ARGHOSLENT
HORNETS OF THE POGROM
DRAKKAR
After a six-year hiatus, Virginia's Arghoslent return with Hornets Of The
Porgrom, stirring the pot once again with their bastardized combination
of controversial viewpoints and scolding death metal. This veteran unit's latest
eight-track affair contains a bevy of the most well thought-out riffs and sheer
brutality put to disc in the extreme genre, as tracks like "Oracle of the
Malefic Rhizome" and "Swill of the Knaves" slay with barbaric
might while undertones of undeniable melodic beauty echo beneath. This underground
act may be better known for their offensive lyrical content and left of center
school of thought, but the musical output displayed on this album is chock full
of death metal magnificence and should be rendered as mandatory metal listening
for the most unflappable.
BLACK FLAME
IMPERIVM
REGAIN
Italian black metal trio Black Flame unleash an eight-track affair steeped in
calamity with Imperivm. Without deviating from the genre's basic elements
, this foreboding troupe attack with the feral fury passed down through the
left hand path . Tracks like "Ad Inferna" strike with a venomous bite,
revealing a grim vocal rasp and a demonically-charged rhythmic pound, while
chaotic guitars and a hellacious sense of evil await on cuts like "Apocalyptic
Zero". Presenting this squad's meat and potato aural assault with little
room for experimenting, if you are a stickler for underground purity, this record
will serve you well.
BLACKLIST UNION
BREAKIN' BREAD WITH THE DEVIL
BLU
Presenting a holdover sound straight from the danger-laden late-era Sunset Strip
days with some modern day tweaking, Los Angeles outfit Blacklist Union portray
the grit and recklessness associated with the excesses of rock 'n roll with
conviction on Breakin' Bread With The Devil. This 10-track salvo to
the bottomless glass contains the proper mixture of kick you in the head lyrics
and simple yet effective riffs ("King of Fools") and isn't afraid
to bare its soul to ease the pain from loss ("Sixty Five Steps Away").
Bridging the gap between Papa Roach and Motley Crue, Blacklist Union is far
from unique yet definitively demonstrate the byproduct of the Hollywood rock
machine revved at all cylinders.
CANDYGRAM FOR MONGO
CANDYGRAM FOR MONGO
CF MEDIA
myspace.com/candygramformonoband
Los Angeles pop punk squad Candygram for Mongo return with an eponymous 13-track offering chock full of infectious melodies containing more hooks than a tackle box. Cuts like "What Are We" and "Big Mary" portray the rambunctious feel of a spiked hair contingent with the usual imminent sense of danger replaced with the sharp songwriting skills you'd hear from the likes of Elvis Costello or Cheap Trick. Edgy yet accessible, tracks like "Meltdown" and "Fairfax Avenue" display a bounce that's perfect for the Warped Tour with a sing along chorus tailor-made for a drunken night with old friends while songs like "Rock To Live" showcase the Celtic-esque vibe employed by the likes of Flogging Molly and Against Me. With their freewheeling nature at the forefront of everything they do, Candygram for Mongo have made a prime candidate of a record to throw on to not only get the party started but to keep the good times rolling all night long.
CAPITOLLIUM
BLOODFALL OF FLESH
SWORN
Ukrainian symphonic black metal mavens Capitollium unleash a vehement display
of hellfire and brimstone on their nine-track affair Bloodfall Of Flesh.
Incorporating everything from operatic female vocals and atmospheric keyboards
to dastardly blast beats and demonic vocal deliveries, this quintet hurls volumes
of venomous melodies with vitriolic shifts in velocity on cuts like 'Mensis
of Mind" and "Ego Sum Lead". Versatile enough to take snippets
of other genres without sacrificing their destructive tendencies on cuts like
the technified closer "Open the Gates", this troupe's stellar songwriting
and willingness to explore outside of the box assists this album in standing
out over the lot of the black metal releases while the band's overall bleak
outlook and chilling aura assists this album in providing a nice buffer between
Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir.
CHINGALERA
DOSE
PACIFIC
Los Angeles trio Chingalera's latest disc suggests this unit definitely spent
a lot of time with their Melvins and Tool discs with a smattering of Queens
of the Stone Age and Fantomas on the side prior to stepping into Sylvia Massy's
lair. The sprawling five-track, near hour long exhibition Dose is the
end result of such a keen study, an affair steeped in ambition and hellbent
on providing lush soundscapes before hitting you over the head with post-hardcore
spaciousness and heady stoner rock grooves. Effects-heavy avant garde interludes
compel the urge to hit the skip button many times throughout (especially during
the trying 16:23 "You Were Happy When You Came In Here"), but make
no mistake: this band is deadset on constructing atmospheres before releasing
rock mayhem and makes you earn you way to get to the infectious Helmet -esque
chug and snare combo carried on "Eveler".
DEAR LIFE
FRAMEWORK
UPRISING
How five kids from the middle of California grew up with a NYHC-sized chip on their shoulders is inexplicable, yet Dear Life brings it with the gravel-throated conviction and oodles of beefy breakdowns you'd expect from an East Coast crew on Framework. Imagine a tough guy version of Comeback Kid for an indication of what to expect from this adroit quintet whose searing aggression bursts through the speakers on cuts like "Prophets" and "The Architects". Produced by the same folks responsible for bands such as The Warriors and Death By Stereo, Dear Life's overall presentation may contain a few too many breakdowns for the ardent hardcore follower, but the sheer passion conveyed throughout this 10-track endeavor carries this band of new jacks over the rough patches just enough to warrant them repeated listens.
EL CUERVO DE POE
VOX CORVUS
RENIASSANCE
Mexican gothic folk troupe El Cuervo de Poe mesh a few distinct styles together
to form the music heard on this septet's 11-track release Vox Corvus.
With two violinists in tow creating a multitude of sounds ranging from sullen
to eerie and sung completely in Spanish in a baroque style by a alto female
singer, the uniqueness of this group is unquestionable, as they intertwine orchestral
compositions with a Lacuna Coil-esque twist on cuts like "Paredes Blancos"
and "Claroscuro" while opting to take the piano ballad route with
some traditional Mexican music strewn in on "Tormenta". If you are
searching for some different elements in your Goth rock, El Cuervo De Poe is
a band you should definitely get to know.
EQUILIBRIUM
SAGAS
NUCLEAR BLAST
Once the horns blast in about a minute into "Prolog Auf Erden", you
know what kind of experience you're headed for courtesy of Bavarian quintet
Equilibrium and their authentic 13-track folk metal explosion SAGAS. Shades
darker than their peers, this act bashes out with the same strep throat vocals
and voluminous velocity of bands such as Cradle of Filth and Children of Bodom
("Unbesiegt") but doesn't leave its roots in the cold, going as far
as singing all of their songs in their native tongue of German and implementing
traditional instrumentation such as woodwinds into its blackened metallic assault.
In a world where power chords and pan flutes collide, Equilibrium stands strong
on top of the heap, adorned with the proper balance of shredding metal and folksy
banter to persuade even the most hardened metal fan to take another gander at
that Viking helmet and sword combination deal.
HACKNEYED
DEATH PREVAILS
NUCLEAR BLAST
Neophytic German metal troupe Hackneyed play with the deathcore style sharply in focus on their nine-track disc Death Prevails. Undoubtedly heavy yet lacking development in spots, this act, whose median age is merely 16, have drawn from extreme metal's elite to compose a rough around the edges sonic battering on cuts like "Gut Candy" and "Axe Splatter". Liberal in their use of technical death metal elements and gore metal imagery, this band's debut is a remarkable effort when considering their age and experience and will definitely appeal to those into Suicide Silence and Job for a Cowboy as well as old schoolers who remember the warmongering of Bolt Thrower.
HAND TO HAND
BREAKING THE SURFACE
LIFEFORCE
Hand to Hand is listed by their record label as a hardcore emo rock group, which
in fairness to all involved is a good description, fitting the bill for this
collective from Orlando, FL. This versatile unit amps up My Chemical Romance-like
melodic rock to Trivium-like levels of intense new school metal while taking
post-hardcore turns along the style of Underoath and From First to Last. Confused?
Luckily this band's scattershot delivery isn't, as they've dissected the meat
and potatoes part of each of the aforementioned genres and have permutated them
into the five-track EP titled Breaking The Surface. If you hate screamo
and loathe anything with singing even to be considered hardcore, run away now.
But if you can deal with some ambiance before blistering leads and don't mind
shards of jagged tenderness creeping in and out of tracks like the Dredg-esque
"Dufresne, Party of Six", then this outfit will pique your interest
and keep you rocking through its genre-bending rollercoaster ride.
HUNG
PROGENY
SELF-RELEASED
NYC progressive death metal squad Hung bring an experimental twist to the heavier
end of the metal spectrum that instantly grabs your attention on their five-track
collection Progeny. With an evil vocal rasp leading the charge, the
key ingredient which sets Hung apart is the frantic and foreboding violin (yes
you read that right) of Lyris Hung, often played with nuances of lead guitar
in mind, creating a pristine yet haunting sound that truly radiates something
unique. It doesn't hurt that the rest of the group consistently showcases dextrous
musical proficiency at every step (especially with the bass) while churning
out weighty pieces of music shrouded in demonic bliss and brazen with technical
ecstasy such as "Maria". This quintet juxtaposes black metal's iconic
intolerance and progressive metal's mesmerizing musicianship into grandiose
compositions laden in hellfire to create the closest thing NYC has ever come
to their own version of pagan metal. If you dig the true metal underground at
its most expansive, Hung will not disappoint.
HYDROGYN
DEADLY PASSIONS
DR2
Female fronted hard rock act Hydrogyn hammer home the notion that you can be
sultry without sacrificing the heavy on their latest 10-track sojourn Deadly
Passions. Liberally borrowing from the best end of '80s hair metal while
adding in a slew of keen production tricks (the male background vocals are particularly
stellar) and razor sharp riffs from modern day rock, tracks like the catchy
"Seroquil", "Candles Light Your Face" and "On and On"
pack the punch of Pat Benatar on steroids while album opener "Rejection"
pounds out a relentless guitar and drum rhythmic pattern exhibiting the band's
comfortability with bearing its teeth. Lead vocalist Julie truly illuminates
the offering with her well-rounded powerful singing, properly fitting the mood
across the duration of the disc's crests and waves, shining brightest on the
Desmond Child-esque ballad "Shadow". Despite the lack of ingenuity
in Hyrdrogyn's recipe for rock, this squad's potent blend collects the best
from numerous different flavors of rock through the years to form a formidable
contender for mainstream accolades worldwide.
ICED EARTH
THE CRUCIBLE OF MAN
SPV
Iced Earth returns with The Crucible Of Man, the long-awaited follow-up
to their 1998 landmark concept album Something Wicked. Replacing the
departing Ripper Owens with former frontman Matt Barlow, this troupe sounds
reinvigorated when maintaining their patented power metal maneuvers on cuts
like "I Walk Alone" and the rousing "Divide and Devour",
yet this disc ultimately lends itself to a darker side of the spectrum, leaving
behind the nuances which made this band such an underground sensation. Lead
guitarist and band leader Jon Schaffer alternates between writing crunchy guitar
tunes and gripping ballads that ooze metal , though some may complain that there
are many songs on this 15-track disc which not so discreetly draw from prior
Iced Earth works. The band's sinister precision and ever-present soaring melodic
flair appear in the mix but don't stick around for long, yielding for a more
atmospheric feel on cuts like "Come What May" and "Crown of the
Fallen". But with Barlow's raging baritone back in the fold, fitting like
a glove, there's more classic Iced Earth moments to be had as opposed to the
last few offerings, making this disc something longtime fans should check out
even if usual aspects are deficient .
IDIOT
DEMO
SELF-RELEASED
Idiot is a Metro NY area trio whose eight-track endeavor showcases a band with
a heavy sound made for the modern age. Changing over from fragile to frantic
on the drop of a dime, this squad can flex its metallic muscle a la Deftones
and Chevelle with the best of them ("Frankie Sharp", "6")
yet can equally take to the heavens to bring down a dose of ethereal atmosphere
a la Muse (4) while even delving into the electronic side of the spectrum to
close out the affair (8). Unleashing a slew of slamming dynamic shifts with
blistering guitars and booming bass fluctuating throughout while providing a
well-balanced hybrid of pristine rock 'n roll finishings and knuckle-dragging
aggression, Idiot has crafted a supple supply of forward thinking metal that
fans of today's brand of brain-powered heavy will unquestionably adore.
ISM
URGENCY
STM
Modern rock quartet Ism provide an electronically-manipulated listening experience chock full of melancholy with Urgency, the NYC troupe's latest 12-track offering. This disc juxtaposes the technological desolation of NIN with the scattershot edginess of latter-day U2, whipping up a somewhat forced array of shadowy tracks such as ""Postlude" and "Sacred Cow" that dubiously fall between a sound too tough for the lounge and too soft for the moshpit. Tracks such as "Graffiti" give Tom Morello a run for his money on the whammy bar while the forlorn feel given off from "Fly" takes a turn into '80s New Wave with a Brit-pop twist. If you dig Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Bravery, or Coldplay at their most haunting, then Ism is a band worth checking out.
KEEP OF KALESSIN
KOLOSSUS
NUCLEAR BLAST
Veteran Norwegian black metal troupe Keep of Kalessin return with their fourth
endeavor, the nine-track Kolossus. Emanating from the depths of traditional
black metal, this unit opts to expand its musical horizons by incorporating
a slew of other styles into their dark riff heavy mix, adding textures from
the spectrum of metal to their template of furious metal for a listening experience
that will confound purists and stimulate the open-minded. Tracks like "Ascendant"
pounds out with a Killing Joke-like element, "Warmonger" takes a death
'n roll approach, and "The Rising Sun" features a lush classical music
outro, yet a gritty black metal underbelly still remains prevalent, even during
the quieter passages found on the tantalizing title track. Longtime fans will
be taken aback by the unit's progressive nuances, yet those in tune with the
later works of Opeth and Emperor will have no problem embracing Keep of Kalessin's
amalgamation of raw power and radical atmosphere into the fold.
LIGHT YOURSELF ON
FIRE
INTIMACY
SEVENTH RULE
Hailing from the death metal stomping ground of Tampa, FL, scene veterans Light
Yourself on Fire's furious sound takes ample cues (especially guitar-wise) from
bands like Obituary and Deicide, yet is well-versed in the adventures of bands
like Converge as well, resulting in the six-track, 17-minute sojourn titled
Intimacy. Ensconced in movie dialogue samples and chugging harder than
a NFL offensive line at the last quarter-mile of their daily laps, this quartet
doesn't shy away from showcasing its broad range of interests or displaying
their intellect while crushing your puny existence with their punishing array
of battleground rhythms or mid-tempo maulings heard on cuts like "New Baby
Girl" or laying down thick slabs of Candiria-esque doomy death rock on
"Haunts". Not for fans of attention spans, this disc jumps and bounces
around like a hyperactive child after a Halloween night candy fix,revealing
a monstrous hybrid that strikes hard and fast and leaves discernible marks for
the left of center metal clan.
MIDNIGHT TO TWELVE
XII
JKH
Midnight to Twelve is a hard rock quintet armed with a streamlined sound which
placed them on the melodrama One Tree Hill. The group's 12-track offering is
a mixed bag of tricks switching between gnashing hard rock ("Burnin",
"Contain It") and sappy Nickelback-esque wallowing ("Slam").
Finding a middle ground between the guitar rock of Saliva, Theory of a Deadman,
and Buckcherry while marking an slight return to '80s hair metal excess thanks
in part to a sharp display of keyboards , this squad succeeds in variating the
modern radio rock sound without sacrificing the big hooks found on tracks like
"Story", demonstrating their readiness for the hockey arena circuit.
OBJECT
BLACK SWAN
VELCRO KITTY
The dynamic NYC duo known as Object holds their ground and maintains their grunge-laden
hard rock stance on the tandem's latest 12-track excursion Black Swan. Built
from a sturdy foundation of tasty riffs and thunderous drums and cymbals colliding
into each other with the controlled recklessness of the early goings of a demolition
derby, cuts like "Clones" demonstrates the stoner slacker movement
championed by acts like Fu Manchu and "Always" comes off as a Queens
of the Stone Age b-side while "The Feeling" displays a durable array
of fuzzed-out fretwork that summons a totally tripped-out vibe. Channeling icons
of '90s rock without disabling their own identity ("Ghostly", "Off
the Record") yet still able to offer more than a retro sound thanks to
the fiery and timeless hard rock chops showcased, Object combines the wares
of The Toadies, Nirvana, Burning Brides, and Dinosaur Jr. for a rousing listening
experience that those who come to rock shall not be disappointed by.
REVOLTONS
UNDERWATER BELLS
SELF-RELEASED
A dose of rousing metal from Italy comes courtesy of Revoltons, a quintet whose Iced Earth by way of Hammerfall style melds virtuoso abilities with strong compositions on Underwater Bells. This 15-track release comfortably straddles the line between power metal's presence and progressive metal's prowess with the grace of bands such as Fates Warning shining on cuts like "Cybertale" and "London Fall". Packing an anthemic punch ("Berserker") while taking it down to a symphonic level with relative ease ("Scanning Horizons"), this well-versed outfit fits in nicely amongst your melodic metal albums.
SEEDS OF CHAOS
SEEDS OF CHOAS
SELF-RELEASED
New Jersey metal mavens Seeds of Chaos attack with a sludgy slam on their five-track
presentation. Taking the thick mid-paced mauling from bands like Goatwhore and
Soilent Green and combining a slaughtering death metal crunch a la Obituary,
this quintet unapologetically thrash their way through head stomping rifftastic
episodes of viscous metallic might. If you like it brutal and hit the bong,
this act provides the perfect soundtrack to your unearthly escape.
SEVER YOUR TIES
SAFETY IN THE SEA
SOLID STATE
Christian rock clan Sever Your Ties incorporates the sound you'd expect from a band hailing from Southern California that calls itself hardcore yet prominently uses keyboards would on their 11-track debut Safety In The Sea. Injected with a smattering of Thrice and Senses Fail (especially in the vocal department), this sextet's chops are undeniably solid ("Things Are Better (Left Unsaid)"), their passion convincing ("To The Pacific", "Here I Am"), and their content surprisingly secular bordering on edgy for a God-fearing group, barring their listless cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper". Yet if you follow this genre stringently, you've heard this all before, and in this group's case, even a few times over throughout this entire disc's span. A lack of variation aside, Sever Your Ties plays a competent brand of post-hardcore with hard rock melodics and hook-laden choruses at the forefront for all the kids to scream along to at next year's Warped Tour.
SKYLARK
DIVINE GATES PART III: THE LAST GATE
RENAISSANCE
myspace.com/renaissancerecordsusa
Italian metal troupe Skylark play a rousing version of power metal with symphonic overtones emblazoned with solid female vocals leading the charge on Divine Gates Part III: The Last Gate. This unit's 10-track endeavor contains just what you'd expect from a band of their nature, as a bevy of galloping guitars, angelic vocals, and the type of pomp and circumstance necessary for this brand of metal reaches out and effectively tug at the heartstrings while allowing the headbanging to perpetuate. Chances are if you dig Doro or are into Nightwish, songs like "All is Wrong" and "The Scream" will appeal to your pristine metal sensibilities.
STRING FINGERS
STRUNG UP
INTERNET ERA
String Fingers is a tandem whose 10-track excursion Strung Up showcases
this duo's deep-ceded roots rock and Americana foundation. Comprising their
sound from an array of stringed instruments from banjo and fiddle to violin
and guitar, this outfit's sound borrows from everything from James Taylor and
Bob Dylan to bluegrass and Appalachian music on cuts like "Without a Doubt"
and demonstrates their solid musicianship on folksy instrumentals such as "Creekside
Ride" and the whimsical "Silicon Valley". Curiously this project
goes all out on the closing track "The Deal", introducing a slew of
guest musicians which includes live drums, female vocals and Stax-era horns
with a dash of soul to end up on a rocking high note. Perfect for some quiet
time or a scenic drive, this disc delivers a versatile collection of traditional
American music whose influences come from both the hills and the backwoods and
the college campus coffeehouse.
THE FIGHT BETWEEN
FRAMES
BIRTH OF THE BULL AND THE LABYRINTH
TRAGIC HERO
Louisiana metalcore squad The Fight Between Frames comes out with fist flailing
on their six-song EP Birth Of The Bull And The Labyrinth. Despite their
geographic location and what their publicity propaganda suggests, the southern
rock heard from cuts like "Red Rubber Jungle" and "Gambling Away
Your Livelihood" shares a lot in common with Maylene and the Sons of Disaster.
Add in heavy-handed breakdowns and spastic time changes just like the 150 other
metalcore bands currently working the circuit, and you've got yet another sound-alike
metalcore album. While this band does its part to combine Every Time I Die,
Converge, and Bury Your Dead into a cohesive union, they still have a long way
to go before they can stand out in such an oversaturated scene.
TRIBE AFTER TRIBE
M.O.A.B.
RODEOSTAR
Robbi Robb has been fronting the South African band Tribe After Tribe for over
two decades, raising awareness of global social issues with his potpourri of
multicultural rock music as a soundtrack. The latest venture from this unit
is the 15-track M.O.A.B., an album that boasts thirteen different musicians
making the most of the vast arsenal of styles at their dispose. From the flannel-shirt
stomp of "Holy City Warrior" and "Shock and Awe" to the
native sounds emanating from "World Drum" and "Lament",
this outspoken collective returns after a lengthy hiatus sounding like a cross
between Peter Gabriel and Sepultura, adorned with a well-rounded smattering
of hard edged world class rock that fans of the more adventurous sounds of the
'90s are bound to embrace.
TULAR
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MASK
RENAISSANCE
Tular is an Italian act who blend Gothic and symphonic metal to comprise their sound. This female-fronted quintet's debut The Truth Behind The Mask bridges the gap between Evanescence, Nightwish, and Epica, as each of the album's 14 tracks contains a combination of big guitars and lush orchestrations to create a somber yet powerful array of textures on cuts like "Fallen Angel" and the haunting piano-led and darkly orchestrated"Dark White Flame". Fitting nicely between your Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation discs, Tular's debut has all of the nuances to satisfy fans of the fantasy side of the metal spectrum.
WHITEY MORGAN AND
THE 78'S
HONKY TONKS AND CHEAP MOTELS
SMALL STONE
Whitey Morgan and the 78's steers clear of new country's gloss, instead taking
to the far-removed backroads to deliver a slice of rocking outlaw country music
on Honky Tonks And Cheap Motels. This 12-track affair sticks to the
most prolific themes by some of the genre's best while laying down an authentically
composed collection of tunes complete with pedal steel pluckings and twangy
melodies, driving home the down home appeal of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings,
and Conway Twitty on cuts like the subtle "Cheatin' Again" and the
poignant "Goodbye Dixie".Hailing from the downtrodden town of Flint,
MI only helps Morgan and company's case to convincingly sing with the heavy
heartache portrayed on "Love and Honor" and "Hold Her When She
Cries" and rock out with the desolation attached to "Sinner".
If you secretly stow a pair of cowboy boots and a ten gallon hat in the recesses
of your closet, this album will provoke you to break out the duds and crack
open a bottle of whiskey and contemplate.
WILLIE BASSE
THE MONEY GRIND
NEW EMPIRE
Wheeling out a healthy dose of hard rock histrionics, Willie Basse returns from
the shadows of session musicianship and studio ownership to release his new
14-track endeavor The Money Grind. Formerly fronting the Los Angeles
mainstay Black Sheep (whose name he fortuitously sold to the rap band from the
early '90s), there's no denying that Basse's crunchy songs and powerful vocals
rip it up with all of the pomp the '80s dictated, sounding at times like a cross
between Y&T and Bulletboys ("Unloveable", "Don't Waste My
Time"). While it's a tough call to really tell if songs like the reggae-infused
"Yesterdaze" will strike a chord with fans of his target audience,
there's enough material found on this disc to satisfy those who crave the big
sound songs like "It's Over" pump out.