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November/December 2004Lake of Tears | Survivor | Ragnarok | Sonic Youth | Ankhreg | Atropos | Nargathrond | Der Gerwelt | Desire | Greenhaven | Doom Capital | The Randy Cliffs | Zero Down | Sirenia | Beseech | Moonlyglit | Ministry | Faith Marsden | Metallica | Dokken | Y.O.C. | Spinal Cord | Ninnuam | Voices from the Artic Circle | Misery | Toxic Narcotic | Numen | Code-Black | Burning Skies | Beaten Back to Pure | Hypnosis | Korpiklaanl | Recourse | The Mandrake | Sinn | Breaking Benjamin | Hard Echo | Meliah Rage | Gwar | 38 Special | Scorpions | Lockestar | Carbon 9 | Scott Mosher | A Murder of Crows | Shatterpoint | Gluecifer | Mind Grinder | GRZ | Gods of Fire | Atrocity | Gary Moore | Blitzkrieg | Starwood | Tygers of Pan Tang | Anvil | Darksun | Mountain | Ascension Theory | KISS | Misdemeanor | Abydos | Firebird | Scavenger | Six | Pyramaze | Megadeth | Gutteral Secrete | Cea Serin | Uli Jon Roth | Dry Kill Logic | Iommi & Hughes | A-18 | Sunrise | Fission | Division | Drawn and Quartered | Draugar | Lifend Nightmare | Lacrimas Profunder | Damnation | Red Harvest | Papa Roach | Attitude Force | Nonpoint | New York Dolls | Single Bullet Theory | Instruction | Domeshots | Best of Seven | Threshold | Rock Scar | Heaven & Earth Gary Moore Renowned Irish guitarist Gary Moore has been going at it for about thirty years (more or less) now. He once played in Thin Lizzy, then became a solo artist, and has been one ever since. His first few solo albums were straight up hard rock/metal, but he later ventured into the blues. While he's never become a superstar, he has been recognized by fans and critics alike for his guitar talents. On "Power Of The Blues", he continues on this musical path, which he has been following for years now. The title says it all-this is a powerful blues/rock album. Gary is a brilliant guitarist and he jams non-stop throughout, with help from ex-Ozzy bass player Bob Daisley, drummer Darrin Mooney, and keyboard player Jim Watson, with production assistance from Chris Tsangarides. The album kicks off in high gear with the hard rocking title track. Most of the other songs are heavy blues numbers in the vein of Robin Trower's material, with songs like "There's A Hole", "Tell Me Woman", "Getaway Blues", and "Memory Pain". He also does a Stevie Ray Vaughn-type number called "Can't Find My Baby", and also throws in a couple of Willie Dixon classics, "I Can't Quit You Baby" and "Evil" (this one kicks some major booty!), as well some more laid back tunes, "That's Why I Play The Blues" (this one has the atmosphere of sitting in in a dim, smoke filled lounge watching Gary play on a small stage) and the dark, moody "Torn Inside", which closes the album. Gary has turned out another fine blues/rock album here, doing his usual thing. He keeps it real and pure, and doesn't mess around, just jams away and cranks out the blues, the way they were meant to be, with some smoking guitar work! His talents as a guitarist and songwriter are undeniable. After thirty-something years of making some great music, it's about time this man was given some props! Blitzkrieg Like the many up and comers that embodied the NWOBHM movement in the late '70s, Blitzkrieg did as their name suggests with the release of their classic "Blitzkrieg/Buried Alive" single on Neat Records in 1980, pummeling the masses with their pure metal delivery; a year later they went the way of many peers by disbanding. For Blitzkrieg, and main man Brian Ross, performing carried on in other projects as with the little known Avenger, and Satan, which produced the underground classic, "Court In The Act." Blitzkrieg returned to release '85s "Time Of Changes" before disappearing into obscurity, only to resurface vicariously on those occasions when Metallica threw out a B-side or cover interesting to note Metallica covered "Blitzkrieg" on their latest "St. Anger" tour! Blitzkrieg, the band, resurfaced in the '90s with a vengeful if varied attack that saw the release of a ten year anniversary album, the underappreciated "Unholy Trinity," and "The Mists Of Avalon," albums that added a wider scope of sound to their previously primeval style, akin to bands like Skyclad or later versions of Riot. The band, led again by Ross, re-emerged in early 2000 to begin production and pre-press for a fitting return to form entitled "Absolute Power," a loosely thematic album built on pride and plenty of amplitude. Bordering the fine line between Power Metal and Thrash, this was a true return to form that saw the band achieve the critical acclaim that had long eluded them, and likely placed them back within the field of players in the metal community no matter the stop and go route they took to get there. "Absolutely Live" is Blitzkrieg's first full live album, and finds the band in fine form, welcoming new guitarist Ken Johnson, who's string bending, stretching and slashing are of serial killer caliber, and as a whole, they're afforded an opportunity to give the fans a taste of what the latest lineup and there've been many are capable of. A well drawn cast of veterans and flashy newcomers, Blitzkrieg's likely at the apex of their careers and seem primed to ride their latest resurgence for all its worth. The live record is a culmination of preparatory shows for Germany's popular aren't they all "Headbangers Open Air Festival" and features 17 cuts drawn from their replenished well. Gray-bearded classics as the lengthy opener "Ragnarok," follow up "Inferno," and "Armageddon," stand uniformly with modern day successors as "The Wraith," "Soul Stealer," the anthemic "We'll Rock Forever," and "Metalizer," not that followers might notice a discernable difference either in style or title though there does exists a deeper, darker guitar sound; a welcome attribute to the forbearers of true metal music and modern aggression. "Absolute Power" was constructed to be everything Blitzkrieg should have been when they began, and even if it took them 20 years to get there, it's granted them the reprieve they needed to bang a dent in the odd Euro Fest or local club gathering. How Saxon managed the re-emerge after the ridiculousness of "Rock The Nations" and the eight or ten years that followed is anyone's guess, but the fact is, much consolation should be found in their longevity and continued popularity. "Absolutely Live" proves Blitzkrieg can still give the fans what they want, much of which includes the very early, and mostly new material, opting to steer clear of much of the tumultuous middle '90s stuff, though "Unholy Trinity" is a welcome, if short burst. The sound is pure garage, yet the production is surprisingly state of the art, and mixed to post-poverty level listening standards. The packaging, however, endearing though it is, leaves a few holes to be filled in both song sequence and track listing, but does include current day performance photos and quick quip from band founder Ross. Blitzkrieg is back and building steadily from "Absolute Power" and beyond, presented with a never say die attitude that's continued to pack remote rural locations worldwide with tens of thousands of screaming masses of metal heads! Starwood They ain't afraid to say it and they ain't afraid to break it neither. Starwood wanna be stars and they got nine cuts that speak volumes about the Sunset Strip scene in all its previous sleazy excess. The result is a stripped down, spit and polished debut record that recalls the splendor of the late '70s and groups like KISS, Thin Lizzy, The Ramones, The 'Dolls… only none of 'em had a voice like this! Led by the inimitable Lizzy Borden, whose siren-like screams led the American metal assault for his self-titled namesake of the mid-'80s, Starwood is their blood-thinned, under-produced alter ego. With their heads out of the hairspray and into the gutter, "If It Ain't Broke…" is an oily-stained rag of a record descending to the ranks of rock n' roll's underground. With the successful launching of repackaged ol' schoolers like Brides Of Destruction, Velvet Revolver, and… Skid Row, Starwood's aiming for their share of rock's raunchier audience with youthful exuberance. And they got the chops to cut an imposing profile on the changing scene that's seen its share of faceless players come and go. Lizzy's vox still deafen, though they're tempered as the occasion calls; the players, featuring bassist Martin Anderssen, guitarist Steals, and drummer Joey Scott, pick up and lay down like they've done nothing but listen to Kiss, Cheap Trick, and Aerosmith for the last six years. And while none of those namesakes can be considered outward influences on the album's output, the attitude and delivery are one and the same: "Subculture" is an opening sneer that nods toward The 'Pistols, or nearly anything the Damned put out in their infancy; "Won't Back Down" is a Pop-inflected hit single of a song that's sing along or scream worthy; "What's Your Damage" is the slowly building sleeper tune with the AC/DC hook that'll get no exposure yet everyone who owns the album will dig; the title track is a catchy, up-tempo acoustic/electric ballad with an arena-sized chorus that decries destruction of property over drinking in one's tears refreshing; "Bad Machine" is a highway cruising closer built on low chording and reverb, successfully catching the throat of the garage/punk style with both hands, before proclaiming.. "No, we're NOT L.A. Guns… but we damn sure do 'em well enough if we fucking want to!" Starwood's not KISS, Cheap Trick, nor Guns 'N Roses… then again, neither of the first two were either when they started… and there's only one G n' R, and even they don't know who they are anymore. But there's plenty of room for undernourished bands preaching the almighty power of the chord rather than political agendas and pouty-lipped teen drama. So if it ain't broke… buy it! Tygers Of Pan Tang Little could they have known at the time these demos were originally recorded, back in '79, they would be released in full album form not once, but twice! Tygers', short lived though they were, and their prime in particular, were at their best in their original and crude form, featuring Cox, Dick, Laws, and Weir, which saw them release the classic "Wildcat" album from 1980. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of their debut 7" single, "Don't Touch Me There," "First Kill" is again made available 18 years after its inception, this time with four bonus cuts "Burning Up," "Don't Touch Me There," "Money," "Wild Catz" from the original MCA demo sessions, previously unreleased, and superbly reproduced. In fact 25 year old demo tunes probably never sounded this fresh! Featuring fourteen tracks overall, "First Kill" is primeval NWOBHM in all its faded glory, fashioning the sights and sounds of early Nugent, Leppard, Riot, and TSOL with tough guy anthems like "Slave To Freedom," "Don't Take Nothing" "Alright On The Night," along with the more suave and sophisticated anthems like "Angel," and "Small Town Flirt," done for the '86 original. The Tygers' were as amped and energetic as any band going in their day. With the right blend of musicianship, attitude, name and style, they arrived at the right time when the likes of Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon, and others were all getting their feet wet; unfortunately, unlike the aforementioned, but like so many others of the time, they couldn't outlast persistent personnel shifts and inclimate industry standards that by the mid-'80s, the Tygers were already a long done has-been. But big-selling standouts notwithstanding, they were few and far between, for those that could admit to having a prime, for even one album (though we'll acknowledge the one-two punch of the John Sykes-led "Spellbound" and "Crazy Nights" in the year that followed as worthy follow ups to the "Wild Cat" debut) the Tygers' left behind a pretty grand legacy in spite of nearly threatening their beloved and oft-referred cult status with last gasp pop gimmicks that had little to do with the original set up in the first place. Back to where it all began, "First Kill" offers fans a fresh cut of endearingly dated, throttle-squeezing heavy rock that's tightly wound, slightly worn, properly impoverished in both production and package, with a few pages of prime era eye candy thrown in. Anvil The last time I really paid close attention to Anvil was back in 1996 when they released the "Plugged In Permanent" album. Even though I like what they have to offer, I can't keep up with everybody. Anyway, I'm not really sure what to think of this release. I mean, sure, it's a good album. However, I expected a lot more from Anvil. I was looking forward to a heavy, thrash album, kind of like "Plugged In Permanent" was. You don't really get that here. What you do get, however, is more of a regular hard rock album, which isn't really a bad thing. I mean, sure, it's not as heavy as some of their previous releases. But, the material is strong and it has a good production. You can't go wrong with that. There was a song or two on here that kind of brought Suicidal Tendencies to mind, some of their more laid back stuff. The one song that really caught my attention was track six, "Can't Catch Me," which sounds a lot like Witch Bonnie's "Nitetime Lover," which was from their 1991 album, "The First Time Always Hurts." The guitar riff in that tune sounded way too similiar. So much, in fact, that I had to dig out my Witch Bonnie tape to see if I was right or not. Other than that, I really don't have much else to say. Like I said, the material is strong and it has a good production. I can get into this release and it will spend some time in my CD player. But, from this point on, I'm thinking I should pay close attention to Anvil and keep up to date on what they're doing because I have a funny feeling that the best is yet to come and I wanna be there when they drop a seriously heavy, ass kicking album. http://www.anvilmetal.tk Darksun Hailing from Spain and singing entirely in Spanish, this quintet plays epic, symphonic power metal, along the lines of Rhapsody, Stratovarius, and Blind Guardian. They play with the usual power metal riff-o-rama and double bass drums, and also some atmospheric keyboards, and bombastic classical interludes, with strings, kettle drums, and the works. There is a lot of classical influence in their music, and the album is quite keyboard heavy. Sometimes the keys overshadow the guitars. Vocalist/guitarist Dani G. has a deep voice, similar to Fabio Leone's (of Rhapsody). The band is talented and everything here is well done. They may not be breaking any new ground, but they put all the right ingredients in here to make a good, quality power metal album, and give everything they do a hundred percent. My only complaint is that the keyboards tend to saturate the album a little bit. They are well played, courtesy of Helena Pinto, and are quite sophisticated, but they are a bit overdone. Turn down the keys and turn up the guitars on the next album. Aside from that, well done. Mountain They're pushing this as the definitive live collection. A two disc set featuring 130 minutes of music, which includes some previously unreleased material. Disc one features "Hard Times," "Never In My Life," "Spark," "Theme For An Imaginary Western," "Nantucket Sleighride" and "Rocky Mountain Way." However, the real highlight here, at least for me, was "Mississippi Queen." The songs on this disc were recorded in New York at L'Amour (4/12/85) and The Ritz (6/5/85). Disc two was recorded in Europe in 2003 and it features the tracks "Why Dontcha," "For Yasgur's Farm," "Crossroads," "The Sea," "Nantucket Sleighride" and "Dreams Of Milk And Honey." The highlight on this disc, again, at least for me, was "House Of The Rising Sun." Not a bad collection of material if you're a Mountain fan. The sound is somewhat rough. Almost has a bootleg quality to it, which I feel does the music justice. I'm not too fond of a polished live sound because you and I both know that the concert experience is anything but polished...and that's what makes it great. If I had to choose, I would say the first disc is the better of the two. The older material always sounds better. I don't know, maybe it's just me. But, the stuff on this disc is almost twenty years old and, really, what you're listening to here is a piece of rock 'n' roll history and I know there's a lot of people out there, myself included, who get off on this sort of thing. Once again, it's not a bad collection of material if you're a Mountain fan. So, check it out and feel the "Eruption!" Ascension Theory A quick look at the Ascension Theory website and you'll see that the band suggests that if you like Queensryche, Dream Theater or Savatage, you'll dig what they have to offer, which is, in their words, "a unique style of music which blends progressive metal, techno and cinematic elements to create a unified conceptual work." I got the impression that this is a concept album. Haven't really listened to this release in that much detail yet. Not enough to see the big picture anyway. There's some high quality musicianship on this release and it's got a real epic vibe that flows through out the album. For some strange reason, Styx kept coming to mind. I don't know, maybe it's just me. This is a bit more metal than Styx though. There's a track on here with a female vocalist that was really good. Not sure of the title as I didn't get any additional information with the CD. But, it was cool. Intelligent metal, that's what I would call this album. The band obviously knows what they're doing and they do it well. It's got an excellent production and, yeah, I would suggest checking it out if you're into this style of music. Although, to be honest, I think Queensryche and Savatage are a little heavier than Ascension Theory. So, I'm not sure if I would agree with those comparisons. Still a good album though. http://www.ascensiontheory.com KISS Okay, well, we're not getting any new music from Kiss. But, we're still getting new products. This time, it's Kiss "Gold," which is a two disc greatest hits album. Do we really need something like this? I mean, come on, we have "Greatest Kiss," "The Very Best Of Kiss," "The Best Of Kiss: The Millennium Collection" and "The Best Of Kiss: The Millennium Collection Volume 2." Oh, and we can't forget about the box set and older releases such as "Smashes, Thrashes & Hits" and the live collection, "You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best." Disc one is pretty standard stuff..."Strutter," "Deuce," "Hotter Than Hell," "Cold Gin," "Beth," "Detroit Rock City," "Rock And Roll All Night" and, well, you get the idea. "Anything For My Baby" is also included, which seems slightly out of place here because it's not one of their strongest songs. Disc two features more of the same, "I Want You," "Calling Dr. Love," "I Stole Your Love," "Love Gun," "God Of Thunder," and "Christeen Sixteen." There's a little more variety though as a song from each solo album is included as well as tunes from "Umasked" and "Music From The Elder," not exactly the brightest moments in the history of Kiss. The album ends with two of the lesser known tunes of the "Killers" album, "Nowhere To Run" and "I'm A Legend Tonight." The only reason I purchased this release is because the first home video from Kiss, "Exposed," is included here as a DVD. That was the selling point for me because my VHS copy was shot and it was nice to upgrade. Although, I might have been more impressed if they included a DVD of "Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park," which I know a lot of people would like to see on DVD. Hell, I'm sure if Kiss would decide to reach deep into their vault, they could put out an album or two of un-released material. How about the Wicked Lester album? Everyone else is makin' money from it, myself included. So, you think the band would give this a proper release after all these years. I mean, come on, what's next, "Gold 2?" If you're gonna live off the past, which is what you're doing, at least live off some stuff that we haven't heard before. You know you've got it and you know it will sell. So, what's the problem? I'm starting to not get excited about Kiss projects and that's not where I wanna be because they're my all time favorite band. At least Gene Simmons put out a solo album with some fresh material and he's got a box set coming out, which is something I'm looking forward to. I know that'll be worth picking up. But, if I see one more greatest/best/gold Kiss album on the shelves, I'm gonna scream! Misdemeanor Misdemeanor...maybe they should have called themselves MISSdemeanor, as this band is made up of five tough looking misses. They use a variety of rock styles in their music, including alternative, hard rock, metal, and punk. The first three songs, "I'm The One", "Man On The Wall", and "Eternal Bliss" are sort of like Pearl Jam with a more rock and roll vibe. "News For You" is a little AC/DC-ish, not nearly as hard but the guitar riffs and tune are similar to "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "The Jack". "Hate Your Face" and "Shades Of Gray" are Black Sabbath influenced while "Easy Living", "In Between", and "Special" are more in a punk vein. "Easy Living" is not a cover of the Uriah Heep classic of the same name (although they do sing the lyric from that song, "Easy living, and I've been forgiven" at the end), but there is a classic cover on here, and that would be one of "Robot Man" by the Scorpions. The last song on the album, "Don't Say Its Over", reminded me a little bit of Danzig. These gals can play, they've made some hard rocking music with a variety of influences, and the production is kept raw and down to the bone. These chicks don't look like the kind of girls you can bring home to mom, so I guess I better not say anything bad about 'em. Buy this CD...or the girls is Misdemeanor will hunt you down and kick your ass! Abydos Abydos are the side project of Andy Kuntz, vocalist for progressive metal outfit Vanden Plas. This album also features Vanden Plas drummer Andreas Lill. This is also a progressive metal album, and naturally is in very much the same vein as Vanden Plas but is not a total photocopy or retreat. Abydos have a sound all their own. There are twelve cuts on here, ranging from ballads to heavier progressive tunes, and a few that are a bit different. I noticed a lot of Savatage influence in Abydos. The piano/keyboard playing (used heavily) and songwriting are very similar to Jon Oliva's, and Kuntz's vocal style is also similar to Jon's, although not quite as powerful. On the heavier tunes, there is a lot of Savatage-style guitar playing, in the riffs, chords, and solos. After the brief intro, "Inhabitants Of His Diary", the first song "You Broke The Sun" (which begins with a sigh just like the one at the start of Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn") is a ballad with many of those aforementioned Savatage qualities. There are a few other similar ballads, like "Far Away From Heaven" and "God's Driftwood". We also have the heavier numbers like "Silence", "Coppersmoon", and the twelve minute long epic album closer, "A Boy Named Fly", this one being very Savatage influenced. There are some songs that use different musical styles as well, such as "Radio Earth", a more laid back tune with some folk and jazz influence; "Abydos", a darker, heavily classical influenced song; and "Wildflowersky", which is a pouporri of metal, prog, jazz, and classical, heavy on the organ. This is quite a piece of work, a very well done progressive metal album, a rainbow of musical styles. It is a little drawn out and self indulgent in places, but the songwriting and musicianship are all top notch. Everything's done to a T. Andy Kuntz has had a very and successful career with Vanden Plas, and this album no doubt will be a feather in his cap. Firebird Firebird is the new project by guitarist Bill Steer, who once played in death metal pioneer bands Napalm Death and Carcass. This is Firebird's third album, hence its title. Steer has taken quite a different musical direction with this band. They play 60s/70s style "classic rock". It's retro all the way for Firebird! Their music is very influenced by bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin. Steer's guitar playing is smokin', with a lot of influence from Clapton, Page, Beck, etc. They even use a Hammond organ throughout the album, with a whole solo in one song, giving it even more of a 60s/70s flavor. I even heard a touch (just a touch, mind you) of Three Dog Night in a few of the songs. "No. 3" kicks off with the hard driving, booty kicking rocker, "Cross The Line". Songs that follow, like "Tumbling Down", "Stoned Believer", "Station", and "End Of The Day", are the Cream-ier songs, in the vein of "Crossroads", "Strange Brew", or "White Room". "Long Gone" and "Off The Leash" have some Zeppelin influence, the latter with a guitar riff similar to "Heartbreaker" and a "Dazed And Confused"-like bassline. The album ends ends with a ballad called "Friend". Steer is a very good guitar player and Firebird takes us on a souped up rock and roll retro ride, back to a bygone era when rock and roll was just rock and roll, and it always kicked ass! Rev 'em up, Firebird! Scavenger Ireland, the Emerald Isle, my mother's home country, has produced a lot of great music over the years, but unfortunately, that country's metal offerings have been rather scant. Scavenger, however, could be the band to change that. They are four young Irishmen who play classic style heavy metal, very influenced by bands like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, among others. Vocalist Peter Dunne's voice sounds modeled after Bruce Dickinson, Paul Dianno, and Ronnie James Dio; guitarist Noel Maher is heavily influenced by Tony Iommi, his guitar playing definitely having a Sabbath quality to it, but he also takes a major cue from the style of Maiden and other classic dual guitar bands; bassist Niall Cooney seems to have learned some tricks from Steve Harris; and drummer Johnny Kerr also plays in the classic 80s style, throwing in some double bass playing here and there. The first four of the six songs on "...Madness", "On The Outside", "Storm Warning", "Ethereal Journey", and "Prisoner Of Time", are full speed ahead metal tunes, very Maiden-like, with a touch of Sabbath. "Unstoppable Motion" is a slower tune that leans more in a Sabbath direction, and the last song, "Daydreams In Motion", gets off to a fast start, like a thrash metal tune, but halfway through it, they jam on the brakes, it slows down and becomes another Sab-like song. Scavenger are a good metal band who play straight up, no frills, classic style heavy metal, the way it was meant to be. Raise a stein of Guiness to these Irish lads, who will hopefully put Ireland on the metal map, and show that that country has more to offer besides U2 and leprechauns. http://www.scavenger.ie Six This week's SlipKorn...that's the best way I can think of to describe this band. And isn't there already a bit of an over abundance of bands like this these days? Don't we see video after video of these kinds of groups on MTV (when MTV actually plays videos, that is!), that are practically indistinguishable from each other? Six are no exception. This is totally Korn by the numbers...the down-tuned power chords and bass, the angst-ridden, aggressive, Davis/Taylor type singing, with angry, angst-ridden, this-world-sucks lyrics to match, semi-rapping on a few songs, distortion, it's all there. Totally predictable music, following directly in the footsteps of the flavor of the month, played by mediocre musicians. And at the beginning, on the opening song, "Something's Gotta Give", they even sample the beginning of Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast" ("Woe to you, oh earth and sea, etc."), and then scratch it, kind of like Accept do on "Fast As A Shark". Are bands these days so broke for ideas that they have to steal from the classics? You'd think there would be at least few bands out there who would try to push the envelope a little bit and do something original, break out of the mould, but I guess Six ain't one of them, at least not on this album, sorry to say. They're a new band so I guess we should cut 'em some slack. They may grow a bit as their career goes on and improve on their sound, once this Korn kraze dies down a bit. But until they do...Next please! Pyramaze The debut release by this Danish/American outfit is pretty damn good. Pyramaze are a melodic speed metal band with ever so memorable progressive tendencies. Melodic speed metal. That sounds kind of funny if you think about it. I use it to describe bands all the time, as well as others do, so there you have it. Pyramaze are backed the amazing vocal talent Lance King( Gemini / King's Machine / Balance of Power / Defiance / Empire / Mattsson), Michael Kammeyer - guitars, Johan Weingarten - keyboards, Niels Kvist - bass and Morten Gade on drums. This band is set to impress with nine tracks of elegant intensity. Excellent musicianship and song writing throughout. If you're into Amorphis, Destiny's End, Helloween, Therion or Evergrey to name a few, trust me on this one, you're gonna totally be into Pyramaze. I've received a lot of great disks lately, especially of this genre. But I must say, this is one that's been in the car cd player the longest. They sound so familiar yet they bring forth a sound all their own. Make sense? Well not to me either. Just check them out. Pyramaze do not disappoint. Megadeth The new Megadeth album is already out. Got it? I haven't got it yet. I did get this sampler with the songs 'Blackmail The Universe and Kick The Chair'. I have always been a pretty loyal Megadeth fan. I think. I have to say the last two releases, well, weren't the greatest. And I was crushed when I first heard of the bands demise a couple years ago. If these two songs are what the rest of the album sound like, then it sounds like Dave is back to form. Heavy , "Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction" sound. Sounds as if daves playing is as good as ever. Well I gotta go get it after listening to this a couple times. Megadeth is back. Hell yea!!! Guttural Secrete Well the name says it all. Grinding, death, gore. A high speed, ferocious attack spewed forth from the Nevada based death/grind metal band. With tracks titled 'Slit Into Succulence, Ejaculating Obesity, Incestuous Refriguration and Visected In Vaginal Bile'. This four song ep filled with guttural growls, sonic blasting drumming and intense riffing is a listen at your own risk release. Not a disk for the meek. They do well at not making all the songs sound the same as one another as many bands of this extreme intensity seem to do. Death metal for the true death metal heads of the world. Plenty of violence and mayhem to go around. Cea Serin I have only the cd inlet, not the full package. And from what I gathered on the web, these guys are unsigned. This is a travesty. Unsigned? I have heard a lot of bands, believe me, and to say these guys have not been signed makes me want to start up a label myself and sign 'em up. Cea Seirn have been around for a few years now. Late '90's I'd say. They are a symphonic, multi layered metal, prog metal band. In the vein of many, many bands . Some witch would include, Dream Theatre, Opeth, Pink Floyd, Evergrey. You following along? This disk runs down many genres of music, tosses them into a blender, and what pours out is simply magical. Very technical, precise playing. Astounding song structuring and writing abilities that should be ranking them as metal veteran genius'. Cea Serin are not your average prog metal act. Every moment of each song on this disk spills out excellence. Uli Jon Roth Well I'm not sure I should really be the one reviewing this, the latest masterpiece from Uli and his Sky Orchestra. I'm gonna tell you how great it is. There's no question there. But as for my knowledge of the neo-classical music genre, I got nothing. Zero. Nothing to compare it to or put it up against. Uli's virtuoso style of playing is incredible. He, as I've said before in a show review, is amazing. This release he has put together is Vivaldi's Four Seasons. In it's entirety. Beautifully translated through Uli's Sky Guitar and Orchestra. There are also spoken poems throughout, written by Uli. This was a piece that was just going to be covered basically as originally written 3 or 4 hundred years ago. But as Uli delved deeper and deeper into Vivaldi's works, it intrigued him. Inspired him, and sent him on an amazing journey into the music. This also led way to another concerto that flowed forth by Uli and is the second part of the disk. Accompanied by mystical poetry and amazing paintings, this is an all around wonderful release. As I said , this is not the typical genre of music I choose to listen to, not for any other reason than I'm just a metalhead, but, I do understand the music. I've taken the journey with 'Metamorphosis'. On more than one occasion I might add. And it is truly a delightful trip. Arranged and orchestrated by Uli himself, this disk is just a reminder of what an innovative and awe inspiring musician that Uli Jon Roth has become. A very pleasing listen. Dry Kill Logic Dry Kill Logic are back with the follow up to their highly successful "Darker Side". "The Dead And Dreaming", find DKL more aggressive, melodic in spots, yet still as pissed off as ever. After saying "see ya" to Roadrunner Records due to creative differences, DKL has joined forces with former MCA label executive Gary Ashley, (most notably known for the success of Garbage and Blink 182) of Repossession Records for the release of this punishing disk. Very heavy indeed. DKL's sound varies from the likes of Slayer, Pantera , Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall. Without sounding like anyone of them. So fans of these bands will definitely enjoy. Very catchy, hook filled riffs. Songs that make you want to get up and start moshing. Even when there's no one else in the room. There's an added melody here and there to change things up a bit. A very refreshing release. A release straight from the hearts of the musicians themselves. Iommi with Glenn Hughes The infamous DEP Sessions are finally available for your listening pleasure. The songs on this disk are a blusey, hard rocking edge. Rather than do some research on them, I cheated a bit. The next paragraph was taking from Iommi's website. Read for yourself: "In 1996 Tony Iommi was writing for his solo album and looking around for singers who might do justice to his music. Tony and Glenn Hughes had stayed in touch since the "7th Star" album and they arranged to meet, write and see what came up. These songs were recorded as a set of demos in Coventry and Birmingham in the autumn of 1996, the bulk of them at DEP Studios, owned by local band UB40. The original players were Tony, Glenn (who sang and played bass), drummer Dave Holland and keyboard contributions by Don Airey, Geoff Nicholls and engineer Mike Exeter. No proper mixes were undertaken and both Tony and Glenn pursued other paths, although occasional conversations took place regarding the quality of the material and their possible release. In the meantime a very poor quality bootleg CD became available on the web which was missing some of the tracks and made from a stolen cassette. The tapes were then stored until early 2004 when Tony reviewed the multi-tracks in his home studio with a view to releasing them, and setting the record straight." Well okay, I guess taking that directly off the site was a little research. There's a chemistry between Iommi and Hughes that comes out strong in these eight tracks. Any fan of the two will appreciate the musical brilliance laid out in these songs. Most are fairly mellow ballad type tunes. Not a bad listen though. A great collection of songs by a couple of the masters themselves. A-18 Southern California's A-18 deliver a straight edged, in your face hardcore album titled, 'Dear Furious'. Depending on what you consider hardcore will determine how you may take this release. The personal lyrical contents delve a lot deeper on the topics at then what other bands of the genre may. A very well produced album. Very high sound quality. They remind me of a more punk edged sound, perhaps closer to Sick Of It All than that of the more popular mainstream sounds of Hatebreed. All in all a very heavy, kick you in the side of the head album. Some track titles, " Fire In The Hole, Jailhouse Rob, Beating A Dead Horse, We All Fall Down". A-18 are making there mark in the scene and kicking So-Cal all over the place. Check 'em out. www.herosaredead.com Sunrise 9 tracks of blasting death metal that will melt your ears. This is so damn heavy and catchy it isn't funny. The band play in the swedish style (ala Entombed0 and the riffs are so damn catchy, you can't help but bang the head. Production is perfect, the guitar sound and riffing is unreal. The gruff vocals are a welcome change from all the lower than low stuff I am used to hearing. A fantastic release of soild death metal. Info: www.lifeforce-usa.com FISSION I am a sucker for bands that write great guitar riffs and here is another one of them. This band play death metal in the vein of At The Gates, though they have more melody than them. The riffing is so on the money that again if your head is not banging, your not a metalhead. The band also use some spoke type of vocals at times, which to me, wasn't out of place, but most of the time is is pure death metal screaming vocals all the way. This band can play with a sense of melody and also unleash brutal power when it wants too. A wicked combo in my book. Info: www.napalmrecords.com DIVISION This grew on me with repeated listens. This is good, soild heavy metal with some areas of thrash metal thrown in as well. The band remind of bands like Savatage, Omen, Helstar and other Metal Blade bands of the late 80's. The band can write soild riffs and the vocals are clear, but strong and powerful and they fit the music. As with all good metal bands, you need strong riffs and like I said this band deliver the goods. The riffs will have the head baging and the toes tapping. This isn't in the newer style of power metal, this is good ole old school metal all the way. Info: www.metalages.com DRAWN AND QUARTERED This band return and return with a fury. Long gone are the generic Cannibal Corpse riffs that were on the bands debut release and now they go for the throat in the vein of Immolation. Crushing heart drenching riff after riff fill the air and the vocals are what death metal need to be. Not this lower than low shit. This band plays with feeling, The prodiuction is wicked and the guiatar crushes all. The band still play fast and furious and this is one of the best cds of 2004 bar none. Info: www.moribundcult.com DRAUGAR It is a curse if you buy this cd. A beyond bad one man raw (ha ha) black metal project. The production sucks, the riffs are terrible, the singing is a joke, and the music (if you want to call it that) is a total waste of time. This is bad, very bad junk black metal with not one even good thing about it. It is total crap and this is not pure, true, raw or anything else but pure crap. Info: www.moribundcult.com LIFEND Generic tired death/gothic metal with female vocals and tired, old death metal vocals. I hate these female opera vocals with death metal. It sucks and it isn't original. The music is faceless death metal with the same old screamed vocals and the female vocals make this even a less pleasant listneing experience. I'll pass. Info: www.cruzdelsurmusic.com NIGHTMARE This was ok power metal I liked some parts, but the chanting vocals lines have been done to death by other bands. The band play power metal with clean vocals like Heaven's Gate and bands like that. This isn't bad, but the style has been done to death and I must have heard 75 other power metal bands over the past year doing this same sort of style. Info: www.napalmrecords.com LACRIMAS PROFUNDER I couldn't get into this at all. This was slow doomy gothic rock that is not my cup of tea. The music bored me to tears and this just didn't do a thing for me. Info: www.napalmrecords.com DAMNATION Excellent death/black metal that reminds me of the 1st Bathory release and Hellhammer many moons ago. The music is pure raw black metal that has feeling and passion missing from most bands today. The vocals, you can hear the hate spew out as he sings. The riffs remind me of Celtic Frost (Morbid Tales) and this never gets boring. Pure old school and this is the way underground music should be. 100% pure death. Info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk RED HARVEST This is a decent release. At least the band is sounding different from the million other bands I have heard. They play industrial stlye metal with some death metal mixed in. The music is heavy, fast and unrelenting. Think if Helmet mixed in with Ministry. The riffs have melody and are quite catchy, but not in that nu metal crap mode. The vocals are deep screams from the swers of hell. A killer combo that works well with this band. Well worth checking out. Info: www.candlelightrecords.co.uk Papa Roach Maturity is what you think when you listen to Papa Roach. With their earlier releases they were young and angry guys that wanted to express their raw emotions but now with their new CD are more calculated. This album still has the atmosphere of good old Papa Roach. With songs like "Not Listening," "Stop Looking Start Seeing," and "Take Me," they have their heavy chorus parts, but this time are more technical and not constricted to one format. With their hard rock anthem and title track "Getting Away with Murder," it shows they have not left their past. During the chorus "I feel irrational / So confrontational / To tell the truth I am getting Away with Murder," there is more elaborate musicianship with vocal harmonies by Jacoby Shaddix that have never been explored before. Also, guitarist Jerry Horton plays less of the angry heavy metal crunch-crunch guitar riffs and focuses on the power and intensity of melody. There are also ballad songs such as "Scars," and "Sometimes," that shows the sensitive and vulnerable side of Papa Roach and gives you another perspective. This has proved to be an accomplishment and stepping stone for this band. This is a superb rock record that is not restricted to the heavy metal genre but open to everything. A band must move on from the clichéd 'pissed off at the world' stance once they reach 30 and have kids. I'm not sure their old fans would understand this album and accept it. This record is for die hard Papa Roach fans and people who like straight forward rock records. Attitude Force These guys are a metal force from Brazil and sound like they would have been right at home in the thrash metal scene of the 80s. This Force take a lot of influence from the godfathers of thrash, like Anthrax and Slayer, although they are more melodic, and also have elements of power metal in their music, such as double bass drumming and melodic singing from vocalist Ricardo Raitz. There are five songs on this disc. Three of them, the title track, "King Of Lies", and "Come My Death", are full throttle thrashin' metal tunes. The remaining two, "The Wind" and "The Weight Of The Pain", are a bit slower, and use acoustic/classical guitar in them although the latter does pick up speed about halfway through. These guys are a good band who have made a decent metal album here. They are talented and play well, and do a good job of embracing the old school sound. Hopefully they will release a full length album soon, and will perhaps be one of the bands who will carry the classic style of metal into the future. http://www.attitudeforce.rg3.net Nonpoint Nonpoint is back with a vengeance. This time the band's sound is no holds barred. "The Same," kicks off the CD with attention grabbing fast double bass done by drummer Robb Rivera. The chorus has hooky guitar work by Andrew Goldman that gives you an introduction to the bands sound. The song ends with a crescendo that explodes. "Wait," is an introspective song that is soft yet has built up aggression. It shows another side of Nonpoint that goes beyond the typical metal mold that compliments the lyrics with "My head is a mess, dressed in guilt, titled left / And when I straighten this out I'll find the rest and wear it on my chest." The song "Rabia," is sung in Spanish but you understand the message by the emotion in singer Elias Soriano's voice. This song will definitely pump you up. However, the song that stands out in my mind is their rendition of Phil Collin's Ïn The Air Tonight." They add their own style that is clever, totally Nonpoint, and compliments the original at the same time. This is one of those groups that keep belting out great new material. They are a mixture of seriousness and satire that has life lessons and political commentary. This record is open to all who listen to metal. New York Dolls I know that I'm probably gonna take some heat for saying this. But, this album wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. Maybe it's me, I don't know. I just wasn't all that impressed. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a good rock 'n' roll album. But, that's all it is. Nothing more. I mean, come on, even the chatter in between each song is kind of lame. I'm sitting here listening to this and I'm like, "Play the damn song already!" The album does have a moment or two where you can feel the energy of the performance. "Trash" being one of them. "Puss N' Boots" was pretty rocking. It brought Faster Pussycat to mind. "Personality Crisis" was another tune that held my attention. There's also a DVD version of this release, which I haven't seen. But, maybe that's the way to experience this album. Maybe the true energy of this New York Dolls performance is better when it's right there in front of you. So, if you were gonna ask my opinion, I would suggest you skip the album and go straight for the DVD. You'll get the whole package that way and, if you like what you see/hear, sure, you can go pick up the album. I'm not sure how the hardcore/die hard New York Dolls fans will view this release. But, that's my opinion and I call 'em like I hear 'em. http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk Single Bullet Theory Single Bullet Theory is intricate with styles of black metal, hardcore, and power metal with a do-it-yourself attitude way of promoting their music. The song "A View from Nowhere," begins the CD with a low groaning guitar and methodical double bass drum work. Then the vocals and the rest of the band come crashing in and the mayhem starts. "Cold as Stone," starts out with spacey drums and guitar. Then the heavy thick guitar riffs heighten the feeling. The song comes together during the chorus when vocalist Matt Difabio belts out, "It's all been told / Faces turn / Cold as stone." The song has various musical interludes with guitar solos, melodies, and a constant double bass drum pattern going all throughout the song. The song Öne Bullet," has a chilling guitar intro by Matt Difabio and Doug Rush with pounding drum work by Jay Horvath. The choruses pick up the song into another dimension that is sympathetic yet angry. The underground music scene will absolutely take a liking to this band. The CD becomes redundant after a while, but is still a good typical hardcore metal experience. Musicians will eat this record up because there are vocals with such profound range and skill, many guitar solos and melody lines, and double bass drum work all the time. This is for anyone who enjoys the darker and harder side of metal music. Instruction In today's musical climate of over produced albums, bands dressing up for the cover of GQ Magazine, and just general predictability of music trends, it's invigorating to have a group go back to square one and focus on just pure rock. Instruction has a punk rock attitude with important messages and themes they want to convey with their music that is not contrived. You know as soon as you hear the first song you are going to love this group. "Great," is just that with an awesome intro that has an energizing guitar part and irritable vocals. Vocalist Arty Shepherd screams so much like he is proclaiming his existence. "It's the time of our life / So lets get started / It's the time of our life / So join the party." The message is clear in this song to just have a good time and what person doesn't like that? On the serious side, the emotional song Äre you Happy," has a soft yet revitalizing chorus that is totally punk rock. Vocalist Arty Shepherd's voice is piercing like his vocal chords are going to snap yet it fits the band perfectly. Ï'm Dead," is a ballad and has an indie rock and singer songwriter feel. This song has so much feeling and melody in every aspect. The chorus has several musical tones and colors that light up your attention and is a contrast from the rest of the album. The album God Doesn't Care by Instruction is unique sounding. Apparently God does seem to care about this band because this record is unbelievable. It reminds me of The Hives, Jet, and Nirvana. People who listen to mainly punk rock will love this band. Domeshots California's unsigned band, Domeshots, release their debut album. Their sound is similar to Chevelle and Staind with hardcore elements. The first song on the CD is the best and sorry to say the only one. "More," is a spectacular crafted composition that is soft and heavy at the same time. Vocalist Dan Alexander has great ability that can sing like a songbird and in a second turn on you into a screaming angry monster. Guitarist Jim Seishas does not play many guitar solos but has such great rhythm chops that it can stand on its own. This is for certain a radio friendly song. However, the rest of the CD I found mediocre and a carbon copy of what everyone else sounded like in the wasteland of corporate radio. The musicianship is superb but the actual songwriting is dull and weak having a wall of sound for each song that blends into one another. This album is going with the trends of today's metal. There is no original characteristic that sets this band a part from the wave of countless other bands that are hot today and cold tomorrow. If you listen to this CD your attention span will have the better of you. Best Of Seven I get to hear a lot of different musical styles, most of which I happen to enjoy, and that's all well and good. But, every now and then, I get a CD from a band like Best Of Seven and I'm totally thrilled with what I hear and it makes what I do worth doing. Yes, that's what we've got here. This is what I live for. "Everything Is New Again" is just a damn good album. It's radio friendly rock 'n' roll with an edge. No bullshit, no message...just fun, excitement and energy all thrown into some killer, well written tunes. It takes me back to when I first started getting into music, before everything had a label. Back then, there were only two kinds of music. Good music or music that sucked. Yeah, I know a few of you remember that time. Admit it. You would hear a song or an album and you would either like it or you wouldn't like it. When it comes to Best Of Seven, I can guarantee you're gonna like it. We've got a real winner here. The only bad thing about this CD is the fact that there's only five tunes on here and the running time is about eighteen minutes. A band this good should have a full length release out there. Forget trying to "test the water" so to speak. The water's fine and we're ready to dive right in. Call me greedy because I want more, more, more. On top of everything else, there's a song on here, "Baby Loves You," that was written by Donnie Vie and Chip Z'Nuff of Enuff Z'Nuff, which is, in my opinion, one of America's finest rock 'n' roll bands. Donnie Vie also makes a guest vocal appearance, which is an added bonus. Give this disc a listen and I guarantee you'll become a fan before you get to the last song. Trust me...I know good music when I hear it and this goes way beyond good. Can you dig it? http://www.bestofsevenonline.com Threshold This is the latest opus by acclaimed British progressive metal band Threshold. Their sound is along similar lines to Dream Theater and other prog metal bands, but Threshold has their own style that allows them to stand out from their peers. They have powerful guitars and punchy drums, along with melodic singing, sophisticated arrangements, complex, sometimes spacey, keyboards, and a lot of classical influence. Many of the songs are heavy for progressive metal and pack a punch, like "Mission Profile", "Ground Control", "Stop Dead", and "Static". They also throw in a couple of ballads, "Flags And Footprints" and "The Destruction Of Words". And then there's the grandaddy song, the ten minute long epic "The Art Of Reason". This song covers all the bases musically-it has heaviness, sophistication, melody, power, complexity in songwriting, extended guitar and keyboard solos, and an anthemic chorus. Threshold show that a band can be progressive and sophisticated, and explore new boundaries, without having to sacrifice heaviness. The guitar sound is very up front, and very well played, and the drums are strong and sturdy, but the band also plays with finesse and sophistication, with a lot of melody, classical influence, and complex songwriting. Keyboards are used heavily, but the don't saturate the music or steal any of its impact, and the singing is strong and clear. Threshold have been going at it for over a decade now. They are a very talented band, who could take progressive metal to a new level, and they deserve some recognition. Rock Scar Not much to talk about here. Sixteen minutes. Five songs. College radio alternative heavy rock. The songs are good. But, they could use a bit more punch to really make 'em stand out. Second track, "Creeping In," has a cool groove. If asked, I'd probably say it's the best track on the album followed by "Skin Deep," which is more rocking. It's upbeat with a lot of energy. Probably goes over rather well in a live setting. Like I said, not much to really talk about here. But, the band does have a lot of potential and I'd say they're worth a listen. I'm just curious to see how they develop from here. They've got a buzz going and how they decide to build on that will decide their future...and that's pretty much all I have to say. Heaven & Earth This is a brilliant, eight song, limited edition EP that features some high quality rock 'n' roll and some exceptionally talented people. Ah, let's see, there's four tunes on here from the first Heaven & Earth with vocal performances by Richie Sambora, Joe Lynn Turner and Glenn Hughes. The four new songs feature vocalist Paul Shortino from Rough Cutt and Quiet Riot and these tunes are just a taste of what's to come, as the band is currently in the studio working on their next, full length release. I'd have to say the best track here is "When A Blind Man Cries," with Richie Sambora. The emotion in this song is simply amazing. "Screaming For Redemption" with Paul Shortino is another stand out track...and this is also the title track for Heaven & Earth's upcoming release. "Nasty Piece Of Work" is another awesome song both lyrically and musically. This one's got quite a kick to it. The only song I really couldn't get into was "Dreams Of Desire," which is an instrumental. Call me crazy, but, I happen to be a big fan of lyrics. Although, I will admit, this song does show how talented the players are. I'm sure some of you musicians out there will appreciate this one. Heaven & Earth is a band that creates quality music, where the creation of a good song is the most important thing. Music like this will appeal to a wide range of people. So, if you're looking for something that's fresh and exciting, give Heaven & Earth a spin because, believe me, it's well worth hearing. This is one for the history books and, when it's all said and done, I'm sure there will be an entire chapter on Heaven & Earth. |
