KANSAS "The Ultimate" Epic/Legacy by: Vinnie Apicella Kansas has been a busy band lately. and how many people knew? It's not everyday some quiet, unassuming mid-western sons get to celebrate a 25th anniversary and some 30 million in overall album sales. and still live to tell and tour about it. Not that the two are interrelated however. Kansas has always opted to let their music do the talking-critics darlings in no way, shape, or form. Then again, as critics or human beings alike, we tend to dissuade that which we don't understand. So Kansas's enigmatic role in Rock n' Roll rides the crest and crash of the curtain, and they've survived and more than enough have stayed with them for a still ongoing 30-year show. "Ultimate's" succinct yet spot-on intro reveals much of the band, outward realists, who were inwardly surreal, and with a wealth of impregnable talent. Kansas, progressive separatists grounded in a rootsy environ, had much in common with the worthiest of super groups still in existence. Having begun in '73, it wasn't until their breakthrough "Carry On Wayward Son" soared quickly heavenward as their fourth LP, "Leftoverture" was released in '76, that Kansas became a welcome addition to the mainstream of Rock. Yet for all the notoriety, little changed the original framework the band was originally constructed of. Their style remained focused in thoughtfully penned compositions, driven neither by success or the hit follow up, yet they of the more appreciated AOR bred era, were not to be denied in spite of themselves-their '77 follow up, "Point Of Know Return," spawned their highest climbing hit, "Dust In The Wind," as well as the unmistakable title track. Kansas was very much a Genesis/Dregs hybrid that even today is difficult to grasp and have a lot more in common with a post-"Lady" Styx than anyone could probably conceive of. Their earthy, homespun guitar Rock foundation was intertwined with majestic vocals, atmospheric percussion, and further stretched by lengthy, orchestrated complexities that could stagger even the most seasoned of listener intellect. So on that note, "The Ultimate Kansas" could very well be 26 tracks of pure torture for the mid-life listener only now coming to grips with the slower pace; but more likely, this collection is a can't miss that touches upon everything their golden Epic years had to offer from '73-'83. From the obscure beginnings of their self-titled debut, to the historic campaigns of "Masque," "Leftoverture," and "Point Of Know Return," to the hazy and unheralded later years where strife unseated success to earmark titles like "Monolith," and "Drastic Measures," everything in their illustrious history is included in this two disc collection. The remastered sound, stellar Glixman-led production, and thorough ten album coverage make up for an economical gatefold and one era photo, occasionally odd song sequence, and the inclusion of "Cheyenne Anthem." and even this, cancelled out by the curtain closing live epic, "Magnum Opus." Overall, the music, as has always been the case for the still traveling road warriors, who only two years ago released the very new, "Somewhere To Elsewhere," with naturally very little build up, is the main event. "The Ultimate Kansas" is a justifiable tribute chronicling one of America's best.

Swift "Waging War" Tribunal Records Vinnie Apicella The North Carolinian foursome brings out the heavy artillery on their eleven track debut, an aggravated assault of riffs and death screams tempered with mindful melodies and thought progressions making for a two in one combination that hits like an anvil and soothes like aspirin. pain and relief all in one forty minute dose. When exactly did the term "Aggro-Rock" go out of style anyway? So either these guys are thoroughly dating themselves or AR's hasty retreat is yet inconclusive. And fresh from the "Whatever Happened to Kilgore files," I bring you. Swift! They're a 60/40 mix of hard and soft within the same song with no forthright ballads to speak of, though "What Tears Are For" and "3 Fools" come close much as have The Deftones on their last big radio layover. The lyrics stem from personally drawn viewpoints ranging from love, loss, and I believe a musical first here, the family doctor. however, a recurring nightmare might make for the more popular topic. Complaints? The guitars are loud, excessively distorted, and nearly drown out the vocals at every turn when they're playing heavy; problem is there's not a lot of upward movement there which makes for a typically similar sounding song stuck in second gear, particularly in the beginning where listener attention is made or lost. Their verses catch a too common trait as well, which if the rest of the song follows the familiar groove, makes for a sloppy seconds approach and again, easily forgettable. They do hit on all cylinders for a few-"Lovesick," "The Guatemalan," "The Handshake," "What Tears Are For," and there's a greater degree of drum work going on with some catchy off-beat time changes. Plus we'll give 'em points for somehow pairing Machine Head and Morrissey in the same chamber and still managing to make it convincing enough.

AUDIOVENT "Dirty Sexy Knights In Paris" Atlantic Records By Jonathan Mariante This band Audiovent...Hey, wait a minute! Who's the wise guy who snuck in a Bush CD here? What, this isn't Bush? This really is Audiovent? Are you sure? OK, then...these guys sure do sound a hell of a lot like Bush! (And Bush were basically a Nirvana rip off band, so this is like rip off of a rip off!). Being that this band are such blatant Bush clones, their music is the same style-alterna-pop/rock, Nirvana meets the Beatles, somber in nature, and very slickly produced. To give credit where credit's due, the Audio boys are not bad as musicians (and the album has a cool title!), but why be Bush copycats? They're good enough so they could be a bit more original. If there were any songs on this album that caught my ear, some were "Rain", which has some good riffing; "One Small Choice", "Gravity", and "Back And Fourth" (This song's opening riff sounds similar to the beginning of "Smells Like Teen Spirit"), all bouncy little rockers with some punk influence; and closing track "When I Drown", a piano-and-strings ballad. These guys are nothing spectacular, but they are fairly decent musicians, so you'd think they'd have some original ideas up their sleeves, and not just settle for cloning a popular band. The fact that they sound so much like Bush was a turn off for me. I'm not a big Bush fan (see my review of "Golden State" in the March/April section for more details), so I'm obviously not going to get excited by a band who copy their sound, even if they can play.

HOLLYWOOD HAIRSPRAY Volume 1 Perris Records By Jonathan Mariante As the title suggests, this is a collection of various Hollywood-based "glam rock" bands, some 80's veterans, some newcomers. These bands play glam rock that is very street level, straight out of the Sunset Strip gutters, hard rocking, raunchy, and edgy, with an attitude, unlike many of the "hair metal" bands that dominated MTV during the 80's, who sounded overproduced and watered down. "Hairspray" kicks off with 80's glam stalwarts Pretty Boy Floyd, and their rocking tune, "Backseat Shake". They are followed by newcomers Razamanaz, who sound like the Cult meets the Crue. More 80's vets are next with Jetboy, whose "Burning Down The Backroads" reminded me of Mike Monroe's classic "Dead, Jail Or Rock And Roll", complete with harmonica! Another newer band, the Nasty Idols, are next, with the hard rocking tune "Heroes For Sale". Then comes the Big Bang Babies, who have been going at it for a while and have made a name for themselves among glam fans over the past decade. They contribute a pop-flavored, good time rocker called "Let's Go." Next are Shameless (I think this is the side project of PBF singer Steve Summers. It sure sounds like him, anyway) with a raunchy hard rock cover of the Kim Wilde new wave classic "Kids In America". This is followed by Floyd's axe slinger, Kristy Krash Majors, with "Broken Dreams". It's a punkish tune with some Hanoi Rocks influence. Next we have former Tigertailz vocalist Steevi Jaimez (he's the only one on "Hollywood Hairspray" who isn't really Hollywood. He's originally from England.) with his poppy, Poison influenced "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof". Then we take a stroll down Cherry St., with their contribution, "Hell Raiser". This is one of the album's heavier tunes, with some Van Halen and Judas Priest influence. Roxx are next with the Aerosmith influenced "Pint Of Blues", followed by two more heavier tracks, Stampede Queen's "Woman In A Fast Car" and The Scream Clan's "American Hair" (This one reminded me of Shotgun Messiah). Every album has a weak link, and this one's is next with Vamp and "Misspent Youth". This song is a half assed, two chord, sub Aerosmith tune that lacks the punch of the others. Then we come to the last song with Sick Six Crush (Cool name these guys have! I think they took it from the movie "Trick Or Treat". Watch it and you'll see what I mean) with their song, the punkish, raunchy "Problem". This album is a good collection of 80's style glam/metal bands (some of which are 80's holdovers, as I mentioned). Just a bunch of good time rock and roll tunes, that rock like there's no tomorrow! A must for all fans of this style of music! Glam not dead!

BURDEN BROTHERS "Rock/Roll" Last Beat Records By Jonathan Mariante This is a two man band, consisting of ex-Toadies guitarist Todd Lewis, and drummer Taz Bentley, formerly with Reverend Horton Heat, currently with Izzy Stradlin's band. The duo has released this two song CD, with the tracks "Your Fault", a poppy little number with a country flavor, kind of like REM meets the Black Crows. The second and last song is "Hang Your Head", which rocks a little harder. It's a punchy tune that could be described as "blues punk", with some raunchy, gritty guitar, hard hitting drums, and aggressive singing. These two guys are already renowned musicians in their own right, and they can surely play. These two songs are well played, rocking numbers. Let's see what the brothers can do when they release a full length album. Check out burdenbrothersmusic.com or lastbeatrecords.com.

RHAPSODY "Power Of The Dragon Flame" SPV/Limb Music By Jonathan Marante Rhapsody take the world by storm once more, with their fourth album and the final chapter of their "Emerald Sword" legacy. They deliver the goods with their unique, trademark style of epic, symphonic power metal. They stick to their classic style, but have also progressed and matured. Comparing this album to their earlier releases, one can see that they have come a long way, and have evolved musically, developing their style and making it more sophisticated, but without abandoning their roots. There's no doubt the band's talent is phenomenal. Vocalist Fabio Lione's voice is as strong and powerful as ever (he sounds like a heavy metal Pavoratti in some places!); guitarist Luca Turilli is a brilliant player, as are all the members of the band (keyboardist Alex Staropoli, bassist Alessandro Lotta, and drummer Alex Holzwarth complete the lineup). On all the songs, Rhapsody do their thing of combining galloping heavy metal with classical, opera, and folk music, and do it very well. Many of the songs are full speed ahead chargers, like "Knightrider Of Doom", the title track, "When Demons Awake", "Agony Is My Name", and "The Pride Of The Tyrant"-Rhapsody music the way it was meant to be. We also have a ballad in "Lamento Eroico", played on classical piano, sung in Italian (the band's home country), complete with recorder. The album is rounded out by "Gargoyles, Angels Of Darkness". This is the grand finale to the "Emerald Sword" saga, and grand it is indeed! This song is nineteen minutes long! A bit much, I'll admit, but it's still a fine piece of work. It starts off with classical guitar, then picks up speed, and trades off between fast and slow, metal and classical, throughout the song. There's even some spoken interludes in it, relating to the story. Long, as I said, but very well crafted. The only other criticism I have of this album, aside from the length of "Gargoyles...", is that the band seem to be trying to cram a little too much into their music. They have everything going at once-The metal and speedy guitar riffs and solos, the violins, piano and keyboards, harp, vocal harmonies, mandolin, harpsichord, "1812 Overture"-style percussion, you name it. They appear to be overdoing things a bit in this regard, putting in too many ingredients. Aside from that, however, this is an excellent album. Rhapsody, as I said, are a very talented band, with a unique, distinctive style, and they can really kick some ass, too! I have no doubt they will go down in heavy metal history as one of the all time greats!

FIREWIND "Between Heaven and Hell" Leviathan Records By Paul Hanson Musically, Firewind are tight, the cymbal catches are precise and the dizzying Yngwie Malmsteen licks from 21 year-old Gus G. are impressive enough to make a drummer press rewind for another listen. The double bass work of Brian Harris rivals that of Tommy Aldridge's work on the Project: Driver release.The production by David T. Chastain is supreme and, if you didn't know the guitars and bass were recorded in Greece, the drums in Ohio, and the vocals in Georgia, USA, you'd never guess that this is a "global" release. To top it off, the CD was mixed in Sweden. But know what? I've heard this before by bands like Primal Fear. Freedom Calling. Lost Horizon. Brainstorm. Steel Prophet. Stratovarius. Pegazus. What I don't hear is anything that expands the genre. On a casual listen, you may not notice, and maybe this is a nit that I'm picking, but this material has been done before. Had this release come out 20 years ago, this would have been an absolutely amazing release. People might have been talking about vocalist Stephen Fredrick as the next Bruce Dickinson. But it is 2002 and this music has been done before. On its own merits, I was disappointed with this release. I kept expecting the band to pay less homage to the power metal genre and spend more time expanding their chosen genre.

GRAND MAGUS "The Music Cartel" By Paul Hanson I'm going to sound like an anal-retentive technical writer that spends their day arguing about what font should be used in the documentation no one reads, but hell, why not be a stereotype for a day? This CD booklet sucks. Bands should never, ever, pick the font of their CD booklet layout without a graphic artists or an aforementioned technical writer looking over their shoulder to say, "Yes, that is, at least, a readable font." It's about audience analysis, not about image. If your CD cover can't be read, it doesn't matter how pretty it looks. Bottom line, the font is some hard to read font, like Augsburger Initials, bolded. I am sure the band was trying to achieve a mystical appearance to their presentation to match the Merlin/wizard on the front cover. However, I am disappointed that The Music Cartel, a reputable label, would allow this CD booklet to be put out. And I am disappointed that a band would make it this easy on a reviewer. An executive should've said, "I can't read a single word of this band's lyrics or even the names of the people in this Black Sabbathy/Soundgardeny trio!" just so I wouldn't have to. I don't know where they are from, what their lyrics are about or anything. But I can tell you that their music drives forth with a 70s sound that makes it seem as if the three musicians were in the same room, as they recorded, feeding off the vibe of each other. While the likelihood of this band being able to overcome the logistical nightmare of such a feat, I like to think they pined the southwood long enough to see each other as they recorded. What I hear are riffs that are relatively straight-forward and supportive drums and bass. The vocalist sounds a lot like Chris Cornell and the guitars sound like Tony Iommi at times. I hope their next release takes advantage of the font Arial.

ENTETY "Cadaveric Necrogrind" World War III By Tate Bengtson The press release for this CD boasts that this is a "must own timeless masterpiece for true fans of atrocious compositions." I like that word "atrocious." It describes the 32:02 of my life that I'll never get back. I think there's a vocalist growling, but the mix is so horrendous you can't even hear him. Listen up bands: if you are going to have a message that you want your vocalist to deliver, do yourselves a favor and have him included in the mix. This sounds like an instrumental record and, while I can't imagine what the vocals could add to this release that would make it not suck, I have to admit it seems like there's an element missing.

THE CONTROL "Forgotten EP" Go Kart Records By Jonathan Mariante The Control are a wild and wooly hardcore band from Buffalo, who have made what is probably one of the shortest (if not the shortest) CD's in the history of recorded music! There are four songs on the disc, and the whole running time of the disc is six minutes and fourteen seconds! Four songs for the price of one! That makes the Ramones' music sound long winded in comparison! Can't these guys give their fans a little more value for their money? Who wants to hear songs/albums that are this short? It's a waste of time, really, and a rip off. The songs are so damn short, they hardly give you time to tell how good they are! Shortness of songs aside, however, The Control play fast and furious, mean, angry, and aggressive, as all hardcore should be, but they don't sound a whole lot different from other hardcore bands. A CD that amounts to the length of one song is waste of time, if you ask me, so even if you like your songs short and sweet, I would wait until they release a full length album.

J. OTHELLO "Self titled/Indie" 4 Tracks By Jonathan Mariante This J. Othello is a singer/songwriter from San Francisco, and this is his first solo outing, although he has made other music in other bands before. This disc begins with "The Ultra Sexy", a hard rocking, riff-y tune, but the lyrics are, "I'm too sexy, you're too sexy, we're all too sexy", repeated over and over again. Sounds "inspired" by Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy", and almost as silly! The second song is a ballad "A Little Misery", which uses some electronic percussion. The last two songs, "Empathy" and "I Pray For Mercy", are heavier numbers, sounding influenced by Black Sabbath and Pantera, with heavy guitars and a pounding beat, a bit on the sludgy side. Mr. Othello is a good musician and singer, and he has done a fair job with this disc. His style is original (in spite of the Right Said Fred-inspired lyrics) and his music and lyrics have a dark aura to them.

KAOS RISING "Welcome To The Violence" Jet Speed Records By Jonathan Mariante The name alone reminds me of Sepultura, and so do the band. Their music sounds very influenced by classic Sepultura. They make some very aggressive music here, the album going with all guns blazing from start to finish, assaulting like a Panzer division in action. As I said, the Sepultura influence is very evident in their music. Singer Casey is very much like Max Cavalera, belting out with his raw, screaming, death metal-like voice. There are also blistering guitars and pounding percussion, also very Sepultura in style. Both the album and the band live up to their names! Song titles like "Excessive Hate", "Bloodstained Ground", "Social Parasite", and "Living Death" alone say something about this band, and their music is like a napalm attack, the "kaos" and "violence" never letting up for a second! These guys aren't messing around, they just play with pure raw aggression and energy! The do wear their Sepultura influence on their sleeves, and some of the songs do sound the same, but they do what they do well nonetheless, and they can sure kick some ass! Kaos forever. www.kaosrising.com or www.jetspeedrecords.com

UNCLE LIGHT "Right 4 Light" Indie release By Jonathan Mariante Like 70's style rock and roll? If so, Uncle Light are a band you might want to check out. This trio rocks in the classic 70's style, and they do a pretty damn good job of it, too. They just play straight up, no frills rock and roll, with a bluesy feel to it, influenced by classic 70's bands like Aerosmith, Bad Company, the Rolling Stones, Foghat, Ram Jam, early Grand Funk, Thin Lizzy, etc. The album begins with a rollicking cover of Steppenwolf's "Sookie Sookie". Kicking off an album with a cover tune is a questionable move, but they do a good job of it all the same. All the other songs, like "Ready 2 Rock", "King Of Rock And Roll", "Shakin' All Over", and "Rock Hard, Rock Steady", are good old fashioned classic style rock tunes! The group does sound a bit like a "bar band", but this is a demo, so you gotta cut them some slack! They're good players, they know how to rock out, and it's good to hear a band playing straight ahead rock and roll like this for a change, especially in times like these, when rock music has become so bastardized and corrupted. Ever heard the saying, sometimes what's old can look new? I think that could apply to what these guys are doing. Pretty damn cool! Contact the band at: unclelight@hotmail.com.

THE COLOR RED "Clear" RCA/Dirty Martini By Jonathan Mariante This band sounds very influenced by bands like Alice In Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam. The guitar playing, by Billy Meyer and Adrian Verloop, is very much like Alice In Chains or Smashing Pumpkins, edgy and raw, while singer Jon Zamora's voice is clear and smooth, but mournful, with shoe staring lyrics (something I've never been a big fan of), and all the songs are slow or mid paced, nothing very fast here, and it can be a bit plodding at times, with a somewhat depressing feel to it. The band plays fairly well, but all the songs kind of sound the same, and it would be nice if they had some faster, harder rocking songs on here. There are also a few songs with a shade of Beatles in them, which made them stand out a little, those being "Season", "Do You", and closer "Miracles". As I said, these guys are decent enough musicians, but they're not really breaking any new ground here. Jon does have quite a good voice, though, and the rest of the band play quite well. My criticisms of this album are, one, that the songs pretty much all sound alike (aside from the aforementioned Beatle influenced tracks), and also they play a little too slow for my taste. I understand if this is their style, but it wouldn't hurt if the put on a song or two that rocked out a little more. As I said, the band is good at what they do, it's just not my cup. If you like alternative style rock, however, you might want to give this one a whirl.

PULSE ULTRA "Headspace" Atlantic Records By Jonathan Mariante Humph! Another Bush rip off band? And on Atlantic too, I see? Isn't one Bush enough? I guess not. "If one is good one hundred is better". That seems to be the way most record companies think. In case I haven't made it clear enough, this band sounds a lot like Bush. Their musical style is very similar, with melodies, harmonies, and playing styles that are very much like Bush's, and Pulse Ultra's singer sounds a lot like Bush's Gavin Rossdale. To this band's credit, however, their music does seem to have a harder edge than Bush's, and packs more of a punch. The guitars are sharper and more pronounced, and the backbeat is heavier. There even seems to be, I dare say, some Pantera influence in this band. Pantera meets Bush? Sound like an odd combo? It is, but Pulse Ultra seems to be doing it. This does make things a little more interesting, because, although, as I said, Pulse Ultra clone Bush in many ways, the hard edged Pantera element they put in their music gives them a more hard rocking sound. This gives them points over Bush (As I've said before in these pages, I've never been a big Bush fan, but that's beside the point). As musicians, Pulse Ultra are competent but nothing spectacular. I wasn't blown away by this band, although, as I said, the harder rock edge they put on their music makes them a tad more appealing to these ears than other bands of this ilk. www.pulseultra.com.

Fragile X "Plan B" 2001 self By Wayne Klinger I always wondered whatever happened to Tommy Stewart from Hallows Eve; right in the middle of this trio from Atlanta. This is not what I expected with Tommy in the band compared to the Hallows Eve stuff and the tie-ins he had with Monster, Ghost Story and Din (even if he didn't play for any of these). Fragile X is more of a heavy-ass Blues/Rock; I say this because some songs are heavy enough to not be played on radio while others can be "radio-friendly". A 10-track CD that is very reminiscent of bands like Thin Lizzy ("Hard To Believe" will render this), Bad Company, Ted Nugent, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blue Oyster Cult. It's not original but it's good music and very consistently played with different approaches on songs that keep the listener's interest. www.fragilex.net info@fragilex.net

Francesco Fareri "Suspension" 2001 Suspension Records By Wayne Klinger I'm one of the last few people to review this CD despite I talk to FF every once in awhile but we won't explain why and just get right to the CD which fools you seeing there's only 6 songs but the shortest one is "Secrets" while the other 5 are no less than 6½ minutes apiece! I call that amazing songwriting to keep it up that long let alone not boring the listener. I have 2 gripes anyway about the whole CD; drum machines blow and I can only listen to so much fast shred without getting bored. Oh, don't get me wrong, Francesco is exceptional as a player and stacks up with all these other Neo-Classical guitarists of the era; Bellas, Gilbert, MacAlpine, Mattson, Malmsteen, Roth and others. His speed is reminiscent of Michael Batio (Michael Angelo from Nitro for you new school readers) and Rob Johnson; lots of sweeps and picks within a measure, etc. I did like the atmosphere and the piano as well as the future sounding synths/techno fill-ins Francesco used giving it a different perspective. A very good CD anyway and I can only assume more exceptional ideas with the next release and of course, a drummer I hope. www.francescofareri.com francesco@francescofareri.com

Reckon With One "The Pupose Of Existence" 2001 Reciful Records By Wayne Klinger Another power trio and this one's from Canada that blends a cool modern style with more "old school" aggression and sound. The sound is quite impressive; something like Entombed mixed with that UK sound of Paradise Lost or Benediction for example. An 8-track CD sophomore follow-up to their successful 1999 debut, "Shock To The System" which my curiosity is getting the best of me not hearing this release. RWO uses a dual vocal approach with normal vocals in the Hades/Non Fiction way to screams and aggression filled ones; Anselmo maybe but not really that boisterous. RWO is somewhat caught in a Hostility and Dead Orchestra type vibe with that sound I mentioned above and I was just absolutely impressed with their songwriting, the aggression and the room for melody, harmony and intertwining interludes with different scales of rhythms or time changes; very fresh to me and worth giving these guys a holler. www.reckonwithone.com reckonwithone@rogers.com Makop@attcanada.ca

WHEEL OF DOOM ""LADIATIA" " Four Tune Records By Paul Autry No matter what musical style you're talking about, chances are it's been done a million times over. The trick is to do something better than anyone else has done before and when it comes to this release, that's exactly what Wheel Of Doom has done. Although this release is somewhat short, I found a lot of variety from song to song. Metal, heavy rock, there's some rough vocals, some clear vocals, a little bit of everything I guess you could say. At times, I'm even reminded of an 80's pop star that I can't quite remember right now...and the music of Wheel Of Doom is far from pop, that's for sure. Let's put it this way, I've been writing about rock 'n' roll for a good eight years now and every now and then, I come in contact with a band that's so unique that, when it comes to putting my thoughts into print, I'm at a loss for words. Well, that's the case here. I'm really at a loss for words. Although there's various styles found within this music, it comes together in a way that's, shall we say, different or, to use a better word, original. I don't know too much about this band right now, so, I'm not sure what direction they're gonna go in. But, if this release is any indication of what they have in store for us down the road, well, they're off to one hell of a great start. Sink your teeth into this and I'm sure you'll enjoy what you hear...and, if you're like me, you're already hungry for more. http://www.wheelofdoom.com

CATTLE DECAPITATION "TO SERVE MAN" Metal Blade By Paul Autry I'm not against extreme music and there's some that I actually enjoy because, with most of the stuff that I've heard, the musicianship is of the highest quality. Such is the case with this release. You don't even have to go through this entire release...listen to the first two songs and it's obvious that this band can freakin' play. What turns me off are the vocals. When I can sit down with the lyrics in front of me and still not understand what the vocalist is singing, that does it for me. I understand that the vocalist must be as brutal as the music, but, what's the point of sounding like you're throwing up after downing a bottle of vodka? That just doesn't make any sense to me. Personally, I believe that most of the people who use this style of vocal abuse can't sing in the first place. But, then again, there is an audience for this style of music and I can't complain about that. I'm just not part of that audience. So, let me just say this...if you're into extreme music with good musicianship, this release is one you should look into. It's got some very cool cover art and with songs like "Chunk Blower," "The Regurgitation Of Corpses" and "Colonic Villus Biopsy Performed On The Gastro-intestinally Incapable," well, you pretty much know what to expect in terms of subject matter. http://www.metalblade.com

ROSE TATTOO "PAIN" SPV By Paul Autry One hundred percent rock 'n' roll. That's what it says on the inner CD cover and that's probably the only thing that really needs to be said about this release because that's exactly what it is. Although the musical style might be a bit different, this release reminds me of albums by Motorhead, AC/DC and Michael Hannon's American Dog. Maybe this music has been done before by other groups, but, it hasn't been done this well. Not for a long time. It's just pure, straight forward, good time aggression. Down and dirty, blood, sweat and beer soaked rock 'n' roll. It's music for people who like to have a good time. Although, the way I hear it, I would be tempted to call this specific record "biker rock." I don't know, I just have this image of a club that's out in the woods somewhere, bunch of motorcycles parked outside and one hell of a crazy crowd on the inside. That's the vibe I get when I listen to this release...and with sixteen songs that's just four minutes shy of a full hour, you'll be exhausted by the time you reach the end of the album. But, once it's over, you'll crank it up and do it all over again because it's just so damn good. Trust me...you need this release in your collection. http://www.spv.de

THE GREAT KAT "WAGNER'S WAR" TPR Music By Paul Autry Hell hath no fury like the music of The Great Kat. This time around, she's armed with a rage that's directed at those responsible for the events of September 11th. Her vicious black metal style death screams can be heard on tracks like "War," "Terror," "Punishment" and "Humiliation." It doesn't take a genius to know who Kat is talking about when she screams a line like "Blindfold him, shoot him in the stomach, peel off his fingernails, torture him, spit on him, punish him." She's not afraid to say the things that most of us would like to see happen to those people who would attempt to reign terror on our great country. As far as her classical numbers, which is what The Great Kat is really known for, she takes on Wagner's "Ride Of The Valkyries," Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody #2" and Sarasate's "Zapateado." If you've heard any of her past material, well, it doesn't matter what she chooses to cover because it's always done to perfection, Great Kat style of course. Personally, I still think her greatest work was her version of Rossini's "William Tell Overture" from the "Rossini's Rape" CD. If I had to pick one song that would best describe what The Great Kat is all about, it would be this one. When it comes to The Great Kat, there's no in between. You're either gonna be totally into what she's doing or you're not gonna like her at all. I happen to appreciate her psychotic guitar playing style and, when it comes to her music, it really doesn't matter what she does because I know it's gonna be everything I've come to expect from The Great Kat. She's not an artist that will put something out just for the hell of it. She might come off as a total psycho bitch from hell, but, the truth of the matter is this...when it comes to making music, she's very serious about what she's doing and she wouldn't put out anything that's less than exceptional. "Wagner's War" is yet another fine slab of classical shred metal that should be in the collection of anyone who will dare call themself a Great Kat fan. Now...WAKE UP! http://www.greatkat.com

Beyond Description "Searching For the Missing Truth" Independent By Skullcrusher Beyond Description has been impaling the seen since '97 with their thrash/punk mix. 'Searching for the Missing Truth' has five deadly thrash/punk tunez-"Aganist-Awake', 'Alive', 'Smash', 'Truth', & 'Chaos'. The music is very old style, nothing too technical, but by fuck it's good party music-if your into thrash you check out what Japan's Beyond Description is up to.--SkullCrusher/Angela www.bdforest.dreamstation.com okahara@pop02.odn.ne-jp

Throcult "Hunted" Independent 2002 By Skullcrusher Throcult (formerly Throat Culture), is right on, this six-man band is pillaging their way out of Colorado, shredding on their independent three song release; "Kill or Be Killed", "Hunted", & "Eclipse of the Blood Moon". Mixing the best of death & black, if "Hunted" is just a sampling of what Throcult has to offer, I'm wetting myself with anticipation of their next release. Throcult includes the former guitarist of Serberus, Ivan Aleala. Chris Vigil's vox are demented, deadly, & disturbing. Guitars that make your ears bleed with pleasure. Keyboards are used hunting and awesomely done. Throcult is one of the most impressive unsigned bands I've heard in a long time.

"Un Voyage En Progressif: Nouveates Musea 2001, Vol 6" "Various Artist " By Jonathan Mariante When we think of progressive music, what usually comes to mind? Dream Theatre? Yes? early Genesis? ELP? King Crimson? The list is endless. This is a compilation of (supposedly) progressive music from Europe (two artists from Japan), but I really hear very little influence from the masters of the progressive genre in here (some, but not a lot). Most of this stuff doesn't even sound like rock at all, it has more in common with new age, folk, and jazz, the bulk of it is instrumental, and frankly, I didn't find it very exciting. Also, most of these songs are very long, two of them over ten minutes! One of these lengthy numbers opens the album, "Scheherazade" (?) by a French group called Halloween (No relation to German metal legends Helloween, or even the American metal band Halloween. This is not metal at all! I even heard there was another European metal band called Halloween, but obviously this isn't them, unless they've radically changed their style.). This is a world music influenced song, with keyboards and female vocals thrown in. It's a rather boring tune to begin with, and it goes on WAY too long! The other ten minute-plus tune, "Sensitivis" by Priam, is also a long and unexciting song but does contain some good guitar work. Some songs I found to be a little more interesting were Cliffhanger's "Autumn", which has a folksy beginning with a guy singing and strumming a guitar, then explores a variety of musical styles; Taal with "Coornibus", which combines medieval/folk, metal/rock, jazz, and classical, all in one song; Vital Duo with "La Tour Haute", another medieval inspired tune; Ars Nova with "Succubus", the fastest song on the disc, all keyboards and percussion; and Ezra Winston with "Night Storm", your basic rock ballad, with some flute playing thrown in. Ezra actually SINGS on this one, and there is some more decent guitar work here. In spite of these mildly interesting tunes, and the fact that all the musicians present are competent, this CD, at seventy six minutes long, was a chore to listen to. I was glad when this voyage came to an end.

ANTARES "Run Away" Indie Release By Jonathan Mariante "Run away" rockers! This band, who hail from Poland of all places, play melodic hard rock, influenced by 80's icons like UFO, Dokken and the Scorpions. Their music actually reminds me of both Dokken's classic 80's material and their latter day music, both of which are quite different. Guitarist Roman Wrobel's playing is similar to George Lynch's style, with a bit of Michael Schenker, and singer Jaroslaw Drag sounds a bit like the Scorpions' Klaus Meine. Drag's Polish accent is very strong! These guys are certainly a good band. All five songs on this disc are straight ahead hard rockers, and very 80's influenced, as I said. The production of this disc is very raw, making it sound like it was recorded in a garage, but you have to cut these guys some slack. This is a demo after all, and the band is from Poland, not exactly the world's wealthiest nation! If you overlook the production, you'll find a very good band here, who can play with the best of them and really rock out! At the end of the disc, they use some samples of news reports about Sept. 11th, 2001, which I thought was cool. Obviously they were touched by the tragic events of that day, and this is their homage to the victims. It's also cool to hear a band like this coming from Eastern Europe, as most bands that come out that region play death metal. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's good to have a band of a different style coming from this part of the world, too. Hell, it's good to have a band of this style coming from anywhere! I hope these guys can get some recognition, and show the world the POLAND ROCKS!

TOO MANY GODS "Love" Medea Records By Jonathan Mariante Helmet meets hardcore is the best way I can think of to describe this band. Their playing style is quite similar to Helmet's, with the raw guitar riffs and stripped down sound, although a bit more aggressive than Helmet, but the vacals is definitely hardcore in style. There are three songs on this disc. The first two, "Aborted Jesus" and "God Kills", are raw, fast, and aggressive. The third (last) song, "Angst", is a little slower, with some Tool influence. Dark, doomy, and despair laden, with lots of, well, angst. All in all, these guys seem to be a fairly decent band. They can certainly play, they know how to rock, and while the do take influence from the aforementioned artists, they have enough of their own style to stand out. www.toomanygods.com

THE AUDIENTS "All The Time In The World" Indie release by: Jonathan Mariante Very mellow, very laid back and relaxing music, great to chill out by. Listening to this CD is like lying in a floatable deck chair in the middle of a swimming pool on a warm sunny day. This group plays mellow alternative/pop, influenced by bands like Green Day and Sublime, with a little bit of The Verve, but not nearly as hard as those bands (I am reminded of one song in particular, Green Day's "Good Riddance"), although there is one song with a slightly rockier edge to it, "Fume". There is also some folksy influence in their music, with acoustic guitars and stuff, in songs like the title track and "Linear Song" (again, this is where I hear some of "Time Of Your Life"). The album begins in kind of a strange way, with an instrumental track, called "The One Who Leaves". Kicking off an album with an instrumental is rather unusual. Another criticism I have of this album is some of the songs are kind of long and dragged out, such as the aforementioned title track and closing tune "Weightlessness". Both these songs are between eight and nine minutes long, and they kind of overstay their welcome. However, the band is talented nonetheless and they make music that's quite pleasant and lilting. Every headbanger needs to mellow out now and then, right? www.theaudients.com

ZEROMANCER "Eurotrash" Cleopatra Records By Jonathan Mariante This band is pictured on the cover looking like Prodigy or Rammstein (you know, the freaky, spiked, colored hair and all), so I figured they would sound something like those bands. And I was right. The 'Mancers play techno/cyber rock, that's just a bit more techno than rock. They are, in fact, quite good at what they do. They have talent, and the music is well put together. It is sharp and intense, dark and nihilistic, and the singer (names are given by not positions, so I don't know who's who) sings in his brooding voice. The band also produced the album themselves, and did a good job. As I said, this is techno, so there's all the usual ingredients: electronic sound effects and percussion, looping, sampling, all kinds of high tech stuff, but there's also guitars and a rock beat, because it's rock, too, remember? The guitars are a bit subdued, mind you, but they're there. Most of the songs, like the title track, "Plasmatic", "Need You Like A Drug", "Raising Hell", "Neo Geisha", and "Doctor Online", are hard edged, fast paced techno rock tunes, but they also make room for a few slower, more somber songs on here, like "Wannabe", "Cupola", and the closing track "Germany" (be warned, though, the end of this song goes on forever!). They also throw in some dark humor, like on the aforementioned "Doctor Online", they have a sample of a 1-800-Suicide hotline operator: "If you wish to self terminate by electric shock, press 1. For termination by overdose, press 2. If you would like to make a reservation to visit our drowning pool, press 3..." Well, you get the idea. Another thing I got a kick out of was their cover of a minor 80's classic, "Send Me An Angel" (Sorry, forget the name of the band who originally did this song). Anyone remember this? They give it a total techno makeover, bringing it into a new age. If you like this style of music, this is an enjoyable CD. We could have a contender here for the Depeche Mode of the new millennium! For your techno fix, go to www.zeromancer.com.

MAGNACORE "Purified Thru Pain" Indie release By Jonathan Mariante Angry, aggressive music with angry, aggressive lyrics. That's the best way I can think of to describe these guys. Their music is like getting hit in the face with a sledgehammer! The six songs on this disc really go for the throat, and the guys can actually play pretty damn well, too! Their main influences seem to be Pantera and Slayer, and I dare say they could be a match for both those bands! These guys take no prisoners, thrashing it out aggressively from the first song to the last, as if possessed! They sure sound like they're pissed off at the world and are ready to kick somebody's ass! If that's how you feel, or if you're just in the mood to have your ass kicked, check out this band.

HOLOCHAUST "Self titled 4-track EP" Indie release By Jonathan Mariante Holochaust are a Finnish heavy metal band (not to be confused with the classic NWOBHM band Holocaust) who play straightforward METAL, the way it was meant to be. They are very influenced by all the classic heavy metal of the 80's, from the NWOBHM to thrash, plus they put a little bit of a "modern" twist into their music to keep it sounding fresh. They are great players with a lot of talent who really know how to kick ass! Although only four songs, this is a solid effort from the band. Guitarists Doomer and Rizzto are both very good, possessing a lot of skill. Same goes for bassist Hofu Black and drummer Tony. Doomer is also the lead vocalist, and sounds like a cross between Motorhead's Lemmy and Metallica's James Hetfield (and there's a lot of influence from both those bands in Holochaust). The disc kicks off with the intro "Pandemonium". The next two songs, "Holocaust" and "Guilty Of Greed", are both classic style, balls to the wall headbangers, that really open up a can of whoop ass! Horns up all the way! The fourth and last tune, "Sad Life Philosophy", is a mournful, but powerful, ballad (inspired by the suicide of a friend of Doomer's), which reminded me of "The Unforgiven" by Metallica, only better, I dare say! These guys are a great band, and they deserve a break! They play pure heavy metal (no frills, no subgenres), and they're very good at what they do. They're heavily influenced by the classics, but they don't just retreat an old sound, they bring a classic style into a new age, with their own touch! They're on band that could help bring heavy metal into the new millenium!

BROKEN EDGE "Obey and Conform" Thundering Records By Jonathan Mariante Says here on the cover, "File under power thrash". That should say, I think, "File under yet another Pantera rip off/wannabee band"! Need I go on? The music world is just full of bands like these lately, who think they can be Pantera. Well, I've got news...there's only one Pantera, and there always will be only one Pantera! Copycats like this shouldn't even bother trying to duplicate the Cowboys From Hell, because there is no duplicating them! Either play a different style or give it up altogether! Sounding like (a third rate) Pantera isn't going to make them Pantera! When are rip off "artists" like this going to realize that? That's really what this album is, all the way through-a whirlwind of grinding sub-Pantera guitar riffs, and a "singer" who sounds like Phil Anselmo with laryngitis! Sure, it's aggressive, raw, and abrasive, and packs a punch, but do those things alone make a band? These guys really aren't the best players, either, or the most diverse, as all the songs sound pretty much the same. These guys really need to think about a more original approach (either that or just hang up the guitars completely) because there are already TOO many Pantera clones around today, and frankly I'm sick of hearing them!

MORTALITY "Decay" demo cdr By Jonathan Mariante Mortality are your basic death metal band, nothing more, nothing less. They do what they do well. Their playing is tight, brutal, and aggressive, and they are talented. They play three songs on this disc ("Decay", "The Body Of Christ", and "Epidemic"), and they're all full force death metal assaults, with blast riffs a plenty, high speed drumming, and guttural growls from vocalist Mark Carroll. These guys are a decent death metal band. They're not really covering any new ground, but they're good at what they do, capable musicians who can kick ass. Death fans should dig this.

ANGER OF THE LAMB "Extrovert" Independent By Jonathan Mariante Industrial metal, influenced by bands like Nine Inch Nails, Godflesh, and Ministry, with a touch of Sabbath here and there. All the proper industrial ingredients are here: the music is dark, gloomy, and foreboding, full of angst and self-loathing, samples, and looping, electronic sound effects, razor sharp guitars (the guitar seems to be more up front here than on most industrial work), and voice distortion. They even use acoustic guitars in some songs, like "Wish You Away", "Leaving This World", and "Beautiful Disease". In the former, they also sing an excerpt from a "Grease" song! I got a kick out of that! I'm not the world's biggest industrial fan, but I found this band to be quite talented. They are decent players and songwriters, although they're not really doing anything new here. It's typical industrial.

Crawling Sun "Les Marchands de Désastres" 2001 Tumbleweed Records By Wayne Klinger A fairly young quartet out of Canada here with a 12-song CD that takes on many identities within the band's personnel as far as overall influences. The result is pretty good with some songs being ambient and atmospheric while others can stroke the back of Hard Rock, Stoner Rock to your basic Rock 'n Roll like Kiss, AC/DC and Zeppelin. A balance of moods giving the listener plenty to chew on. Many songs are acoustic and maybe a bit too many of these but they are well done with great harmonies in the vocals section. The heavier songs are terrific and just makes me wish they did more but that doesn't make this CD bad actually....just seems to be a bit conservative. I still expect good things for this band down the road, so keep the name in mind. www.crawlingsun.com

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