March 1st, 2007, 1:53 pm
Every time I hear about a death metal band getting signed to Roadrunner, I always play the extreme skeptic. The days when the label could call Death, Obituary, and Cynic their own are long behind us. Would an acquisition like Daath harken to the glory days of old, or become another forgettable band aimed squarely at the Hot Topic crowd?
The answer is a resounding no to both claims. The Hinderers is not a true death metal release by any stretch of the imagination, but it should not be automatically lumped in the mallcore category with most of Roadrunner s lineup. What we have here is an earnestly entertaining effort, a little lacking in depth yet bursting with catchy riffs and rhythms.
Eyal Levi and Emil Werstler certainly know their way around a fretboard, and the precise drumming courtesy of well-known band-whore Kevin Talley adds a solid groove to the experience.
But what do they actually sound like? I ve heard them called Industrial Metal and I ve heard them called Death Metal although they don t really fit the mold of either.
Daath seems to be the lovechild of Wages of Sin-era Arch Enemy and Arsis. They demonstrate the melodies and harmonies of the former combined with the technicality and brutality of the latter and some fairly run-of-the-mill vocals. Just to be a little different though, Daath spends the weekends with uncle Static-X to get an electronic cherry on top.
While these electronics are certainly not the prime focus of most songs (save for the funky, club-tastic Dead on the Dancefloor ), they certainly help Daath stand out from the rest of the melodic death metal pack.
The production, handled by the very proficient James Murphy, is excellent as one would expect. The drums sound punishing, the guitars are clear and crisp, and the keyboards complement the sound well without overwhelming the mix.
The only thing that gets smothered by it all is the Jeremy Creamer s bass, but seeing that the bass doesn t seem to be doing anything interesting anyway it s not exactly a tragic loss. Writing more interesting parts for metal s forgotten instrument could certainly add another layer of depth for future releases.
The most memorable tracks on The Hinderers tend to be the fastest ones; whirlwind songs like Ovum and the wisely-selected first single Subterfuge keep the album moving at a brisk pace.
Where Daath seems to falter, however, is in the slower mid-paced songs: for the most part they re just not very interesting. I found myself hitting the skip button after just a few listens of Under a Somber Sign and Festival Mass Soulform , while filler like Above Lucium could put a cokehead to sleep. Another complaint could be that the tracks are too short, all hitting around the 3-4 minute mark.
For other bands this might be all well and good, but Daath s epic sound in places (like the close of the title track) cries for more development and progression.
Overall though, the good tends to outweigh the bad on this album, and it is a very big step ahead of their much simpler independent debut, Futility. Metal elitists will turn up their noses due to the more mainstream sound, but those with an open mind can find plenty to love here.
The Hinderers isn t going to change your life, but it s a good listen and an excellent major label debut for these guys from Atlanta.
January 30th, 2007, 4:04 pm
When a death metal band can effective channel every aspect of its instrumentation to create an atmosphere or feeling, it’s an accomplishment to be proud of. And that’s a very strong point upon listening to Dead Syndicate’s The Carrion Creed, even right from the start.
The album plays out like a twisting nightmare with screams of terror and a roller-coaster ride of grinding riffs and double-bass.
It’s also clear from the beginning that the driving instrumentation of this album is the vocals, ironically. Vocalist Donny Doss is the master of ceremonies in this 45-minute journey through the flames of hell and back, and his piercing screams and growls anchor a strong band backing that shows a variety of influences right from the first track.
“Plague of all Plagues” has the usual death metal fare of dropped-tuning riffs and never-ending double-bass and blast beats, but mixes it up with grinding breakdowns reminiscent of bands like Napalm Death.
“Kampstoff Lost (Agent H)” is much more traditional in echoing chugging and head-banging beats of bands such as Cannibal Corpse, and is followed by an atmospheric bass guitar interlude called “Weeping on the Shores of Lucrine Lake.” I actually thought this very effectively-placed in breaking up the repetition that many death metal bands experience on full albums where every song has the same tuning and structure.
You won’t find that here.
Later on the album breaks into a chaotic time structure that is featured prominently on “Vampyre” and “Kill Like a God,” two of the album’s best tracks. The drumming is solid here, though not quite polished at times and proves much more efficient in the slower, grinding sections.
I really dig the title track as well because it’s the best mood-setting piece on the album. It would have probably had better placement as the intro, but it serves as a good warm-up to the final rise out of the ashes in “Beast Nero.”
The Carrion Creed is an album that isn’t satisfied with simplicity or straight up in-your-face thrash.
It’s wild, unleashed and experimental, and drives you deep into the flames before building up to one last explosive attack. Solid effort by this band and I am very excited to hear more.
November 3rd, 2006, 12:02 am
When a friend handed me this CD saying it smoked I wasn t sure what to make of the comment as whenever we are involved with something it s always that much better.
Then again, that s why we re involved with it as it s something truly special as is the debut album from the Bay Area s RE:IGNITION entitled Empty Heart Loaded Gun. This album went into the CD player and has stayed there since given to me.
Given the past lives of the musicians within this unit, you might not think that the the songs on EHLG were actually written by these five guys.
Song #2, Like A Beating starts off with cowbell then kicks into a driving beat with a catchy verse, but when we come to verse 2 singer Dave Moore reaches into a higher pitch wail reminiscent of Chris Cornell (think Rusty Cage). The song Loosely Tied Ends sounds like they had a writing partner (Dave Grohl comes to mind) with the bounceyness of the chorus, but they still maintain their own identity. There s a lot to be said for drummer Mark Hernandez who takes a simple guitar riff in By A Thread and adds a twist of tom-tom work that drives the song and keeps it from boredom.
The guitar/bass work supplied by Snake and Steve (yes, they switch instruments here) and Tim Howell maintains a certain fluidity and intrigue, yet remain simplified to allow the vocals of Dave Moore shine through as he has a voice that can carry RE:IGNITION to the top of the new rock heap.
What I really admire about this release is that the band has managed to keep a metal edge to the material, yet with enough pop sensibility and arena vibe which creates a true masterpiece of an album. My only hope is that they can get the proper push and attention to earn them the respect (and sales) that they deserve with an album this strong.
There are plenty of singles that should gain the attention of radio programmers across the country.
November 2nd, 2006, 6:52 pm
After pounding it out in the Ohio underground for years, Mushroomhead dons the masks (yes, they did it before Slipknot) yet again and has unleashed full-length #6, Savior Sorrow. Don t expect what you ve heard before from the band though, because this one s a large departure from their earlier mainstream releases such as XX and XIII.
One thing Mushroomhead has always done differently than the rest of the loud, masked bands out there is pump out drudging, dark-sounding industrial music over hip-hop and hardcore vocals. One thing noticeable right away on Savior Sorrow is that the hip-hop influences have diminished quite a bit. The vocals from Jeffrey Nothing and Waylon have developed more into loud singing and screaming.
The industrial sound is far more dominant this time around as well, and it makes the songs slower and more grinding. Damage Done is a great example, dragging a repeating riff over an electronic beat, and Save Us, which adds in southern rock and sludge metal influences to some quite impressive singing for the band.
Songs such as the single Simple Survival hearken back to XIII especially, but the rest of the album shows the band taking an experiment into slower, electronic noise.
It s a work in progress, but is a refreshing change that will definitely distinguish the band even further on future releases. Solid effort from Mushroomhead.
Check out Mushroomhead at http://www.
mushroomhead.com. They appear on Megaforce Records.
November 2nd, 2006, 6:25 pm
In the wake of the hardcore metal rampage that s been sweeping the U.S. for the past few years, out comes New York s Full Blown Chaos with yet another bomb, Within the Grasp of Titans, their fourth full-length.
The album is standard fare in lieu of bands such as Hatebreed, God Forbid and labelmates Sworn Enemy, but maintains a more diverse feel to it by making each song a blend of different but all ear-shattering loud styles.
Trials of Triumph, which opens the album, is actually one of the heaviest songs and more related to modern melodic death metal offerings than hardcore. Chopping Block keeps that up at first before dropping into a breakdown and repeating.
Burning Age is a blistering fast third track that borrows a few Gothenburg-esque riffs and mixes it with vocalist Ray Mazzolla s neverending snarl.
Much of the album follows this pattern as it goes along and many of the songs do sound similar, partially in due to similar guitar riffs from Mike Facci and Mazzolla not letting up at all on the screaming. For the most part though it doesn t get monotonous, as the drumming from Jeff Facci is extremely tight, some of the best I ve heard from the metalcore crossover bands.
He tears up the double bass and thrash beats on songs such as Life of Sorrow, which is one of the album s best, and drives through breakdowns with ease as well. His drum solo to open Hollowed is also excellent.
Within the Grasp of Titans is another fine example of why metalcore music has become so popular amongst so many age groups as of late.
It doesn t stand itself out, but it doesn t have to. It s aggressive, fun, and it my opinion, knocks off Hatebreed s Supremacy for this year s best in the genre.
Get down with Full Blown Chaos at http://fullblownchaos.
com. The band is on Stillborn Records.
1.
Trials of Triumph
October 16th, 2006, 11:35 pm
Although the title may conjure many thoughts; such as Sammy Hagar doin the Cabo Wabo or even the zany image of Pee Wee Herman doing his famous dance, the sounds contained the 2nd release through Century Media for BRAND NEW SIN brings to mind waking up after a night with your favorite band and one too many drinks of TEQUILA.
While you will not uncover anything never done before with BNS, you will find some refreshing song structures with dynamics from verse to chorus. There is no lack of talent in musicianship or vocal abilities with BNS, it s just simple that they suffer from not a big enough recording budget.
Come on Century Media, open the bank account a little more and get them in a proper studio with a budget to get the proper sounds as if you ve seen BNS live you will understand what I m saying here. Or maybe the label can fork over some funds to get a real live album as that is where the true magic of BNS can be found.
With that said, there is still enough solid material on Tequila to keep the listener interested as in the swagger of OLD which sounds like MONTROSE if they were transported to live in a NY bar or perhaps the obvious comparison to MOTORHEAD with the track MOTORMETH, but only if Lemmy could truly write a hook for a chorus like BNS has done on this scorcher.
If only the pockets ran a bit deeper to spend more time dialing in the sounds and to get a better mix, BNS could jump up a few more levels. Then again, if they can get on a proper tour with an act like BUCKCHERRY or SHINEDOWN I know they could gain the respect they need from the masses to make their mark on the world. I will still watch for more BNS in the future as they are only beginning to tap into their potential.
September 3rd, 2006, 11:45 am
When I heard that Tim Lambesis was getting a label through Metal Blade I was curious as to what would be his first release then I received In The Disaster by A LOVE ENDS SUICIDE in the mail the other day.
I ll say it to begin with that this album in no way will break new ground in this genre blending familiar sounds of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING, and ATREYU which does tempt the listener to pass them up as a flavor of the month, but ALES has managed to keep their songs focused with precision songwriting and actual hooks that keep this 11-song release from being forgotten. There s enough Euro-Thrashy riffs and sweeping guitar passages/leads that maintain fluidity of their songs that swing between fast-paced verses that lead into straight ahead headbanging into the genre defining breakdowns with guitars flying and you can sense the band members jumping on stage.
ALES shows a positive message that many outsiders to this genre fail to receive as the high energy often misconstrued angry nature of the live show might push people away, then again they re truly not after that sect. All in all, ALES has a strong focus in their songs, but will need to branch out on their next release so they are not forgotten in this flooded genre. Hopefully they will land the proper tours to get them exposure and prove their validity that they are not a clone as they are true musicians of a solid art.
August 21st, 2006, 3:04 pm
Lamb of God has triumphantly declared an end to the summer months with their dark, caustic, and unnerving release Sacrament . After making their mark on the Unholy Alliance Tour with Slayer, the Virginia based quintet is surging forward with such pace and promise that has left all other NWOAHM bands quivering in their wake. With one record, a DVD, and a re-release under their belt with a major label, lifted by producer Machine, Sacrament is expected to write the band into the annals of historic metal bands.
With frontman D. Randall Blythe boasting a raunchier vocal approach, the ever competent pairing of W. Adler and M.
Morton setting the curve on guitar, the elder C. Adler befuddling even the most apt of drummers with his proficiency and timing, and J. Campbell laying down the deep tones, what better answer could there be to those still laboring on the demise of heavy music?
Littered with an array of top tracks, Redneck , Pathetic , and Walk With Me in Hell deliver the goods for those seeking to show off the slick mix of both metal and melody. For those who consider themselves something of an elitist or who want something heavier , no fear, elements of New American Gospel still appear in the form of a thinly veiled watermark on the disc. Sacrament , writing wise, still sticks to its passionate guns of politics and grimace much like 2004 s Ashes of the Wake , but musically�there s no need to worry.
Look for new quirks and subtle slick additions to Lamb of God s game as Sacrament prepares to unleash itself to the masses. August 22 will surely become a black mark on the world of all other genres of music as this very solid effort creeps its way up the Billboard Top 200 Chart.
Right off the bat when I got this album, I was impressed with the cover art.
Normally that doesn t catch my eye but I could sense the rage seething from this album by just opening it up. A searing skull and arms is always a good way to kick off a metal album. With Burn In Silence s Angel Maker, the substance definitely doesn t disappoint.
Lines From An Epitaph is chaotic and feels like something out of a Castlevania video game with the keyboards and haunting melody, but it sounds great. Chris Harrell s contrasting high-pitched scream and wailing singing voice proves formidable in every single verse and hook that the band plays, and it all just sounds so tight and flows great.
The impressive drum work surprised me the most on the album and it really shines on songs like Embrace the Plague, with slick double-bass and speedy snare beats that give this album more of a black metal feel than the typical melodic death elements that metalcore bands tend to swipe from.
Very unique.
As the album progresses it flirts with thrashing like Bleeding Through or dipping into main stream metalcore a la Atreyu, but stays away and keeps everything balanced. Songs like Primal Human Pain express this perfectly, creating chaos with a nasty bass-heavy beat and then cooling off with melodies and singing.
It sounds like Burn In Silence has been perfecting this for years, but for a debut LP this is even more amazing.
Songs like The Age In Which Tomorrow Brings veer off the path into a slower sound that doesn t flow quite as well, but other than that it s hard to find a real gripe with this effort. Check it out as soon as you can.
Tracklisting:
1. Lines From An Epitaph
2. Rebirth
3.
The Age In Which Tomorrow Brings
4. Embrace the Plague
5. Primal Human Pain
6.
Angel Maker
7. Judging Hope
8. Well Adjusted
9.
Watching Dead Leaves Fall
10. World of Regret
Polished like Static-X with a hip-hop roll and a dash of hardcore. Putting Mower in a nutshell isn t easy but they re a fun group and their new offering, Not For You is a catchy collection of angry anthems.
I do have to say, the album starts a bit underwhelming. American Psycho is catchy but lacks substance. This usually kills an album for me right away, but Road Rage however, although short, more than makes up for it with a hip-hop groove and a beast of a riff.
It only gets louder, as 10 x 10 busts out the double bass drums and a slamming melody that gets you to your feet. I love the dual screaming vocals with Dominic Moscatello s Static-X-like bellow and Brian Sheerin s hardcore wail.
From here the band experiments with straight hard rock, New York-style hardcore and speedy, chaotic rhythms like, in the case of Look Away, feel directly influenced by bands such as Every Time I Die.
The riff work from Matt Wannamaker is impressive as well, as he keeps pace and really drives the song with the drums. Each song has a very distinctive melody, which is a definite plus.
Besides many of the songs being short like punk songs when they should be longer rock songs and a rather unneeded cover of The Mamas and the Papas California Dreamin to close the record, Mower is solid from start to finish and a great experiment with industrial techno-rock, hardcore and rap.
It won t blow your mind with technical skill, but it doesn t have to when it s just trying to be basic and fun.
Bringing the straight up hard rock with a mixture of reggae, ska, Indian instruments and vocals that drip with attitude like Mudvayne, Divided By Zero bursts into the scene with their new record, The Black Sea. The music isn t necessarily anything innovative in terms of their straight-up song structure, but catchy riffs and individual quirks in instrumentation keep this album rocking from start to finish.
Ashes of Armies starts hard and then sinks into a heavy reggae beat before turning into a headbanger. The song has a fantastic bridge and shows off vocalist Zach Goode s pipes quite well. Chemical is the obvious single off the album and is pretty straightforward, leaning more towards Mudvayne-influenced hard rock and only using a little reggae.
My favorite song is the powerful Damn the Dream that rushes hard and is another stellar vocal track. The band does extremely well in balancing vocals with instrumentation. From there on, the band dips into some power ballads like Heavy Metal Parking Lot and my other favorite song, Helicopter, and then dives into a thrasher with Double Negative.
What Divided By Zero does well is manage to avoid making all their songs sound the same, despite sounding similar to what has come before them with many hard rock bands. Regardless, this is a strong effort by the band and I can t wait to hear more from them in the years to come.
Tracklisting:
1.
The Black Sea (Intro)
2. Ashes of Armies
3. Chemical
4.
Damn the Dream
5. Heavy Metal Parking Lot
6. Drowning not Waving
7.
Helicopter
8. Double Negative
9. The World is not Mine
10.
Protection
11. Everyone (is Living my Life)
12. Anoxia (interlude)
13.
Strike in the Time-Bomb Town
14. Don t Wait
15. Shame
July 31st, 2006, 6:58 pm
(hed) p.
e.
Back 2 Base X
Suburban Noize Records
By Dan Hoyt
I was convinced for a while that rap and rock combos died years ago after Rage Against the Machine went under, but (hed) p.e.
proved me wrong. They aren t the biggest, most bombastic band out there and they won t try to shock you or get in your face, but they can still make a great record that sounds fresh and fun, even with all the imitators out there. Back 2 Base X is one of those records.
It s easy to classify these guys as a fusion of about a billion different genres, but since each song on the new album is a different style, I don t think that s the case. Listen kicks off the record with straight up rap, then jumps into Rage-inspired rap-rock and hardcore with Novus Ordus Clitorus.
What really strikes me about these guys are the lyrics as well.
Frontman Jared Gomes delivers rhymes on culture, politics and relationships of years past. He can run the gamut from typical teen angst to a scathing attack on the government, depending on the song. Beware Do We Go is a pop-punk groove telling the story of wine, women and song (or in this band s case, beer, punk rock girls and weed).
Get Ready is a noisy blast that sounds like a rap battle quaking under the Earth s surface.
Rap-rock combos may still be on their way down, but (hed) p.e.
have honed their own contribution to the craft and have gotten better with age. From start to finish, Back to Base X is a journey that makes hip hop cool again when mixed with a moshpit, some loud guitars and lots of headbanging.
Tracklisting:
1.
Listen
2. Novus Ordus Clitorus
3. Lock and Load
4.
White Collars
5. Get Ready
6. Sophia
7.
Peer Pressure
8. Beware Do We Go
9. Daze of War
10.
Sweetchops
11. So It Be
12. Let s Ride
13.
The Chosen One
June 27th, 2006, 8:50 am
Atheretic s second full length, Apocalyptic Nature Fury, deserves attention for its deft and dextrous technical assault. People are known to say that no two Canadian metal bands sound the same, but Atheretic s sound is roughly like a cross between that of their countrymen Gorguts and Cryptopsy, combining the speed and brutality of the latter with the dissonance of the former. This is a must have disc for any fan of technical death metal.
The musicianship of the band is absolutely topnotch. The winding riffs twist and turn, while the always precise drumming anchors the release. Of note is the bass performance, as the low end is very audible and certainly adds to the overall aesthetic; the bassist rarely follows the six stringer, instead adding his own counter-melodies and flourishes in a style similar to that of Steve DiGiorgio.
All in all, Atheretic is a technical juggernaut, but there is more to this release than chops alone.
Though none are overlong in length, the songs on Apocalyptic Nature Fury are certainly progressive in nature. There is little recumbency; the band generally choose to forge ahead in each track rather than repeating musical themes and refrains.
Atheretic manage to be heavy as hell while still maintaining an atmosphere of technicality and progression, and for that, they should be commended. The production can be a bit thin at times, but on the whole it aids the music, bringing each individual part into the open with its transparent mix.
Writeups of technical death metal are often difficult in that the genre, which was once outrageous and unusual, has become fairly common, and unfortunately, much of it sounds the same.
Although Atheretic do not sound drastically new, there is something different about their style even though it is heavily based upon that of other bands. In short, this release is well worth checking out if you like any technical death metal.
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