REVIEWS BY MIKE SOS & MORGAN Y. EVANS
16
BRIDGES TO BURN
RELAPSE
Subtle as a sledgehammer to the skull, Southern California sludge metal vets 16 return after a 12-year hiatus with Bridges To Burn. This quartet's vitriolic reintroduction to the world is a venomous 12-track affair laden with crushing yet hazy hardcore grooves that drum up comparisons to everything from Weedeater and Will Haven ("Missed the Boat") to Unsane and Helmet ("You Let Me Down (Again)"). Abrasive vocals ragefully spitting out nuggets of nihilism and riffs bolstered with bone-shattering crush do battle with an unrelenting rhythm section's voluminous batterings on seething selections such as "Monday Bloody Monday", the bouncy bastardized bop of "Me and My Shadow", and the self-loathing "Thorn In Your Side". Dumping out their patented gloom and doom desperation mantra over waves of molten stoner rock ("What Went Wrong?"), 16 have thoroughly scraped from inner hell's deepest recesses to make this disc a bleak blues-metal gem.
ABIGAIL WILLIAMS
IN THE SHADOW OF A THOUSAND SUNS
CANDLELIGHT
Produced by metal guru James Murphy (former guitarist for Death and Testament), the latest 10-track presentation by American symphonic black metal troupe Abigail Williams may resonate with the corpsepainted cadence and sophisticated conviction of the bands it strives to emulate, but overall its unavoidable gloss outshines the soulless despair it tries to convey. While some may disregard this squad as pandering to their peers or merely as an imitation of the real thing, songs like "Floods" and "Acolytes" do a smashing job of whipping up the menacing malevolence necessary to stir the grimmest of hearts while "The World Beyond" blasts through a blizzard of death growls, piercing shrieks and Emperor-esque guitar runs to garner some adulation. Yet this disc comes off a bit too clean (perhaps due to being a bit overwrought with piano and synths) to really muster up that intangible diabolical nature needed for this style of music to reach bombastic levels.
ALMAH
FRAGILE EQUALITY
BLISTERING
While Brazilian metal act Angra sorts things out, vocalist Edu Falaschi has committed full devotion to once part-time project Almah. Determined on taking this unit to the next level, Falaschi (along with Angra bassist Felipe Andreoli) have recruited permanent members this time around in lieu of using the all-star crew from bands such as Nightwish, Stratovarius, and Kamelot for their sophomore offering, the 10-track Fragile Equality. Striking hard with a now full-time band intact, this quintet draws from a wide range of styles from surging melodic tunes ("Invisible Cage") to blistering symphonic tracks fortified with prodigal guitar solo bashings ("You'll Understand"). This disc doles out the proper amount of explosiveness with power metal attacks ("Magic Flame") and progressive metal flourishes ("Fragile Equality") sharing the spotlight. While pseudo-ballad "All I Am" portrays all of the nuances that sound great on mainstream radio, the majority of this disc reveals a band unafraid to flex its metallic muscle ("Torn") or delve deep into the more melodic side of the metal spectrum ("Beyond Tomorrow"). Almah's latest disc demonstrates a newfound cohesion thanks to a dedicated and united squad and should appeal to fans of Dream Theater, Dragonforce, and Helloween and their most prominent of power metal sensibilities.
ANAEL
FROM ARCANE FIRES
PARAGON
Described as occult black metal, Anael stretches those boundaries on From Arcane Fires. Keeping the riffs raw and the death rasp/ tremolo picking combo fully loaded ("All Souls' Night"), this seven-track endeavor's tedious and lengthy arrangements give ample opportunities for Anael to do what they do best, which is build colossal movements within its dastardly design such as the sinewy "Muspilli". Displaying a wealth of progressive tendencies unlike most corpsepainted crews helps this troupe develop a hypnotic majesty that veers into less-traveled extreme metal roads ("Song of the Moth"), offering the average fan a bit more than bargained for.
BEEHOOVER
HEAVY ZOOO
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
German drum and bass duo Beehoover unfurl a wild concoction of stoner rock, psychedelic metal, and weird rock 'n roll on their sophomore effort Heavy Zooo. Fearlessly hopping from genre to genre bending minds along the way, this tandem decisively dissects your subconscious with spacey textures and galactic overtones encompassing massive hellfire riffs found on cuts like the fluid "I Desert" and the gutwrenching "Pain Power". If you dig Melvins, Death from Above 1979, Kyuss, or System of a Down and can muster the thought of a unit joining all of those elements together, then run to the store immediately and get immersed in Beehoover's off-kilter antics with this gargantuan groove-laden 10-track affair.
BLACK ANVIL
TIME INSULTS THE MIND
MONUMENTUM
Emanating from the likes of Kill Your Idols, Madball, and Deathcycle, Black Anvil undergoes a complete makeover into the realm of blackened death 'n roll on Time Insults The Mind. This NYC trio's nine-track debut captures early thrash and doom's glacial overtones pretty well, although the D-beat does come into play here, providing the occasional inherent interruptions that ultimately sets this band apart from the rest of the pack. Excelling thanks in part to the benefit of having an authenticated diabolical raspy vocal delivery ("On This Day Death", "777") while serving up a barrage of Celtic Frost and Darkthrone meets Entombed dark and dirty riffs guaranteed to get the blood pumping ("Deathsomnia", "L.T.H.L.T.K", "Ten Talons Deep"), Black Anvil's modern reaps a visceral onslaught in its own right while respectfully paying homage to metal's most evil pioneers. Purists will undoubtedly scoff at the disc's high production values (the bass in particular perpetually bombards with ferocity throughout) and hardcore roots,and trash its intentions, yet this unit has exhibited an attentiveness to projections from Gotham City's graveyard shift long enough to warrant the opportunity to tell their dark-hearted versions with a threatening and tried and true template in tow .
BLACK ELK
ALWAYS A SIX, NEVER A NINE
CRUCIAL BLAST
Black Elk's unorthodoxically angular musical aggressiveness didn't fall from the sky, as this adventurous Portland, OR act's admiration for Jesus Lizard, Melvins, Voivod, Faith No More and Helmet to flashes of industrially-tinged thrash metal ("Brine") blatantly stare you in the face on the captivating 10-track Always A Six, Never A Nine. This troupe contorts a steady diet of sinewy sludge rhythms and jagged guitar abrasions straight from the sewer into epic buildups swirling with a sinister dissonance while tremolo-fed harrowing senses of dread usually reserved for the corpsepainted contingent sticks out like a tombstone ("The Brazen Bull II", "Pig Crazy"). This album's constant barrage of voluminous soulcrushing grooves and vitriolic vocals ("Hold My Head", "Hospital") award this act the dubious distinction of being easy to love for purveyors of avant-garde off-kilter metal and too solid for naysayers to brush off as a mere knock-off.
BLEED THE SKY
MURDER THE DANCE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Oklahoma City, OK act Bleed the Sky implement the emotions of enduring the endless rigors of being in a fledgling metal band just scraping by into an explosive 12-track album Murder The Dance. Crossing metalcore anthem choruses with jagged shards of pummeling metal ("Sullivan", "Slavior"), this act falls somewhere between Strapping Young Lad, VOD, Deftones and Kataklysm when applying a new school neck-breaking approach to savagery, propelling tracks like the spiraling "Morose", the lung-tearing "Kettle Black" or the screeching title track to the forefront of ferocity. With a slew of suffocated rhythms and woozy dissonance floating in and out of chaotic tracks like "The Sleeping Beauty", this band respectively place a sturdy smattering of modern metal pieces together to formulate a style which echoes their plight and struggles of climbing the ranks.
BROTHER VON DOOM
RELENTLESS
DEATHCOTE
Swedish melodic death metal such as At the Gates undeniably had a profound effect on Ohio quintet Brother Von Doom judging by their 10-track release Relentless. Properly titling this debut effort, there's no question this squad maintains a firm grip on producing technically sound songs completed by an ample array of blistering riffs and pounding drums ("Blood on the Betrayer", "Judas Kiss") at a frantic pace, truly leaving no room to catch a breath ("Eater of Days", "Norse Demise"). What they gain in firepower though this unit loses in lack of variation and originality, as midway through the album everything (especially the skilled yet exchangeable guitars) starts to sound a bit similar to many of its peers, even though it maintains its ravagingly brutal delivery. A few composition tweaks and some time spent on the road however and Brother Von Doom may be able to shed that skin, but for now this band's debut provides a solid listening experience that would appeal mainly to those unscathed by melodeath's rampant oversaturation.
BULBUL
6
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
Austrian trio Bulbul are an acquired taste that traditional rock fans may take their sweet-ass time getting to know, even though there's no lack of NIN meets robot rock crunch ("Lack of the Key") or booty-shaking dance rock numbers ("When Sun Comes Out", "Dust in My Zimmer") to be had on this unit's unique 15-track celebration of all things left of center. Meandering in and out of indie rock's heavy side with hints of Mr. Bungle-like explorations ("The Song's Name"), Melvins-esque low end throbbing ("Steve La Postla"), Bulbul shows the propensity to get down funky ("Daddy Was a Girl I LIked"), howlingly crazy a la Primus meets prog rock ("Where the Hell is DJ Fett") or change up the atmosphere ("Tighter") whenever they damn well please, creating a tumultuous tension that governs this outfit's strange yet refreshing twists and turns on their wild journey across planet rock 'n roll . If you dig stuff that goes beyond the realm of normal, definitely seek this album out.
CARPATHIAN
ISOLATION
DEATHWISH
Aussie troupe Carpathian let loose with a discernibly mature brand of hardcore punk not unlike the output of many of their labelmates on the quintet's latest 10-track effort Isolation. Abandoning the one-trick brutal beatdown routine for a muscular yet angular attack that relies equally on dynamic shifts and gang vocal choruses, instead of following the herd and rippng though breakdown after breakdown ("The Cold Front"), this band combines the grit of American Nightmare, the contagiousness of Comeback Kid and elements of atmospheric sludge metal for a heavy-handed yet satisfying amalgamation of aggression. Moshpit friendly tunes like "Cursed" and "Ceremony" yield dramatic build-ups for added jolts to the skull, while tracks like "Spirals" take their "new old school" approach down tried and true roads with positive results. Substantial without being overwrought, this is for those that crave fury with an updated hardcore onslaught .
DALI'S LLAMA
FULL ON DUNES
SELF-RELEASED
Zach Huskey and Dali's Llama are a tad heavier this time around judging by the voluminous Full On Dunes. Once again boasting special guest appearances (this time featuring the likes of Mario Lalli and album producer Scott Reeder), this nine-track excursion drives harder than previous releases, as cuts like the fun and fuzzy "Full On" rocks and "Smoke Tree" rip through the speakers with Alice In Chains-esque intensity while "Floating" exhibits this trio's ability to launch itself deep out of the orbit. As much as this batch of tunes bite, the overall feel of this disc also resonates with the looseness of old friends playing around the campfire, most noticeably on cuts like "Cheap and Portable". Acting as a sidebar to Desert Sessions of sorts while functioning as a full-time project, Dali's Llama provides an outlet for worshippers of the movement to get their kicks.
DISTORSIS
DISTORSIS
SELF-RELEASED
Distorsis is a Canadian trio armed with the capability to lay down concrete slabs of hefty hard rock swelling with melody ("Fire", "Free") while a noticeable spacey stoner rock vibe seemingly lurks overhead ("No Love Lost"). Jampacked with extended instrumental interludes brazen with swirling guitars and tribal percussion sandwiched in between a bevy of gritty guitars and beefy bass ("Angel and the Animal"), this band melds the angst of Alice in Chains, the modern metal crunch of BLS and Ozzy, and the eclectic left-turns of Hawkwind to yield a wild and heavy ride chock full of sonic surprises.
EIGHTEEN WHEELS BURNING
TWEAK'D OUT STRUNG UP & REDLINED
SMALL STONE
The latest installment of hazy heaviness from NYC's Eighteen Wheels Burning emphatically describes the aftermath of listening to this power trio's fuzzed out blues soaked rawk. Tweak'd Out Strung Up & Redlined summons the ghosts of '70s muscle car rock while nodding in appreciation of rock's cosmic explorers who share the fearless ferocity to kick the jams out ("The Wheeler", "Cockblocked"), pound you into dust ("Topless"), shake your moneymaker ("Mary Jane is My Only Friend") or mellow the vibe ("Third Reich Trucker"). Blue Cheer and Nebula meet halfway with Sabbath and Skynyrd to create a bombastic barroom boogie-rock extravaganza tasty enough to grab seconds on.
ELDER
ELDER
METEORCITY
Prepare to blast off into the galaxy with Elder and their eponymous five-track jaunt that reaches to infinity and beyond. Capturing the space rock vibe down to each throbbing bass note, stabilizing scrawl of feedback, and cosmic guitar riff, this nubile Massachusetts trio mold themselves after bands like Sleep and Electric Wizard, imbibing the magic seeds and elixirs of the likes of Sabbath and Yob to accommodate the outer limits funk on cuts like "Ghost Head". Adorned with an abundance of swirling rhythms whose mammoth gravitational pull recalls the works of Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu, there's a whole new world waiting for you once you strap yourself into this interplanetary album's wild eyed ride.
EMERY
WHILE BROKEN HEARTS PREVAIL
TOOTH AND NAIL
Transplanted South Carolina emo rockers Emery provides a stopgap release in the form of the seven-track While Broken Hearts Prevail. Heartwrenching histrionics and hard rock riffs collide at the Warped Tour on cuts like the showtune-esque "Thoughtlife" and the keyboard punk rock sunshine of "Always Depends". This quintet (who now call Seattle home) combines airy melodies ("Do The Things (You Want)") and punchy punk rock with a convincing array of pop sensibilities ("Edge of the World", "Always Depends"), striking a startling middle ground between Thursday and Motion City Soundtrack.
EVAN HAMMER
BRIGHT DAY FOR A FROG'S REBELLION
SELF-RELEASED
The latest project by Brooklyn-based bassist Evan Hammer is a versatile release made by a multitude of musicians corralled to form a collective that dutifully brings this batch of songs admittedly "written by a younger man" to life on the 10-track Bright Day For A Frog's Rebellion. Switching between jangly drug-era Beatles ("Martin Kane's Magic Kandy Kanes") and woebegone acoustic folk ("Hello Love") isn't an easy transition to get right, yet Hammer successfully chose the right musicians to achieve each song's uniqueness, whether it be best suited for a smoky nightclub ("Little Girl"), a psychobilly luau ("What She Wants With Me"), or a post-grunge campfire ("A Barren Blue"). A musical potpourri that forms a composite of a wide range of styles from Barenaked Ladies to The Killers to Elliot Smith ("Harold Called This Morning", "Honeypot Delinquents"), if you like variety, Evan Hammer delivers.
FIFTYWATTHEAD
FOGCUTTER
SIGNED BY FORCE
Lumberingly heavy, Fiftywatthead flattens your head with a ruthless attack of sonic bombast with slight psychedelic overtones on the eight-track Fogcutter. Viscous guitars hurl lava-soaked boulders for riffs ("Followed by Thunder", "Iron Clad") while the valiant rhythm section fortifies homebase ("Last Leg", "Seadawg") with demonic vocal conjurings resonating the warmongering mantra of High on Fire interpreted by Melvins ("Capsized") lead the charge. There's also a slew of creepy noise rock entities dispersed throughout the course of this intriguing offering to round out this Canadian troupe's ominous brand of stoner metal that specializes in providing punishing heft with a sinister sneer, leaving Fiftywatthead a multitude of weapons at their dispose to crush your soul.
GHOSTLIMB
BEARING AND DISTANCE
LEVEL PLANE
California hardcore punk trio Ghostlimb pour a lifetime of aggressions into their 18-minute, 15-track disc Bearing And Distance. Featuring a flurry of short, sharp, and succinct strikes, this squad relentlessly rips out tracks like "Ruins" and "The Force That Gives Us Meaning", tearing through speakers with an imminent impact that requires immediate attention. Keeping the pace at constantly manic while steamrolling over the listener with a cavalcade of speedy drums, nimble yet crushing riffs and passionate raspy vocals ("Ocean Floor", "Port of Call"), if you're looking for a well-balanced mesh of velocity and rage, Ghostlimb brings it.
GRAVEHAVEN
CALICO
SELF-RELEASED
New Hampshire quintet Gravehaven are a prog rock meets post punk troupe along the likes of Cave In or Dredg whose latest seven-track affair is an overwhelming effort chock full of bells and whistles. But don't let the band's adventurous overtones a la Rush or Muse deter you, as Calico contains just as many memorable moments ("If You Can, When You Can") as it does superfluous shredding. Resonating with a Mars Volta meets Protest the Hero versus Coheed and Cambria ripple, there's a slew of excessive musical interplay featured on this disc ("Burning Dollars"), almost as much as the amount of intriguing songwriting twists and turns ("Lunatic") which require repeated listens to fully absorb. Cranially complex yet not completely incomprehensible, Gravehaven have presented a weighty album laden with rhythmic shifts and far away soundscapes yet still bring home an air of catchiness to satisfy all fronts.
HANSON BROTHERS
IT'S A LIVING
WRONG
Showcasing a punk hardcore hybrid that takes its lyrical content strictly from the game of hockey, Hanson Brothers (the band, not the characters from Slapshot) play with a straight-up raucous energy on their latest live offering It's A Living. This squad's Ramones meets the Misfits in the penalty box sound is bolstered by heroic tales on the ice and group sing-alongs aplenty, as this 27-track release gives a good idea of what happens when power play mentalities and power chords collide. Containing members of No Means No, if you want to let off some steam and not lace up the skates, this disc provides the next best alternative than getting creamed into the boards.
INTRONAUT
PREHISTORICISMS
CENTURY MEDIA
The confounding metallic attack of Bay Area squad Intronaut continues with Prehistoricisms, a brazen eight-track affair whose dense subject matter and dizzying musical output pushes the envelope past the point of no return. Despite losing guitarist Leon Del Muerte (the man mainly responsible for the unit's grind and death side), this troupe enlisted another guitarist (David Timmick), adding a bevy of stylistic tricks to their avant garde extreme metal approach. While guitars on cuts "Cavernous Den of Shame" still manage to bash your skull in, Del Muerte's absence is definitely apparent and truly marks a discernible shift for the group. The percussive work of Danny Walker proves once again to be a mighty force (be sure to check out the near two-minute drum solo on "Any Port") that will have all skin bashers running to theit kit to brush up on chops. But the true MVP of this endeavor is bassist Joe Lester, whose sinewy bass lines, sweeping fills, and massive four-stringed solo assaults practically lead each song from attack mode into strange and wondrous soundscapes that morph and twist the sonic batterings of metal into shards of progressive jazz fusion. Fear not though, Intronaut remains a hulking beast of a band that rivals Gojira and Meshuggah in terms of unabashed heaviness, only now their multi-faceted display is sharper and more adventurous, yielding an exhilarating listening experience through and through.
KATY MAE
YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER
MAGGADEE
The latest five-track excursion from NYC's Katy Mae showcases a beefier output than past releases thanks to the group adding a second guitar, a move that furthers this unit's reputation of taking its rock 'n roll seriously. Strengthened by their ability to draw from their vast influences ranging from anthemic heartland rock ("Falls Down") and upbeat college rock ("Let Me Bring You Down") to alt-country twang with Smithereens-like wallop ("You May Already Be a Winner"), Katy Mae blends classic rock aura with chunks of modern rock muscle to create stirring tunes with sweeping dynamics ("Dust of My Friends"), reminiscent of a powerful mix of Pearl Jam and The Who. Multi-faceted and always ready to rock, Katy Mae's balancing act is worthy of repeated spins for anyone that can appreciate genuine rock 'n roll that knows its roots.
KREATOR
HORDES OF CHAOS
SPV
Fresh off previous effort Enemy Of God, German thrash titans Kreator return sharper and more focused with another batch of devastating thrash metal goodness titled Hordes Of Chaos. Showing no signs of slowing down, Mille Petrozza and company blast through the gates whether you like it or not with all guns blazing ("Warcurse"), giving contemporaries such as Slayer ("Absolute Misanthropy", "Destroy What Destroys You") a run for thrash metal supremacy. Infusing the tried and true thrash metal method of their '80s selves complete with guitar gymnastics galore while exhibiting a bevy of hooks like never before ("Hordes of Chaos", "Radical Resistance"), this veteran unit's ripping rejuvenation renders this album with the warmongering aura that reaffirms Kreator's spot amongst the thrash metal elite.
LLYNCH
WE ARE OUR GHOSTS
BASTARDIZED
German quintet Llynch pulled out the stops while comprising their latest album We Are Our Ghosts. This 10-track disc oozes with post-hardcore grit and champions atmospheric alternative metal elements, as cuts like "Athena" recollect the wares of Handsome and Quicksand while the jagged "If It Ain't Rotten, It Ain't Mine" scours the underbelly to unearth the sounds of Will Haven and Unsane. Off-kilter yet retaining a sense of melody a la Deftones, Llynch does a bang-up job juxtaposing pristine tones and jarring dissonance within a crushing metallic assault that fans of left of center metal can easily identify with.
PETE DOHERTY
GRACE/WASTELANDS
ASTRALWERKS
I was listening to Richie Havens song "If I" the other day and thought
about how some musicians are such consummate storytellers. It's a far cry from
just hatching some imagery together when a song can fill your head to overflowing
or really make you feel like you can see pieces of life, for better or for worse.
Some songwriters just spin a better yarn. That definitely goes for Ex-Libertines,
current Babyshambles main-man Pete Doherty, even if he's often gotten more attention
in the crosshairs of tabloid rags than for his music. It has often overshadowed
his talents, but the relieving thing is, for once someone in the tabloids with
talent is getting some of the attention, even if for the wrong reasons!
On Grace/Wastelands (a play
on "Graceland", among other things) Doherty has made his bed and is
lying in it. Whether putting himself through the ringer via misadventures or
in pursuit of something elusive, whether rambling poetic or self-sabotaging,
Doherty is quite the interesting character. Drug problems, allegedly under control
now for Doherty, are not a new odyssey. They've long been a staple of rock n'
roll. Still, Doherty is an undeniable talent, whether you thrill to junkie trappings
or it’s old hat. There's much more to Grace/Wastelands than all
that. This is a consummate warts-and-all record, but in the most positive sense.
His flaws lie next to his brilliance better than ever.
Grace/Wastelands is wistful yet self-assured, playful yet dangerously
sharp around the edges. French artist Alize Meurisse, in collaboration with
Doherty, crafted the LP's cover painting of Salome, who is of course full of
mystery and veils. Doherty and Babyshambles producer Stephen Street have made
a record people are most likely going to return to for years. Some of the songs
are older and have been sketches but now are fully fleshed out. Of these "A
Little Death Around The Eyes" is fantastic, co-penned with Doherty's Libertines
chum Carl Barat. Parts of it even sound like James Bond on heroin(e), but not
in a garish way. It's rather sleek and nasty yet charming, a great number. Elsewhere,
opener "Arcadie" drifts amidst an idyllic weary naivete, but wait,
there's more! An album lyric like "Now you know more than your teachers"
suggests the naivete is rather put on. You can learn lessons in all kinds of
places, and you'll still want your own places of bliss to call home amidst the
tumult of ups and downs.
Blur's Graham Coxon plays a great musical foil to Doherty, helps shore up the ship in places and just generally adds more great textures and mood into the mix. Let's hope it isn't the only time these guys work together. String arrangements byJohn Metcalfe (ex- Durutti Column), come off as nice backdrops rather than as pretentious. In "Salome" the strings meld with the rest of the music to create a mystery play of vulnerability with light peeking through the blinds and dancing off the spinning veils of the dancer in the song. It was inspired by Oscar Wilde, as was the cover art and is probably the most rewarding song on the record in some ways. It's certainly great to hear Doherty name drop John The Baptist! Another gem, "Last Of The English Roses" is Clash city meets updated mischief making.
This is a great record with folk and roll to spare in spades, but with a searching heart. Still waiting for that B-side "Model Pussy", though. ----Morgan Y. Evans
PSYKUP
WE LOVE YOU ALL
SEASON OF MIST
Psykup gets praise right off the bat for having the good fortune of naming their album We Love You All, a classic phrase in conversations between audience and stage (just ask Ozzy). You can call this seasoned French crew avant garde and get away with it, as this six-track guide to schizophrenic solipsism bears a nasty pair of technical death metal fangs while whirlwinds of time signature changes and absurdist vocals round out the chaos. Damned if you don't hear things reminiscent of System of a Down, Faith No More, or anything from Devin Townsend within the 10-minute "Here Comes the Waves", but don't fret; this exhausting metal exercise makes up for its smuggling through anxiously alluring and cleverly constructed compositions spanning the extreme metal landscape.
PUNCHLINE
JUST SAY YES
MODERN SHORT STORIES
Pop-punk meets piano rock is what Punchline brings to the table on their latest disc Just Say Yes. Fortified with a multitude of sounds from garage rock ("Get Off My Train") to Ben Folds-like pop nuggets ("Somewhere in the Dark") to weepy ballads ("Castaway") to Weezer-esque rockers ("Punish or Privilege"), this quartet, who used to be on Pete Wentz's label (Fueled By Ramen) before winning a $25,000 grand prize and setting up their own label, do a serviceable job of injecting the templates of Blink 182 and New Found Glory with smidgens of indie rock pizzazz.
ROADSAW
SEE YOU IN HELL
SMALL STONE
Boston-based outfit Roadsaw have returned from "indefinite hiatus" with See You In Hell, a durable 11-track comeback. Bringing their brand of blue-collar heavy blues rock to the forefront, the Fu-Manchu meets Nebula groove on "Go It Alone" proves the band capable of laying down banging buzzsaw riffs, the fuzzed-out title track stomps like a sludged-out AC/DC, and the muscular barroom blues of "Leavin" manages to coherently cross the wares of Tesla and Seemless. Roadsaw also get contemplative during the acoustic desert rock of "Dead Horse", but for the majority of the time this triumphant act turns up the volume and cranks out an impressive return disc fortified with the kind of nasty guitar heroics and gritty rhythms that stoner metal fans will embrace.
ROSS THE BOSS
NEW METAL LEADER
CANDLELIGHT
Former Manowar guitarist and co-founder Ross the Boss makes a bold claim by naming his new project's album New Metal Leader. Going so far as to employ an actual Manowar cover band to be his "full-time" band, Ross The Boss painstakingly succeeds in recreating the vintage vibe of his glory days on this 11-track affair. Heavily borrowing from early-period Manowar, tracks like "We Will Kill" and "I.F.H." are perfect knockoffs right down to the vocal caterwaul and extended guitar solos, giving the fans from the early days a constant chill deep inside. This album is bound to please longtime fans, yet its exaggerated title and overall redundancy (especially for non-fans) yields an unremarkable listen for those who aren't down for a batch of dude in loincloth style metal.
SAMOTHRACE
LIFE'S TRADE
20 BUCK SPIN
Unbridled doom metal with a slew
of icy blues tendencies is what Lawrence, KS quartet Samothrace serves up on
their four-track, 48-minute offering Life's Trade. Echoing their Western
states sentiments by adding American Indian tribal
rhythms into the intricate musical maze to create a swirling effect that morphs
Pink Floyd and Isis ("Awkward Hearts"), this band uses everything
at their dispose to create sonic walls of slow-churned savagery. Showcasing
a tremendous twin guitar tandem whose sludgy call and response shines throughout
the disc, this crushing release embodies the spirit of desolation at its most
absolute.
SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY
INTERVALS
FERRET
What started out as a joke has become serious business based on Intervals, the sophomore 17-track affair from Michigan maulers See You Next Tuesday. Gone are the band's blatant scene point scoring long-ass nonsensical titles while the much-maligned breakdowns, an once-integral part of this quartet's arsenal, are used less frequently than on previous offering Parasite. Opting instead to immerse themselves fully into a grindcore state of mind (the under five-second blast "Alpha" and the 38 second "Nightmares" being fitting examples), this group displays traces of metallic maturation that occasionally comes up for a shot of face-ripping deathcore ("In The Beginning"), all the while exhibiting their exploratory edge ("She Once Said I Was A Romantic") Chock full of chaotic tempo changes (the drums smoke here) and blistering guitar and bass work ("Goodnight (Our Last Dance)", "One of These Days"), this unit seems to have shed most of its musical baby fat, but songs like the bland three-minute o' stock chug "Dedication to a New Era" and the stagnant "Forever on Deaf Ears", while commendably visit to a discernibly slower uncharted area, suggest they've got a bit more work to do before staking claim on a higher position on the metal food chain. Nonetheless, the latest disc from See You Next Tuesday denotes a positive stylistic shift ripe with maddening grindcore that allows this bunch of brootal doods to take it to the next level without losing the best of what brought them there.
SEPULTURA
A-LEX
SPV
Left with only one original member in the fold (Andreas Kisser for those keeping score), Sepultura continues to trudge on Cavalera-less with the entity's latest release A-LEX, a conceptual album based on cult novel A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. This 18-track affair attacks with the fervor this act has championed since the split in 1997, audibly conveying a commendable slab of the throbbing tribal stomp and unabashed heaviness this band helped to invent back in the early '90s ("What I Do", "The Treatment"). Sounding as sharp and blistering as ever ("Sadistic Values", "Strike"), especially vocally thanks to Derrick Green's seething submergence into venomous death metal pits of despair ("Moloko Mesto"), there's even a few of the band's trademarked nuances revisited here ("Filthy Rot", "The Treatment", "The Experiment"), properly placed to efortlessly flow into the group's current paradigm. As with virtually every concept album, A-LEX suffers from some bloat (the off the mark classical homage "Ludwig Van" seems too self-indulgent even though it fits storyline wise), yet the good outweighs the bad here long enough to keep the skip button from getting hit. Sepultura will probably never be the same as the glory days sans a full-on reunion, but this incarnation's noble flying of the flag and willingness to take risks overall renders a rewarding listening experience for those tuned in to this trailblazing troupe's new directives.
SILENCER
DIVISIONS
F-BOMB
For those bound to be confused, let's straighten it out; there are two metal acts sharing the same band name Silencer. Divisions is the latest release by the veteran Denver, CO version Silencer, not the most recent disc from diabolical and twisted Swedish suicide metal troupe Silencer. Now that formalities are out of the way, what should you expect from this quintet that has been around since the late '90s and boasts acts like Judas Priest and Carcass amongst its influences? Think loads of Euro melodeath shreddery intertwined with shards of Strapping Young Lad's technicality for starters, as cuts such as "The Mind Races" and "Main Sequence" are equipped with an abundance of surgically placed yet sterile riff and percussion one-two incisions while tasteful guitar solos galore adorn "Panoptic" and "P6MK" and Meshuggah-esque staccato fury reveals itself on "Effigy in Suspension". Sounding decisively Swedish in the vocal realm (bands like Soilwork and Mnemic immediately come to mind), this unit's undeniably powerful presence shines brightest on cuts which sturdily cement their contribution to the modern death/thrash paradigm like "Suppressor", yet for all the merits Divisions garnishes for durability, there's little to be heard here that hasn't been covered before or substantially stands out to assist them from standing above and beyond the proficient pack.
SINNER
CRASH AND BURN
CANDLELIGHT
Presenting their first new album in almost six years, the German metal troupe Sinner bust through the gates with Crash And Burn. This 11-track offering renders a no-nonsense fist-pumping heavy metal vibe that falls somewhere in between fellow countrymen Accept and Scorpions in terms of fluidity and tenacity. Tracks such as "Revolution" adds a touch of Sunset Strip shimmy to the mix while "Break the Silence" hits hard with a simple yet crunchy riff that nicely melds melody and bite. While this disc would've been a can't miss smash 25 years ago, Sinner's latest manages to properly recreate heavy metal's days of yore with dignity fully intact.
SONIC SYNDICATE
LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS
NUCLEAR BLAST
Swedish metalcore sextet Sonic Syndicate portray the perfect product of their environment, as Love And Other Disasters carefully follows templates from the genre's commercial successes to comprise this band's by the book sound. Tracks like "Contradiction" easily fits somewhere on the Bullet for My Valentine radar, while the pseudo-ballad "My Escape" and "Damage Control" takes the keyboards out for a spin for a trip reminiscent of Scar Symmetry or Bleeding Through. Sonic Syndicate's solid yet completely unoriginal metalcore grows weary after a few spins, but won't tire those entrenched in flavor of the week mallcore.
SOTHIS
DE OPRESSO LIBER
CANDLELIGHT
Sothis breaks the barrier for being a black metal band from Los Angeles, not some far corner of Europe. This unit's nine-track affair, produced by Andy LaRocque, captures the nefarious nuances of the genre without too much interference, allowing the malevolent interplay between atmospheric keyboards, thunderous drums, and rapid-fire riffs to reap full benefit on cuts like "Beneath a Black Boiling Sky" and the mauling mid-tempo scowl of "Obsidian Throne". Genuinely grim and convincingly vicious, songs like the haunting "The Cold Disconnection" and "Perpetual" demonstrate this squad's penchant for pummeling with evil intent, making De Opresso Liber an album for habitants of the dark side to seek out.
STAY ALIVE
VINYL FOR MY FRIENDS
SELF-RELEASED
All the members of melodic punk hardcore revivalists Stay Alive have rich histories in the NY scene both on stage and behind the scenes and it shows on their bouncy yet biting four-track 7" Vinyl For My Friends. Writing songs that adroitly walk the tightrope between genres a la Black Train Jack, Grey Area, and Bouncing Souls, this is a release perfect for those caught in between growing up and looking back played with the heartfelt conviction of their heroes sans any fluff, truly capturing how much fun this band is having by paying homage to the times they cherish.
SUBMISSION
CODE OF CONSPIRACY
BLISTERING
Hailing from Denmark, Submission is yet another act springing up from the saturated melodic death metal front that warrants attention, providing formidable competition for the genre's leaders with a precise blend of assaultive thrash riffs, snarling and aggressive yet intelligible vocals, and adroit technical prowess. Despite this quintet's sophomore effort being marred by bad luck both on the business and personal end, Code Of Conspiracy celebrates their revival and marks the debut of vocalist Lasse Sivertsen, whose versatile style packs just as strong a punch on curiously-placed classic metal acoustic cut "Determent Infiltration" as it does for the Trivium-esque "Celebrate the Dead", the scorching title track and the crunchy Strapping Young Lad meets Gojira with huge In Flames chorus track "An Illusion of the Perfect Forever". Toss in an endless supply of solid chops highlighted on instrumental cut and album closer "The End of Eternity" along with a well-rounded array of influences from dark progressive to nation-hopping melodeath woven into this band's fabric, and fans of Soilwork and Hatesphere that want the sound to go a bit deeper will rejoice, as Submission is added as another name on the list of bands to check out.
SUSPYRE
WHEN TIME FADES
SENSORY
Suspyre is a progressive metal troupe whose 11-track trek When Time Fades takes the listener through a labyrinth of dark passageways illuminated with fierce metallic explosiveness. Equipped with the similar songwriting devices as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Nevermore, Suspyre precisely pulls from each to form their own spin on the genre, as songs like the galloping power metal might of "The Light of the Fire", the jazz brass coming from out of nowhere on "Reign", and the startling fretwork audible on "Lighted Endrhyme" denote the unique stamp this band offers. Discernibly darker with a fondness for the symphonic ("Siren"), Suspyre produce a rich musical experience that fans of Helloween and Children of Bodom alike can agree on.
TRENCHES
THE TIDE WILL SWALLOW US WHOLE
SOLID STATE
The press release quotes for this disc pretty much sums it up;"We're not doing this to win the scene, to have the tightest jeans or the swoopiest haircuts. We're doing this for us", says former Haste the Day frontman Jimmy Ryan, whose new unit Trenches have cleverly discovered the middle ground between Isis, Tool and Mastodon on their debut release The Tide Will Swallow Us Whole. Shaping its powerful post-metal disposition with dollops of sludge metal into glistening instrumental interludes with tumultuous shifts in tempo and emotion ("Bittersweet"), this band masterfully melds modern metal's avant garde elements together ("Call It a Day"), forming a trajectory of dynamic metal which conveys a forward-thinking yet focused mindset that fans of Zao, Deftones, and Cult of Luna will have no problem embracing.
UNREAL CITY
EPHEMERAL SUBSISTENCE
DOUBLE OR NOTHING
Metallic hardcore that makes no bones about being influenced by bands such as Ringworm and Sworn Enemy is what Pittsburgh, PA quintet Unreal City unleashes on Ephemeral Subsistence. Crustier than your average hardcore band, this unit's tell it like it is delivery captured by Bill Korecky at Cleveland metal shrine Mars Studio coupled with a proficient guitar prowess (just check the multitude of solos on closer "Beyond Reality") catapults this crew to the ranks of the likes of Leeway and Integrity for properly pinning down the old school tones that get the dancefloor active on cuts like "Moral Sermon" and the crushing "Fabricated". Expertly exhibiting a gritty musical underbelly with matching lyrical disdain, menacing tracks "Swine" and "Synthesis of Paranoia" chug at a mauling mid-tempo pace perfect for a circle-pit entry crawl while the haunting intro of "In the Council of Demons" summons up Swedish melodeath at its most effective before blasting into a coarse screamed ode to despair. Gruff and unapologetic, Unreal City's debut endeavor respectfully accepts the torch of '90s metallic hardcore and follows through with reverence and ferocity.
VIKING SKULL
GLOOM DOOM HEARTACHE & WHISKEY
CANDLELIGHT
Don't allow the Faces-esque silliness on "Drink" spoil the venomous stew of metal the UK's Viking Skull concocts on Gloom Doom Heartache & Whiskey. This nine-track effort amply borrows the firepower from Motorhead, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC to meld a three-pronged metal assault that mercilessly kicks you in the gut with a barrage of burly grooves ("Start A War", "Shot Down"). There's also a prominent punk metal vibe permeating through the disc that wouldn't sound out of place from Danzig, Alabama Thunderpussy, Warrior Soul ("In for the Kill") or Queens of the Stone Age ("Double or Quits"), assisting in shaping this band's soulful sound that goes beyond fuzzy bass riffs and gravel-throated vocals. Truly incensing a sense of reckless abandon unheard since Guns 'N Roses emerged from the gutter, Viking Skull keeps their end of the bargain with the devil by pumping out simple and subtle meat and potatoes metal that's lean and ready for a scuffle.
WHO RIDES THE TIGER
TRANSYLVANIA BABY
HARD DRUGS
Down and dirty rock 'n roll merchants Who Rides the TIger produce a bongload of filthy riffs and sinister rhythms on the 10-track Translynvania Baby. This shadowy Los Angeles trio's assault spares no expense while doling out a bombastic wall of hard rock brimming over the top of their stoner biker metal pot with an array of sinewy guitars, throaty growls, rollicking percussion and thick bass trapped in the middle of a Pier Six brawl . Rating high on the sleaze-o-meter without an whiff of Aqua Net or a hint of spandex, these guys merge the kickass sensibilities of High On Fire, Clutch, Warrior Soul, and The Four Horsemen, devising a surefire formula to shake your soul.