well in their career and I'm sure they'll find that ultimate song...the one that people will remember the moment they hear it. So, I would suggest giving them a listen. I know you won't be disappointed. Chicklet Here's a cool little disc that I'm sure a lot of you will enjoy. I thought the first two tracks, "Ripe" and "Subcelebrity," sounded like a pop singer/songwriter version of Shonen Knife. The rest of the album, I didn't hear that as much because Chicklet is a band that has a sound of their own. Not sure what you'd call it though. It's good music, that's for sure. "Mockingbird" was a real cool song. "Whitewashed" seemed like rock 'n' roll with a pop flavor and when "Threshold" kicked in, well, it brought punk music to mind. I'd love to see 'em do this song live. It's got a lot of bounce to it, if you know what I mean. "Apple Song" was an upbeat little romp, which I really got into. "Alive" is a beautiful tune, ballad like. There's eleven songs total and each one creates a different mood. The only thing they have in common is that they all make you feel good inside. It's a very positive listening experience and I'm really into this release because of that. Chicklet is an amazing band and I think you should check 'em out. Crown 10 These guys play modern style/alternative rock, which seems influenced by Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Staind, and other such bands. I've never been a big fan of this style of music, but Crown 10 ain't bad. They can play fairly decently, and their songwriting skills are quite good. James Brady, the trio's frontman, is quite a good guitar player, and his singing sounds inspired by Eddie Vedder or Scott Weiland. The band's music seems to have a variety of styles mixed in. The first two songs, "Device" and "Clearer", are slow, Pearl Jam type tunes. There are also a number of driving rock songs on the album, like "Agreements", "Remission", "Innocent", "Shine", and "Chances", some even having some jazz and funk flavorings. Some songs are folksy tunes, with acoustic gutiars used heavily, sometimes mixed in with hard rock power chords, those being "New York City", "For What It's Worth", "Mama Preach", and "Iron Road", the album's closer. These guys are a talented band who are good at what they do. I'd say they're as good as, if not better than, many of the "big name" bands of this ilk. "Hell at Last: A Tribute To Slayer" I'm sure it's a great honor to be looked up to and to have tribute albums done while your a band still belting out your own. I suppose it's just my perception of what a tribute album should mean. Alas, Direct Music Group bring us another tribute album.This time of the gods, SLAYER. I'm not the biggest fan of these types of albums.Seems if you're a fan of the band in question, it usually means ten to fifteen mass butcherings of the songs you hold near and dear. Well this time I must say, we all need to take our hats off to (DMG) for this latest compilation. Featuring some of the top up and coming acts in the underground today, it sounds like they,(DMG) actually listened to these covers befor putting them on the disk. This if anything is a great showcase of the allmighty SLAYER classics. Also a great chance to check out some new acts if you have not already heard of them. Some great covers here. Here is the track listing: 1 Nephasth - War Ensemble St. Madness The lords of the southwest deliver their first studio release in over three years.' We Make Evil Fun' is more of a best of compilation. With fourteen of the twenty tracks hand picked from the past decade of releases. You also get six previously unreleased tracks as well. For those of you unfamilar with St. Madness, this is a good opertunity to do so. Delivering you a powerful mixture of a 70's-90's metal to forge their name in the ranks of the underground. Being both serious and yet comical with their lyrical content. If given the chance, one must catch their unique theatrical performance on stage. Mushroomhead To be honest, I have never really delved into what is the Mushroom Head experience. Be it their get ups or what not, I don't know. I am glad to have been sent 'XIII'. This is a powerful release for the band. They were able to spend some time on this recording and it shows. It is my understanding their last release was very rushed. With tracks like 'Sun Doesn't Rise, Becoming Cold(216), and Our Wrong Way', just to name a few, XIII is surley an album that will launch Mushroom Head further than they have ever been. You also get a cool enhanced section with lots of links and other goodies as well. Mushroom Head is currently on the road with 'Element Eighty' thru the end of the year. Check this one out. Van Helsing's Curse Van Helsing's Curse is a concept album that could only come from the creative mind of Dee Snider, who had mentioned that he wanted to create the soundtrack for Halloween. Well, he wasn't kidding. This release features what Snider calls a rock orchestra, a five piece rock group, a six piece string section and a six piece choir, which only sings/chants in Latin. The story line is about an evil entity that kills all the adults in a small town and a young boy, seeking revenge on the creature, teams up with an old man who's a direct descendant of the Van Helsing character. While Snider plans on doing annual Halloween tours with this project, I wouldn't be at all suprised to see a movie created around this release or, at the very least, some sort of video companion which, I'm sure, wouldn't be a problem for Dee Snider, who already has a film to his credit. This release features original music as well as some stuff you should be familiar with, such as "Tubular Bells" from "The Exorcist" and Black Sabbath's self titled tune, "Black Sabbath," as well as some classical stuff. Dee Snider's creative vision is already starting to replace those dime a dozen "Sounds Of Halloween" CD's which, in my opinion, are a waste of money. When I took my children out trick or treating this year, we came to a house that was blasting "Oculus Infernum." It could be heard a block away. No kidding. I'm sure that would put a smile on Dee's face. Yeah, he'd be proud. So, if you wanna hear the most creative recording this man has ever done, be sure to pick up a copy of this release...or may you rot in hell for all eternity. http://www.vanhelsingscurse.com Asterius Wow....Not much more can describe the latest offering from German gothic/black metallers, Asterius.Yes, wow. Just voted one of the top ten releases in Italy for the month of november, it surely will stay on top for a while. I can't seem to get it out of my cd player. An intense and captivating album. Belting out with two vocalists. One being the blistering growls of guitarist/vocals Sirius, the other being the clear, powerful, and hovering vocals of singer Andrash. The two of which contribute to various parts of each song.Sataar-guitars, Arctur-bass,programming and Cain-drums round out the rest of this extremly talented outfit of musicans.Mastered by none other than Alex Krull(of Atrocity fame) at his own Mastersound Studios.' A Moment of Singularity', a great follow up to their 1999 release 'As Descendents of Stars'. In addition to the nine extremly fresh and heavy tracks, you get to witness a bonus video of 'Frozen Zodiac'. The video was taped live at the Skeleton Bash Festival in Innsbruck, Austria. Asterius is a band to look out for, An intoxicating blend of gothic black/death metal that will surely leave you in aw........ Trivium From the Dark Side of the Sunshine State comes Trivium, a band who seem intent on stealing In Flames' crown as the kings of melodic death metal. And they have what it takes to do so! This trio, led by guitarist/vocalist extraordinaire Matt Heafy, play In Flames style melodic death metal, with a fair dose of power metal and classic style thrash metal injected into their music, with just a touch of progressive. Think of In Flames crashing head on with Iced Earth and Slayer, and add just a dash of Dream Theater or Fates Warning. Trivium play aggressive and powerful, charging full throttle all the way, but are also melodic and sophisticated. The playing and musicianship is stellar, with some complex arrangements, and the songs are brilliantly written. Heafy sings in two styles-your death metal gruntin' and growlin', and also in haunting, melodic voice, making for a good contrast. He uses both styles and all the songs, varying between the two. And when it comes to his guitar talents, he plays up a storm! He is an excellent player, almost giving the illusion that Trivium are a dual-axe band! (Think along the lines of In Flames again). His two sidekicks, bassist Brent Young and drummer Travis Smith, back him up very well, Brent playing some lightning speed double bass drums. Their music just goes full speed ahead from start to finish, like a steam train gone crazy! (Except for a few short instrumental tracks, scattered throughout the album, which slow things down a bit. Guess they wanted to give us a chance to catch our breathe!). Trivium are a very talented band whose playing is nothing short of excellent, and they sure do crank out the metal, going for the throat, but with class and sophistication! King Prawn This is rock/ska music like Rage Against The Machine and Faith No More. The band is not nearly as good as those 2 bands. I know this will sell by the bucketload, but I think this generic groove emtal with some ska mixed in. Totally predictable. Info: http://www.kingprawn.co.uk YOB This is doom metal and is sure packs quite a wallop. Taking off where Black Sabbath Vol #4 left off, this band rip into a release that is quite the bang. The vocals are very different as the singer has quite a cool voice and fits this band perfect. The songs are bone crushing heavy and are not boring at all. This is a doom metal masterpiece that is not to be missed. Info: http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk Havochate Killer old school thrash metal that wouldn't have been out of place in the late 80's. The band do not play bay area thrash style, just straight ahead style more or less. Riff after crushing riff sort of like the later Dark Angel material, which is fine by me. The vocals are solid as is the production. Thrash is back and this band rules. Info: http://www.rootofallevil.com SPF 1000 This sounds a lot like what Rob Zombie is doing right now. Catchy hooky music with a touch of the heavy side to it. The vocals are the same style as well. If your into that sort of thing you can't go wrong with this. Info: info@darkfuturemusic.com MXPX Modern rock in the vein of Green Day and Blink 182. This is not my cup of tea at all, though this band will see in the thounsands. Twisted Method 13 tracks of this crappy thing called metal. Think Slipknot, System of a Down, Marilyn Manson and every other generic modern metal band. Omen This band used to be on Metal Blade back in the 80's and now have returned. I already reviewed this for my Metal Core site and again listening to this again hasn't changed my opinion. The music is just not there and the band has lost a ton of power. The vocals are weak and the soungs lack that killer punch. The songs seem wimpy and the songs lack quality. Not for me. Info: http://www.crashmusicinc.com Thartharia Nice band we have here. The band play death metal sort of like Morbid Angel (Alters era) and the blast beats are rippin. Voals are chaotic in the black metal vein, but you can understand some and they are powerful. A rip roaring band that is not to be missed. Info: http://www.crashmusicinc.com Sludge New Jersy hate-core.Deep,heavy hard core with some very metally overtones. Sludge's latest,'As Man Thinketh', gives you ten,true to the underground tracks to thrash about to.There are some catchy riffs here and there and plenty of rants for all your hardecore needs. Nothing Sludge-y here. Vader Polish death metal masters come out with a vengence and bash you senseless with their latest mcd,'Blood'. Recorded between several European tour dates, Vader found the time to send you six new head shattering tracks. With the addition of new bassist,(ex-Behemoth) Novy, this is a pure death metal assault in true Vader fashion. Sure to fulfill all your death fetishes leaving you itching for more. 'Blood' comes as a split with the 2001 release of the mcd 'Reign Forever World'. This release contains a couple studio tracks,a couple cover versions as well as a couple live tracks. All of which are of the usual intensity we've come to expect from Vader. Pure Sweet Hell Working together for several years on various projects and such, Christ-guitars/bass/keyboard programming and Nevermore drummer Van, who also contributes his vocal talents on this venture, give you Pure Sweet Hell. Aided by guest musicans such as Jim Colson,shared vocal duties,Curran Murphy,guitars and Dean Sternburg also guitars. Christ and Van deliver thirteen pure evil tracks.The sound covers many a genre of metal with a blacked/doom feel.With great production and layout, it's hard to believe PSH have not been picked up by a label yet. It shouldn't be to far off. That is the intention of this release.You definately need to get your hands on this one before it sells out like their demo released last year. Living Colour Living Colour called it a day back in 1995 after three critically acclaimed album. This was a talented band that was doing something fresh and original, there was never any doubt about that. But, after listening to their latest release, I'm at a loss for words. I expected a lot more. First of all, the production on this album wasn't exactly the best it could've been. If I didn't know what this band has done in the past and someone let me listen to this without telling me who it is, I would say, "Yeah, it's okay for a demo. Could be better though." Second, the music and the lyrics seem lacking. It doesn't have any punch, man. I mean, come on, is this the same band that knocked us on our ass with "Cult Of Personality" or what? This is their first studio album in ten years and this is the best they could come up with? I know the band is better than what I'm hearing right now. I went through nine tracks before I heard anything that really caught my attention. When you look at the running order of this album, their cover of the AC/DC classic, "Back In Black," was track six and, while that was interesting to hear, it wasn't mind blowing. "Holy Roller" was really the first tune where I saw any sign of the Living Colour that I once knew. I'm sure that this band is still an amazing live act and I still believe there's a lot of talent to be found here. It just didn't come through on this album. I don't mean to seem so harsh. But, I call 'em as I hear 'em. http://www.livingcolour.com Andreas Lantz The title of this album is short for exotic metal, which is how Andreas Lantz describes his musical style. Lantz, who previously played keyboard for Swedish power metal band Daynight, has been working on his own since February of 2003 and everything you hear on this release is done by him, with the exception of the guitar parts. A keyboard is used for the drum and bass parts. Gotta give credit to people who are dedicated enough to go out there and do their own thing. However, this release didn't do much for me. I wasn't too fond of the vocal style and, to be honest, it does sound like a one man project, like something that was recorded in a garage or something. I'm sure this guy has talent, some of which you can hear on this disc. But, for right now, I would suggest putting in a lot of practice hours and, above all, don't quit your day job. E-mail: andreas.lantz@swipnet.se Harmful If you were to take what is commonly known as "Emo" Rock music, put sandpaper to its skin and chafe the hell out of it, the resulting sound and reaction is something like "Sanguine." At first hear, a tune like "Open End" is a raging Punk tune that's weighted by the dirty denim style of Monster Magnet and tenacity of Unsane. Billed as yet another uncommon thread in the Rock fabric that's all been stained and torn by every conceivable label, Harmful's style is a definite cross up to the fashionably fair prototypes flooding Modern Rock radio and late night video channels. "Charmed" is a slightly slowed, writhing tune that bemoans a loss and breaks away; "No Matter" is more grit and grunge, the churning guitar coming away as off tune and entirely too strong for comfortable level of amplification. "Overfed" is an immediate hit single were there still such a thing for an unknown group five albums in from Europe who sound like Mudhoney, Monster Magnet, and The Meat Puppets. It begins innocently enough then barrels into a barrage of feed and fuzz ala ancient Sonic Youth or The Melvins. "Custom Gold" begins much the same way only with a less navigable route at the onset coming off almost disturbing in tone, then unleashing yet another reverberated fury. Vocalist Aren Emirze is a close approximation to singers like Wyndorf and Cornell, a combination of high register potency and painful plodding as the condition calls for. Heavy hooks, grooves, and grinding effects lend a refreshing air to distinguishable tunes fed by vexing vocals and surprisingly storybook lyrics. Combined with competitive retro flair, new school mentality, and a teen-jerker front and back cover, and you end up with the latest album from the Frankfurt trio setting up among the more dynamic Rock records on this year's depth chart. Jack Starr's Guardians Of The Flame
The ten tracks are methodical and maniacal works of skilled musicianship, highlighted of course by Mr. Starr's fleet fingers along the fretboard, though hampered by a drab production that does nothing to accentuate the rhythmic aspects of the music and the four others comprising the Starr support-staff. Embodying everything from classic Metal chops to Celtic-flavored, Middle-Eastern, and Eastern European flavors in the mix, "Under A Savage Sky" is a dynamic display of technique and thematical triumph that's comparable to stout favorites of the time like a Virgin Steele, Riot, Saxon, Manowar, not to mention the many age old German pioneers. From the opening "The Flame That Never Dies" with its story of self-preservation and power to the music, to the instrumentally tantalizing tour of the early years, "Anthem For The Nations," the melodic and atmospheric "Sharon Of The Woods," or the defiant fury of epics like "I Stand Alone" and "Masters Of Fate," Starr and co. are on target with a dense yet dynamic package; one intended and succeeding to satisfy traditional Metal purists, tactical practitioners and Tolkien followers of the finer points of fantasy and free-spirited frolic. Starr is supported by like-minded veteran musicians as the aforementioned Hasselvander, whose drumming both aggressive and efficient as fits the song, long time bassist Ned Meloni, and returning vocalist Shmoulik Avigal, who opted to rejoin the ranks when his previous solo jaunt, simply entitled, "Shmoulik" failed to light the commercial fires. Joking… But seriously, Avigal, whose previous work included stints with underrated '80s metallers, The Rods, belts 'em out like a vindictive vocalist on the last track to leave a legacy. The end result is a spirited re-entry into the ranks of classic Metal anchored by age old schematics of riffs, runs, and drum rolls, virtuosic playing and ambition, that'll be embraced by Metalheads most of the world over and eventually make for another "Cult Metal Classic." Life of Agony The river ran red again, right through New York City's Irving Plaza for two sold-out shows for what was supposed to be a one-time only Life Of Agony reunion with the four original members playing together for the first time in eight years. After two monstrous New York style H-C/Metal "crossover" records in the early '90s, the band crumbled and chucked credibility out the window with '97s gaunt "Soul Searching Sun" barely hinting at the level of innovation they brought upon their arrival. Did it add to their "progressive" legacy? Nah. Who bothered keeping track in the years that followed leading up to their '99 break up? Combining rugged chops and Keith Caputo's irreplaceable drone and wail, like a Chris Cornell, Maynard Keenan, Peter Steele concoction, LOA's tunes travel a winding path of sludge, groove, and street level Metal, at times heavy and dense, others, as a song like "Weeds" indicates, melodiously Pop and Alternative. It's worth noting Caputo's strong vox on the stay at home classics like "River Runs Red" from their classic 1993 self-titled debut, "This Time" and "Other Side Of The River"; no sir, they pulled no punches after the opening bell and the crowd noise, but to hear him go on a catchy one like "Weeds" was unexpectedly impressive as he stretched notes and octaves alike before returning the familiar taunt-like croon for "Seasons," from 95's "Ugly" album, and sharing grunts and screams for the Sabbath meets S.O.I.A. style of "Method Of Groove" The live collection features 21 tracks, among them being "Tangerine" to begin disc two which in itself is inexplicable since they've more than enough to draw from on the two earlier classics… maybe one and a half, but who's counting? The regular set ends off with the thrashy "Through And Through" that's remarkably true to original form right down to the back up vox, hundreds of which coming from those in attendance, bellowing word for word, song by song. The CD set features three bonus studio cuts from the individual projects of the L.O.A. members. There's bassist Alan Roberts' Among Thieves and their song "Consequence" which is standard summer school soundtrack fare with strong riff and sappy chorus; Caputo's "Where What I Say…" well, let us say, we can only hope he'll stick around with L.O.A. a little bit longer this time; "Fake" by Supermassiv; drummer Sal Abruscato's band is the best of the bunch, combining hard radio Rock appeal with an Emo-style drift that recalls any of a hundred of today's secondary MTV2 stars from formerly Punk labels gone for broke. They're back, at least for a two show minimum, to bring us that iconic, influential, underground sound that's been missed since the days of their passing. "River Runs Again: Live 2003" also features a compatible DVD set with bonus background material, and limited edition box set to follow. One of Roadrunner's earliest breakout bands, Life Of Agony's music is still relevant, and the relevance of the original unit, as evidenced here, is beyond compare. Queensryche When was the last time anyone got excited about a new Queensryche album? I don't ask this to be facetious, but I think considering their less than stellar output for most of the 1990's and the start of "Q2K," there's only so much faith one might possess… or the proverbial "rope" one allows the once great commodity gone community detriment. If we are to be satisfied that even the biggest name supergroups can muster only two or three good if not great tracks and leave another ten or eleven as smoldering waste, then bands like Queensryche, Fates Warning, James Taylor, or whoever else you may equate them with, fall well within the law of averages. In that event, "Rage For Order" and "Operation: Mindcrime" were simply apparitions… and "Empire" a commercial success that no one's revisited since. Whoever woke up one morning and suggested QR become a garage band and play like alterna-metal wankers should seek psychiatric help...quickly. And I say this while one of the most ridiculous of 'Ryche tunes pollutes my ears about an hour after it finished "Desert Dance" where if it weren't so annoying with its "tribal-like" ramblings and gangsta-style chorus, could probably be quite entertaining. Okay, Tate and the guys aren't afraid to take chances; they've grown and aren't content with duplicating the past. Yet they do seem satisfied to duplicate the recent past where for about four albums now, the key connecting element remains, lethargy. But is it me, or aren't typically instrumental bands supposed to play to their strength? This idea of simplicity and trash can production value is laughable for a group of this magnitude. A song like "Falling Behind" is a given, considering their thirteen year old breakthrough ballad "Silent Lucidity," a song forever followed yet never equaled. QR does seem to be past the idea that they can or should compete with the more marketable teen acts of today, so why not fast forward twenty years and go completely adult contemporary? Works for Pete Yorn and Train, right? "The Great Divide" would be among the stronger of QR's newer cuts with a beefier production, yet it's typical of songs like "Right Side Of My Mind," a strong "Q2K" track that slowly builds and breaks at the chorus, rekindling age old fires of breadth and tuneful scale. Chris DeGarmo makes a slight return to the fold by contributing some writing credits and a few guitar harmonies here and there, though I'd dare you to pick them out. Oh yes, maybe that's old Chris doing the solo on… yeah, exactly. "Rhythm Of Hope" is another AOR track that's Gilmour-like in the classic Floyd sense and Tate's delivery follows suit in a soaring, swooning way, something that's never wavered since day one. By that point, I'm resolved to pulling whatever singular elements the song contains rather than judging it for its entirety. The title track, "Tribe," with features one might quickly ascertain, can be filed under "preposterous"; "Blood" is another father-figure of a song only with a chilling vibe and catchy chorus together fastened by nervous drumming to become among the more captivating of QR's cuts. "The Art Of Life" is a terrific pre-closer for the same reasons "Right Side Of My Mind" was mentioned earlier it's a catchy, emotional blend, if slowly developing, of an earlier 'Ryche style with a little more melody and punch that they often miss today. QR's latest is more of what we've come to expect from them since "Promised Land" signaled the beginning of the end on the depth chart. There's a couple tracks here worth repeating, most of the rest are forgettable; followers than leaders that wallow aimlessly in the dark in spite of the record's pointed self-discovery-reared theme. It's unimaginable this is a full group effort. The musicianship speaks nothing of five talented players setting the pace for Rock progression built on instrumentality and songwriting depth, but rather bar stool sitting, forty-something folk players gigging the nearest dinner theater. There's nothing to get excited about. The only progression that still exists is in the lyric writing, and even then, there's nothing written save for GT's explanatory cover page message. "Tribe" preaches of unity and the eye opening experiences of Mr. Tate's wanderings to find himself in post-9/11 America; which could explain much of why "Tribe" plays often like another of his solo records rather than the full band experience. "Live Evolution" seemed the start of something big again for QR where for the first time we could actually equate old with new and realize they're one and the same group of musicians. What we're left with here is a Def Leppard-sounding, soft in the middle album of seven of ten nap inducing tracks. What will it take to light the fire for this band again? U.D.O. At first glance this looks like one of those quick, Walmart-only seasonal throw-ins that you'd find in the Greatest Hits racks of some long-bearded has been that hasn't for the last sixteen years. And its packaging indicates as much here. Yet how do tunes like "Metal Heart," "Fast As A Shark" and "Balls To The Wall"(!) end up as "Missing Tracks" from any previously released live record with the Udo stamp on it? Odd… Nonetheless, "Nailed To Metal," packaging primitivism aside, is a staple of hard-hitting, classic Metal anthems that indeed were (mostly) cut back from the original 26-track "Live In Russia" release from last year planted here as another peg in the still growing catalog/belt of Mr. D and the band he's managed to maintain some three or four albums now; a feat not easily accomplished for any known German Metal group. There's eleven tunes beginning with "Holy" and "Raiders Of Beyond" from the "Holy" album in 2000, and were there any distinguishable difference that might've existed between the classic Accept sound and the later U.D.O. material, it's completely wiped away here. "Metal Heart," which goes on somewhat unfettered by crowd noise still probably buzzing over the massive stack of Marshall-black décor onstage, until the mid-point hymnal "X-T-C," a surprising "2nd Phase" Accept cover from the well-received David Reece days, and "Fast As A Shark" are true indicators that Accept and U.D.O. music continue to live as one in a time when easily a decade ago, no one had a right to think either'd still be breathing. Kudos as well to Stefan Kaufmann, ex-drummer gone U.D.O. guitarrer and producer on the last several albums for not pissing away his integrity by not giving up the Metal standard and giving up the drum stool. The guy they got behind the kit now, Lorenzo Milani's got the mastery of moves that's ascended the atypical traditional Metal acts to the "Power" Metal style they enjoy today. "Fast As A Shark" with full-on U.D.O. shriek of terror, heads a mid list triumvirate of old "R&W" tunes! The remaining few include the mundane "Thunder In The Tower" from the "Holy" album, and a surprising appearance of "Hard Attack," one of the heavier, memorable moments from the ill-conceived Accept "Predator" disc in '96. Here, an absolutely crushing live version. One thing about U.D.O. the band, he's got solid players who've got the classic sound down and do the backing vocals at least slightly better than the original Accept who'd at times make even Loudness sound phonetically adept! The last live track should surprise no one, including an extra four minutes of mid-song bullshit with band and fans bonding before going out in a bomb blast. The production's got just enough cracks in the armor to be believable and the song selection's a mix of mostly good; great where old Accept's concerned and a little poorer with the U.D.O stuff, doing only three tunes, two of which are rest home ready by comparison; and let's drop the sleepy drum solo which is fine for show goers but why here? Overall, "Nailed To Metal" is just that. U.D.O., the "true" 2nd phase of Accept really, they're still going strong, bangin' heads and breaking balls! KMFDM I'm not really a fan of KMFDM because I'm not really into their musical style. However, if you're into this band, you already know what they're about. So, what am I gonna say about this release that you don't already know? Well, if you have yet to pick this one up, you'll be pleased to know that it's got a top quality production and, at least from what I heard, it's a solid release from begining to end, a lot of variety, which is something every industrial metal band should have. I heard some stuff in the past where it sounded like one long song. I hate stuff like that. I thought the title track was really cool, a straight forward assault on your senses. "From Here On Out" was catchy. I was less than thrilled with "Blackball," that's more in the style that I don't really get into, which is less metal, more industrial with more of a dance vibe. I thought the most unique song on here was the final track, "Intro," which is a musical introduction to the band. I think they said it best with the line, "Here's your voice from the underground, get ready for another round, nothing new, it's the same old shit, if it works this good, why fuck with it?" Industrial metal with more substance that most other people doing this style of music. That's what this release is all about. But, you already knew that, didn't you? Deadsoul Tribe Deadsoul Tribe is the brainchild of Devon Graves (Ex-Psychotic Waltz), who sings, plays guitar, and wrote all the music on this album, Deadsoul's second. "...Crows" really flies! This is a progressive metal masterwork! Graves is a brilliant songwriter and the playing is excellent! It is classic style prog-metal in the vein of Fates Warning or Dream Theater, but there is also a fair amount of Black Sabbath influence in their music, which is somewhat unusual for prog metal, and that makes it a bit unique. Deadsoul's music has the sophistication, complexity, and melody of all good prog metal, with Graves' soaring, haunting vocals, and some classical influence, but there is also a dark, moody feel to it, with a raw, stripped down production sound, and much influence from Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler in the playing. In the drumming, handled by Adel Moustafa, there is also a bit of Rush's Neil Peart's style. The beginning of one song, "Crows On The Wire", is quite similar to the beginning of Sabbath's "Iron Man". In the last two songs, "Black Smoke And Mirrors" and "Time", there is even some Jethro Tull influence, with flute and acoustic, classical style guitar, as well as some strings. This is a top notch progressive metal album that any fan of the genre should get into. I only have a couple of negative points about this album. First of all, there are precious few guitar solos, and a metal tune is never complete without one, plus a man of Graves' caliber would do well to show off his talents. Next, all the songs move along at a rather slow and plodding pace. There are no real fast tunes on here. I don't have anything against music that is "adagio" but this IS metal, and one does need to put the pedal to the metal a little more often, even in the prog genre. Let's do a little more headbanging on the next album, OK, guys? Aside from that, they've made a very good album here. |
Well I learned two things from listening to this album. The first is that Jack Starr can still play and Rock and Roll is still the American way... even if it sounds a tad more European the last several years! The second… is Joe Hasselvander really "Godfather Of Doom." What would that actually imply anyway? Sorry Joe, had me wondering there. Luckily, his playing is way more enthusiastic than the nickname might indicate! Guardians Of The Flame is another installment from prominent '80s guitar icon and former Virgin Steele alum, Jack Starr, and in much the same way as perhaps the better known Shrapnel staple, David T. Chastain, who designs a different group theme with every new release. Guardians is far from the earlier, dare say, more commercially-vivid stuff of his "Burning Starr" days. The power chords and scale shredding came easily but the music was a bit tender compared to this new "Under A Savage Sky," which is a full circle convergence of the original lineup from back in the day, finishing business some eighteen years later and meaning business to boot!