MK Magazine Reviews : CD Reviews

STATIC - X Start A War Reprise

Static-X keeps their style of being a heavy metal industrialesque band in Start a War. Start a War sounds as good as it looks to have Koichi Fukuda back in the band. The band has suffered enough this year with their ex-guitarist Tripp (ex-dope member) facing jail time. But beautiful art comes from the most painful anger, so this album is a true recording of staring the end right in the face and turning your back on the leering eyes and the people expecting you to fail. Start a War sounds like a band of old friends who have put their true personalities on CD. Start a War is a perfect combination of all of Static-X’s albums combining the edginess of Wisconsin Death Trip with the catchier songs of Machine. Start a War is not trying to be radio friendly, or apologize for any problems the band has recently had. Instead Static-X is offering a stripped down heavy version of themselves to get the fans back to the Static-X formula of scratchy, industrial vocals, mixed with pure metal instrumentation. Well, done. - Sara Josephine

Brand New Sin - Recipe for Disaster - Century Media

Brand New Sin is straight forward rock and roll. Songs on Recipe for Disaster follow the verse chorus verse format, but implement elements of guitar solos and gravely vocals to support every song. Despite Brand New Sin’s simple song structures, each tune delivers when it comes to raw emotion and even an element of country when talking about lyrical content and twangy sound. Joe Altier is someone to watch vocally because his voice is heavy and he can really sing. Recipe for Disaster combines so many musical genres and styles, finding someone who did not like any songs on the record would be a challenge. - Sara Josephine

Biomechanical - The Empires of the Worlds - Earache

Well, this is what the love child of Judas Priest and Pantera would be. Two bands that really don’t belong in the same room together, but somehow, when a lovechild is spawned, it turns out beautiful. My face looked confused the whole time I listened to The Empire of the Worlds, but a smile kept showing up. Biomechanical has done the unthinkable of truly creating a sound of metal where old and new battle it out in every song. In the end, both old and new are still standing. This is the heaviest and most brutal example of intricacy. It really sounds like Anselmo and Halford are singing together and Dimebag is right there to supply riff after brutal riff. And the weirdest part of all ladies and gentlemen- Biomechanical hail from London. Yes, London… as in England. I haven’t been more shocked since I heard that Meshuggah was from Sweden, land of the beautiful blondes who ski all day. Anyways, something must be in the water in London because I have never heard anything more chaotic and insane in my life. Biomechanical, I salute you for combining 2 diamonds and creating gold. Seriously, just go out and buy The Empires of the Worlds and in the words of Bart Simpson, “set your faces to stunned.” - Sara Josephine

Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree - Nuclear Blast

The release of Catch Thirtythree might serve as lucky 13 for the band. This is the 13th album Meshuggah has released since their debut in 1989. The album is full of the classic unique sound Meshuggah is famous for like off-beats, twang guitar, and what I like to call ‘bass-punching’. This is the sound the bass string makes when you literally punch it. Meshuggah takes all the chaos that bystanders may scoff at and opens a new door in metal. Catch Thirtythree is a perfect example and offering by Meshuggah to solidify their place in heavy metal style pioneers and legends. Catch Thirtythree is laid out as one experience rather than individual songs. Laced with primal screams and tribal beating drums, Catch Thirtythree delivers when it comes to sound, atmosphere, heaviness, and raw talent brought to you by a band who developed a new breed of metal. - Sara Josephine

Graveworm [N] Utopia Nuclear Blast

Graveworm combines the old school death metal vocals and machine speed drums with modern keyboard effects. The stylings of metal could be categorized as groove black metal. [N] Utopia is well thought out and each song is unique and different which is hard to come by in the death/black metal world. One aspect of the band that gives Graveworm their full sound is the fact that they have 3 guitar players that make up the 6-piece band. The atmospheric quality is thanks to Sabine, the uber-hot keyboard player. She does a fantastic job of organizing all the sounds into cohesive songs with great rhythm. [N] Utopia is comprised of only 9 songs, but with each song clocking in just under 5 minutes of metal madness, the band saves themselves and marks their territory as a unique metal band with staying power. - Sara Josephine

Bleed the Sky Paradigm in Entropy Nuclear Blast

Bleed the Sky is hardcore at its finest because it is a darker breed of the genre. There is a lot of death/black metal influence on Paradigm Entropy. The drum work alone on the new album is worth the purchase. There are some great moments of cymbal work and fills that create a great groove and ambience to give a mood to the music. The guitars are on the same level of expertise as the drums and having 6 people in the band gives Bleed the Sky a full sound that fills the air with aggression and power that most hardcore bands do not achieve because the vocals drown out the instrumentation. There are also a lot of vocally melodic moments on Paradigm Entropy that provide a perfect balance between anger and beauty. Bleed the Sky is found a way to separate themselves from other hardcore groups by getting creative with the arrangement of songs, making Paradigm in Entropy a hardcore album where none of the metal influence is missing. - Sara Josephine

Society 1 "The Sound That Ends Creation" - Earache

In April of 2003 Society 1 came at us like a chainsaw wielding Madman with the release of Exit through Fear. Exit offered ten hard hitting tracks fueled by chunky guitar riffs, a spark of electronics and the melodic and aggressive vocals of former Porn Director, Matt Zane (Backstage Sluts). Society 1 definitely was well on its way of helping shape the world of new metal for the new millennium. Exit through Fear was one of the best albums of 2003.

2005 brings us the follow up to Exit; The Creation of Sound is Society 1’s new offering. However, the album should have been called The Regression of Sound. What we have her is twelve tracks sucking us back in time to nineties metal. Be it grunge or straight edge metal, Society 1 seems to cover all the bases. With a majority of songs sounding like Alice in Chains, this album is truly forgettable. - Paul J. Baio

Nine Inch Nails "With Teeth" - Interscope/Nothing Records

In 1999 with the release of The Fragile, Trent Reznor was quoted as saying that it would not be five years before the world would see a new Nine Inch Nails album. Nearing mid 2005, Trent kept his promise; he made us wait six years.

What does With Teeth have to offer? Everything NIN has offered in the past. The album is sort of a retrospect of the NIN sound, from Pretty Hate Machine to The Fragile. The only difference perhaps is a rawer rock edge and more of an in your face pop element. For example the funky disco bass line and eighties synth buzz of Only is reminiscent to the Pretty Hate Machine era. You Know What you Are takes us back to the raw schizo aggression of Broken.Right Where it Belongs takes us back to The Fragile.

With Teeth is not in any respect a bad record, if you’re a die hard fan, you’ll love this record. If you’re a skeptical fan, you may think that it’s better than The Fragile. If you were hoping for another Broken or Downward Spiral, it’s not. If you don’t like it the first time you play it, it will grow on you. Judging from Reznor’s track record, this will have to hold you over until the year 2010 or maybe 2011. - Paul J. Baio

Jakalope "It Dreams" - Universal Records

A new project spearheaded by Dave ‘ The Rave’ Ogilvie with some production assistance from Trent Reznor. Jakalope is an alright, but not great female fronted alterno/industro band. Where some tracks are destined to be potential hits such as Pretty Life, Other songs such as Come On and Bad Dream seem to be extremely dated regressing as far back to a late eighties early nineties industrial sound.

In short, Jakalope seems to be suffering from an identity crisis. Not knowing exactly what it is or where it’s going. Sometimes it seems as if its Garbage influenced. Other time’s it’s like the industrial version of No Doubt, occasionally falling into Martini Ranch territory.

It’s easy to pick out what songs Trent Reznor had the most influence over, Land of Trepidation and Nothing Nowhere for example. The lyrics in Bad Dream reveal perhaps some bad blood towards Ogilvie’s former cohorts, Skinny Puppy. Other lyrics in the song suggest that they’re beating a dead horse and can’t survive without him. So if Jakalope is The Raves effort to get one up on The Greater Wrong of The Right, Mr. Ogilvie has failed miserably. - Paul J. Baio

KHz "Reality on a Finer Scale"

The opening attack of It’s Yours to the somber closing of Stay All Night, the listener is taken on a rollercoaster ride of rising and tumbling emotion, grinding guitars and hypnotic melodies. Fans of Evanescence, Nocturne and Lacuna Coil should embrace KHz with tightly clenched fists. Definitely a band to watch in 2005.

-Paul J. Baio

DollSquad Retro Dolls From Hipsville

www.geocities.com/dollsquad_rock

This 4 song E.P. ain’t Rockabilly, Psychobilly or Punkabilly. No “billys” here just straight up 60's garage rock from an all-female group that know their way around their instruments. Apparently this group has become so popular in their native homeland that they even have their own action figures. These groovy pussycats from Melbourne, Australia shake their sexy tails, dig their melodic claws in and never let go. Not that you’d ever want them to.

By: Christopher Curry

Extol - The Blueprint Dives - Century Media

Extol serves as the Deftones for the more intelligent musical listener. I don’t mean to knock down the Deftones, but Extol provides an intricacy and sexiness to put them 10 steps beyond. Each song on The Blueprint Dives is an arrangement of soft voice meets adrenaline fueled off beats and chord progressions. Peter Espenvoll could give any hardcore melodic singer a run for their money and leave them stranded and penniless. The Blueprint Dives is like an artistic epic, combining hardcore, melodic metal, and groove-driven guitar riffs to make any metal head craving more. My favorite thing when listening to music is to get lost- even when I’ve worn the CD out from listening to it. The Blueprint Dives does exactly this by surprising my ears every time. Each chord change and voice technique is refreshing and stunning arranged in perfect harmony to the percussion. Tor Glidje gives new meaning to technicality when it comes to the riffs he plays on The Blueprint Dives. Tor gives precise thought and skill into each lick he plays on guitar to provide the exact harmony for Peter’s voice. Fans of sex, spirituality, and music that makes you see visuals unite under The Blueprint Dives because this Extol CD is an experience to say the least. Extol’s fourth album is a spooky melodic musical masterpiece that is at the height of dramatic metal madness. A truly stunning representation of what metal should only strive to be.

-Sara Josephine

Hotwire - The Routine - RCA Records

The Routine from Hotwire is a rock n’ roll driven record filled with the good spirit of loud bass, great guitar riffs, and drums that keep everything together. The vocals of Rus Martin are Billy Joe meets Elias Soriano from Nonpoint. The organization of the music matching the vocals in each song is perfect. Rus is amazing and his refreshing voice keeps the record alive and pumping adrenaline the whole way through. The Routine is truly a record of punk meets old school rock with elements of hardcore sprinkled on top. Honestly, Hotwire is a great band hailing from So-Cal who may become my next guilty pleasure. Usually us Midwestern folk have a hard time admitting that we like a band from So-Cal, but this is one for the CD player. It’s a feel-good heavy rock and roll band. The sound is full and heavy, but clean at the same time. I say ‘clean’ because you can understand the lyrics; there are lots of melodic scenes in each song. But with each song in the 3 ½ to 5 minute mark- they earn their credit in the metal world. With summer just around the corner, everyone has room for some California rockers in their lives, right?

-Sara Josephine

Aborted - The Archaic Abattoir - Olympic Records

So let me introduce everyone to the cover art first. We know that the band calls themselves, Aborted- and we have a naked hospital patient with their stomach gaping open and a menacing doctor ready and waiting with the chainsaw. But if any doctor would be sawing up their patients, The Archaic Abattoir would be a great soundtrack for the event. Aborted lands in the gore-death metal category, but are technically beyond most death metal bands. The drumming by Gilles Dellecroix is incredibly advanced and strives to deliver some of the most insane beats heard in current music. With 2 guitars, Aborted has a full sound complete with great riffs and squeals to darken the tone of the CD. The Archaic Abattoir is an explosion of voice growls, guitar roars and monstrous beats kept tight the whole way through. Aborted stands out among just another death metal band by creating music that incorporates influences of classical and melodic metal into their unique sound by using guitar shreds and solos and diverse drum beats to keep the listeners attention.

-Sara Josephine

Mors in Tabula - Promo CD 2004

For a self-produced CD, Mors in Tabula deserved to stand up and be counted for their efforts. Lots of samples and lots of industrial power blended with growling vocals makes Mors in Tabula stand apart from the other metal bands in this musical age of keyboards and technology. This band has taken the old staples of classic death metal like growling vocals, slowed it down and mixed it with new industrial instrumentation. With moments of trance-beats and samples in the song, ‘Eye of the Abyss’, Mors in Tabula will keep you guessing throughout the CD. This promo CD has 4 songs and proves that metal can be slowed down to still sound edgy and demonic by blending old and new school elements.

-Sara Josephine

The Haunted - Revolver - Century Media

A well established metal band, The Haunted is back with their original singer, Peter Dolving in their release, rEVOLVEr. The Haunted is the classic true metal band with shredding guitar solos, low tuned bass lines, technical metal drumming, and an infectious scream by Dolving. Dolving’s style is reminiscent of a young Phil Anselmo- I know I shouldn’t even compare, but that’s the vocal ‘sound’. The Haunted delivers the energy and anger of the message through the speakers and straight to the head. There is a lot of power behind rEVOLVEr and the message behind songs like, ‘No Compromise’, ‘Sabotage’, and ‘All Against All’ is clear that they are indestructible in their new lineup of band members. Decide for yourself if you can feel the chemistry- if you can’t feel it, you might want to check your pulse.

-Sara Josephine

A Static Lullaby - Faso Latido - Columbia

A Static Lullaby brings a more tolerable kind of screamo hardcore to the listener. There is real talent in the vocals on this album and less whining in the lyrical content. The guitars fill the atmosphere with clean solos and upbeat riffs in the slower moments. The vocals are some of the most in tune I’ve heard recently. A Static Lullaby has talent in the pipes department combining screamo and melodic verses in each track. The lyrics are easy to understand and each song gives the feeling that you are in a vehicle going faster and faster until you finally reach a point when you feel free. That’s how I’m going to describe the music on Faso Latido. With a lot of these new hardcore bands, I just end up saying “God, shut up!” –out loud to my CD player as I’m turning the record off. Too much complaining, too much negativity. A Static Lullaby is evil. The Lullaby is metal. But I think the best metal is metal that makes you feel good; it makes you want to rock out- I don’t want to listen to some idiot complain. I want to escape. A Static Lullaby is talented musicians creating a new and unique sound that feels good and that’s what hardcore music should do.

-Sara Josephine

Adema – Planets - Earache

OK. I know that Adema was not the coolest band in the world a few years ago, and if you did like them, ya kinda had to keep it quiet. But I’m proud to say, Planets is a great CD. I can’t believe it’s the same band. Marky Chavez, who is the stepbrother of KoRn’s Jonathan Davis, has left Adema. The new (and improved) Adema that we see on Planets is the debut of new front man Luke Caraccioli. Caraccioli has amazing tone and range in his vocals and he creates a great atmosphere for the instruments to fill. This album is not about showing off, it isn’t about playing to a market or an image. Planets is stripped down, raw rock. The theme of the album seems to be about moving on and not looking back or holding onto the past. Obviously this theme is a common one, but Adema really seems to be genuine and honest- musically and lyrically. The title track is surprisingly slow, and is a dead ringer with the theme of moving on and staying calm; knowing that everything will turn out the way it will turn out. Planets is different from the other new bands on the scene, and I’m not sure why. Adema has a new ‘cosmic’ sort of sound; the sound they have created is unique to anything else right now. The songs do not stick to a formula like you might expect. Each song is a story and each song lets you escape into that story. Planets will leave you surprised- I should know, I was once a closet Adema fan years ago, but now I might play this CD with the windows down.

-Sara Josephine

James Labrie - Elements of Persuasion- Inside Out Music

Funny (and true) story about this: I had never heard the name James Labrie before and I played the CD and said to myself, “Sounds like Dream Theater- only a little better.” And I love Dream Theater, so from me, this is a compliment. So I did some research and low and behold for the idiots like me out there- James Labrie is the lead singer of Dream Theater! So my theories are correct- and so are my ears. Bottom Line: if you like Dream Theater, there is no doubt you need Elements of Persuasion. I think it’s impossible to be a Dream Theater fan and not appreciate the solo album from Labrie. Elements of Persuasion has less dramatic vocals and a faster and heavier sound than Dream Theater. Of course Labrie has been known to work exclusively with the most technically talented musicians of our time, and Elements of Persuasion is no exception. The solo album also has some effects put into each song. The songs have a few keyboard effects- just enough, not too much- and some voice effects to do what a solo effort should do- experiment. James Labrie is one of the most unique vocalists of the last decade. Labrie has always kept things theatrical, musically intelligent, and most of all pure metal- and Elements of Persuasion only solidifies his place in metal history.

-Sara Josephine

Undercover Slut - Communism is Fascism

Undercover is a band seeming to be about androgyny, sex, make-up, narcissism, and playing glam metal. Communism is Fascism definitely has a unique sound. The vocals of front man, ‘O’, are AC/DC’s Brian Johnson on acid and crack. The guitars have some great moments of off timing and nice riffs to compliment the drums. The samples the band has added into some of the tracks are perfectly orchestrated with the music. The record is dirty and the music sounds gritty to give it the sex appeal that an Undercover Slut would be searching for. The drumming impressed me the most with some moments of soft, mechanical drumming and other moments of complete chaos and pure emotional metal. Timing was always perfect on the drums. Fans of the goth, industrial, and glam communities have found a CD with Communism is Fascism with 4 characters who will deliver the goods when it comes to shocking lyrical content and the rock sound desired.

-Sara Josephine

Hammer Fall - Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken - Nuclear Blast

With epic ballads trailing into the 12 minute zone, Hammer Fall delivers when it comes to old school classic heavy metal. Each song is like a symphony put to electric guitars full of solos and drum-work with beats and fills that show the band’s true artistic and musical talent. The vocals on Chapter V are reminiscent of Halford’s clean tone and raw talent blending perfect with the instrumentation of the band. Hammer Fall is definitely keeping things real and has not succumb to the nu-metal formulas that so many metal bands have. Chapter V can be summed up by the word: power, because of the band’s furious musical style and original compositions in each song. The sound of Hammer Fall is so full because of one lead vocalist and 2 backing and 2 guitars. Truly a great addition to the classic metal collection.

-Sara Josephine

Wolverine - The Window Purpose - Earache

Wolverine creates music of dark atmosphere and rich instrumentation. The Window Purpose is melodic slowed down heavy metal with an avant garde artistic undertone. The surprise elements within The Window Purpose make the listen a new experience for even the most eclectic metal head. Stefan Zell’s vocal ability is astounding in his deep melodic tone. The drums and the guitars of Wolverine are full and dark in sound and deep in bass. Wolverine is able to achieve this full sound with keyboards and 2 guitars. Abrupt musical moments and interesting instrument combinations is what sets Wolverine
apart from other metal bands. There are so many twists and turns in each song, vocally and musically, that it is surprising and refreshing to listen to. Marcus Losbjer’s slowed down drum technique gives the metal it’s moody mellowness. Lowbjer’s percussion instruments are very impressive and the placement within songs like, ‘His Cold Touch’ is perfect and compliments the guitar work to set an amazing musical scene. -Sara Josephine

Danzig Circle of Snakes evillive

Glenn Danzig, poet from the dark side, Circle of Snake’s, his newest volume. From the hypnotic opening of Woten’s Procession to the final chasing bass and frightening questions in Black Angel, White Angel, you take one intense sweet journey through the black and evil in Danzig’s Circle of Snakes. Glenn once again forces you to explore your inner demons as he takes you half way to hell and leaves you there, to find your own way back.

COS is pure pounding metal music along with dark, thought-provoking lyrics. I did a poll on the Internet and found 1000 Devil’s Reign to be the most popular song on this CD. I asked each person who their own 1000 devils were. The answers included politicians, foreign countries, terrorists, family members, religious organizations, the people inhabiting one unnamed college campus and even the corporate management at a certain Depot. Everyone has their own interpretation of the lyrics. And like the true art COS is, it will change for you depending on which light you “see� it in and the emotions you have when approaching it. Try listening to Nether Bound, as I did, first driving in the car on a bright sunny day. I felt aggressive, pounding on the steering wheel and swearing at the old lady going 30 in a 45. Then I listened to it again in a pitch-black quiet room lying in my bed. Eyes closed. I feel like I’m floating in a dark sea on a dark night alone and unafraid. The meaning of the words and the feeling of the music changes as your atmosphere and emotions change; just as viewing a painting in different moods and at different times of the day. The mark of a true artist is forcing you to look inward and draw out your own feelings. And Danzig is a true artist. For example, when I listen to Skull Forrest it describes to me the peaceful feeling of dying. It starts out relaxing as if my body is slowing down, my heartbeat decreasing, the blood is leaving my body drop by drop, my energy is draining away and I am painlessly going to sleep for all time, becoming DEAD, and then being in the presence of all those people I have loved that went before me. “All the parted, all the missing, here to greet me (in the) Skull Forrest� If you are ever in a quandary about how to handle a tough situation, like you ever catch your girlfriend/boyfriend cheating, put on this CD and think to your self WWDD, What Would Danzig Do? Listen to COS anyplace, anytime you want, and see what evil wonders it brings out in you.

Cindi Loftus

The Damage Manual Limited Edition Invisible Records

It’s been four years since we’ve heard any new music from the Atkins fueled, post-punk industrial Super Group, The Damage Manual. The original line up consisted of Martin Atkins (PIL, Ministry, Killing Joke and Pigface), Chris Connelly (Ministry and Revco), Geordie Walker (Killing Joke) and Jah Wobble (PIL).

In short, The Damage Manual’s Limited Edition is a bright shining light in the dark world of modern rock, coming at you with a sound that has one foot firmly planted in the underground and the other stepping lightly into the mainstream. Precisely executed drum beats, driving bass lines, melodic screaming guitars, intelligent lyrics, hypnotic in your face vocals and really good effin songs make this a release worth adding to your collection, whether you’re a fan or not.

-Paul J. Baio

Samael Reign of Light Galactical Records

Reign of Light is quite the upbeat album compared to Samael's earlier material. It's sort of bouncy and rockish, but not a huge difference from the Eternal album; it's just not as negative and angry as earlier classics such as Ceremony of Opposites. That being said, I have to concede to this album's glaring brilliance. The synths, vocals and guitars all wind around each other, coming in and out, weaving a rhythmic and textured sound. There's an undeniable sense of power and energy despite the lyrics’ relatively positive attitude. The production quality of Reign of Light is superb; definitely the best sounding Samael album to date as far as recording is concerned. The guitar tone is solid, the drums are punchy and driving, and the synths are majestic and soaring in traditional Samael style. Every song is completely full of sound, with enough layering to keep your ears entertained for quite a number of listens. While the angst may be diminished, the musical aptitude previously displayed by Samael has been honed and explored.

www.samael.info

Jeff Phillips

Illdisposed 1-800-Vindication Roadrunner Records

The most notable characteristic of 1-800-Vindication is the excellent production. The often times rock sounding, yet energetic drums really ride well along side the crunchy guitars. Some sections even sport electro-style synths backing up the death metal riffing, and reverbed out lead guitars and strings to add a substantial atmosphere. The guitars are mostly mid paced signature dannish death metal style with some nice progressions thrown in to give the album a melodic edge. The vocals are very rich sounding growls, definitely above averagefor death metal vox. The album manages to drag on far too long however. There are a lot of good ideas here, and a few songs at a time are really nice to listen to, but for some reason it's extremely difficult to remain interested long enough to complete the album. The mediocre clean vocals thrown in over the growls are also a definite turnoff. Overall the album has some great melodies, and a few really kick ass songs, but just doesn't quite sustain the entertainment factor through its entirety.

www.illdisposed.dk

Jeff Phillips

Deathstars Synthetic Generation Nuclear Blast

The first thing you'll notice about Deathstars is the fantastically boring CD insert. I estimate their designer spent about 37 minutes from start to finish completely the booklet. It's about as mundane and generic as you can get. I have no idea what would motivate the label or band to spend so little time making such packaging, for what is obviously nothing more than a commercial, image based project to begin with.

The sound of the album is in itself not terrible, just boring and lacking any real ingenuity. Rehashed rock and light metal riffs are combined with decent keyboard lines and electronics, but the album fails to really shine through in any aspect. Deathstars are just predictable and commercial pop music at it's most obvious.

Jeff Phillips

Jungle Rot Fueled by Hate Olympic Recordings

Jungle Rot are the gangrene of death metal. Some diseases can be cool to brag about having contracted. Say you just picked up HPV a couple weeks back, you can say to your friends "hey, I got genital warts! isn't that awesome?". If you develop gangrene on the other hand, like in your leg, all you can say is "oh shit, I'm going to lose a leg". not cool. So our logical proof of the day is as follows: Jungle Rot = musical gangrene. gangrene = "not cool". Jungle Rot = "not cool". I'm not sure how Jungle Rot has managed to water down deathmetal to the boring point so successfully, but they have achieved this with flying, dull colors. I'm waiting for the expansion of space to reverse and the flow of time to turn on itself, so that one day again we can be in a world that lacks the musical ineptitude of Jungle Rot.

Jeff Phillips

Beyond the Embrace Insect Song Metal Blade

Insect song is a pretty solid effort, exhibiting blues rock influenced thrash riffs and a nice mix-up of vocal styles from Pantera like screeches to blues wailing. There are some cool guitar riffs with harmonized layered fills thrown in to keep things moving along. The thrashy guitars are combined with some nice melodies and more blues influenced guitar solos. If you have a thing for metal and a thing for blues this is the album you should check out. It has nice packaging with some wicked spider-thingy artwork to boot.www.beyondtheembrace.com
Jeff Phillips

Malevolent Creation Warkult Nuclear Blast

The excellent drumming and occasionally nifty guitar harmonies are the only really redeeming qualities of Warkult. Malevolent Creation seem to be really stuck in doing the same thing they've been doing for the last decade or so.

A few songs on the album delve into some interesting ideas, black metal riffing and a few progressions here and there mix things up a bit, but not enough to make the release worth listening to. The mediocre un-punishing guitar tone and rehashed riffs make this an unessential CD for your deathmetal collection. Malevolent Creation was once one of the finest bands in deathmetal, but have since relinquished their domain.

Jeff Phillips

Alghazanth The Polarity Axiom Woodcut

Returning with their 4th album, Alghazanth deliver another full-on atmospheric blackmetal work. Plenty of melodic guitars coupled with soaring emotive synths make up the majority of the album. The guitars are layered really heavily to keep plenty of things happening. Often times two or three guitars are performing completely independent, but naturally mixing melody and rhythms. It's rather clear that Alghazanth put a lot of time into constructing their music,
orchestrating almost every section, lending to a really interesting sitdown listen.

My only complaint is the flat sounding production, mainly in the guitar tone. The aural qualities of the album are sort of mundane, There's just not much variety in the way is SOUNDS. This doesn’t fully retract from the work however, as otherwise the album is quite excellent.
www.alghazanth.com

Jeff Phillips

The Haunted revolver Century Media

The Haunted are back again with album number four. Original vocalist Peter Dolving is back with the band on this effort, and his screams really cut through the music with their outward anger. Much of the album is straight up pounding thrash, exactly what you'd expect from The Haunted. The feel of the music is very tight, refined and intentional sounding. While not of blistering speed, the feel of the music is very fast and aggressive.

As the album goes on, rEVOLVEr slows down to some mid paced songs that lack the energy of the first half of the album, but the aggressive tracks easily make up for the duds.

www.the-haunted.com

Jeff Phillips

Converge You Fail Me Epitaph

It's difficult to describe the frenetic intensity of You Fail Me. About all I can really articulate on the matter is that I often have to turn the album off to divert my hands from the overwhelming urge to tear off my own testicles and shove them up someone else's nose. The album starts out with a couple crappy dissonant emo-core tracks, with a few of the like thrown in here and there throughout the disc, but fills in the other space with some of the most brutal and aggressive music I've ever come across.

If the fantastic music weren't enough, the vocals are unique if in no other way than they sound like the vocalist would prefer to destroy his throat than live another day. The screams sound legitimately tormented, the music sincerely discontent, and the album a wonderful piece of work for the angsty of heart.

www.convergecult.com

Jeff Phillips

Arsis A Celebration of Guilt Willowtip

Arsis are one of the rare bands who tastefully combine technical riffing with eloquent song writing. The guitars are phenomenal in their intricate rhythms and heavily layered two or three part harmonies. Invariably something interesting is happening at every moment on the recording, yet the melodic progressions and thoughtful songwriting pull everything together nicely.
Aside from the exceptional guitar work, the drums stand out as very well performed, and extremely fast in their execution. The speed of the album never seems to drop below "pretty-fucking-fast", yet there's enough variation in the drumwork and guitars that every section is fresh when you hear it. The progressions explored by the guitars are certainly far from 'evil' sounding, which doesn't hurt the album, but in fact reveals

Arsis as being a far less contrived act than so many groups who are just trying too hard to be dark, and coming off sounding like clowns
instead. The music here is certainly from the heart, and a lot of effort was clearly invested in making A Celebration of Guilt worth every penny and every minute spent consuming it.

www.worshipdepraved.com

Jeff Phillips

Dillinger Escape Plan Miss Machine Relapse

I don't know what the fuck is with the Nine Inch Nails sounding track
Phone Home, and I also don't know what the fuck is with all the weird,
misplaced sounding pop choruses in half the songs on Miss Machine.
They just make you say "what the fuck?" So, what the fuck? All I do
know is that the songs and sections on the album that don't meet the
above criteria definitively kick ass. There's more math on this album than
the intro to economics book I'm reading. If you like counting, have
fun trying to figure out the time signatures on Miss Machine.
Determining what's going on can be a challenge considering the
encompassing aggression forced onto your ears. So you'll definitely
have to give Miss Machine a few listens at least. The usual formula
on the album is a) really weird clean or deceivingly mellow section,
followed by b) really fucked up cacophony of sounds, then c) something
invariably bizarre. Mix and repeat. This is definitely a worthwhile album
despite the weird pop stuff.www.dillingerescapeplan.com
Jeff Phillips

Morgion Cloaked by Ages Crowned in Earth Dark Symphonies

Doom giants Morgion have returned with their best release yet. The
most notable and prominent aspect to Cloaked by Ages, Crowned in Earth
is the classy mix of distorted guitars with acoustic strumming,
mirrored by clean singing layered with gore vocals. Morgion make an
effort to mix up all the standard but usually separate uses for
conventional instruments into an orchestrated assemblage of sound.
Most of the album is slow to mid-paced melodic doom, with sections
that soar with brilliant atmosphere, but of course tempered with dark,
brooding expression. When synths and acoustic guitars are employed,
their usage is tasteful and only adds to the atmosphere as opposed to
squashing it with undeserved musical hubris, as many experimenting
bands do. Cloaked by Ages, Crowned in Earth is an arrant
accomplishment, meant to be enjoyed in isolation.www.morgion.com

Jeff Phillips

Mnemic The Audio Injected Soul Nuclear Blast

When The Audio Injected Soul starts out you could immediately get the
impression the album is going to be pretty decent. There's a pretty
solid Meshuggah meets Fear Factory feel in some of the parts, and the
music is sounding good. Soon enough however the vocalist opens his
mouth and you realize you're listening to something pretty stupid.
The last Mnemic album [Mechanical Spin Phenomena] had heavy and
rhythmically challenging music with tolerable nu-metalish vocals; this
time around the vocals are simply unacceptable. Imagine Fear Factory
fused with, oh I don't know, Linkin Park. The vocalist just sounds
like an overgrown mallrat with no legitimate personality of his own,
trying hard to mimic someone with emotions of their own.

www.mnemic.com

Jeff Phillips

Nasum Shift Burning Heart

The best thing about the new Nasum album is that it kicks ass.
Contained herein is the same wall of noise you'd expect from Nasum, but
with a tasty dose of variety and melody to make things interesting.
Older Nasum albums seemed to get old after a few songs, not because
they're bad, but because every song was full-on grind. Shift has a
lot of melody, sometimes buried in the grinding noise under guitar
fuzz and blastbeats. All the Nasum intensity and brutality is
present, but with the edition of some experimentation.
Within the 37 minutes of 24 songs you'll hear plenty of grind, some
rock, punk, thrash and blackmetal mixing things up thoroughly. There
are some brief lulls in the action,which is helpful in avoiding
monotony. Nasum have certainly proven themselves one of the greatest
in grind.www.nasum.com

Jeff Phillips

Insision Revealed and Worshipped Wicked World

At first sampling, Insision sound like another ordinary death metal
band, but when you sit down and listen carefully there's a lot there
to pay attention to. The guitar work is exceptionally technical, with
plenty of dual parts and creative writing. Each song has quite a few
sections to it; I counted an average of 10 different parts to each
track. At one point the band plays a part four times, and shifts the
tempo immediately down just a few beats per minute and plays the same
riff again, an intentional and clever little transition. With its
deep and guttural vocals, Revealed and Worshipped would probably make a
bad choice of an album for dinner music, but if you sit down with
headphones on and pay attention to everything that's going on, you're
sure to find plenty of interesting tidbits that'll play with your
brain.

www.insision.com

Jeff Phillips

The Heavils Heavilution Metal Blade

I don't know what's wrong with The Heavils, but what's right is that
this band is retarded. They must have each been dropped a few times
as children because no healthy group of people could have defecated
Heavilution onto the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not insulting The
Heavils for being retarded, as I'm sure, based on their image, that
they would agree. At first listen I assumed this was a Devin Townsend
project, but in the liner notes it's stated that Heavy Devy only
produced and added background vocals to the album.
Heavilution has a few serious songs expressing a rather somber mood,
contrasted with many balls-out rock and roll and some metal tracks.
Contained also is much rowdy blues rock, with some silly sounding
disco and funk-porn music here and there to make sure you're not
crying through the entire recording. The loud production and rocking
riffs will keep you running back and forth to the fridge for beer all
night long.

www.theheavils.com

Jeff Phillips

Esoteric Subconcious Dissolution into the Continuum Season of Mist

This new Esoteric release is absolutely brilliant. The band have
mastered the art of atmosphere with Subconscious Dissolution into the
Continuum. While almost entirely dissonant in their melodic style,
Esoteric fully satiate a certain disturbed emotional void by giving
the miserable mind a kind of familiar and even comfortable sense of
anguish.
What you have to keep in mind listening to Esoteric is the necessity
to pay attention for a period of time in order to absorb the lengthy
sections. The music is extremely slow, and the progressions can take
minutes to fully develop. If you sit down and concentrate all your
attention on the music you'll find that despite its obvious lack of
speed, Esoteric's aural bloodletting is fantastically intense. For
the track Morphia, dissonant, brooding guitar chords will keep you on
edge and anticipating a consonant resolution to the state of emotional
duress that swells constantly. After minutes of a seemingly timeless
progression, the music turns with a subtle yet compelling transition
to a slightly less dissonant chord pattern. Not everything on the
album is completely discordant however; the track The Blood Of The
Eyes is simply gorgeous in its soaring guitars and lush synths, yet
clearly pessimistic at times. If you're looking for dark, brooding,
atmospheric music that sounds completely unique and distraught, I
strongly recommend this release.

www.bereft.co.uk

Jeff Phillips

Agnostic Front Another Voice Nuclear Blast

Obviously anyone in the hardcore metal community know that Agnostic Front has been around for awhile now, so the album is mastered to perfection and the musical performance is flawless. Agnostic Front does seem to be taking a new direction with Another Voice being more rhythmic than past albums by the band. This album showcases double bass and metal riffs rather than the thrash Agnostic fans might be used to. Agnostic Front’s vocals take a strong person to digest—there is such strain in Roger’s voice that Another Voice is hard to listen to straight through, but this is the edge that Agnostic Front has on other hardcore metal bands. I highly recommend ‘Hardcore! (The Definition)’ off of Another Voice for everyone who wants to hear what true hardcore sounds like from the pioneers.

Sara Josephine

Arch Enemy Dead Eyes see no Future EP Century Media

Arch Enemy hails from Sweden as a great addition to any black metal fan’s library. The album Dead Eyes See No Future is no exception. This album is an outstanding recording with Angela Gossow on vocals and live renditions of ‘Burning Angel’, ‘We will rise’ and ‘Heart of Darkness’. Arch Enemy has also chosen to cover (you might want to sit down for this..) ‘Symphony of Destruction’ by Megadeth, ‘Kill With Power’ by Manowar, and ‘Incarnated Solvent Abuse’ by Carcass. Wow. This is quite an undertaking and Arch Enemy had better be confident to defend their covers because this could be controversial. Arch Enemy has done a great job of making the covers into their own by putting their trademark sound into the music. I also think it’s always a great thing when a woman can knock over the metal world with some of the most intense lungs and vocals in the industry. My vote is ‘yes’ for Arch Enemy and I think that Dead Eyes See No Future is a powerful black metal CD that every metalhead should check out, especially if you want to hear what a talented female metal singer sounds like.

Sara Josephine

Blood for Blood Serenity Thorp Records

Blood for Blood combines hardcore punk music under true metal vocals of screams changing into punk chant changing into melodic singing. Even though every song is under 3 minutes and 11 seconds, nothing is left out on this album. The effort to make a great adrenaline filled angst ridden record has been accomplished and achieved successfully. Serenity is best described as a very fulfilling album for any metalhead because Blood for Blood seems to taken some of the most influential bands that the metal community has seen such as Slayer, Biohazard, and Sick of It All-- threw it all in a pot stirred generously, cooled, named it Serenity and served to the listener. I’ll have seconds.

Sara Josephine

Disbelief Spreading the Rage Nuclear Blast

I am in total disbelief that I have never heard of this band before because they are an incredible talent with a full, raw sound. From Rossdorf, Germany, Disbelief is melodic metal with kick ass earth shattering vocals by Karsten Jager. Kai Bergerin delivers tight double bass drumming to the headbanging riffs and groove oriented basslines. Disbelief would be a great band to mosh to in a circle pit or a great listen while you bash your enemy’s face into the pavement. Spreading the Rage’s title track is an emotionally powerful rollercoaster of power and anger and sounds like musical violence. The bassline is continuous and pushes the song into pure madness. Disbelief is an inescapable nightmare that you want to reoccur.

Sara Josephine

Eyes of Shiva Eyes of Soul Locomotive Music

If you are into ANY type of metal—this band fucking rules! Eyes of Shiva have found a way to actually record total insanity onto a CD. From Sao Paulo, Brazil, this band has managed to fuse almost every type of music into their own breed of metal. Every song is a composition of instrumentation—I would compare it to Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Dream Theater on crack. There are just so many instruments happening at once all while the strength of the vocals hold it all together. The music is so colorful that the listener might start to have visions. You are just completely taken to new levels of wonderment with Eyes of Soul and I recommend it to everyone that is open to new kinds of metal fusing melodic, salsa, groove, thrash, and tribal ideas into one album. Eyes of Shiva also cover Heart’s ‘Alone’ on Eyes of Soul in one of the best remakes I have ever heard, paying total homage to the legendary creators. Eyes of Shiva’s Eyes of Soul is a total success and a truly cosmic and spiritual experience.

Sara Josephine

Forever is Forgotten Dying Beautiful Thorp Records

As I started to listen to the opening guitars on this album, I thought I was going to get melodic rock, but after the first 30 seconds into Dying Beautiful, I got a large dose of angst ridden screamcore. Musically, Forever is Forgotten is a very talented band and the guitars kick ass with gritty licks and disorganized jams that carry the songs. There are two live recorded songs ‘i’m glad you’re dead’ and ‘choking on’. The vocals are muffled, but the music sounds well recorded. The only Forever is Forgotten aspect that flies clear over my head is the lyrics. I consider myself a pretty poetic person, but these lyrics seem a bit over-emotional and left me in a state of emptiness and confusion. In ‘tied to a strangers hand’, the lyrics say, “I bleed the rain/drip me from angels cheeks� and it goes on, “Sometimes I’ll cry I love you/ and I won’t mention it otherwise�. Luckily for the listener, you have to read the lyrics in the CD jacket if you want to know them because there is no way you will understand them just by listening. At the end of the day, If you like off beats and music that takes a new turn at every corner with unexpected antics, then Forever is Forgotten is a good choice for your screamcore needs.

Sara Josephine

Lake of Tears Black Brick Road Sanctuary Records

This Scandinavian trio mixes a blend of slow spook goth rock in their album, Black Brick Road. The songs are in a nice arrangement and if you want to hear your metal in a slower tempo and with a mellow quality. If you miss goth, then Lake of Tears is for you. I think this a nice effort by Lake of Tears, but I find the songs very predictable in the sense that they all follow an easy to swallow outline and each song is 3-5 minutes. There are some really great moments of organs, guitar squeals, and crazy synths that create a psychedelic sound that is refreshing to hear again.

Sara Josephine

Pig Destroyer Terrifyer Relapse Records

So this is what a seizure of insanity sounds like. I’ve been listening to Terrifyer
for about 3 minutes and I’m already on song 17. There are 99 songs on Terrifyer that are edited in a continuous flow of seriously terrifying music. Musically, the album is very intense and lyrically, the album is insane. Pig Destroyer combines death metal, grind, and thrash to create some pretty scary shit. Terrifyer sounds like the soundtrack to a torture horror movie of sorts—but it must say, the recording is astoundingly wonderful. Pig Destroyer’s messy and filthy sound creates sexy and evil tracks that truly take the listener to another dimension. I guarantee that Pig Destroyer is worth the listen and I KNOW Terrifyer will be a unique addition to your CD collection.

Sara Josephine

Pungent Stench Ampeauty Nuclear Blast

What would you expect when you flip over the CD to find the trio of Pungent Stench all wearing prosthetic limbs as accessories standing around their instruments? The music on the Ampeauty is anything but crippled. The recording quality is great, and Pungent Stench is out of their minds but this band proves that being a little left of center can be a great thing for metal. Pungent Stench runs on immature lyrics, old school metal guitar riffs, and a drummer with a full, aggressive sound. With songs like ‘got milf?’ and ‘same shit--different asshole’ You may think you know what you are about to christen your CD player with, but you will be surprised. This band is a diamond in the rough and a real talent that needs to be recognized. Pungent Stench should be counted as a definite addition to the metal world and other bands could learn a lesson about putting gross out metal at the forefront.

Sara Josephine

Silent Force Worlds Apart Sanctuary Records

A crazy amount of talent lies in the musicians of Silent Force. Worlds Apart provides the listener with the power/ballad/fantasy metal they were missing. There are amazing moments of pure speed and talent in the keyboards and guitars. Worlds Apart is a bit of black leather and crosses from 1988, but nevertheless, Silent Force is comprised of educated musicians, and that cannot be argued with. If you are a fan of long guitar solos and powerful melodic vocals, then you should put down your renaissance sword and fantasy magazine and buy Worlds Apart.

Sara Josephine

T.A.S.C. Fast X Records

Marko Olsen and Brian Scott are the brains behind T.A.S.C. which can be described as industrial metal. The theme on the CD seems to be one of man versus machine, which has been a bit overdone. The guitars keep the songs moving and have a distorted sound which goes nicely with the keyboard effects. The voice acts more as an instrument so the music does flow very well because nothing overshadows each other. Each of the 12 tracks on the self titled CD has a great groove sound, but I think the drums could be a bit more complex than they are. Really, if you are going to use a drum machine, then use the machine to its full potential. The songs have great skeletons, but some crazy drumbeats would offer a climax. There is a real interesting cover offered in the last track on the CD. T.A.S.C. chose to cover Kiss’s God of Thunder. T.A.S.C. does a nice job of modernizing and adding their own sound to the song all while paying tribute to it’s heaviness. T.A.S.C. is truly a worthwhile and interesting experience for something different and new.

Sara Josephine

The Chasm The Spell of Retribution Earache Records

The Chasm is pure speed death metal with a black veil over it. The Spell of Retribution has more beats and notes than I have heard on an album in a very long time. The Chasm is destructive metal governed by a menacing tone of guitars and dark vocals that sound like they are from beyond the grave. With songs coming in just shy of 10 minutes, The Spell of Retribution is like a story divided into chapters. I do wish that the drums were more powerful in the recording of The Spell of Retribution because they are very muffled and soft. I know that this band would sound a lot different than this recording if they were performing live. The Chasm’s album effort does not fall flat though, as The Spell of Retribution is a return to the 80’s metal influences that we know and love.

Sara Josephine

The Power and the Glory Call me Armageddon Deathwish Inc.

Heavy screamcore death metal is how I would describe the sound of The Power and the Glory. The recording really stands out as excellent in Call me Armageddon, and the tempos to every song are unique enough from each other to keep things interesting. This album has really great moments of guitars playing speed and death riffs extremely tight to make the Power and the Glory sound come together to form pure chaos. I think that the musicians making up the Power and the Glory have extreme talent which is sometimes hard to show through in ‘hardcore’ music, but their flair for the unusual as far as riffs and unexpected areas of songs from verse to verse is what gives them an edge in the metal scene. I definitely approve.

Sara Josephine

Lamb of God: Ashes of the Wake Sony/Epic

With a lot more double bass and fills, this Lamb of God. CD is one of the most drum showcasing experiences that the band has ever offered. Sounding like a death march for Satan’s spawns, “Ashes of the Wake� delivers a heavy sound similar to that of Palaces, but with a tighter percussion to back up their sounds. The title track, Ashes of the Wake, sounds like an army getting closer and closer with the guitars leading the machine of sound into a battle. Ashes offers a heavier and more organized version of their music, but their style is still the same. The music of Lamb of God just seems to get more intricate and intelligent as the CD goes on. I can’t even take it out of the CD player and it’s been a month. Ashes of the wake is recorded and produced to perfection with a darkness to bleed over the heavy air. The lyrics seem to pay tribute to fallen soldiers and scream outcries of anti-war sentiments. Ashes of the Wake is like a soundtrack to mutilating destruction, but I guess Lamb of God wants to fight a different kind of war.

Sara Josephine

All Else Failed: This Never Happened Abacus Recordings

Totally primal and aggressive– bad ass, hard, fast, tight and full. Fucking amazing. The vocals are extremely unique and are matched perfectly to the instruments. The guitar hardly even plays chords, but more plays a constant stream which is amazing and even more amazing is how David Davies and Patrick Shannon keep their guitars in tune. The constant riffs on the guitar are what give the sound its fullness. The CD, This Never Happened, even has a couple of Zen moments that make you wonder if the CD stopped and the player went on to the next one. But this meditation gets interrupted and bombarded with the blast-beats once again. It’s angry hardcore with intricate and surprising instrumentation because you never know what is coming next in each song– there are way too many twists to look back and know where you are, but wherever you end up is a spot of extreme creativity and passion. This Never Happened is definitely the music I want playing in the background when I get in my next fight—because I’m guaranteed to win because I’ll be pumped full of adrenaline.

Sara Josephine

deadsoul tribe: The January Tree InsideOut Music

I was pretty impressed with this band musically because they are unique in the musical and lyrical combination they have to offer. The guitars carry a soft groove oriented sound over defined and naturally poetic lyrics. Deadsoul Tribe sounds like a softer version of Tool musically and also because the vocals are airy and move together with the instruments. Everything you hear seems to flow and be moving in the same direction. The drummer mainly focuses on the toms which creates a lighter beat but creates a definite groove for the band to follow. The January Tree is like a calculated jam session that was recorded. There is an undeniable independence of each instrument that gives it the appeal of a jam. If you like watching Indie films and buying the soundtracks to boot, this may be on your list of purchases.

Sara Josephine

Unearth: The Oncoming Storm Metal Blade Records

If you are a fan of Lamb of God or the guitar squeals from Shadows Fall, just go out and get Unearth because I guarantee you will love it. Their latest CD, The Oncoming Storm, is a brilliant recording, produced immaculately. Unearth is a tornado of metal, picking up kick ass guitar solos, melodic intros, and killer breaks in every song to form an amazing record. Headbanging is uncontrollable once The Oncoming Storm is in the CD player. Listening to the record, you can just tell how much the band is into the songs too. It doesn’t at all sound like each member dragged in their gear to play individually at the recording studio. The album just sounds like you are listening to them play a show and you can hear how much they enjoy their music.

I can’t think of one thing to make this album more complete. Unearth has really done it as far as making a perfect metal album. The Oncoming Storm is a perfect blend of hardcore, death metal, and heavy metal that can be offered right now. Trevor Phipps does an amazing job with the vocals on the record and he is completely unique in his delivery. Pure emotion and heavy brutality is all that comes through in the songs to make the message clear: do not fuck with this band, because if they are any indication of where metal is going in the future, I propose that Unearth lay the first brick on that path.

Sara Josephine

Caliban: The Opposite From Within Abacus Recordings

If you enjoy listening to a man at that moment where his blood vessels in his neck are just about to rupture from screaming from his throat instead of his gut, I highly recommend this CD. These vocals from Andy Dorner are emotional blended with hardcore, but the instrumentation is still heavy metal. It’s a nice change if you don’t mind the listening to the uncomfortable voice I described earlier. The melodic “clean vocals� (as it is listed on the CD) by Denis Schmidt, give a needed break from Dorner’s vocals and separate parts in the songs from hardcore to melodic.

The double bass drumming holds the songs together and every song is tight without muddy guitars that sometimes get in the way with emotional hardcore. Caliban offers a refreshing change for the genre of hardcore with their thundering bass, drums, and guitars that unite to form surprisingly harmonious song breaks and chord changes.

Sara Josephine

Jag Panzer: Casting the Stones Century Media

Jag Panzer fits into that melodic metal that is very out of place in this time period because it reminds you of medieval times or renaissance scenery when you listen to it. Nevertheless, the world would not be complete unless people were still creating music that is reminiscent of Dreamtheater with the old school vocals in the style of Rob Halford. The album offers great musical dynamics using strings, bells sprinkled on their percussion, and piano breaks. The music of Jag Panzer paints a picture of grey and purple fog looming over some castle somewhere with a drawbridge and some horses geared up for battle in the wintertime. This is definitely a power metal offering in the style of heavy ballads and epic metal tales. The musicianship of the band members is very intellectual and technical. Casting the Stones is an over-the-top offering of metal delivered in the form of grandiose instrumental structure with vocals to match.

Sara Josephine

Unleashed Sworn Allegiance Century Media

Unleashed offers a very unique blend of groove death metal. The guitar serves to keep the beat going along with the drums that hold everything together. Their sound has an old school Metallica sound quality to the riffs and chord changes, but the drums and bass are more following Fear Factory. Their lyrics are straightforward and brutal. Lines like, “I only fuck the dead� make it hard to be subtle. Johnny’s vocals are primal and raw and the guitar solos are some of the clearest I’ve heard.

Unleashed clearly do not want to jump on the nu-metal bandwagon, and I for one support that decision. They still sound like the band they started in 1989. Not afraid to put in solos, screams, or have songs entitled, ‘Metalheads,’ Unleashed stands independent of imitators and could definitely teach pussy nu-metal bands a thing or two of how evolving with the times should be done. That’s right, I said it! Unleashed shows that it is possible to create metal with a groove to it without having voice effects or keyboards. Four dudes—vocals and bass by Johnny, rhythm guitar by Tomas, Fredrick on lead guitar, and Anders on drums—the way metal should be. Sara Josephine

Crematory: Revolution Nuclear Blast

Those Germans sure know their shit. I put in this CD not knowing anything of what to expect from Crematory, and they blew me away. It’s Rammstein mixed with Orgy mixed with Dreamtheater. Didn’t think that was possible? Me neither. But apparently, it sounds pretty damn good and original when it’s pulled off right. Crematory’s CD, Revolution, is like a movie for your ears as it moves in and out of synthesized beats into metal into rock n’ roll. They are really a band who wears many hats of melody, thrash, and symphonic with death metal and singing vocals. They create a hazy atmosphere of dreamy death that is amazing if you are a fan of any type of old school metal mixed with modern technology.
Sara Josephine

Tetsuo: MalmohrahkignWhorth Records

This is one of the most refreshing CD’s that has come along in a very long time. Broken beats, crazy time signatures and lyrics of, “I had a mustache, but it made me look fat� in the song, ‘What about Jon Lovitz?’ makes this CD just insane enough to be considered genius. The band sounds like a good version of Soilent Green with a tight, clean-yet-extremely-dirty sound. A lot is happening at one time with the instruments and the vocals are reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse and Deicide. Follow along reading the lyrics as you listen-- they sound like lines and captions taken at random from fortunes and comic books and collaged together to make weird stories that are surprisingly poetic. Picture the music of an all out metal fest jam session lead by a vocalist straight outta hell screaming, ‘and I’ll ask you kindly/ would you hold my hand as the sky collapses?’ ...Now, tell me that’s not at least interesting enough to be curious about.
Sara Josephine

The Astro Zombies

The Astro Zombies
Mutilate, Torture and Kill
Nova Express Records
www.theastrozombies.com

I really love hearing Western commodities and culture absorbed, misconstrued and then regurgitated by outlanders as though they thought they were copying us mark for mark. The fun in this should be obvious to anyone who is tiring of the same old sing song crap that is out there for us domestic record buyers. So listen up, for The Astro Zombies are here to free us from the conked out and mundane. Their disc Mutilate, Torture and Kill delightfully renders us a crazy, brain-burning, high-octane punk-a-billy onslaught that just doesn’t seem to wanna stop. An onslaught that comes by way of those supposedly passive French. Lifting their name from T.V. Mikels’ 1967 campy sci-fi feature, The Astro Zombies take the tired and worn American rock-a-billy formula and innocently misinterpret it into something charmingly askew and delightfully refreshing.

By: Christopher Curry

Skinny Puppy

The Greater Wrong of the Right (SPV)

It’s hardly worth mentioning that electronic/industrial music fans the world over have nothing but disdain in their hearts for the day that Skinny Puppy first went away. It’s also hardly worth mentioning that The Greater Wrong of the Right has GOT to be the most highly anticipated album of the year. Well, the most anticipated album for those mislaid souls who have floundered for 8 miserable years in a sea of second-rate industrial records that seem to assure us that they are the “next thing� but seldom if ever deliver. In all actuality it’s difficult to understand just how the hell this genre has even sustained itself as long as it has without a flagship. So, where does one begin to describe a new Puppy record? What gives me or anyone else the right to judge the latest output of the seminal Skinny Puppy? Who even has the ability to absorb all that Puppy has to offer? I can’t answer any of that; just know that your flagship is back. The dark brooding beacon that is Skinny Puppy has finally returned to show the world just exactly how electronic/industrial music is supposed to be.

The Greater Wrong of the Right is 48 minutes of SP’s strengths and none of its weaknesses. cEvin Key and Ogre have allowed Mark Walk to step into the late Dwayne Goettels’ position, so it should come as no surprise that a couple of these tracks, most notably I’mmortal and Pro-test, sound somewhat in the vein of the ohGr project. Around track 4 the album takes a turn and spins irretrievably down into the atypical world of Skinny Puppy. Neuwerld, Ghostman, d0wnsizer and Goneja all harbor the nuances that have made SP the toughest act in the genre to follow. For the DJs we have track 7, Past Present, the token dance number that clocks in at nearly 7 minutes. Slap this baby on and watch the lil’ gothies stomp and swirl about. There is not one dire moment on this album, which is to say that it is Puppy’s most user-friendly release, even more so than The Process. This new direction may put off some older fans of the noisier days but if I were to pick on any one thing it would be the cold digital feel of the production. Dave Ogilvie was not at the helm this time around and the analog warmth of previous Puppy records is markedly absent; but otherwise…

In closing I’d like to mention that this material in the hands of a lesser band would simply be unlistenable. Skinny Puppy has and always will be a musical anomaly that should never be copied. To be influenced by them is one thing but to attempt emulating them is outright silly. You can’t win. The battle is lost before it begins. Skinny Puppy wrote the book on this stuff and The Greater Wrong of the Right is the latest entry in a trip I hope will never end. - C. Curry

Chemlab

Oxidizer (Invisible/Crack Nation)

Oxidizer is the first shot fired by Jared Louche in over 8 years while operating under the Chemlab banner. Sure he was in H3LLB3NT and Pigface and even put out a nice lil’ solo effort with the Aliens, but for my money Chemlab is that cozy comfortable home where Jared Louche belongs.

I’m not entirely sure what his previous partner in crime Dylan was up to this time around. However, Jared has chosen a new bevy of boys to aid him in carrying out some of the best damned industrial rock you’ll ever hear. That hot chocolate Charles Levi Levi keeps the mega ton bottom shock in check, and plucked right from planet Crack we have Acumen Nation providing more mayhem for Jared to wield his sneering, esoteric lyrical outlook on modern society. If you’ve never paid attention to what this man says then listen up. Jared’s lyrics wryly teeter on the edge of beat poetry with a stream of consciousness cut-up sensibility that is shaken and strained through a mixture of introspection and commentary guised in neo-futurism and sarcasm. That may sound a bit ridiculous but just know that Jared is no slouch behind the pen.

Personally I could go on and on about this record. Readers of this mag ought to be all too familiar with Chemlab and shouldn’t need to be beaten over the head about it. - C. Curry

Hanoi Rocks

Twelve Shots On The Rocks (Liquor and Poker Music)

You never know what you're going to get with reunion/comeback albums. Sometimes they turn out to be good, but more often than not, it's either songs that sound like out weak out-takes from the bands classic albums in their hey day or it's some guys in their mid 40's embarrassing themselves by jumping on whatever the hot trend of the moment is. Every now and again though, a band comes along and puts something out that is as good, if not better, than anything they've done before, and thank God, ‘Twelve Shots On The Rocks’ is one of those times.

I guess you can argue this isn't a total reunion, not that it's possible anyway, because it's just Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy and some new players. But since this is the first album in 19 years from the band that basically perfected glam rock, who's worried about little things like who's playing bass? This album is really upbeat, has great tunes, and rocks as hard as anything Hanoi has ever done. The simple fact is, as great as they were, the early Hanoi albums were never this tight, and they didn't sound nearly this good. I can see where some people might miss the New York Dolls style sloppiness they had before, but the new album is so powerful that it proves some changes are for the better. Professional sounds aside, there's still a fire here that is missing with most older acts. This album is a perfect mix of good production and a band that's there to play some kick ass rock and roll.

My personal faves include "Bad News" (which, sadly, is not about Vim Fuego's legendary outfit), "Obscured" and "Watch This". But the whole disc is awesome (save maybe the ballad "In My Darkest Moment"). I hate to say it, since I always cringe when I see phrases like this in reviews of bands I love, but this may indeed be their best album (it's at least there most consistent). What else can I say? After 19 years, we have a new HANOI ROCKS album. If you're a fan you need this. If you claim to be a rock and roll fan and you're not into these guys you need to get your head out of your ass, stop listening to the Darkness, and buy this record. – R. Madden

Pornosonic

Pornosonic (virgin monk music)

Pornosonic is a greatest hits CD of unreleased porno movie soundtracks. Featuring Ron Jeremy and Dixon Toofar (Don Argott), the disc is full of that wokka-wokka gutiar and whammy bar sound so famous from the golden age of smut. And the much imitated sound for many old jokes and film references.

From the minute it starts, you hear Ron Jeremy saying over wokka guitar, "Hi, this is Ron Jeremy! You're listening to Porno Sonic." And then whammy bar, you are smack dab in porno land courtesy of "Dick Dagger's Theme."

Dick Dagger's Theme, Crammnig For College, Nice N Sleazy Does It, Spiderpussy, Special Delivery, Sex Starved Secretaries, Prepare For Take Off, Her Magic Carpet, Laying Pipe and Spiderpussy (Slight Return).

Ron Jeremy delievers lines at the top of each number is that too well known and trademark speaking style. – AZ

The VooDoo Organist

The Return Of The VooDoo Organist (Dead Teenager/Witch Doctor)

Every one is a great while you get a CD from an act you've never heard of, and when you hear the first song you know it's going to be an instant favorite. This is one of those CD's. And I don't get them very often. From the first song "Breakdown 2003" The Voodoo Organist (Scott Wexton) very unique organ style is the sound of a Sunday-morning church service in Hell, in a very light manner. His vocal stylings are like that of Mojo Nixon, Tom Waits and Nick Cave wrapped up in one package. It has a very 50's b-movie soundtrack aura sounding as if it would be something that could very well be Tim Burtons dream lounge lizard.

All organ and vocals over a drum tracks and Maracas this is going to be party music for my events for a long time to come. Some of the songs sound like a fire and brimstone Pentecostal Bible thumper is going to scare the bejesus out of you and sometimes as in the "Pitchfork (devil) Man" just makes you want to put on a costume and dance around a candle lit room with your mushroom eating fiends. "Today Is Not The Day" has a southwestern flavor that urges you to get up and snap your fingers, clap your hands and click your feet.

But to clearly get the message I get every time I play The Voodoo Organist has to be heard to understand. Take it from me, no matter what you're into, you cannot help but get into the music and can't help but play it over and over. Everyone I've played it for agrees, and there is no way I'm lending this one out, as I may never get it back.

This CD receives MK's highest recommendation for purchase so far this year.
www.voodooorganist.com - AZ

Flesh For Lulu

Long Live the New Flesh (Superfecta Recordings)

If you haven't heard of Flesh For Lulu, you never saw John Hughes’ motion picture, Some Kind of Wonderful and never heard just about the biggest alternative hit from 1987, "I Go Crazy". This is a re-release of Flesh's third full album, Long Live the New Flesh. A first time on CD and totally re-mastered, with 4 bonus tracks. I admit as soon as this album came on, I started to dance. This is one of the best 80's Goth-pop bands. Tune after tune of driving beats and slamming slithery lyric delivery and delight by lead singer Nick Marsh, who supplied the liner notes and some original photos. This band is still hot.

Commercial aspirations might have gutted their cult credibility in the UK and prematurely burned out their American MTV explosion, but listening to such powerful songs as "Postcards from Paradise", "Hammer of Love", and "Siamese Twist", they knew how to start an album right. This band has that's 80's sound that hasn't gone stale. The re-mastered sounds so fresh that the beats and synths blow away the last decades of styles. Nick currently is working on his solo career and gigging around London with a new album in the works. www.fleshforlulu.net at the time of this review is currently stating that it is the official page and will be up soon. Does this mean a reunion? One can only hope. www.superfectarecordings.com/fleshforlulu/ www.nickmarshmusic.co.uk www.fleshforlulu.net - Kevin McGlone

Blondie

The Curse of Blondie (Epic/Sony Australia)

Well it’s 2004 and we’re a far cry from the late 70’s and the time when Blondie were the media’s darlings. A lot of bad blood has passed through a lot of years but with only one hiatus to speak of Blondie has weathered time quite respectably. Their newest release comes in as a much stronger effort than 1999’s No Exit and boasts some fantastically penned numbers that should be clogging your air waves this very instant. There are 14 tracks on here and the musical gamut is run. There’s Pop, R & B, Hard Rock, Techno and even some Acid Jazz but don’t let the variety scare you off. Debbie Harry’s tweaked sense of humor; timing and smooth delivery keeps things firmly in check. Also know that there is real sustenance in this Blondie record, as with most of them. You’re not completely blind-sided with a barrage of radio hits. The hooks are there but there’s plenty of stuff in The Curse of Blondie to chew on. - C. Curry

Diablo Syndrome

It Eats Me Alive (High Pressure Productions)

Taking up the torch of cinematic horror lit brightest by My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult, Diablo Syndrome – a.k.a. Skot Diablo – carries this fire with similarly pervasive fervor. Flavored with razor-edged fades and sinister tribal beat drops in “Leichen Washen� and the urban mantra-isms of “I Wanna Lick My Fuck,� Diablo Syndrome takes Hitchcockian delight in weaving break-beat energies with cinematic undertones to create savage, dreamlike imagery to seep into the subconscious. - Joel Podbereski

Front Line Assembly

Civilization (Metropolis Records)

For many fans Rhys Fulber’s return to Bill Leeb’s Front Line Assembly is a relief, maybe a godsend. Admittedly it sounded promising but after taking note of the disc’s credits it appears that Fulber programmed all of the tracks on their new release Civilization. It also appears that Fulber is attempting to paint Front Line Assembly into some sorta Pop music corner. Fulber’s finesse in assisting former stalemates Fear Factory in stroking quasi-radio friendly tunes may have been genius but for FLA it is simply embarrassing. Front Line has always been about pushing boundaries and leaving the competition to wallow in their synthetic wake. Civilization does nothing of the sort and comes across more pedestrian than ground breaking. Almost every track is overwrought with dark brooding and sophomoric neo-classical garb. Whether it is ethereal female voices or lush orchestrations, the gothic elements that were once charming for Front Line are now overly dramatic and out of place, perhaps even tacky. This release does nothing for the genre and certainly displays no growth for Front Line Assembly. In fact it is backpedaling for a project that should know better. Civilization just seems to sit and spin in its own shit. - C. Curry

Gary Numan

Gary Numan Live In London (Eagle Records)

Now it seems that over the last 5 years we've been kissing Gary Numans ass and I have to admit we're guilty. After all he paved the way for Trent Reznor and anyone after that that turned industrial dance music into pop by adding smooth vocals over the computer generated sounds with layers of guitar heavy hooks.

And though lately a few labels have been cashing in by sewing together compilations and re-mixes, we are more than happy to keep them all in heavy rotation of the most overplayed variations in the comfort of our homes.We've gone mad tearing into any new packaging of the Godfathers works as soon as we have them within our grasps.

Includes: Down In The Park, Dominion Day, Friends, Films, A Question Of Faith, Voix, Every Day I Die, Dark, You Walk In My Soul, Noise Noise, An Alien Cure, Cars, Absolution, Dead Heaven, Metal, Bleed, Are Friends Electric?, We Are So Fragile and Joe The Waiter - AZ

Foeticide

War Domain & Torment (Sempiternal Productions)

What I can't help but to point out about Foeticide are their unique choice of instruments. Listed as "gun machines, bazooka, earcrushing detonator, bone trituator tank, rotten warcies, soul screams of death, solos with gun machine". What the hell is a trituator anyway? In the end it doesn't matter how they manage to put these strange machines to use, as they convey their ability well. The thoroughly thought out guitar harmonies and multiple parts make this album a worthy addition to any discerning Swedish death-metal [from Mexico] fans collection. - Jeff Phillips

Brides of Destruction

Here Come The Brides (Sanctuary Records)

B.O.D. is the bastard child spawned by members of two of the 80’s best L.A. hair metal bands. While the band features MOTLEY CRUE Crue bassist Nikki Sixx and L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns, two guys who are household names in the world of rock, drummer Scott Coogan and Vocalist London LeGrand are new blood. Fans expecting a blast from the hair sprayed past of Sixx & Guns might be disappointed. There is no 80’s glam metal to be found here. B.O.D. is a heavy, aural assault, more akin to acts from the 90’s rather than the 80’s. The discs opening track Shut The F**K Up, clones the main guitar riff from MINISTRY’s N.W.O., and borrows chorus hooks from THE MISFITS. Guns killer guitar work has never sounded better and Sixx sounds like he actually spent some time on the bass tracks. London’s vocals are ok for a first effort, but on the slower tracks it sounds as if he has a limited range and it better suited to the bands “punk – rock� tunes Some of the lyrics are on the cheesy side (Natural Born Killers…better left as a movie Directed by Oliver Stone). The sad thing is that what will probably hurt this band more than its music is Sixx’s ego. He turned down a tour with KISS in Australia because POISON was also on the bill. He also boasted that B.O.D. would be headlining Ozzfest and Lollapalooza at the same time. B.O.D. is not listed as an act on the 2004 Ozzfest line up (no word yet on who will be playing Lollapalooza yet, or it will in fact even happen this year). Sixx better hope his fans are loyal enough to even put Here Come The Brides on the charts. -Jason Harmon

Centinex

Decadence – Prophecies of Cosmic Chaos (Candlelight)

Centinex deliver 9 songs of solid sounding Swedish death-metal with Decadence – Prophecies of Cosmic Chaos. There aren’t a fantastic variety in styles here, but what’s presented is done exceptionally well. The musicianship on this album is above average, with intricate dual guitar parts and harmonized leads. Like many Swedish bands, Centinex make heavy use of thrash riffing alongside their death-metal roots. Centinex have remained true to the Swedish sound and continue to pound out dependable underground death-metal with Prophecies. www.centinex.org - Jeff Phillips

Sister Machine Gun

Influence (Positron Records)

Sister Machine Gun has effectively carved out a cozy niche for itself and their latest release Influence does nothing but carry on the winning account. Some of the sound design seems a bit out of date but that scarcely deters from the fact that Chris Randall is one of the best songwriters in the Industrial Hard Rock genre. Randall’s hooks and melodies are seldom matched in the field while his panache for powerful downbeats and dance grooves should never be over-looked either. Sister Machine Gun feeds the fire. - C. Curry

YelworC

Trinity (Metropolis 2004)

Every so often a band comes to redefine the hybridization of sound and music, from Neubaten to the dark caterwaulers from Zoth Amog records to Delerium (pre-90’s), bold forays into the hinterlands have been made. Now, with YelworC’s Trinity, a new realm is revealed – a Dante Aligheri soundscape, with 16 concentric circles leading into brooding chasms, grim castellan formations, and war-ravaged fields, where one can imagine an angel or two still in their death throes. Blends of clever vocal sampling, orchestra-synths, rumbling drums, and contemporary beat patterns lend each piece to form a tableau of horror and majesty. -Joel Podbereski

Gypsy 83

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Metropolis 2004)

Gypsy 83 reflects a journey of self-discovery and personal enlightenment and its soundtrack houses a diversity of popular counter-cultural talents to reflect the movie’s motifs. From Diva Destruction’s “Talk to Me� – relating people’s trials of communication and expression, to Karen Black’s multitude of sultry, trashy litanies of trials by flesh and wanting, the artists chosen reflect both a love of classic Goth influences (Bauhaus and The Cure amongst the featured) to more contemporary Industrial/EBM artists such as Apoptygma Berzerk and Claire Voyant. Like the movie, the soundtrack reveals a love of music/genre and the diverse paths that are tread in life and the music that suffuses it. - Joel Podbereski

Haste

The Mercury Lift (Abacus / Century Media)

To accent the different styles used we see a couple guest vocalists appearing on The Mercury Lift. Jeff Jenkins of Codeseven and D. Randall Blythe of Lamb Of God show up to add some verbal punch to the recording. Overall the album consists of decent rock guitars and drums, and a varied selection of vocal styles. www.hastemusic.com - Jeff Phillips

Test Tube

Corporation (DSBP Records)

Testube takes the listener brings the listener into technological transmissions. The whirs, the bleeps, and videogame tempos smack of Kraftwerk converging with Haujobb, bridging the early experimental flairs of proto-industrial with contemporary Electonica. A new “Cog� (track 4) whirs through with digitized vox and industrial repetition of factory assembly line-like sound overlay. From intensity-driven rivetheads to computer-trafficking cyber kids and all in between, Testube’s Corporation will plan a hostile takeover of the banal musical regimes via radio. -Joel Podbereski

In Flames

Soundtrack To Your Escape (Nuclear Blast)

I take issue with the nu-metal explorations In Flames have been embarking on, yet the comforting and unique melodies on Soundtrack To Your Escape make the album a legitimately worthwhile piece of work. www.inflames.com - Jeff Phillips

Imperative Reaction

Redemption (Metropolis 2004)

Better, faster, stronger – at the risk of sounding like a pep rally mantra, Imperative Reaction’s Redemption embodies all aforementioned. In a decidedly more aggro-ed modality, Redemption (Metropolis 2004)

Better, faster, stronger – at the risk of sounding like a pep rally mantra, Imperative Reaction’s Redemption embodies all aforementioned. In a decidedly more aggro-ed modality, Imperative Reaction sieges with relentless drive and dance floor conviction from the onset of “Arrogance� to the streamlined programming beat progressions of “Faded into One,� IR has capitalized on making the most out of modification of the underground masses. A triumphant chrysalis of sound. - Joel Podbereski sieges with relentless drive and dance floor conviction from the onset of “Arrogance� to the streamlined programming beat progressions of “Faded into One,� IR has capitalized on making the most out of modification of the underground masses. A triumphant chrysalis of sound. - Joel Podbereski

Ancient Gods

Mystic Lands EP (Sempiternal Productions)

Ancient Gods appreciate an eclectic range of metal styles and incorporate it all quite well on Mystic Lands. The transitions from one form of metal to the next seem appropriate, and the dark mood doesn't dissipate when the songs switch from death metal to black metal to thrash. www.unholypact.com - Jeff Phillips

Bloodreaping

Ignis Penumbra (Sempiternal Productions)

Anyway, Bloodreaping's music is dark and intense. The blast beats are relentless, and the band only give way momentarily to slower sections before delving back into their blasphemous machine gun riffing. Ignis Penumbra is a dark, driving album, showing a semblance to Incantation's famous disconsolate style. www.goregrind.com/bands/bloodreaping - Jeff Phillips

Deathwitch

Violence Blasphemy Sodomy (Wicked World)

Violence Blasphemy Sodomy. Screw literate, composed lyrical refinement. Deathwitch are all about getting their point across without conforming to those pathetic rules of language we know as grammar. They strip their tools down to a few choice words: "fuck, hate, you, I, me, kill, world, sucks, die" and run with them. Deathwitch are exercising the theory that with a reduction in the number of tools you have to deal with, you become more creative in your approach to solving a problem. The problem according to Deathwitch is that music is far too pussy. Deathwitch reduce their arsenal to a few potent tools and attack without remorse

Violence Blasphemy Sodomy is raw and to the point. You don't think about much when listening to Deathwitch, you just feel. Like killing. In fact if I were a serial killer I would certainly have Violence Blasphemy Sodomy playing while I dismembered my victims' corpses. It's just that kind of album. www.deathwitch.com - Jeff Phillips

The Dishwashers

Rock ‘n’ Roll Will Save Your Soul (Self-Released)

The Dishwashers are a surprisingly catchy, well-crafted horror rock band in the tradition of The Misfits with the surf punk edge of The Ramones. It’s not nearly as derivative as it sounds. It’s actually pretty damned cool, but with song titles like; “Frankenstein is Tired,� “Monsters In My Closet� and “Zombies Commin To Eat My Brain,� you definitely know what you’re in for. This is a D.I.Y. release that doesn’t sound D.I.Y. All the chunky guitar parts are crisp and clear as are the harmonies and backing vocals. I’ve heard that their live show is a sight to behold, so with that in mind The Dishwashers should have no problem whatsoever cracking their market. www.thedishwashers.com - C. Curry

Primal Fear

Devil's Ground (Nuclear Blast)

The highlight of Devil's Ground are the choruses. They're immediately catchy and of a pleasurable flavor. This album is well done and easy to get into if you're a fan of 80's style power-rock/heavy metal. www.primalfear.de - Jeff Phillips

Bad Acid Trip

Lynch the Weirdo (Serjical Strike)

The Bad Acid Trip CD boasts "Energetic Bursts of Psychopathic Fury" and my initial reaction was that of utter disappointment. The album starts out with some porn samples and silly rockabilly riffing. Fortunately I gave the rest of the album a chance, and within the first three minutes B.A.T.'s sound is magically transformed into a frantic blastfest laced with some rather psychotic vocals. The rest of the album is completely insane. I can't tell if Bad Acid Trip's primary intention is to confuse, intrigue, or educate the listener, but they’re doing a good job of all three. The music is abundantly frenetic, impossible to ignore, and entertaining to listen to. Most of the songs consist of ultra-high-speed grind trading off with strange bits of rock in a whirlwind of weirdness.
What I can't decide about B.A.T. is whether or not the bands political message is serious or not. Their delivery is circus-like, goofy and sarcastic, yet I have a hunch the underlying message is completely serious. If nothing else, Bad Acid Trip will force you to pay attention and give some thought to what they're doing. Lynch the Weirdo is strongly recommended if you wish to be confused, entertained, or agitated. www.badacidtrip.com - Jeff Phillips

Magan

Nathicana EP (Sempiternal Productions)

If the logical disconnect of "hispanic blackmetal" doesn't conceptually disturb you enough, the out of tune guitars will. It seems as though Magan recorded their guitars without tuning them to their synths. Either that or they've developed a new and exciting tone system to express just how warped and twisted their world really is. In this light Magan would certainly be hailed as artistic genius.

Magan actually have a lot of good musical ideas, some of the EP is very original and the rest is at least interesting. Unfortunately I can't sanction the concept inspiring their avant garde tuning style. Philosophically speaking however, it mirrors quite accurately the confusion one would face believing the master race to be different than their own. - Jeff Phillips

Gorerotted

Only Tools and Corpses (Metal Blade Records)

I hate to call a band unoriginal, as I don’t see anything wrong with clone bands for the most part. Everyone feeds off everyone else’s innovations and hopefully does something worthwhile beyond that. Gorerotted fail however to differ in image, lyrical content or even musical style from the mold conceived by Cannibal Corpse.

To their credit, the band bakes up their batch of cookie cutter death metal very well. I might have guessed their intent was to mock death metal by being extra-retarded lyrically, but they’ve obviously put a lot of time into practicing and composing. Musically, Gorerotted sound tight, and Only Tools And Corpses is well produced. My complaint only really lies in the image of the band, which has been way overdone, to the point of compelled boredom. www.gorerotted.com - Jeff Phillips

Metalium

As One (Armageddon Products / Century Media)

*wow* Before putting in this CD I took a quick glance at the booklet and just about shit myself. I put the CD in and proceeded to shit myself. Metalium are amazing*. A true powermetal band is always striving to be more amazing than all other powermetal acts, and Metalium are trying very hard to achieve that victory. I'm not sure why there are so many powermetal bands in the world, but for the sake of Metalium's existence it’s certainly good that there are! Metalium pull off triumph, glory and majesty with unabated resplendence!

Metalium’s sound reflects an excited emotional state, not unlike the one I experienced noticing each member wears leather trousers. The music is straightforward powermetal, performed well and to the point. The vocals are glorious and authoritative, high-pitched, vibrato modulated screams. I hope a solid 54 minutes of ass kicking is what you're looking for, because that's what you're getting. www.metalium.de - Jeff Phillips

BILE

Frankehole (Underground Inc./Bile Style)

"FRANKENHOLE: THE REANIMATION OF DEAD TISSUE" is actually the re-release of the SUCKPUMP and TEKNOWHORE CD's from the 1992-1996 era along with some extra music from the bands early days packaged in a environmentally friendly 2 CD set. Which is the only thing environmentally friendly one of our favorite bands. Bile are the seminal industrial-metal monster and this is a treat to once again relive their "humble' beginnings.

For those unfamiliar with the bands early music, this is a really nice way to go back in time to hear the birth and growth of the music that Bile fans have come to know and love. It's noisy, loud and pretty scary. They sound like the may just be Hells own house band.

Though the band has gone through a few musical line up changes they all contain the unmistakable vocals of Krztoff and the playing are all fucking LOUD and drenched in heavy distortion and huge, industro-beats. If you're a true gear head, or just a fan of good old loud angry music that sounds like it's coming from Satan's own stereo, that your collection will be incomplete until you add this to it.

DISC 1: Tracks: 1. Head 2. Burnt 3. URA Fucking Loser 4. I Reject 5. Feeling Like Shit 6. Get Out 7. Suckpump 8. Get Out radio edit 9. URA Fucking Loser radio edit
DISC 2: Tracks: 1. Intro 2. Teknowhore 3. Weather Control 4. No One I Call Friend 5. Habitual Sphere 6. Compound Pressure 7. Interstate Hate Song 8. Green Day 9. No I Don't No 10. Suckers 11. Lowest Form 12. You Can't Love This (pt. 1) 13. (pt.2) 14. (pt.3) 15. (pt.4) 16. Solitude is Bliss - AZ

Glass Casket

We Are Gathered Here Today (Abacus)

When we think of an abacus, we think of math. Glass Casket deliver the goods! They employ unique poly-rhythms and odd time signatures to keep the listener entertained, and it's obvious the band has put a lot of time into crafting these songs riff by riff. They use plenty of refreshing ideas here that haven't been done 10,000 times before. My guess is that the band is experimenting in one way or another with each section, just to make sure things stay entertaining.

Along with the speed and technical drive of Glass Casket comes a heavy dose of brutality. The band sports an image and sound influenced by hardcore, but the album is pure metal at heart. There’s a lot of weird mathcore type riffing, but it’s always interspersed with brutal death metal blasts and tremolo picking. At the points where the album slows down it doesn't stay dormant for long, quickly changing pace and coming full on every time. Overall We Are Gathered Here Today is brutal and unrelenting. www.glasscasket.com - Jeff Phillips

Front Line Assembly

Maniacal (single) (Metropolis Records)

I’m reserving the right to speak at great lengths about this upcoming Front Line Assembly record until I’ve heard it in its entirety. However, judging from this single I can only guess that fans of Hard Wired and Millennium will most surely be thrilled. Rhys Fulber is back in the fold and it’s REAL obvious. Fans of the Chris Peterson stuff may be a bit put off as the 2 tracks displayed here represent a less innovative side of Front Line. From what I can tell Leeb has his foot planted firmly in the nearest discothèque with a yearning to hit the concert stage. - C. Curry

New Model Army

Great Expectations: The Singles Collection (Superfecta Recordings)

Politically charged and original Brit-punk gets a chance to save the States from the horrible "punk-pop crap" that has been festering here since bands like Sum 41, Kelly Osbourne, and Avril Lavigne have made it big on the premise that they are punk.

This year is New Model Army's 20th anniversary. And this is a career-spanning singles collection that gets almost all of their singles from the various labels that NMA has been under. This is a real treat, as 7 of these tracks have never made it state side before. Each version of the singles has been hand picked by lead singer Justin Sullivan as well as the Extended Mix of Poison Street and a new edit of Purity.

This singles release is a teaser for an upcoming new album and tour. Learn a little about New Model Army with this one. Punk driven guitar and actually intelligent lyrics? Who'd have thought we'd be hearing this anymore? - Kevin McGlone

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers

Cockadoodledon’t (Bloodshot Records)

Imagine a hip swivelin’ mixture of Hank Williams and Carl Perkins. Fuel that concoction with Kentucky straight bourbon and bad street drugs then you’ll have Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers - the best damned thing to happen to rock music since the first British Invasion.

This pomade-soaked caravan parades about the countryside delivering their hellbilly blues and brimstone with all the fervor of an ole’ timey Baptist church tent revival. Colonel J.D. Wilkes has been voted Best Front Man in Nashville and with good reason. The Colonel gyrates, croons and screams with more intensity than Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard put together; plus he effectively redefines the lo-fi blues harp (harmonica) player.

To accurately describe this is rather futile, it’s something you have to witness, like the healing of a blind man or the curing of the lame. A country-fried Reverend Horton Heat is as plainly as I can put it. While this ball-buster of a record will be on my Top 10 for the year, it doesn’t match the hellfire of this act in concert. I honestly cannot recommend this CD, this band or their live show enough. - C. Curry

Velvet Acid Christ

Hex Angel: (Utopia – Dystopia) (Metropolis Records)

Hex Angel is an atmospheric creepy crawly electro-industrial record from one of the genre’s most beloved. V.A.C.’s latest outing sends up all that is expected of this veteran project. Loads of saw wave synthesis, techno-beats, overtly processed vocals and near-unending movie samples make for a formulaic effort that is primarily geared towards fans of old with little concession made for potential newbies. - C. Curry

Macabre

Murder Metal (Season of Mist)

Over 15-year vets, Chicago's own Macabre once created a concept album devoted to Jeffrey Dahmer, and consistently release music that traces the sordid careers of true-crime greats. Murder Metal continues in that tradition, especially gratifying to those of us who can't get enough of serial killer lore, as a refreshing contrast to the sublimated violence of office work.

As life would have it, this writer grew up in the Sacramento, California neighborhood Richard Chase ("Acid Bath Vampire") perversely glorified with his exploits as he made power shakes of entrails; I also lived in the community of Mt. Washington in Northeast L.A., terrified by "The Hillside Stranglers." Small, shrinking, decayed world. "You're Dying To Be With Me" traces the career of everybody's favorite civil servant, London's own Dennis Nilsen, whose career of evil, immortalized in Brian Masters' book Killing For Company, was only found out after severed body parts blocked up the plumbing in his suburban apartment.

Musically, Macabre's tinnily-produced prog-metal and hoarse, nerve-rattling vocals may not suit every gore-mand's taste, and their jaunty sing-along approach smacks of Jello Biafra on king-hell crack. Nonetheless, it doesn't get much more consummately, educationally gruesome than this, and Macabre make a vivid break with the more routine rehash of splatter movies plied by bands like Mortician. - Alex S. Johnson

Aural Planet

5 Ex Engine (Vivo Records)

Mix one part ambient / trance, one part industrial, and one part sci-fi / BLADERUNNER soundtrack, and you have the sound of the newest release from this European electronic quartet. The groups various members started composing music with the aid of machines long ago, when the use of personal computer for sound engineering was still a very new idea. After having produced music for several commercials, cartoons, video games, and compilation CDs, the members decided to give the popular music scene a go. 5 EX ENGINE, the group’s third release is a rich, textured exploration into the electronic realm. The group’s sound doesn’t fit into one category, and encompasses many genres and fans of everything from industrial to trace could find this an enjoyable listen. This would also be a great CD to use as a soundtrack for player s of futuristic roll playing games, or for any event in which cyber – heads need some sonic audio stimulation. - Jason Harmon

DIE HUNNS

Long Legs Die’ Hunns (Disaster Records)

With skate-punk icon Duane Peters and his leggy (hence the title) inamorata Corey Peters leading the way, L.A. raunch-rockers the Hunns rape, pillage and plunder their way through 15 tracks that could gut a marlin. It’s a smash-up derby featuring the Pistols, Ramones, Dolls, Runaways, Clash et al, and out of the dust comes this new millennium mongrel. They’re rude and crude and don’t give a shit, delivering five covers and 10 originals that are guaranteed to get your jiz up. “Love & Hate� is flat out contusion music (and check the excellent vid that’s on the disc), “Ameri-Nightmare� is hardcore with blood on its hands, and “War of the World� channels the spirit of Johnny Thunders. But hey, it’s all good, baby. If you’re planning a thrill kill, you oughta take this disc with you for the soundtrack. - Jym Jolliff

Arch Enemy

Anthems of Rebellion (Century Media Records)

More pure Death / Black Metal fury from this Swedish band comprised of members from several of the Scandinavian scenes pioneering acts. But one thing sets this act apart from the others. There is no absence of pounding, double bass drum thunder or ear – piercing, lightning fast guitar leads. What makes this band different it it’s female lead singer, Angela Gassow, who replaced singer Johan Liivain 2001. Instead of the usual demonic, growling vocals usually heard in bands of this type (not that Angela can’t deliverer these ranges too) she offers a wider range of sound, which is a welcome change. But don’t be mistaken, the anger and hatred is as evident as ever and the no blood and guts are spared on these thirteen diabolical monster cuts. Also included on the initial release is a bonus disc of three tracks recorded live during the “Wages Of Sin� tour and three 5.1 Digital Dolby re-mixes of tracks from the new album. - Jason Harmon

Nevermore

Enemies of Reality (Century Media)

Few metal bands can be counted upon to produce work of consistent quality, much less epic scope, every time they enter the studio. Queensryche, Fates Warning, Blind Guardian and Nevermore stand out among the handful of bands today that treat their fans with respect. Enemies of Reality isn't quite the concept album that Dreaming Neon Black was, although elements of the title track emerge as leitmotivs throughout. The Seattle-based quartet, who maintained their affinity for large-scale metal through grungy times, emerge once again as masters of Big Idea Metal. The music here is undeniably powerful, from the anthemic title track through its ripples and turns on "Ambivalent" and "Never Purify," on to titles that evoke science fiction classics: "I, Voyager" and "Seed Awakening." Warrel Dane's full-throated, rich vocals churn within a cyclone of dedicated power created by the seamless mix of Jeff Loomis's guitars, Jim Sheppard's bass and Van Williams's drums. If their earnest, quasi-operatic treatment of weighty themes sounds a bit sophomoric at times, you can't fault Nevermore for ambition, and they make metaphysics rock like Geddy Lee's wet dreams. - Alex S. Johnson

Misery Index

Retaliate (Nuclear Blast)

What happens when you combine two parts of a Dying Fetus with one part of a Severed Head? The answer to this particular sick joke is Misery Index, which name becomes more and more apt if you manage to wade through at least half the album. Misery Index features vox and bass from Jason Netherton and guitars courtesy of the also formerly Foetal Sparky Voyles, with Matt Byers slamming the skins. Misery Index do a lot of things spot on; they're excellent musicians, and they use that wonderful guitar pedal that sounds like dinosaurs munching steel (love that effect!). It's just that, well, they fall prey to the bane of many Deathers and Grinders, which is doing that intensity bit to the point where every note of every song becomes indistinguishably meshed with every other note of every other song. Too much of a good thing is just that. Although you gotta dig some of their titles: "Bottom Feeders" and "History is Rotten" -- sweet. The one-sheet from the label praises their "ideology and anger," but I stopped listening to the album at the point of stupefaction. Maybe it's smoke inhalation from the wildfires that are consuming my Land of La, or whatever; as the ancient Romans used to say, de gustibus non est disputandum, or, one man's meat, that kind of thing. This isn't mine. - Alex S. Johnson

Extol

Synergy (Century Media)

On this, their third full-length, Norwegians Extol take their place beside such technical innovators as Opeth. The disc combines fractal minimalism reminiscent of new music composers like Steve Reich, aggressive, wrenched and clean vocals from Ole Borud (who also handles guitars, along with Christer Espevoll), and dynamic riffs that explode like strings of firecrackers. The title refers to the interplay among the members of the band, as Extol pride themselves in democratic decision-making; it could refer equally to the way every song contributes to the album's whole.

Eleven tracks of high-octane, fire-breathing metal take us from the melodic death of In Flames through asymmetric lines and rhythmic tricks reminiscent of the older, more progressive Rush, and even moshpit-worthy chaos, as in "Thrash Synergy." On the other hand, songs like "Aperture" display the delicate acoustic touch Extol summons as handily as the more physical material (Peter Espevoll does the honors on the softer stuff). While the overlap of smooth and bloody vox has become something of a cliché these days, Extol pull this trick beautifully, and on songs like track 10, "Emancipation," bring it all together. A giddy and stunning ride; this isn't the last we'll hear from these guys. - Alex S. Johnson

Written In Ashes

(Latex Records)

Written in Ashes paints the world with a bruised pallet, blending classic traditional Cure-esque guitar flange with well-crafted duo vocals and efficient backbeats, bringing back some of the tragedy into Goth music while retaining a progression into aggressive harmonic symphony. “All I Ever Wanted� sweeps the listener away into forlorn longings while “Of Hope, Hell, & High Water carries a Rosetta Stone-like determination to fight against personalized tyrannies. “Lament for Lanore� takes a decidedly more morose turn, while “Maskin� embodies a serpentine element. Written in Ashes is a must for the consumer of classic Goth sounds and thematics. - Joel Podbereski

Dismantled

Post Nuclear (Metropolis)

Dismantled sweeps across the oft-traversed realms of Skinny Puppy-inspired music and comes out ahead of its contemporaries’ better for it. Their new release, Post Nuclear, is more than a mispronounced Bush-ism; it is the laurelled-diadem that crowns Lady Industry

This opus is packed with ennui-introspections in “Cornered� and “Survivor,� while tracks like “Backwards� and “The Swarm� play out a brutal harmony, traveling down paths of spiritual and moral erosion. Dismantled delivers the tenets of its moniker; they casually wipe away the lamb’s blood in lieu of the redirection of perception. -Joel Podbereski

Lights of Euphoria

Krieg Gegen Die Machinen (Metropolis)

Supersonic slipstream EBM pulses combined with surgically altered vocal resonance are tantamount to Lights of Euphoria’s Krieg Gegen Die Machinen (War against the machines). Ronan Harris makes several vocal contributions to this polished piece of mechanization, bringing in pepperings of VNV Nation to an already refined work bridging gulfs of hope and struggle in “True Life.� Later tracks take a decidedly more aggro intensity, such as in “Trapped� and “Fly to Target� – think Suicide Commando meets Covenant, creating an alchemy between anger and introspection. - Joel Podbereski

Icon of Coil

Machines Are Us (Metropolis)

If you are a fan of Covenant and VNV Nation, or just want a CD to “dance til’ ya drop� to, then add Machines Are Us to the roster. Euro-Industrial at its finest. - Joel Podbereski

Watch Them Die

Century Media)

Too often, extreme music strangles on its own excess. Technical death metal impales itself on profligate virtuosity; hardcore flogs boring macho postures and fails to communicate anything remotely human, that kind of thing. A fistful of righteous anger delivered again and again can be just as deadly as the most soporific soft pop. Enter Watch Them Die, and vive la difference! Straight outta Oaktown, Watch Them Die evince that rare hunger to prove their metal supremacy that makes this album an immediate standout. The riffs come as fast as human fingers can fling 'em; there's melody lines and catchy sing along stuff, two lead singers, two backup vocalists and one hell of a drummer (respectively, Patrick Vigil, Greg Valencia, who also handles guitar; Jase Freakley, ditto; Pat Mello on bass and Ira Harris on the aforementioned skinbashing). WTD have the heaviness of grind greats like Napalm Death and Carcass, the speedy venom of Slayer, and a blend of voices all their own. The combination outweighs any hyperbole I could throw at it. Experience for yourself.
- Alex S. Johnson

Zombie Commandos From Hell

Sonic Assault (Boneyard Press)

Every so often a band comes along to play with the tropes of the Horror Genre. Zombie Commandos From Hell – a compilation inspired by Steve Dumais’ comic of the same name – unleashes the electronic nightmare, “Sonic Assault.�

The cinescape qualities are undeniable throughout this work. From “Milligram,� which places the listener directly into the front row seat of Terror-formed electro-hyper reality rides. Like the patchwork construct of Mary Shelley, the assorted data inscribed to CD is a thing released upon an unsuspecting humanity. - Joel Podbereski

Betty Blowtorch

Last Call (Food Chain Records)

This is a final tribute to Bianca Halstead (a.k.a. Bianca Butthole) who was tragically killed in a car crash in Dec. 2001. LAST CALL is 29 tracks of raunch rock at it’s best, including; live, demos, studio outtakes, and unreleased tracks from Bianca’s days with Betty Blowtorch as well a Butt Trumpet. Most of the tracks from the bands now impossible to find EP, GET OFF are also on the disc. There are even a few interview clips, one in which Bianca speaks of her love for Johnny Depp and Ethan Hawk. LAST CALL is a fitting end for a great band that was just beginning to take off. A documentary about the band, BETTY BLOWTORCH and HER AMAZING TRUE LIFE ADVENTURES has been playing at film festivals all over the country and getting rave reviews from critics. Unfortunately, no CD or film will be able to capture the energy of this great band. Look in the near future for guitarist Blare N. Bitches new band, THE BLARE BITCH PROJECT. - Jason Harmon

Texas Terri Bomb!

Your Lips…My Ass! (TKO Records)

You know that any album that starts out with the singer screaming “I hope my brain blows up!� ain’t nothin’ you’re gonna play to put the kids to sleep. Rock and roll wild child Texas Terri is back (this time fronting an outfit called Texas Terri Bomb!) with Your Lips…My Ass!, an album of down-n-dirty rock and roll splashed with punk gore that makes no concessions to anybody. TT’s rasp and roar clouts you in the ear while the axes of hot shots like Wayne Kramer (MC5) and Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper Band) make sure the damage is permanent. The originals are all high octane (“One Hit Wonder� and “Dream Wrecker� have extra shake appeal). And only this chick could take Iggy’s “I Got a Right� and Thin Lizzy’s “The Rocker� and make ’em her own. This is the way rock and roll used to be before the money men got their fucking tentacles into it. - Jym Jolliff

Khanate

Things Viral (Southern Lord)

Quietly and unobtrusively (not so quietly, perhaps!), L.A.-based graphic artist and guitarist Stephen O'Malley has built an enviable cult status based on his work with bands like Thor's Hammer and Burning Witch and his current stints with Lotus Eaters and Sun))), not to mention being the dude responsible for all those Emperor covers. On this second album after 2001's self-titled debut, O'Malley, bassist James Plotkin, drummer Tim Wyskida and vokillist Alan Dubin produce the musical equivalent of 50 mg of Haldol subq. Not since Diamanda Galas released Litanies of Satan has sonic outsider art been rendered with such grim patience. Only four songs make up about an hour's worth of music, and it's the longest hour you'll ever undertake before suicide starts to look desirable. O'Malley's doom chords fall with painful deliberation as Dubin tears out his larynx. In case it isn't obvious, I love this album -- really!

Then again, I'm a fan of stuff like Wumpscut and Einsturzende Neubauten, so unless you're primed for intense discomfort in a listening experience, this may not be for you. Trent Reznor only wishes he could do something as genuinely edgy as Khanate (pronounced "con-eight"). Not recommended for use while operating heavy machinery. - Alex S. Johnson

Nebula

Atomic Ritual (Liquor and Poker Music)

If THC's ecstatic glow were burned onto a disc, I'd imagine the result would sound like Nebula. These guys have been bravely pumping out the smoothest blend of high-energy stoner rock, bluesy shimmer and old-time, bar band shake for a while now, and stand their own against greats like Fu Manchu, Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss and up-and-comers like Abdullah. The crystal-gazing sonic fire evoked by tracks like "Paradise Engineer," "Strange Human" and "They Way to Venus" bring to mind some kind of elemental cross between contemporary retrorock and the nascent burn still glowing on remastered Hendrix ("More" especially has that electric gypsy feel to it.)

Harnessing the energy of a thousand suns, Nebula layer on the vibrato twang of The Allman Brothers ("The Beast") and venture out into psychedelic glory ("Out of Your Head") with sizzling riffs that collide and ripple as they dance across the stratosphere. Guitarist/vocalist Eddie Glass, drummer/vocalist Ruben Romano and bassist Simon Moon comprise the hottest power trio since, well, Cream. Spark another owl and put this one on continuous play; it doesn't get much heavier. - Alex S. Johnson

In Strict Confidence

Holy (Metropolis)

ISC delves into the deeper recesses, flirting with Electronica and EBM influences along the way. “Eye of Heaven� seduces with symphonic neo-tribalism, bringing the diametrically opposed concepts of harmony and intensity together.

“Babylon� begins the German-lyric tracks that are interspersed with old-school Delirium-era resonance blended with Euro-folk flares of rhythm. “The Darkest Corridors� was a personal favorite, chosen for its femme-vocal dance floor refrain-ala-Goth/Industrial marriage.

In Strict Confidence’s Holy makes a communion out of the often forcibly separated siblings of Darkwave/Goth and EBM/Electro-Industrial genres. - Joel Podbereski

PRONG

Scorpio Rising (Locomotive)

What the hell do the knuckleheads at Locomotive think they have done by putting off the USA release of the new Prong Record nearly a year after it was released overseas. This is likely the finest stuff Tommy and company have ever laid down. It's angry and harsh as is a staple in the Prong diet however, track 12, “Letter to a Friend" is unlike anything Prong have ever released and it's probably one of the best songs they've ever done. Tommy's vocals are in top form here as he sings melodically and this cut is proof that he has such an amazing voice for this.

The rest of the album is Tommy spitting out venom. Lots of fierce riffing highlighting Victor’s personal trademark stylings. Dan Laudo provides brutal drumming, and Monte Pittman seems to add a new element to the old Prong groove metal.

Prong has long been tagged with the industrial-thrash label, which has never made any sense to me. And with the release of the 14 brain crushing tunes they should forever be washed of that label one and for all. Tommy wrote the book on all the riffs that the countless nu-metal acts that have adopted their patented sound. Scorpio Rises screams "Who's your Daddy?!"
"Detached" is the opener and a kick in the pants reminder of what the band are known for, and is followed by "All Knowing Force" and the monstrous down tuned riff we all have come to love, Victor’s snarling vocals add to the effect. "Seriously Emerging" is heavy, and "Entrance To The Eclipse" is more reminiscing of "Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck"
"Avoid Promises" is one of the newer catchier rockers that you may find yourself singing along, (I did) and "Hidden Agendas" screams of Tommy’s outlook on life and the world over the duration of Prongs hiatus prior to 100% Live which was released last year.
In fact you may catch yourself doing so through the majority of the album. This is if anything a hard driving great recording to playing while driveling your car on the open road.
Scorpio Rising an essential purchase for old Prong fans. - AZ

Gary Numan

Live In London
(Eagle Records)

Now it seems that over the last 5 years we've been kissing Gary Numans ass and I have to admit we're guilty. After all he paved the way for Trent Reznor and anyone after that that turned industrial dance music into pop by adding smooth vocals over the computer generated sounds with layers of  guitar heavy hooks.

And though lately a few labels have been cashing in by sewing together compilations and re-mixes, we are more than happy to keep them all in heavy rotation of the most overplayed variations in the comfort of our homes.We've gone mad tearing into any new packaging of the Godfathers works as soon as we have them within our grasps.

When we found this on our doorstep it was no different.

Live in London is 21 song 2 CD set of Numans performance on the Exile Tour in 1997. It is the second release in a series of classic Gary Numan live concerts. If you've been fortunate enough to catch him live you know that this is not a show that is all sound and no performance. Unfortunately for die hards, you don't get to see him onstage, however the music is everything a fan of dark synth pop and old techno pop is all about. You'll forget that there were ever bands like The Human League and Depeche Mode (who?) and reminds the listener how much of a true musical genius Gary Numan is to this day. And you can't help but acknowledge just how much the two aforementioned bands ripped off his sound and style.

If you were swept by last years double disc set "Hybrid" this falls short of that sonically but the live delivery and mix of Live In London has impact and the delivery of his Exile era music remains as distinctive and satisfying as his early stuff. There are even early performances from what was his not yet released "Pure" album.

Includes:  Down In The Park, Dominion Day, Friends, Films, A Question Of Faith, Voix, Every Day I Die, Dark, You Walk In My Soul, Noise Noise, An Alien Cure, Cars, Absolution, Dead Heaven, Metal, Bleed, Are Friends Electric?, We Are So Fragile and Joe The Waiter - AZ