by Skullcrusher Angela

by Paul Autry

This is the re-release of Tyla Gang's 1977 debut album. I would've been six years old when this album saw the light of day and the band itself was nothing more than a memory by the time I started to pay attention to music. So, for me, it's like listening to it with fresh ears and, personally, when it comes to 70's music, there's not much I'm really into. Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, Beatles, Rolling Stones and, of course, Kiss. There's not much more than that for me. Even if I was into music back then, I doubt this album would've had much of an impact on me because Tyla Gang played, as their bio states, "raunchy guitar based boogie." But, for some of you, this is a classic rock 'n' roll record that's sure to bring back a memory or two. You get the original ten song release plus an additional six bonus tracks, including Sean Tyla's pre-Tyla Gang recording, "Amsterdam God" and the singles "Suicide Jockey" and "Styrofoam." I thought "Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie" was rather cool 'n' hard driving. That's one of the additional bonus tracks as well. Maybe I'm too young to really appreciate this album. But, for those of you who are already familiar with it and you'd like to check it out again. Well, now you can. Enjoy! http://www.mysticrecords.co.uk

by Paul Autry

With a name like The C*nts, I expected this release to be a lot better than it actually was. Not to say it's a bad release, because it isn't. But, it's not the greatest album in the world and they're certainly not breaking any new ground here. The C*nts, in my opinion, are amateur, garage rock mixed with a bit of punk music. They kind of remind me of The Dead Milkmen in a way. I think the only problem here is the fact that there's 17 songs with an hour running time. There's a lot of good material to be found. But, there's also a lot of filler. In other words, it's not a consistantly strong album. It's still worth checking out though, especially if you're into this style of music. "I Don't Know If I Can Go On Living," "We Burned Like Hell" and "We're The Band" are worth the price of admission alone. Disturbing Records 3238 So. Racine Chicago, IL. 60608

by Jonathan Mariante

If this band are a "sign of things to come", then the future of the music scene doesn't look too good. This band is basically another bunch of Godsmack/Creed copycats, as if we didn't have enough of those already! This is a four song disc, and the music to me sounds like the band is making a rather half hearted attempt at being the next Godsmack or Creed (there is also a touch of A Perfect Circle in their music but it doesn't help matters much). This band really doesn't have a lot to offer (except a hot looking bass player in Venessa!); they are not original, the are only mediocre (at best) as musicians, the songwriting is half assed, the songs themselves are all two chord numbers that all sound alike, singer Skitz can barely sing at all...In short, they are nothing special. Deconstruct need to reconstruct themselves. They can start by giving up trying to be another Godsmack or Creed, we already have too many other bands (and mostly not very good ones at that!) vying for that position. Then they need to hone their musical skills a bit more, write better songs, and at least try to be a little more original. The direction Deconstruct is going in now just doesn't cut the mustard! Of course, this is the band's first release, so maybe I'm being a little harsh here. But they just didn't impress me, not this time, anyway (aside from the fact that Venessa's a hottie!). Maybe on the next release... http://www.deconstructmusic.com

by Jonathan Mariante

SSF Krautroxx is the brainchild of a fellow named Christian Reinhardt, who once fronted a German rock band called Lady, a band that also featured the guitar talents of Matthias Jabs, who later found fame playing with the Scorpions. Reinhardt (who more recently fronted another rock band, Red Baron) has taken a musical step into the new millennium with this project. "Die Polizei" features five songs (all sung in German), the first one being the title track, which is a Rammstein influenced industro-rock number, complete with police sirens! The remaining four tunes ("Verrechen", "Gut", "Angst", and "Macht") are more straight up rock numbers, done the old fashioned way, with real drums, little or no electronics or programming, and stripped down, gritty sound. In fact, "Gut" steps back a few decades (or centuries!), as an organ is used in this song. From electronics to Hammonds! How more polar opposite can you get? All the songs have a dark, brooding, almost gothic feel to them, but can also really rock! They've done a fairly good job here. email: stuka@execulink.com

by Scott Painkiller Courtney

This sounds like typical "nu-metal" to me. In fact, I'd say the band's biggest influence is STAIND. Then again, I don't know a whole lot about nu-metal, so I could be completely missing the boat on the STAINED comparison. The fact that the bands of this genre actually consider themselves "metal" is an absolute joke. Sick can be loud and aggressive, yet the album does have its more melodic moments. All of the songs were written, produced, mixed, mastered, and engineered by Rob Traynor (should I know this guy?) who also handles the vocals, bass, guitars, and keyboards. Steve Tobin plays drums. Several session-musicians were brought in to handle some of the lead guitar-work, not that I would have noticed anyway as the leads aren't the least bit attention-grabbing. Sick has a quality production which complements the music appropriately. But, I just don't care. I hate nu-metal, I hate STAIND, I hate mainstream-radio, and I hate MTV. And, yes, I hate this album. The disc does make a nice drink coaster though.

by Paul Autry

The letter that came with the released mentioned that this band has been together for over a year and they were getting ready to set up their first show and begin the process of getting signed with a record label. First of all, as most people know, I'm not at all fond of death metal. But, I can at least listen to a release and offer an honest review of what I'm hearing. On this release, well, I think the band has set their goals a bit high at this point in their career...especially if this demo is what they're trying to gain attention with. The production could use a lot of work. I understand this is a demo. But, still, that's no excuse. I've heard bootleg recordings that were a bit better than this. Second, the vocals are horrible. Not because they're ultra-brutal...they're not even up to par with some of the other death metal releases I've heard these past few months, be it a professional/national band or an independent band. They've also been together for over a year and they're just now gearing up for their first live show? Let's be real here...I've seen a band or two that were playing at least once a week after being together for less than two months. These guys should've had their shit together long ago. Personally, I feel they need to work on their music a bit more. Get a disc together that will better represent your sound...spend a little money. If you don't have it, find a way to get it. Tighten up your sound and get out there and play. Oh, let's not forget the most important thing, which has been said numerous times in various reviews within this publication in the past few years...practice, practice, practice! Get it together and get out there and kick some ass. If I was a record label person with the power to offer this band a deal, well, they wouldn't get very far knocking on my door. If you're about to venture out into the world in order to make a career out of what you're doing...you need to get it together a little better than this. There's potential here...they just need to live up to it a bit. E-mail: DarknessRecords@aol.com or MornAngel@aol.com

by Jonathan Mariante

I don't know what the f*ck this is, but it sure as hell doesn't sound like music to me! This CD is one track (NOT a song, a track, let's be clear on this!) that goes on for forty seven minutes (although I could only stand it for less than half that time!). All it is, is a bunch of guitar distortion and feedback with a few musical notes thrown in. It sounds like Joe Johnson (the so called guitarist) is running a razor blade across the guitar string the whole time! Forty seven minutes of this! Does he really think anyone wants to hear a whole CD's worth of feedback? Give me a break! This is the new American national anthem? If it is, I'm leaving the country! http://www.freerockandroll.com

by Jonathan Mariante

Agent Zero are basically a modern hard rock/nu-metal type band, in the same musical waters as bands like Korn and Godsmack. I know there are many (too damn many!) bands like this around today, but I thought Agent Zero was a cut above the rest. They can actually play (unlike many of today's big time bands of this ilk), they have talent and are good songwriters. Their style is a bit more sophisticated than your average nu-metal band. They also venture into some different musical territory on some of their songs, so for those reasons I found them a bit more interesting than most bands like them. They use a DJ (fellow by the name of Mikey (DJ RSN) but they really don't need him. Their music is good enough and speaks for itself without having to use this gimmick, which is being overused on the scene these days and is rapidly getting old. Too many bands are employing DJs just to look "cool". But getting back to Agent Zero, many of their songs are hard as nails rockers, like opener "Getting Smart", "Better Than Me", "Jabba", "Angry Buddha", "Invincible", "Page 89", and "Frunt". They also do a reggae song, "I.C.D.A.S (Whiz Quiz)" (an ode to getting stoned), another song, "Glide", which starts off like a reggae song, then goes punk; "Head Up", a pop flavored rock number that would make a good single; and the album's last track, "Fly Like A Bird", which is very strange. It starts off like a typical "nu metal" song, but then suddenly stops. There is a moment of silence, and then some African/South American style music starts playing, with an acoustic guitar, and this is how the song continues, at almost twelve minutes long. I don't know what the story is behind this idea. Strange, very strange. But aside from that, for a band of this style, Agent Zero are quite good. They're a hell of a lot better than most of the big name bands who play this style. It would be cool if this band made it big, so we can at least have some talented bands in the nu metal genre. http://www.agent-zero.com

by Jonathan Mariante

Italy's answer to Aerosmith? Maybe. This band play music very influenced by Aerosmith and 70's rock in general. There are six songs on this disc, three of which are driving, Aerosmith style rockers; the title track, "Girl Power", and "Dall'alba Al Tramanto" (the entire CD is sung in Italian), while the other three are slower tunes; "Il Paese Delle Meraviglie" reminded me of Mott The Hoople's "All The Young Dudes", "Tonight" is a ballad in the vein of "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", and "La Mia Occasione" is a Neil Young influenced song. These guys need to learn English, but they are a fairly decent band who make some good, straight up rocking music, and that's fine by me! http://www.vincenzopastano.com

by Paul Autry

I had the pleasure of hanging out with this band a few months ago and I also caught about half of a 45 minute set and, let me tell you, what you hear on record is one thing. What you see on stage is a whole different animal. It was loud and it was much heavier than the disc, at least from what I remember. I was pretty well sloshed by the end of the night. On "Days Come Easy," their current eleven song release, the music reminds me of The Rolling Stones. It's got that whole blues/rock vibe going on. Sure, they might be a little rough around the edges. But, so were The Rolling Stones...and look at how big they became. Their music has a raw energy and that's what I really like about it. I would suggest checking out the album. But, if there's any way you can catch a live show, don't pass it up because Beggarz will blow you away. There's a lot of potential here and I think this band has a bright future in front of them. "Days Come Easy" is only the begining. So, be sure to check it out. You won't be disappointed. http://www.beggarz.com

by Chris Forbes

Average old death metal that has been done over and over. Decide, Malevolent Creation, etc pop into mind when this is played. It's not bad, but the band sound like a million other bands before them and it gets old really quick. Don't get me wrong this doesn't suck, but it just sounds too similair to other bands to make it a classic. www.hammerheart.com

by Chris Forbes

A great black metal band that plays with feeling and emotion. Awesome black metal vocals and just a tad of keyboards and death metal mixed in. The band can play super fast and also slow it down when needed to. A solid production as well. Worth getting. www.crashmusicinc.com

by Chris Forbes

3 songs of boring metal that has no direction nor feeling. The 3 songs bored me to tears and there was nothing strong about them at all as the songs just go no where. A bad production did not help matters at all. This band needs to go back to the drawing board and work on some songs. www.cryfordawn.net

by Paul Autry

I was pleased to find out that this band was from Central Pennsylvania. But, I was also disappointed. I'm totally into local music and I try to support area artists as much as possible. Yet, I hate to see a band promote themselves in a manner that doesn't do them justice. I recieved this three song demo, which was actually on a CD-R. A sloppy presentation doesn't impress me all that much. Now, it said that the band has just finished recording their full length album. Okay, not a problem. If the album has been released, shame on you for sending out a press package such as this. If the album hasn't been released yet, I can fully understand trying to create a buzz for it by sending out a few tunes. Still, present yourself in a professional manner. I mean, come on, this does not look good on the band. Having said that, my biggest disappointment with this whole package is the fact that the music is pretty damn good. There was a lot of variety in these songs, especially the first track, "Nothing New," which came off like a punk/noise/rock tune. There was also some, dare I say it, alternative flavor here, some college radio stuff. I mean, they blend so much into their music, it's hard to tell what kind of band they really are, which is a good thing because it should appeal to a wide range of people. This is a good band, there's no doubt about that. They've got a sound that should recieve a lot of praise. I'd just like to see them back up the music with a good presentation, one that will do the band justice. E-mail: PRoachSound@cs.com

by Paul Autry

Here's a new term for you...heavy groove garage rock. That's what came to mind when I gave this release a listen. It's interesting to note that Big Baby Satan was originally formed to be a studio project. But, from what I've read, it's now a full blown band. The nine songs on this release are kind of raw...and I say that in a good way. It's got a big, fat sound that's a little rough around the edges, kind of like some of the early Venom releases. I guess I should set the record straight here because I don't want you to get the wrong idea. Because of the band name and my mention of Venom, some of you may think this is a black or death metal band. Well, that's not the case here. As I said, it's heavy groove garage rock. There's even a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver," which is listed as "Holy Dio" on the album. That track alone makes this album worth checking out. It was kind of cool to hear, as was the rest of the material that can be found here. I guess you could say it's a solid album. It pretty much rocks from begining to end and that's something you can't really complain about. http://www.bigbabysatan.com

by Scott "Painkiller" Courtney

After releasing the masterpiece Dance of December Souls, an equally brilliant EP entitled For Funerals to Come, and the ultimate work of sublime melancholia called Brave Murder Day, KATATONIA took their music in a distinctly different direction. Discouraged Ones was the first to show the (in my opinion, anyway) drastic change in the bands' musical vision. The suicide-inducing darkness that resonated though their past works seemed all but abandoned, and a more rock-oriented vibe was presented. This was extremely distressing to me, my opinion always having been "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." This trend continued with Last Fair Deal Gone Down, an album I found to be completely inferior to any of their past works. When I read that Viva Emptiness was gonna show the band returning to the formula of their early days, I raised a skeptical eyebrow at such a notion. So it was that I approached this album with low expectations knowing full-well that I was not going to hear a resurgence of the doomy atmosphere that made this band a legend. Viva Emptiness did damn little to prove me wrong. Although it's a step up from the last couple of efforts, it's still too up-tempo and rock-based to make a significant impression. If you've enjoyed the music KATATONIA have been churning out in recent years, I'm sure you'll be quite pleased with this album. If you, like me, long for the coffin-companion anthems of the bands' glory days, you'll be greatly disappointed.

by Paul Hanson

For whatever reason, Generous Maria, a quintet from Sweden, chose a gorilla to be the band's mascot. The lumbering, but some times psychedelic/Door-ish riffs group puts together 45 minutes of genre rock. What I mean by that is that GM is yet another band that doesn't sound enough like any one band to be called unoriginal. Yet, in the same breath, the influence from the Doors and AC/DC on the majority of the other ten tracks is sickening. I just wanna hear this band with a new idea. "Ashram of the Absolute" opens up with the riff of John Cougar Mellencamp's "Authority Song" played in a lower key. Opening track "Big Shiny Limo" sounds like something that would be on the next Guns-n-Roses CD, complete with the raspy Axl-ish vocals. "A Bed at the Edge of the Universe" starts out like something the Cult would write and transforms itself into a Jane's Addiction riff. And I could go on and on. Generous Maria does have a single shiny moment. It's called when you reach the 8:50 point of track 10, the point at which the hidden track with the predictable riff and sloppy drumming fades into silence. Silhear the end of the hidden track with the predictable riff and sloppy drumming.

by Paul Autry

This was a pretty good release. Five songs. A running time of 32 minutes. Musical style, at least in my opinion, is progressive metal mixed with a touch of classic Iron Maiden. My only complaint is that the production seemed a bit thin. It just doesn't quite have that epic sound that music such as this should have. It's not a great deal off or anything like that. A notch or two here and there would've perked this one right up. It's enough to notice though. Other than that, this is a fantastic album from a band with a lot of potential. I feel a full length release would do them more justice though because, 32 minutes isn't really that long. Even with my exceptionally short attention span, I found myself interested in hearing more. I couldn't really get a feel for "Lost," which is an instrumental. Lucky for me though it was only a minute and 44 seconds long. What can I say, I like lyrics. This is a release that's well worth checking out and the band is one I would suggest you keep your eye on. They've got what it takes to go places in this business. There's no doubt about that. http://www.deadnature.com

by Jonathan Mariante

Joe Deninzon is a violinist who has put together this album of "psychojazzrock electric fiddle trip funk", as he calls it. His music is a hybrid/fusion of all these styles-jazz, rock, funk, folk/fiddle music, a little classical, even a bit of hip hop (A DJ named Big Wiz does his scratching stuff on most of the songs). Joe is a very good violinist who can really fly (some call him the Hendrix of the violin), and he also sings and wrote most of the songs. He has recruited a talented group of musicians to play with him, one of them being guitarist Alex Skolnick, who is known for his work with Testament, Savatage, Trans Siberian Orchestra, and Exit 13. Alex is a brilliant guitarist and does a great job on this album, as do all the other musicians. Most of the songs are jazzy, grooving little numbers, with Joe doing his stuff on his fiddle. Just about all the songs focus on his violin talents. There are also a couple of ballads, "Hope Alive" and "Sun Goes Down" (on which Alex plays some classical style guitar). Another song, "Ants In The Pants", is the closest thing to a hard rock song on this album. It's a straight up rocking tune, sort of in the vein of The Edgar Winter Groups' "Frankenstein", but a little faster. "Ants..." is the most guitar dominant song on the album, and Alex really jams on this one! We also have "Rise", an Eagles influenced song, and a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Contusion". The album closes with two lengthy, instrumental jazz numbers, "Nefertiti" (originally by Wayne Shorter) and "Chunga Changa". These songs are light jazz tunes that are well played and crafted but are a bit on the long side, especially "Nefertiti", which is eleven and a half minutes long! Now that's a bit much! Aide from the length of those last two songs, however, this is a very well put together album. This is original, unique music, played by very talented musicians, melding a bunch of different styles into one. http://www.joedeninzon.com