THE ACACIA STRAIN

All Shall Perish has been one of my personal favorites, ever since their Hate, Malice, Revenge LP. When that release first dropped, the band was trying something different than their peers. All Shall Perish, rather than playing a prototypical style of hardcore or death metal, decided to mix death, hardcore, and grind into a potent and extremely volatile sound. Now, while the deathcore movement is rapidly becoming more and more popular with bands such as Job For A Cowboy, Animosity, and Despised Icon waving the deathcore banner high, All Shall Perish continues to stand at the top of the mountain. As good as the previously mentioned bands are, none of them can hold a candle to the violent abandon of All Shall Perish.

The Price of Existence is a far more mature effort than "Hate, Malice, Revenge" and truly shows that All Shall Perish has not only advanced in terms of songwriting, but also musicianship. The band has crafted an album filled with just as many Gothenburg and Floridian-tinged riffs as it is with absolutely menacing breakdowns that one could almost imagine decimating an entire crowd of emo kids from left to right. Combine all of those with the fact that ever single song has a distinctive personality of it's own, and you've got one of the best albums of 2006.

Ben Orum and Chris Storey have really outdone themselves on the riff front, as stated earlier. These two have written parts for this album that would make any death metal veteran nod with approval, much like the drumming of Matt Kuykendall and the vocals of Hernan Hermida. This is so far beyond anything that others bands of this genre are doing, in terms of technicality and overall brutality as a whole. At one minute, this band could be yanking your entrails over a barbed wire fence and the next, making your head explode with the kind of technical work that puts even Necrophagist to shame. Believe me, no matter how long you've been into death metal, this is absolutely a must-have release for you. I'm still blown away.

The clarity and power on With Oden on Our Side has shown how much the musicianship has improved over the years with Amon Amarth. This shows not only that they have been able to survive over the past ten years or so but can come out with one of their top crowning achievements.

AMORPHIS

Eclipse

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006
Reviewer: Fox

Many Amorphis fans have anticipated this album with bated breath, this newest platter of vigorously tuneful Finnish sounds introducing the talents of new singer Tomi Joutsen, who replaces the band's longtime and much-revered frontman Pasi Koskinen. Often, groups are required to make such changes and for whatever reasoning, the results on this latest achievement stand as being surprisingly positive in consideration of the circumstances. Although Eclipse is an album in which fans will find Amorphis to be much more accessible than ever before, a large amount of the base of the band's sound remains deeply rooted in the recognizable strains of their classic legacy.

As one of the first groups to factually combine the death metal style with more commercial sounds, Amorphis has overcome the odds on this refreshingly well-constructed record. While cuts like "Perkele (The God Of Fire)" and "Brother Moon" exhibit a noticeable return to the melodic death metal orchestrations of Elegy, most often the listener is thrust into a forebodingly harmonious musical realm that excels as a combination of the sensations delivered by the group's most recently acclaimed effort, Tuonela and to a much lesser extent, Elegy. Motivated by a strongly persuasive intent to produce vital, engaging modern rock.

Over the years, more and more of the Finnish goth sound has penetrated the sound of the group and while Amorphis most certainly reclaims their identity on this stellar disc, that singular, distinct identity is less at odds with contemporary sounds than at any other point in the band's career. Rife with bold, melancholy harmonies, "Two Moons" projects the classic Amorphis style that fans have come to know and love over the years, with Joutsen instantly proving himself to be a worthy replacement for Koskinen. A familiar thread runs through epic tracks like "Leaves Scar" and "The Smoke", while "Under A Soil And Black Stone" delivers a restrained, morose sensation in what is as close to a traditional rock ballad as the Finnish sextet has ever managed.

Those who have followed Amorphis since the days of Tales Of A Thousand Lakes will find this latest chapter in the history of the band to be a logical next step. Being nothing short of outstanding, Eclipse is a must-have release that firmly re-establishes Amorphis as being one of the mightiest outfits in today's European metal community. Amorphis.

In The Mouth of The Young

Reviewer: Thorne

Now, when one hears that an album was produced by Page Hamilton of the legendary Helmet, it's naturally expected that the album will be nothing short of killer...correct?  I assumed that, when I received Bullets and Octane's debut in the mail.  Unfortunately, my assumptions were not accurate at all.  Bullets and Octane seemingly makes an effort to rock hard with "In The Mouth of The Young" but their attempts fall flat very quickly and very painfully.

As stated moments ago, the band really wanted people to think that this is a loud and dirty rock and roll album but for whatever reason, it ended up sounding more like Nickelback on steroids.  The lackluster riffs contained herein rage along, as much as music of this caliber CAN rage (i.e. a label exec shouting "Look aggressive!" in the background) but in the end, they're still poorly executed and processed to a level of absurd proportions.

The vocals remind me of your A-typical radio rock singer belting out songs that would make fans of Staind and Stereomud leap for joy upon first listen.  There's no soul, there's no passion and there's certainly no substance to be found.  This is commercialized Spam for the masses, and is to be taken as such, no matter how many times you listen to it.  So help me, several of these songs are going to be hit singles for this very reason.

CLAWFINGER1/2

Hate Yourself With Style

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006

Sweden’s Clawfinger may be the reigning kings of a dying genre, rap-metal, however, with their newest release Hate Yourself With Style, they raise the anchor and the bar! Reactionary is probably one of the better words to describe this explosive release. Unbelievably, this band has been justifiably assaulting the ignorant with their inflammatory in-your-face lyrics since the early 90’s in attempts to wake the blind. Regardless how long the band has been a mainstay, it’s not hard to understand why this band has remained underground for as long as they have. Having an endless penchant for calling people out, they have pretty much assumed the thankless and unwanted position of ambassadors of the forgotten and/or discriminated. Clawfinger is the megaphone of the voiceless. Serving injustices of the world back to the offender is the only way they know how to operate and on this release, it is delivered with the ferocious force of all the might, that of a ten-ton hammer called brutal honesty. Of course, we know when you are brutally honest, not holding your tongue is not the preferred path to win a popularity contest. Having said that, it is a good thing this band doesn’t give a fuck about trifle things of that nature! In their immortal words “Like it, hate it, leave it, take it. What we’ve got is what you’re getting”!

Speaking of words, vocalist Zak Tell…how befitting is his last name? Well back to the subject at hand, Tell lyrically injects a white-hot dose of truth serum into the veins of the unsuspecting societal and moral offenders. On songs like “Right to Rape”, Tell spews a venomous proclamation back at a group of Swedish hockey players whom gang-raped a woman and crimes remain unpunished when the group of men were only expelled from their hockey team yet were later exonerated of criminal charges. “Faggot In You” places a mirror in front of the gay bashers pointing the finger of gayness back at the other party. “Hate Yourself With Pride” addresses the fake, the proud, ass kissers,  and the fool hearty. Self-loathing and questioning on are highlighted on “Sick of Myself”…. Amongst the aforementioned, a plethora of taboo subjects is tackled on this offering.

DARKTHRONE

The Cult Is Alive

Ok, so you say you like black metal? Good! Do you know who Darkthrone is? If not, then do not even begin to call yourself a true fan of the genre. I hate to sound like an elitist, but honestly, that's just the way it is. For almost 20 years, Darkthrone has been cranking out their own brand of hellacious black metal and with landmark albums like A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Under A Funeral Moon, Transylvanian Hunger, and Panzerfaust, these guys only seem to get better with age. However, when I first heard the advance track of "Too Old, Too Cold" from "The Cult Is Alive", I was as surprised as any Darkthrone fan would be.

The sound on that track, and on The Cult Is Alive as a whole, is very different from anything in Darkthrone's catalog, particularly their last two albums Hate Them and Sardonic Wrath. Gone is the stoner-friendly atmosphere on Hate Them and the steady, black metal pace of Sardonic Wrath. Instead, Darkthrone has chosen to strengthen their battle-tested shield of black metal with the punk influences they also wear proudly on their collective sleeves.

To put it bluntly, this album is the catchiest, angriest, and most attitude-laden album I've ever heard from Darkthrone and with each listen, I become more fixated on it than before. Whereas, Celtic Frost was a major influence on albums past, it seems the boys have looked to Cryptic Slaughter, Motörhead, and Autopsy as influences on this album. The album's first single, and ironically, the band's first ever single "Too Old, Too Cold" is a definite indicator of what to expect here...rip roarin' rock and roll violence.

Nocturno Culto has always been one of my favorite vocalists, but along with Panzerfaust (the most savage black metal vocal performance ever put to tape) this is the best I have ever heard him sound. His vocals on The Cult Is Alive are completely understandable (except for the Norwegian lyrics...well, unless you're Norwegian) but delivered in his typical "I really don't happen to care what you think, you insolent humanoid" style. Somehow, this works perfectly with the music he and Fenriz created here. The punk urgency has only added to the mystique of this band, proving that they cannot be pigeonholed into any particular category while also making for a totally insane black metal attack that demands repeated listens.

I was also happy that Fenriz finally got to sing a track in the form of "Graveyard Slut" in which he delivers a performance that definitely deserved his special twisted touch. As far as song titles go, Darkthrone's definitely gotten weird with them as time has passed (Their last disc featured a song called "Straightening Sharks In Heaven". I'm not even touching that one) but this time around, songs like "Graveyard Slut", "Whisky Funeral" and "Too Old, Too Cold" not only reflect their subtle sense of humor but again...the punk feel of this album.

The bottom line is this. If you're looking for epic symphonies, triggered blasting, polished guitars, and female La La La Dee Da vocals, go pull your Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir CD's off the shelf and do a polka. However, if you're looking for catchy riffs, raw production, hate-filled drumming, and angry blackened Satan-loving vocals, pick this album up immediately and play it at your nearest church function. Watch the believers run in fear...and show some love to Darkthrone, because with this record, they have proven that "The Cult" is very much alive.

DAYLIGHT DIES1/2

Dismantling Devotion

Candlelight Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

Daylight Dies, a North Carolina collective of five, evokes a plethora of emotions ranging from the beauteous to anger, depression, and happiness. Dismantling Devotion, the band’s sophomore effort to No Reply where newcomer Nathan Ellis’ low and husky vocals are a welcomed addition taking Daylight Dies to the next level. Covering a lot of ground, the band wreaks a lot of havoc on your psyche in 53:55. The band first caught my attention with their single “A Dream Designed” which sent me into a depressive disharmonic of state of bliss! With lyrics like “Throes of regret that course through my mind the pain of careless ways. Divulging thoughts of a dream resigned” This band makes music that delves into your nucleus causing you to reassess your life, especially after listening to “A Life Less Lived”; it helps you to appreciate the progress made in your life thus far. “Sanguine solutions to hope's dissolution. Tomorrow's turmoil tonight carbon mirrors of my yesterdays”…phew!!

If forced to compare the bands’ dark multi-layered atmospheric doomish metal instrumentation, it would be a match between Opeth vs. Katatonia. The amount of original guitar riffs of Barre Gambling and Charlie Shackelford are astounding along side of the very talented rhythm section of drummer Jesse Haff and Egan O'Rourke on bass. The velvety melodies are full-bodied and brooding. The entire CD is a spiritual experience introducing you to the dark side without dragons, skulls, and pentagrams but through excellently composed and arranged music. Daylight Dies is a fat-free no cheese kind of band proving you do not have to sacrifice heaviness to give way for well thought out melodies. BRAVO!

Candlelight has such a dark and rich lineup of artists; it’s hard to pick a favorite! However, I predict this CD will quickly become one of yours. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this; you will be very happy you did!

DEAD TO FALL

The Phoenix Throne

Victory Records, 2006

Reviewer: Fox

While the band’s last album, Villainy And Virtue, gave off a starkly noticeable deathcore impression, the band’s third album, The Phoenix Throne, Dead To Fall has returned to their previous stance, which is more of a hardcore brush with metal than that of many bands termed with the now-slanderous metalcore moniker. Production-wise, TPT is stuffy, with the entire mix sounding as if it were filtered through a pillow before heading off to be mastered. In contrast, to the last record’s punchy, in-your-face mix, this engineering approach causes the band to sound more restrained and much less dynamic. In many instances, it sounds like Dead To Fall is simply going through the motions, offering warmed over As I Lay Dying riffing with a brusque, yet non-threatening vocal delivery courtesy of Jon Hunt. With the muffled tones, snuffing out half of the rhythm section at any given time, the music is somewhat less enjoyable than the band’s previous offerings. Strangely, although the bass, kick drums, cymbals, and vocals are often smothered, the guitar sound is much more pronounced, especially during the melody lines. In combination with these factors, there’s noting that really excites the listener the way a really great record should. At this point, the style Dead To Fall emphasizes is growing fairly tiresome. When considering that there is a massive glut of artists now treading this path, it is required that bands do more to stand out from the pack and unfortunately, such is not the case on this album. Although the completely killer presentation of the CD leads one to believe that they’re in for something really special, the final analysis here uncovers bland, impotent metalcore such of the type that is due for extinction. Uninspiring and unexpectedly lackluster, The Phoenix Throne is one that’s only worth looking into if you’re overly zealous for a particularly bland rendition of an exceedingly tired style of heavy metal.

The Phoenix Throne starts off with a kick in the teeth with "All My Heroes Have Failed Me", a classic anthem for the angry youth of today. The production of the CD itself is crisp yet dense and thick with bass and overall heaviness however with all of the moshing potential that this release will undoubtedly illicit it doesn't translate 100% in recorded format. Of course Paul Romano has to be one of the best artists around when it comes to striking layouts and cover art but in this case it overshadows the recorded material. If you are a fan of DTF, The Phoenix Throne is definitely something you need to add to your anthology. If you're not a fan of the band or this style of hardcore/metal, then wait for TPT to hit the buzz bin before purchasing it.   -- Karma

DEMIRICOUS1/2

O-n-e

Metal Blade Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

Thrash is a long-standing American tradition in metal. An institution that’s tried and true, now from the look of things there are four lads from Indianapolis, Indiana that are willing to carry to torch, their name is Demiricous. They found a way to make it fresh. I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of One (Hellbound), as this is one thoroughly impressive debut album from these newcomers. How sweet fresh meat!! The album is slated to drop on January 24^th of next year. 2006 will undoubtedly be the Year of Demiricous!

This CD is pure fuckin’ metal, hatred so deep it’s like a bowie knife up the ass!! Cuts to the bone and slices through the heart of the matter as this is not your everyday, pretend playful bullshit. Demiricous means absolute business. Hell, they got my attention on the first song the cleverly titled, “Repentagram”. Tunes like this tend to have a shelf life of a Hostess Twinkie. The way this song ends makes you feel like your brain is turning inside out. Makes you ask, “what more do I have to look forward to”?

Love the layout of the CD. It’s no frills and effective same as their songs bare boned. It reeks with the blatant message of “Fuck It All”! Gives rock out with your cock out a new meaning. As soon as open the booklet appears a dedication to our fallen hero, “Dimebag” Darrell. The anniversary of his death vastly approaches. It’s always nice to see those carry on his memory a year later. The j-card is an extra-added bonus featuring the band inside a booth of a bar underneath a Jack Daniels sign at a table filled with PBR and Iron City beer cans. One member is giving the bird whilst another seemingly inebriated is toasting with an Iron City can over his head as the other two blankly stare into the camera. How apropos! Allow me to raise my horns and glass to you! Cheers and horns! Congrats for making this raw production the way you saw fit and saying fuck the rest.

With songs like “Perfection and the Infection”, “I Am Weapon (Out For Blood)”, my absolute favorite “Matador”, eternity awaits this band…or at least a decade. This band was born to raise horns or hell, especially if you take into consideration the final track “Hellraiser”. Judging from this fine effort, they will be raising hell and horns for a very long time to come.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord

For reasons still unknown to me, Christian hardcore continues showing up at my house...in my mail.  Apparently whomever is sending this doesn't know me at all, or they do know me and find it very amusing.  I can already guarantee that fans of this band and their CD will not find this amusing whatsoever.  First of all, I can handle Living Sacrifice and I can handle Zao, but this is absolutely horrendous.  Is it really even fair to give a Christian band a pentagram as a means of scoring points?  That, to me, seems very wrong on so many levels.  However, I'm rambling and that is something I can't afford to do.  My time is precious, people.

This release is boring, unoriginal, contrived, and the obvious sign of a band with little or no experience on the recording or writing front before this moment.  Littered with songs about the importance of maintaining the Christian faith in times of peril and danger, along with cheesy synths and unbridled complacency in songwriting, Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord is a release tailor-made for Hot Topic shelves and men who wear girl pants.  I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is.  The only saving grace (no pun intended...ok, maybe a little) about this album is the live feeling behind the production.  I could actually see their live shows sounding a lot like the CD, which would work wonders for a lot of bands...unfortunately, the material just really makes me want to avoid their shows at all cost.

Again, this has nothing to do with faith or beliefs...as stated earlier, I love many bands who hold the Christian flag high.  However, I have no preconceived notions of any band before listening to their music...I simply do my job and call things the way I see them.  In this case, I see an incredibly overhyped, untalented group of individuals who couldn't write an original song to save their lives.  But hey, at least they'll go to heaven, right?

Stormblåst MMV

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006

Reviewer: Kate

With a career spanning over ten years, Dimmu Borgir is one of the most well known black metal bands in Europe to-date. Stormblåst is a re-release of their third album and it is bigger, louder, darker, and even more intense. It’s not quite fair to compare this to their most recent material as they have obviously improved over the years yet they have managed to add a layer of depth with this re-recording, you can feel the difference in their songwriting, the guitar and bas are even more crushing, the lead vocals even more sinister than before.

There are those who highly criticize this re-release saying that it’s not the same as the dark and bitter original version of 1996. I love the original; it is one of the most beautifully frigid and melodically harsh black metal albums from 1996 but the great Silenoz and Shagrath show that they can only improve over time. Not to mention the phenomenal job Hellhammer does on drums; he is ten times the drummer Nick Barker was!

“Sorgens Kammer - Del II” is a malicious black metal track that fits well amongst the originals. “Avmaktslave” is an incredible bonus track that shows that Dimmu Borgir can still write strong, old-school black metal. “Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen,” is greatly improved as it has the fullness that was lacking in the original version. The only disappointment I could find is “Broderskapets Ring,” the haunting melody in the original was completely lost by removing the keyboards and replacing it with guitar that was lost under the distortion of the other instruments.

I highly recommend this re-release even if you are a devoted fan of the original, it stays true the bleak compositions and is it a great album by old and new standards. It has definitely earned its spot in my collection.

DORO

Warrior Soul

AFM Records, 2006

Reviewer: Kate

What can be said about Doro? She is a goddess, she is a legend, and she has brought metal back to it’s roots and reminds us what it’s supposed to be about with her latest album Warrior Soul. It reminds me of her days with Warlock (if you have not heard anything by Warlock, shame on you!) with tracks like “Haunted Heart” and “Strangers Yesterday” that have solid classic metal vibe to it.

Maybe I’m used to the blistering guitar leads of yesterday but I did not hear them enough here, although I will say Joe Taylor is very talented on guitar and there are a couple of exceptions with the metal anthems “Thunderspell” and “My Majesty”, the riffs are very heavy and Doro’s vocals really stand out on these.

I also enjoyed the fact that a couple of the songs were in German, “In Liebe Und Freundschaft” and “Ungebrochen” (this one is actually half in English and half in German), both are just really well done. In my opinion, metal fans of new and old should have this in their collection, Doro still reigns as the metal queen!

The CD starts with the unassumingly sweet yet sinister instrumental “Crimson Vengeance” violently morphing into “Kill For Peace” as this tune kicks in with its technically brutal riffs…then all of a sudden, the iniquitous vocals of Valencia kick in… the result is sheer annihilation! Loana’s admiration and respect for Durkin comes out in every note uttered. She is one hard hitter as well as the entire CD...not one filler!

Perhaps we are not “Beyond Salvation” but through Dreams of Damnation’s Epic Tales of Vengeance, they have the power of to redeem us all! Dreams of Damnation is here and poised to not only dominate the scene, but will rule the world before it’s all over and done!

At first I was going to write a horrible review about how much I despised the genre and all around sound of this album, but then I read the little insert inside the CD and learned a lot about it that I didn't know. Eastern Youth is an Asian indie rock that is sung entirely in Japanese, and reflects the emotions and helplessness experienced by youth in the world nowadays. So basically, it's America's emo music translated to another language and played to catchier music. Eastern youth has been around since 1988. 1988. That's longer than most American in general are around, so they must be doing something right. Maybe they can teach our emo bands how to be more successful through their music. This isn't a band I would listen to randomly throughout my everyday routines, but more an album you would pop in when you're home alone and itching for some culture-filled tunes. I don't know how many metal fans actually do that, but Eastern Youth was pretty much made for that sort of listening experience. It's hard to describe the sound they posses – I guess it's similar to many real indie bands (the genre, not the position of a band signed to an indie label) that we have here. As final words – it's unique.

EDGUY1/2

Rocket Ride

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

You'd be shocked at how fast 60:10 can fly by, well, that is if you're into music such as this. The Germans have had an indefatigable hold on the cloying genre of power metal with the likes of Blind Guardian, Helloween, Rage, Primal Fear, Grave Digger…having said that, Edguy incorporates the serious side of power metal with an injection of comic relief, take a look at the album cover [by Axel Hermann, whom has done artwork for Moonspell, Sodom, and Iced Earth] then of course, there is the song “Trinidad” and the ending to “Catch of the Century”. Not to misrepresent the band, they are not all about fun and games; they take their craft very serious!

Obviously, this release could not be compared to its predecessors, as Rocket Ride was my first stop on the journey into the world of Edguy. As a full-fledged newbie, I found this catchy album to be a breath of fresh air from the cookie monster vocals I have found myself absorbed in as of late. At any rate, this CD has all the makings of sheer greatness! The vocals of Tobias Sammet are strong, sweet, and deadly like a body drenched in honey. Sammet undoubtedly has some of the best pipes this side of Mt. Olympus not to mention some very talented musicians that surround the power metal vocal god. The rhythm section (bassist Tobias “Eggi” Exxel and drummer Felix Bohnke) reigns supreme along with some excellent and pristine chord work by guitarists Jens Ludwig and Dirk Sauer. The band re-enlisted the help of Sascha Paeth who previously worked with the lads on the Superheroes EP to produce this project.

The CD definitely starts out with an unexpected "bang",  with a sad and depressing little ditty called "Sacrifice"; an 8:00 epic with mid to low tempos from hell! Undeniably, it is a very interesting and eyebrow raising way to start the CD out; the ending goes out with a bang as well complete with a bonus track, "Fucking With Fire (Hair Force One)". The best tracks are “Matrix” where “Eggi” shines brighter than coins at the bottom of a water fountain. The intro is the absolute cheesiest retro throwback but you will be forced to sing chorus long after the song is over, trust me there! Others winners are “The Asylum”, “Superheroes”, “Trinidad”, and “Sacrifice”. The modulation on “Wasted Time” is an added bonus. A blaring negative is the ballad “Save Me”, that’s what I was asking for after hearing it. Not every power ballad is a winner; hey, I may be a chick but I too have my limits! The one thing that can be said is that the song is full of raw emotions. In addition, there is one filler track too many for my liking. Rocket Ride is a myriad or a collection of songs which are not in a storyline format, which may or may not work for the concept freak...(from what it understood) especially the diehards.

Ultimately, Edguy is definitely “Fucking With Fire” in the right way. In layman terms, this band is about the blow the hell up worldwide very soon (with the next release) as they have already affirmed and affixed their place in the power metal hall of fame with seven incontestable releases under their belts to prove it.  They were also co-headliner for the fifth installment of ProgPower USA in 2004. Edguy is “loaded and cocked”, poised for global domination! Allow me to end this review with more apropos lyrics: “Make no mistakes, don’t you miss out on the hell of a time”… add this CD to your collection if not for the sheer value of entertainment!

ELUVEITIE

Spirit

Fear Dark Records / Season of Mist, 2006

Reviewer: Kate

Pagan death metal, that is how Eluveitie would be described but they are so much more than that. There is an abundance of instruments that also includes the Irish flute, uillean pipes, mandolin, violins, fiddles, and bagpipes that brings character and depth to each song. Chrigel Glansman's harsh blends evenly with the instruments and flows very well.

The title track “Spirit” is full of natural sounds that makes you feel like you're walking straight through an old Irish village and gives you an idea of what you're in store for. “Aidu” is a nice showcase of the female vocalists, a pure folk song with melodic vocals that's paired flutes, acoustic guitar and drumming. “The Song of Life” rages into heavily distorted guitar work and screaming male vocals. Contrasting with the soft flute work makes a for a beautiful combination of folk and metal. “Siraxta” is another transition from chanting female vocals to Chrigel's harsh shrieks and it works so well together.

Eluveitie is a band that know how to deliver. If you are looking for metal you will be able to hear it on this album, if you're looking for pagan folk music then you will hear it on this album. Everything is clear and distinct and in perfect balance. If I didn't know that they were from Switzerland, I would've sworn that they were Irish, they're knowledge of Celtic and Pagan culture is refreshing and makes the album even more intriguing.

Pagan death metal has probably now one of my favorite genres, it's melodic and epic and takes you into another realm of music. Not only should you get this album but go see them live as well. They put on one helluva show!

Maverick Records, 2006

Hopeless Records, 2006

Reviewer: Fox

FOLLY

Resist Convenience

Triple Crown Records, 2006

Louisiana's black metal juggernaut, Goatwhore, has been lamenting the praises of Satan and tearing down all that is holy for many years now. Beginning with their incredible debut, Eclipse Into Ages of Black, Goatwhore set a new standard for fierce American black metal by incorporating elements of punk and thrash into the already volatile mix of blasphemy and chaos. The band's next album, "Funeral Dirge For The Rotting Sun", was still evil in every way but instead of the frightening carnage of their debut, the music turned towards a more atmospheric and doom-laden direction. Then...Hurricane Katrina happened. The band's beloved New Orleans was destroyed, and coupled with vocalist, Ben Falgoust, being seriously injured in a van accident, it seemed Goatwhore was cursed.

However, the aptly titled "A Haunting Curse" has proven that if anyone is cursed, it's not Goatwhore...but rather, the unlucky souls that happen to cross their musical path. This is an album that, in my humble opinion, has redefined the definition of American black and thrash metal. Goatwhore has released an onslaught of absolutely epic proportions and recorded an album that will be remembered for years to come as a classic of the extreme metal genre.

The songwriting is much like the chaos of "Eclipse" but tighter and more lethal than before, due in large part to the always-massive production of Erik Rutan. Rutan's production has beefed up the sound of this band in ways I never thought possible and was a major factor in the insanity of the sound as well. Zach Simmons, the band's new drummer, has also added to the insanity of the band. His drumming is relentless, pissed off, and filled with an almost punk-like attitude that brings the band's punk influences out even more. Ben Falgoust has emerged from his accident a stronger man and an even stronger vocalist. In all the years I've listened to him, whether it be in Goatwhore or Soilent Green, I have never once heard him sound as fucking powerful as he does on this CD. Falgoust's roars sound like something born from the bowels of hell it's self and serve as a perfect mouthpiece for the sometimes cryptic and menacing lyrics that run amok on this release.

Sammy Duet's riffs recall every influence from Venom and Slayer to Mayhem and Gorgoroth, and make for very interesting songs in the long run. Stand-outs like "Alchemy of The Black Sun Cult" and "In The Narrow Halls of Confinement" rage like nobody's business, yet still contain much of the dark atmosphere found on the band's last release. Diversity is the key to success and A Haunting Curse is filled with more diversity and more emotion than most black metal coming out today, especially in the United States. One only has to wonder what the devastation of Katrina, injuries, and label chaos did to increase the violence contained in this release...one can only wonder what the band will have to go through to make a worthy follow-up. These questions will soon be answered, but for now, the only question that matters is "Is 'A Haunting Curse' worthy of the praise it's been given by yours truly?" The answer...hell fucking yes.

GOD DETHRONED

Toxic Touch

Metal Blade Records, 2006

Reviewer: Kate

GOJIRA1/2

From Mars To Sirius

Listenable Records / Prosthetic Records (USA), 2006

Reviewer: Karma

Grant it, when you think of France, the last thing that pops to mind is a metal band; however, through Gojira's heavenly cosmic offering (or third release), From Mars To Sirius, it will undoubtedly cause one to look in the general vicinity of the country once again...at least for the metal community, that is! This four-piece is comprised of brothers Duplantier Joseph & Mario, Christian Andreau and Jean Michel Labadie. As Joe handles vocal and guitar duties coupled with the bad drumming ass Mario on the skins, this has to be the tightest familial connects I have heard in a minute. Joe also did the cover for the album; talk about the ultimate DIY band! When you know what you want, why not do it yourself?! Not to leave Andreau or Labadie out, they contribute heavily to this damn-near matchless effort. It's a little over one hour (67:00 minutes to be exact), believe you me, there's something for everyone on this CD!

Buckle up your seat belts and prepare for a hell of a ride as From Mars To Sirius packs a powerful intergalactic punch as the twelve emotive, evocative tunes haunt your psyche…only if your “mind is alive” and are willing to allow yourself to take in the infinite possibilities which surround you. Be prepared to “make passage for souls [to] awaken”! This band does a stellar job in taking simplicity to another realm! What’s overwhelmingly original about this group is their spin on the overly used/bastardized formulae, the pitfalls that exist in every facet of metal today! The only formula this album follows is the utterly appealing spaces or instrumentals that occur betwixt every other song or so. The album itself is doomy Cult of Luna (“World To Come”) vs. the apocalyptic Darkane vs. Meshuggah meets Strapping Young Lad (vox and music alike sans the psychotic chaos best displayed on “Heaviest Matter of the Universe”) vs. Mastodon vs. Voivod meets labelmates Yakuza (“Ocean Planet” and the trippy yet surreal “Flying Whales”) with a dash of Dew-Scented’s Leif Jensen and Gorefest (“Backbone”) thrown in for good measure. Somehow, plethora of cross generalization begat this collective meld of extraordinary, extraterrestrial-esque dark and velvety star-filled works of art. Now that was a mouthful, and just to think, that does not even begin to scratch the surface!

The best songs are “Ocean Planet” which perfectly sets up the cosmic playfield, otherwise known as the rest of the album, “Where Dragons Dwell”, “Flying Whales” and “Heaviest Matter of the Universe”. The planets definitely aligned with Gojira’s new release From Mars To Sirius as it inarguably has to be one of the better independent releases of the year; giving headbangers an enormous reason to throw their horns high! Kind of makes you want to dip a little further in the French scene (no puns intended re: food) to see what else turns up…even though it's obvious they are light years ahead of their peers! Merci beaucoup!

Put away the young, ill, and infirmed, Holland’s Gorefest is back!! The old adage of good things comes to those that wait seemingly ring true in this case especially after an eight-year hiatus. The dead or Gorefest in this case has resurrected itself with the release of La Muerte which just so happens to translate into death in Spanish. Now on to unearthing (or analyzing) this CD, as far as the story goes for the cover art, vocalist/bassist Jan-Chris de Koeijer uncovered an old school painting (done by MID) whilst changing residences. Now that the units’ older, they undoubtedly have more appreciation for the arts as well as valuing each other’s existence and by de Koeijer and lead guitarist Boudewijn Bonebakker repairing an age old long forgotten rift. Gorefest revivifies old-school death metal, which goes along well with the concept of the painting.

The dead’s newly appointed spokesperson (as in Jan-Chris) on the opener “Music For the Masses” belts out, “I have music for the masses” in which that they do indeed! Jan-Chris’ vocals are reminiscent of Napalm Death’s Mark "Barney" Greenway yet soulfully grittier. De Koeijer’s bass comes through matchlessly; the crunchy/sludgy guitars of Bonebakker and Frank Harthoorn are a pleasing accompaniment not to mention the excellent drum work by Ed Warby. The best bone crushing tracks are follows: “Exorcism”, “Rogue State”, “When The Dead Walk The Earth”, and “La Muerte”.

Along with a few final touches by rising star producer, Tue Madsen [HIMSA, The Haunted, Witchery, Mnemic…] at Antfarm Studios, Jan-Chris and the boys poured their blood, sweat, and tears into this release via these thirteen tracks. La Muerte is a passionate team effort that strikes the listener with the envenomation of a black widow. One will require an “Exorcism” after hearing this recording to remove its deliciously evil spirit that will so pleasingly linger in your memory and ears afterwards. This CD will undoubtedly be an instant cult classic for many an eon!

GRAVE1/2

As Rapture Comes

Century Media Records, 2006

You can tell that vocalist Ola Lindgren is still running the show with his thick riffs and blasting roar and it all still works with the new album As Rapture Comes Grave is one of the few bands that are still surviving from this era with exception of maybe Dismember. This album may not be as good as some of their earlier releases but it compares favorably to “Back from the Grave”. This album features more of a mature and polished sound and often technical style.

There’s no doubt that “As Rapture Comes” is brutal from beginning to end but shows Grave’s signature niche on tracks such as “Through Eternity”, “By Demons Breed”, and “Epic Obliteration” with achingly slow gloom and doom and pure force and aggression. To further drive the point home Grave covers an old Alice in Chains song “Them Bones”, by adding double bass to make it their own.

This album might not have changed anything in the scene of death metal but it does put a new spin on their sound while still staying true to their roots. Constant death metal growls, neck-breaking riffs and blast beats cover this album from start to finish and should leave any metalhead with a smile on their face!

GREELEY ESTATES

Far From the Lies

Record Collection, 2006

Reviewer: Maggie S.

Greeley Estates – Warped Tour’s brand new showcase star. They bring out the core in emo. How many times do you think you’ll hear someone say that in your lifetime? Taking the weird of scene kids by storm with their (I believe) debut full-length Far From The Lies, Greeley Estates really have to work hard to prove themselves different in today’s alternative music scene. The album begins with the track “The End of All We Know”, which actually starts with vocalist Ryan Zimmerman screaming, “Is this the end of all we know” in a style that is loud and sounds almost painful for his throat. Greeley manages to somehow mix in a blender dancey and hardcore riffs; it is uncommon, but tricks your ear into believing it is something new due to Zimmerman’s unique and shaky screeches. Monotonous background singing adds an even more odd element, but it fits into the puzzle somehow.

Track 3 is the band’s “well known” single, “Life Is a Garden”. Every time I heard Greeley come up in a conversation of chattering girls, it was usually about this song or the video that goes with it. I wasn’t sure why until I heard the song itself. It’s amazing. And I can’t believe I just said that. Zimmerman uses clean vocals a lot in this song, and it might sound whiney to the average ear drum that been bleeding with too much mediocre emotive music: but his lyrics make his voice more dynamic. The chorus sings, “Somebody should’ve told you nothing comes easy, and somebody should’ve told you that there’s no guarantees” in a melodic, harmonic, Heaven-sent way. That may be a little bit over-reached, but for some reason I feel like they deserve the praise for realizing there is a thirst in the world for originality.

This band’s style is not so totally friggin’ awesome and Zimmerman’s vocals aren’t oh my God the best I’ve ever heard, but they’re true to themselves and everyone else in their music, and that places them head and shoulders above those who are just trying to impress.

GRIGORI 3 (3.666 Pentagrams)

Exile

Dark Star Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

I believe Ofra Haza has been reincarnated in the form of a blonde, industrial vocal goddess, Gwen Bartolini who just so happens to be the front woman for Chicago’s Grigori 3. This CD is definitely something to get ‘yer ass in to all the while with your fists flying in the air! Exile is a synergistic workout able to fuel the most lethargic. “Visions” featuring vocals from Chicago's Deconstruct’s Jewell is a catchy little number; it’s strange time signatures will ensnare. “Awakening” truly is that as Bartolini shows off her vocal prowess something fierce as she sings in Latin and again on “Defende”. Guitarist Ray R. Wise really shines on “Kindred”. The smoke clears a bit with a Siouxsie Sioux-esque/Danielle Dax ballad entitled “Silently Breeding”.

Break out the black roses, Grigori 3 shall haunt the airwaves faster than we think! It’s time to “Think Me Wicked”! “The hour grows near” indeed as Exile will definitely uproot the band from the Midwest Underground Industrial Metal scene in which they dwell. With her commanding vocal presence and delivery, Bartolini proves women do belong in this Industry, in front of the mic! It is not hard to see why the band has received rave reviews from Outburn Magazine and other well known outlets. This album is a true gem with his heavy electronic magnification, not to mention a great addition to your ever-growing collection! www.GRIGORI3.com

HAMMERFALL

Threshold

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006

Reviewer: Matt Nadbrzuch

Threshold is the newest offering from the AC/DC of power metal: HammerFall. What I mean is that you can pretty much predict what a new HammerFall album will sound like but you can also predict that it will be enjoyable nonetheless. (You might also say that Cannibal Corpse is the AC/DC of death but I digress...) Threshold is a solid slab of ultra-manly power metal. This is the kind of stuff you listen to while eating a huge slab of meat and swilling mead. The album is anchored for the most part by a mix of mid-tempo riffing reminiscent of classic metal such as Judas Priest and Dio. One will not find the speed of more aggressive power metal like Dragonforce or even Blind Guardian here. Solos are kept simple and often simply follow the chorus melody. Fans of blinding-fast fretboard noodling will be disappointed. If you’re an old-timer who thinks metal ended with the advent of thrash this is the album for you.

Lyrically we have the usual power metal tropes of war and valiantly triumphing over adversity. Nothing wrong with that but there’s one song in particular I must mention: "Howlin’ with the ’Pac". This track seems to describe the band as a group of Templar Knights roaming around causing havoc. Again, nothing wrong with that but the ridiculous delivery turns the song into pure kitsch. Example: "Nothing can stop us, no time to catch some z’s". Wow, that sucks. Reminds me of Slaughter’s classic "Up All Night, Sleep All Daaaaay!"

HammerFall as a group are actually pretty kitschy but in a good way. Wow, I think I’ve discovered a new metal sub-genre: KITCH METAL! (Manowar anyone?) Despite that minor quibble, I give Threshold a triumphant four pentagrams!

HASTE THE DAY

Pressure the Hinges

Solid State Records, 2006

Reviewer: Kate

Haste the Day was hit with one of the hardest transitions that a band could face by losing their lead vocalist, Jimmy Ryan in 2005. But their back now with a vengeance and a new lead vocalist, Steve Keech. With vocals that range from a high piercing screech to a low power growl, Keech sets himself above that status quo of hardcore. Haste the Day demonstrates their flexibility with their breakdowns and different stages of song structure.

The title track, “Pressure the Hinges”, is their standout track on this album. From clean vocals to double-bass growls it features pretty much everything the band has to offer. “Stitches” is something unlike the band has recorded before and provides a nice break from the ear-piercing screams, if only for a little while, before returning for another round of brutality. “Chorus of Angels” has a nice goth-rock approach with chunky grooves and industrial riffs.

“Janet’s Planet” combines a combination of flowing guitars, thunderous drums and a haunting melody that states “Walk me to the desert and leave me/ I’ll dig my way home”, definitely puts chills up your spine. “The Minor Prophets” provides a nice balance of melody progressive heaviness with inspirational anthems that are a call to the soul.

This album is an example that Haste the Day is perfectly capable of dealing with change. If you are a fan of hardcore metal I would highly recommend picking this album up!

HEAVEN SHALL BURN

Deaf to Our Prayers

Reviewer: Matt Nadbrzuch

Ah yes, Deaf to our Prayers, the new album from Deutschland’s own fantastic fivesome Heaven Shall Burn. This album is not a huge departure stylistically from Antigone, the band’s first release on Century Media. It is a departure, however, from by-the-numbers American metalcore. Deaf is a blend of Gothenburg-style death metal with barking hardcore vocals and rhythmic breakdowns. This is obviously nothing new. The album mixes these elements in a refreshing mix, however, and ups the brutality level.

We do not see the standard snarling-verse, melodic-chorus, snarling-verse, breakdown, a possible solo, verse and chorus. Repeat for every song on the album. On Deaf, the hardcore bark remains with shades of melo-death added for flavor. Tremolo-picked, darkly melodic, riffs dominate throughout. Breakdowns are present but are used with class as opposed to being forced into each song even when they feel awkward.

This album is recommended for fans of death, melo-death, and yes: hardcore. This band, along with country mates Neaera, are breathing life into metalcore’s bloated corpse. Godspeed mein Freunden. 

Weatherman Records, 2006

Hail Horror

Hail Horror is a devilish treat from start to finish; flowing like hot molten lava down a mountainside picking up speed and obliterating all it encounters. On the anthem-filled first track, "Anathema", the tolling of the bells sets a dark tone for the rest of the CD. You know you are in for something special with the scorching riffs, hard edged in your face vocals from Johnny Pettibone, double bass kicks…damn! After this pleasant assault on the senses, “Sleezevil” comes in with Pettibone’s vocals immediately ripping off your backside accompanied with an infectious rhythm section of founder and bassist Derek Harn and drummer Chad Davis alongside of the dual blistering guitars of Kirby Johnson and Curr to boot! The journey continues, on to the next two tracks (my personal favorites) “Pestilence” and “Wither”. “Pestilence” will undoubtedly be a HIMSA classic for many moons to come. It has that “Kiss or Kill” feel to it. Without regard, it kicks you in the gut repeatedly, weighing in at a hefty and justifiable 5:08. We now move on to the emotionally charged “Wither”. Lyrically speaking, it’s about the fear of Pettibone losing someone close to him without being able to say goodbye. Ironically enough, his worse fears happened as “Wither” was written prior to his grandfather passing last summer whilst the band was on tour in the same city. Through his amazing vocal performance, you can feel the pain as the music encapsulates the agony filled torturous soundscape bringing grief to the forefront in a multi-tiered presentation. The up-tempo of CD comes to an immediate halt as the song begins with a slow and deliberate melodious intro to a blazing middle only to return to the slower side of things, the darker side; Harn shines brightly on this track. “Wither” is unlike any other song in the history of this band! Moving along, we have the powerful wall-to-wall guitar riffed “Wolfchild” to the next gritty track, “Seminal” which has more bite to it than a half-filled carafe of chewy six-hour piping hot java or a handful of No-Doze. This song will cause your heart to race or could trigger a panic attack! The next two songs do not let up, it’s a full on metal assault, one toxic concoction! The CD closes with “Send Down Your Reign”, this pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?!

Seattle continues to make virginal offerings to the gods of music; I mean really, how else can you explain this phenomenon? HIMSA is not the new kid on the block by any stretch of the means; they have been wrecking the ears of the unsuspected since the late nineties. Only now have they separated themselves from the endless fold of “others”. So for all of you who decided to ignore this band in the past, it is high time for you take notice, the “Dominion” of HIMSA hath officially commenceth thyself. The melodies and riffs on this CD will continue to haunt more than any spook-filled cemetery! All hail the mighty HIMSA!

THE HUMAN ABSTRACT1/2

Nocturne

Hopeless Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

In accordance with the definition itself, Nocturne is full of “dreamy, contemplative character and song-like melody” but there is nothing “slow” about it. Managing to release one eclectic debut, California’s The Human Abstract definitely have something to be proud of. This band lies between the funkery of Ill Niño intertwined with the math metallery of Between The Buried and Me vs. the punk tones of AFI. After listening to “Crossing the Rubicon”, it is a perfect example of the AFI connect with vocalist’s Nathan Ellis deliverance which is very suggestive of Davy Havok’s clean vocals; it’s easy to see how the quirky song wound up in heavy rotation on the metal channel on Music Choice. Nocturne is a contrast between the honeyed and harsh that best display the excellent musicianship of this collective of five. The Human Abstract built all twelve tracks around the concept controlled and calculated chaos in which the music structure complex featuring multi-layered composition touching on romanticism, especially with the instrumentals “Sotto Voce” and “Desiderata”.

The Human Abstract went to the right production team to help their cause by enlisting the help of producer Jamie King (BTBAM, He is Legend), mixing the effort was Eric Rachel (Every Time I Die, Atreyu, War of Ages) and mastered by Alan Douches (Mastodon, God Forbid, Converge). Weighing in at 46:44, Nocturne is a thought evoking process from beginning to end. The layout and concept design by Aaron Marsh heightens the cerebral experience. The melancholic and original instrumentation of The Human Abstract will hook you with it’s reflective nature.

I1/2

Between Two Worlds

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

Stumbling across this band was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me as this CD serves as a reconnect to black metal and beyond. As far as a mini-history of the band: I (a.k.a. Abbath’s I) is a conglomerate of six (6) legendary Norwegian musicians [Abbath (Olve Eikemo) ex-Immortal; Ice Dale (Arve Isdal) of Enslaved & Audrey Horne; T.C King (Tom Cato Visnes) of Sahg & Gorgoroth fame; and Armagedda on drums ex-Immortal; including lyricist Demonaz, ex-Immortal] because they wanted to, not because they had to…there is a compleat difference… and it shows but this is how the tale of Between Two Worlds began. What else can be said about this album for the exception of it stopping short as a modern day black metal n’ roll wonderment? The production is superb and chilling, every instrument sounds larger than life as this tour de force is “Far Beyond Quiet” [in which song is a tribute to Quorthon], it features some of the most infectious licks by Ice Dale and Abbath himself. King seems to be the sovereign ruler over the bass and Armagedda is masterful on drums. Oh, let us not forget Abbath as a vocalist, he adds a lethal element to the mix. There’s not one bad track on this album; it is quality through and through. It’s moody and explorative as this group of musicians is able to discover a brand new realm they are unable to investigate within their other bands, lucky for us to be able to go along for this ride.

Demonaz’s lyrics cover subject matters like the uninviting grimness of the world; battles and cold…imagine that coming from a band that hails from Bergen! However, the melodious songs are imaginative and suggestive as you can feel the ice coursing through your veins, chilling you to the very core as you taken on a journey through the ages. “We pass away not alive nor dead. Souls are sleepless eternally…” This gem comes from the song “Shadowed Realm” which only makes an appearance on the bands’ limited edition run (of only 1,000 CDs) also featuring the “Outro” and one helluva number “Bridges of Fire”. It’s “All majestic, all divine” and quite possibly, maybe the best tracks off the album next to “Curse We Are”, “Battalions” and “Storm I Ride”.

The ubiquitous I “knowing the wisdom of all dark and light” is the bridge Between Two Worlds. You’ll be hooked after the first listen and once this band has taken over your aural senses, lighting your soul ablaze; it will be futile to resist! “Respect the force”! www.i-metal.net

The Adversary
Candlelight Records, 2006
Reviewer: Thorne

Come Clarity

Ferret Records / Nuclear Blast Records Europe, 2006

Reviewer: Thorne

Ok folks, I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you.  I was not expecting much from this album at all.  In fact, to even say I was expecting SOMETHING would be a stretch.  In Flames, you see, used to be one of my favorite bands back in the day.  When I was a wee lad, the sounds of "Colony", "Jester Race", "Whoracle" and pretty much all of their back catalog were always welcomed in my house.  The album "Clayman" was welcomed too, but to a lesser extent.  Don't get me wrong, it was a good album but I didn't think it matched up to "Colony" and it's severe ownage. Then..."Reroute To Remain". 

Um...what's this?  That's actually a question I'd like an answer to...what was that?  Now, while certain people on this site whom shall remain nameless were jumping for joy and doing cartwheels around their living rooms whilst listening to this record, my friends and I who had grown up with Gothenburg's finest were appalled.  I took one listen to this album, and immediately chucked it out into the road in front of my house.  I was hoping they'd somehow redeem themselves with the next album, The Soundtrack To Your Escape, but as luck would have it...they didn't. In fact, much to my dismay, Soundtrack was even worse than Reroute.  Gone were the blazing guitar melodies and Gothenburg production I adored.  Instead, I was given computer sounds, horrible singing, simplistic guitar wankery, plastic drum sounds, and god-awful songwriting.  So, to say my faith in these guys had faded away would be an understatement.  When "Come Clarity" was released, I just looked at it and shook my head.  Unfortunately, I couldn't let it go.  I had to...listen.  I had to see if maybe, there was a chance In Flames could redeem themselves...and much to my surprise...THEY DID.

Gothenburg's finest have returned with their best record since Colony, ladies and gentlemen.  The sheer bliss I experienced when putting this album on for the first time would have to be seen to be believed.  From the opening notes of "Take This Life" two things are apparent.  1) The production gayness remains.  2) The guitars are BACK!  The second outweighs the first by incredible amounts.

I still miss the guys' old production but I missed the roaring harmonies and melodies even more and they're back!  They're back!  As far as everything else goes, I'm equally pleased. Anders Fridén's vocals are the best I have ever heard him sound.  His clean singing has improved so much it's ridiculous, and even his screams seem to have gotten more passionate.  And surprise, I can hear the bass!  That always earns points in my book, and so does a good drum sound...and while I'm not crazy about the current drum sound (Once you've heard their older stuff, you'll understand) I can appreciate it much more than that of "Soundtrack To My Boredom".

As far as songs go, the guys have returned to the up-tempo insanity they're known for.  "Take This Life" is a perfect opener and set the pace, while "Leeches" is quite confusing in that I don't know whether to furiously bang my head...or dance.  The highlight of this album, however, is the song "Dead End" featuring Swedish songbird Lisa Misovsky.  Her voice just owns this track and it's a perfect compliment to Anders’ brutal screams (Never thought I'd utter the words brutal and Anders Fridén in the same sentence again, but oh well).  To say Come Clarity has made me a happy lad would be an understatement.

In Flames...welcome back to metal.  Welcome back.

I knew...so help me Satan, I knew when I first got this CD what I was in for. Is there some particular reason people keep sending this shit to my house? It's apparently not enough that I wasted a good percentage of my life fighting Otep trolls on messages boards, getting in fights with the local Christ-core bro union (All of which I won, with a little help from the man downstairs...my penis, not the devil) and cursing the local fashioncore scene with unparalleled rage. Now, I have to spend the rest of my life on this planet reviewing CD's by a god-awful (no pun intended...ok, maybe a little) band from this scene that has the same name as one of my favorite Nasum albums. May Mieszko rest in peace and not be offended by this absolutely heinous abomination to music.

Look, I'm not taking this review very seriously. You can see that very clearly. Well, if you're wondering why, listen to this band...listen to this album. I take my review as seriously as I take this band...did I mention this album has literally been the BEST coaster I've ever had? No amount of Samuel Adams cold bottle sweat has dripped onto my fine coffee table for months because of this one. You know what to expect here...don't fool yourself. Travis Wyrick's sleek, glossy, mistake-free production, melodic guitar lines and testicle-free vocals comprise one of the most uneventful, useless recordings in Solid State's history...which is saying a lot. Generic metalcore with a HEAVY HEAVY emphasis on guilt-tripping believers and non-believers to the foot of the cross to pay homage to stick man is what Inhale, Exhale aims for...and boy howdy, did they ever succeed! Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to my Gorgoroth.

INTO ETERNITY

I first heard Into Eternity when their first album on Century Media, Dead or Dreaming, dropped in 2002. I was immediately impressed by the bands instrumental proficiency, vocalist Chris Krall's soaring vocals, and the album's seamless integration of various metal sub-genres. Following 2004's Buried in Oblivion, the group has returned with The Scattering of Ashes. The band have taken an already impressive blueprint and progressed it even further. The first thing that made an impression on me were the vocals. New vocalist Stu Block utilizes a variety of vocal styles including melodic "clean" singing, Rob Halford-esque high-pitched singing, generic metalcore-esque grunting, old-school death metal growling, and black metal-esque shrieking. There's probably more I haven't caught on to. If anyone has found any others, let me know.

Instrumentally, the album is also a whirlwind of ideas. We have off-kilter prog-metal passages, thrashy sections, and black metal-inflected numbers complete with tremolo picking and blast beats. There is even an acoustic piece which intros the track "Surrounded by Night".

As far as negative aspects go, the black and death-inflected vocals did absolutely nothing for me. While I do not abhor such vocals completely, the passages in which they were utilized became simply noise for me. Actual singing imbues a piece of music with real personality while growling and whatnot deadens it. I also felt as the band has become more and more ambitious, the actual musical product has not lived up to this ambition. While each song is constructed of a variety of styles, they do not always coalesce well. It sometimes seems as if the different sections are simply thrown together as opposed to flowing smoothly into each other. Let's slow down on trying to impress everybody and focus on songcraft, huh, fellas? Another sticking point for me is the production of Mr. Grant Hall. While the production is obviously competent here, it brings nothing extraordinary to the table. Considering the amount of pure technical and vocal mastery on display here, I would have liked the production to add a certain effervescence to the proceedings as opposed to simply being serviceable.

Methinks mixer Andy Sneap should have had more of a say in the proceedings as he has previously produced very powerful-sounding records for bands such as Kreator and Exodus. While I've actually written more about the negative aspects than the positive, this is still a very good record. To sum up, I'd give this album 4 stars *whoops, pentagrams*. EVIL!

IT DIES TODAY

Sirens

Trustkill Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

For starters, if you are expecting Buffalo, NY’s It Dies Today’s sophomore album, Sirens, to sound anything like the Caitiff Choir, you are sadly mistaken. Like with MANY of the bands of this time, the follow-up record is more commercially appealing whilst maintaining a sense of their previous heaviness. It Dies Today’s Sirens is not an exception to this growing trend. “Reignite The Fires” is about as close as you’re gonna get to the old IDT sound. The band has grown in new directions, their musicianship has developed immensely as a unit: vocalist Nick Brooks clean vocals are strong; Steve Lemke’s bass has to be cranked to eleven, good for them; one can never tire from the sounds of an awesome bass player! The guitars of Mike Hatalak & Chris Cappelli are great, just wish they along with drummer Nick Mirusso had more…uummph or this album plainly put just had more balls! Where as Sirens will not set off an alarm of originality, but it is pleasing to the ears, I am sure It Dies Today will be plastered all over the radio in 2007, so prepare yourself!

KATATONIA1/2

The Great Cold Distance

Candlelight USA, 2006

Reviewer: Fox

Long an underrated act, Katatonia begs for widespread recognition with their latest collection of detached, ethereal modern rock tracks, The Great Cold Distance. While most fans are split over whether the band’s prior studio effort Viva Emptiness or the much loved Last Fair Deal Gone Down is the band’s hallmark achievement, this album should serve for most to become a tiebreaker of sorts, drawing elements from each of those excellent records while adding an even more mechanical mood of melancholy that will make this record a big hit with fan’s of the band’s second, more rock-oriented era. The group’s music is indeed, more commercial sounding than ever, meaning that it’s polished, well-executed and skillfully produced. It’s a crime that Katatonia have not yet been able to achieve a major radio breakthrough in the United States, but tracks such as the deeply personal “My Twin” further illustrate that Katatonia has what it takes to connect with American listeners.

Although the band’s music is a bit frosty, their smooth melodies remain deeply intriguing and the group’s ability to craft a memorable hook is rock solid. Tracks like “Deliberation” and “Follower” emphasize a hollow feeling that should be familiar to followers of the group. Combining this sort of emotion with impassioned, almost scientific introspection during “July” achieves a numbing effect, causing the listener to become further immersed in a musical downward spiral that becomes all-encompassing. Drifting into an otherworldly chorus with grace and assertion, this cut should be considered as one of the most well put together and engaging songs on the album. While The Great Cold Distance relays often repressed emotion, its deeply progressive modern rock stylings have certainly shown Katatonia to be masters of moody, bleak rock. Ideally, the group would make an excellent opener for either Tool or Opeth and judging by the great success each of those bands enjoy, it’s safe to say that Katatonia are next in line for major-scale acceptance.

LACUNA COIL

Karmacode

Century Media Records, 2006

 Reviewer: Thorne

I only became a Lacuna Coil fan last year, when a friend of mine played Comalies for me.  I was absolutely taken with Cristina Scabbia's voice and the melancholic, yet catchy sound that the band displayed.  Over time, I came to really enjoy them, and the day I saw Karmacode in the store I didn't hesitate to pick it up.  So, was this album a worthy follow-up to Comalies? In many ways, yes.  And in others, no.  As far as material goes, the Italians have crafted some of their most memorable songs to date and found a great production sound that sounds very streamlined and mainstream, yet still very indicative of the band's heavier sounds.  As far as songs go, I can't honestly think of a bad one on the CD.  From the opening number "Fragile", to the first song released off the album "Our Truth", all the way to "The Game" this is a solid record with no real bad qualities at all.  However, the few things that do upset me about this album upset me in a major way.

First of all, before I state my biggest complaint about this disc, know that I say it not as a male...but as a lover of Lacuna Coil's music.  Cristina Scabbia has one of the best voices on the planet.  Plain and simple.  Amy Lee can bow to this woman right now, as far as I'm concerned.  So why then, with an amazing singer like Cristina does this band continue to prominently feature Andrea Ferraro?  I'm not being mean, I'm simply stating facts!  Ferraro could be the nicest guy in the world for all I know, but simply put, Cristina's voice is what makes this band come alive.

On "Fragile", I fully awaited Cristina to come out swinging but unfortunately myself and several other fans I know (two of which are females, thus defeating the "Josh Is A Typical Guy and Only Hates Andrea Because Cristina Is Hot" hatemail I will likely receive for these statements.) had to wait on the chorus to hear our beloved Cristina's incredible vocal work.  However, the next three tracks "To The Edge'", "Our Truth" and "Within Me" make this wait well worth it.  On "Within Me", Cristina absolutely shines like she has never shined before and it will literally make you stop in utter awe of how beautiful this sounds.  I'm still shocked by it, even now.

So, this is a short review, but it's to the point...and many short things have made good points...Danny Devito, for example.  However, if you can get past the totally unnecessary vocals of Andrea Ferraro and the sometimes pop-laden production, this is an album you are sure to enjoy. 

Sacrament

Epic Records, 2006

Reviewer: Kate

Lamb of God have shown that they can evolve with the best of them with their last few albums and have proven that even further with the latest release, Sacrament. Randy Blythe’s vocals have improved substantially over the years; his enraged bellow is instantly recognizable but not moving too far away from his comfort zone.  Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler deliver sharp and crushing riffs; bassist John Campbell contributes a low, thick rumbling undertone and Chris Adler’s venture to god-like status is pretty much complete.

“Again We Rise” is an example of true musical excellence; it has to be heard to be believed. “Redneck” is a catchy tune that pays tribute to early Pantera. “Blacken the Cursed Sun” is a solid entry with a heavy, melodic chorus and layered vocals. Sacrament is cleverly put together and the production is meticulous and pristine. As well as the songwriting and contribution by all of the members. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better metal album released in 2006.

LIGEIA

Your Gift Is Your Ghost

Ferret Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

Ferret Records’ newest signees Ligeia, may have a brand new album out, Your Ghost Is a Gift, but it is no prize. No puns intended but this CD sounds like a rehashed version of labelmates Remembering Never especially from the Women and Children Die First era! On many tunes, you would think it was a reincarnated Mean Pete Kowalsky but in this life, the vocalists’ name is Keith Holuk. The upside is that the music is quite powerful; you can inarguably hear the rich choruses, the occasional melody, classic breakdowns coupled with a strong metallic backbone supported by heavy riffs and drum parts. Mind you, this offering may be balls out BUT it fails to boll you over with originality! Sad to say but a plethora of bands have done it prior, and in some cases better. Nice thing is the average age of the band is 23, so there is plenty enough time for these young men to eventually establish their own sound. In addition, speaking of sound and Industry affiliates, the band enlisted fellow Massachusetts dweller, Unearth guitarist/producer, Ken Susi to produce the CD along with Phil LaBonte, All That Remains’ frontman lending his vocal prowess on the disc making a guest appearance on “Makin’ Love to a Murderer”.

There are some admiral qualities about Ligeia, as in is their DIY ethic. They practically handled all of their own affairs prior to one fateful show the band played with Nora thus meeting Ferret head, Carl Severson; shortly there after Ligeia’s life took on a radical life altering change. Another strong positive about this band is their ability to crank out some thought provoking songs dealing with some relatively heavy issues. Particularly the most impressive tracks are “I'm Sorry Your Ugly”, “Swollen Eye View”, and “The Blackout”. “I'm’ Sorry” tells the tale of drug abuse as in from an angry observer’s point of view looking on as a friend commits the largest error of their life. “Are you satisfied with the whore you have become? You face the end. It’s like you’re already dead” Then we have “The Blackout” debunking social myths the media paints for females which damages their self worth by dictating how they should look or act in order to gain social acceptance. “Swollen Eye View” deals with domestic violence, what is quite eye opening is “You kiss the knife that slits your wrist”. Overall, the lyrical content found on Your Ghost serves a wakeup call to the weak.

Ligeia are obviously old souls encased in young bodies; they possess a lot of heart and maturity when it comes to their lyrical content. One can expect this band to be around for a long time. It will be interesting to see how the band matures and develops their identity, music wise, in the near future. In the meantime, Your Gift Is Your Ghost will serve as a foundation for which the band will formidably be able to build upon.

Facing the Thousand

Prosthetic Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

Bay Area’s Light This City’s Facing The Thousand junior effort emerges ahead of the fold of the densely thick and dead landscapes of melo-death boredom as a laudable tale of awe for 2006. Vocalist Laura Nichol furthers the burgeoning movement of brutal kickass female fronted bands and like a select few of her counterparts, Nichols slaughters! There is nothing girlie about her vocal technique that can be best compared to a vulture (ironically enough, like the one on the cover of the album) picking away at your mortal flesh, ripping you to shreds. It is wicked evil, especially with her chilling “duet” with The Black Dahlia Murder’s Trevor Strnad on “Fear of Heights”. She seems like a nice enough girl but I sure as hell would not rumble with her in a dark alley!

You hate to compare the band to melo-death Swedish death metal bands like ones we are more than familiar with but, the riffs on “Cradle for King” wreaks of Sweden! The anthemic beginning of title track “Facing the Thousand” lays the groundwork for the rest of the album. Twin guitar assault from Brian Forbes and Steve Hoffman on “City of Snares” is toe curling; of course, I would be remiss not to mention the devastating drum work of Ben Murray. The deadliest tracks are “Facing The Thousand”, “Fear of Heights”, “Exile”, “City of Snares” and “The Unwelcome Savior”. The layout design by Mario Garza mimics the creepy and embittered/fed up lyrics, which run rampant throughout the CD.

With an average age of 20, and being on album #3, you know this band will easily stand ahead of the fold waving their bloodied flag of excellence especially with Facing the Thousand. Fuck lighting the city, they will takeover the world!

MONEEN

The Red Tree

Reviewer: Maggie S. 3

Many have not heard of Vagrant Record's Moneen. If you're a fan of clean vocals, you need to give them a listen. Let's start with the artwork – it's entirely red, black and white with maroon trees printed throughout the case (obviously taken from the title) and 'Moneen' scribbled in shaky cursive on the cover. It's original and to the point, like the group's music. The starting track, "Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do", is explosive and dripping with playful, instrumental technicality, the vocals sounding similar to, but not exactly like, many artists in their genre. The song repeats the lyrics, "You try to say we can't, yes I can" several times during the track and somehow they create a very uplifting sound that pours into your ears like warm honey. Moneen has a professional yet passionate tone to them that comes natural rather than putting forth too much effort; you can tell as the CD progresses, making music is exactly they live for.

With titles like "If Tragedy's Appealing, Then Disaster's An Addiction" and "The Song I Swore To Never Sing" most kids would automatically jump to the assumption that the band is 'emo'. Since emo is short for emotional – yes, Moneen fills their tracks to the brim with life experiences, toils and triumphs. But somehow, with so many people having the same lessons in life, the band molds the winning combination of lyrical and musical skill that is The Red Tree. In the center of the album's sleeve, printed over a white landscape of sand-like snow and trees, is "Life. Tragedy. Disaster.", and on the last page under a photograph of footprints is "I want to Remember...". I've always been a fan of bold messages and homemade phrases tucked inside of sleeves, so this definitely gained points since a portion of the CD revolves around tragedy and the facts of life. There is something about Moneen that lifts them up and above the swirling abyss of repetitive music and song topics, and into the heavens of originality. Keep an eye on this band; they are destined to blow competition out of the water.

MOWER

Not For You

Suburban Noize Records, 2006

Reviewer: Fox 3

Buzzing, industrial-strength anthems and medium-tempo rockers with major headbanging appeal form the backbone of “Not For You”. Mower lays down fifteen tracks of wildly varied metal sounds on this record, resulting in a listen that offers plenty of surprises along the way. At certain points, the songs Mower spits out are so different from each other that you might believe that you’re listening to a compilation of artists, this being the major downfall of the album. Surprisingly, this record was released via Surburban Noize, the imprint administered by Kottonmouth Kings. One way in which rock is quite different from rap is that a certain consistency is required in rock music, whereas the vocals are in the spotlight on rap albums, with a rock band, the overall sound of the songs is more apt to be the focus of listeners. If you put three different tracks from this record over the airwaves, fans would likely believe that they were listening to three different bands. What’s the upside? The music rocks, delivered with a brash, bullish presence and a flair for abrasive intensity. “American Psycho”, “Look Away” and “Zone” each shine as the record’s highlights. Although Mower often appears as trying to be everything to everyone, there’s a lot of great music here to sink your teeth into and those who enjoy a diverse musical appearance that is tempered with a metal edge should find this one to be worth a listen.

MY DYING BRIDE1/2

A Line of Deathless Kings

Peaceville UK Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

Does it get any “blacker” than this? The Lords and Lady of Doom, My Dying Bride, are back from the dead resurrecting themselves (as well as their career) with their ninth studio release, A Line of Deathless Kings. Living in the UK, it's easy to understand the source of their inspiration as they have excelled in writing about gloom and despair since their formidable years (1990 to be exact). Vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe accompanied by the expert musicianship of MDB layers this gothicly blackened masterpiece which will be just in time for their release date here in the States on Halloween, how apropos! The CD was mixed at the famed Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire then mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London. With all of this history, it is not hard to see why MDB is such a laudable institution; it is nice to see their legacy continue in such grand fashion.

A Line of Deathless Kings comes out of the cobwebbed lined chute with ravens cawing and madly ranting with the first track “To Remain Tombless”. The second track, Stainthorpe’s velvety vocals on “L'amour Détruit” are quite reminiscent of the master of the macabre and fellow countryman, Peter Murphy. It’s a pleasant surprising to see the band leave the growls of death metal vocal at the door until the mesmerizing sixth track kicks in, “Loves Intolerable Pain” which will undoubtedly be a tried and true MDB classic; the vox are deeply penetrating! The agony experienced is intense. “One of Beauty’s Daughter’s” is a dark and masterful song with some of the best keys (Sarah Stanton) and drums work (by sessions drummer John Bennett) I have heard in a doom/metal song in a long time.

No pun intended with “The Blood, The Wine The Roses” but do not break out the red wine or line their coffins with black roses quite yet, MDB’s career is far from over! With the release like this opus, My Dying Bride has the rest of eternity to make of us mortals a slave to serve underneath their undying reign, A Line of Deathless Kings!

NORMA JEAN

Redeemer

Solid State Records, 2006

Reviewer: Thorne

What the hell happened to Norma Jean? Mind you, I've been following this band since their very first full length under this moniker, along with their subpar beginnings as Luti-Kriss, and this has to be one of the most disappointing things I could even imagine right now. How does a band go from making brutally crushing, yet epic releases such as Bless The Martyr, Kiss The Child and O God, The Aftermath to making a standard noisy bro-core record? I should have known from the moment Ross "Bizkit" Robinson was named as producer to this release that things were going to be heading downhill.

First of all, the blistering edge and ferocity that Norma Jean once had is all but gone. The abrasive guitars have been given a lovely little nu-metal shit shine, to make them fall right in line with every single other band in this genre. I really can't stress the point enough to you people, when it comes to just how much I miss the work of Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Uphill Battle) while listening to this album. This is a polished, clean, and absolutely bland affair that has left a foul taste in my mouth since I first heard it. The instruments have no soul to them, they have no feeling, and the raw power that once existed inside of this band is dead...officially.

The vocals on this release have traveled a dangerous and unforgiving road towards Pussyville, USA and especially when you compare them to O God, The Aftermath. As with every other damn element on this release, the ferocious nature and power behind them is just...gone. Even the songwriting has suffered a horrible fate here. There really isn't a single stand-out track among this forgettable collection of pointless, meaningless music for people who will buy it based on the name of the band alone. If any of those people read this review before purchasing this, hear me loud and clear when I tell you that the Norma Jean you know and love is just not active anymore. They've been replaced with five guys hoping to catch a ride on the fame train, forgetting the sound that made them who they are, and fooling themselves into believing that worthless music and pathetic clean vocals can make a good album. Redeeming? Not this one.

NOVEMBRE1/2

Materia

Peaceville UK Records, 2006

Reviewer: Karma

From their 2002 release Dreams d'Azur, the Italian trio, Novembre are back in the spotlight with their sixth album Materia; a luscious landscape with a heavy atmosphere! Novembre's sounds is hard to put a handle on. However, if you had to describe them the it would be a meld of HIM vs. Sentence with the originality of France’s Gojira or dare I breathe the band’s name Katatonia in another review? Well it’s all true!! Despite the glaring references and comparisons to other bands, Materia is nothing short of majestic as it is able to stand on its own merit any month of the year! There is something undeniably beautiful about all of the sorrow this band emits! The intense melodies make this album a real gem maintaining its sense of heaviness without relying on a tonnage of death growls. Do not get the wrong picture here this is no bubble gum album by any stretch of the means! It may be rich in melody, but it rocks harder than expected. Coming in at a little over an hour (1:08:01) any fan of the hard side will find something appealing about this release!

The passion contained within guitarist/vocalist Carmelo Orlando’s voice is astounding. Every track is about as different from one another as an apple is to a dinosaur with the one common thread of melancholic tone that drips from each track. To add to the chain of inventiveness, many of the tracks such as “Gepetto” are beautifully sung in their native tongue. I nearly fell over my chair when I heard the familiar intro to “The Promise”, it took me back to the days when music was music; it made me well up. Only a band this talented could land a cover of Arcadia! The title track “Materia” is just as emotional and serves as an amazing anchor to the CD itself. Travis Smith (All That Remains, Nevermore, Opeth) wakes up this offering even more with a child overlooking an abysmal factory cloaked in fog...talk about leaving things up to the imagination; it definitely causes the mind to wander. The artwork is the perfect tie in to the music, allowing your thoughts to run rampant. In closing I have one last thing to say: May the Deities bless Peaceville for signing this band!

One Man Army and The Undead Quartet

21st Century Killing Machine

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006

Reviewer: Thorne

He's baaaack.  Johan Lindstrand, former vocalist of my favorite band The Crown, has returned with One Man Army and The Undead Quartet. For those of you that go into this expecting a Crown clone better prepare yourselves.  While not going in the same direction as Marko Tervonen's Angel Blake and Magnus Olsfelt's Stolen Policecar, Johan Lindstrand has indeed separated himself from The Crown's sound quite a bit on this release.  Of course, his incredible signature vocals still remain but in this band, Johan's writing all the lyrics.  For those of you that know the man, you understand what a thrill this is.

The songs on "21st Killing Machine" are 100% Johan Lindstrand stylistically.  His unique and entertaining personality comes through in every song, and it makes this a very enjoyable yet brutal listen.  One thing I'm really pleased with is how One Man Army is bringing back mid-paced metal songs.  Of course I love blasting, but it's nice to be able to steadily bang my head to a song and sing along.  And thankfully, I can sing along to every song on this CD.

The Doc has also assembled a great band to comprise "The Undead Quartet".  Each one of these gentlemen contributes a very stellar performance on this release and none of the songs sound the same.  Every track has a different personality of it's own, complete with pounding drum beats, riffs that groove like nobody's business, some unbelievable bass lines (yes, you can hear the bass!) and of course, Johan's signature roar that defined The Crown for so many years.

Now, Johan will define himself in One Man Army and The Undead Quartet.  While I'll always miss The Crown, it's comforting to know that the guys are still playing in absolutely killer bands...this is no exception.  For a truly quality metal album, pick this up.  I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.  Cheers, Johan!

PROTEST THE HERO

Kezia

Vagrant Records, 2006

Reviewer: Maggie S.

Kezia. It sounds like an expensive brand of clothing, or a sour mixed drink. It's actually a CD containing some of the most explosive combo tracks in modern music. Protest the Hero pieces together clean vocals with double bass, vicious riffs and shrieking that resembles cockatiels attempting screamo. You might be thinking, "Wow, that probably sounds like everything else". I'm sorry to inform you that it almost does, but it's saved by singer Rody Walker's amusingly unique vocal style. It's whiney and wide-ranged, yet it somehow avoids becoming an annoyance. The lyrics are something different Though it is late and I'm having trouble reading, quite a few of the songs strike me as being slightly religious or spiritual, especially the second track titled, "Heretics & Killers". The song itself is probably my favorite; it begins with a choppy, heavy guitar riffs before breaking into acoustics, then returning to that same hardcore rhythm. To be honest, if you can pull off clean, alternative-type vocals over this kind of heaviness why still sounding good, you already have more skill than most artists in your genre.

Protest the Hero is basically a gift basket wrapped in a ribbon of pure talent placed on the porch of a million listeners' ears just as this genre is rising. And they're lucky; it's their vocals that set them apart the most, which is very rare in music nowadays. Their album art also spikes with originality. The cover and sleeve are littered with darkly contrasted, wilting flowers and the lyrics are typed out as if from an old-fashioned typewriter. Protest the Hero is the whole package, but may only satisfy listeners that can take in the hardcore sound as well as the lighter vocals.

RAUNCHY1/2

Death Pop Romance

Lifeforce Records, 2006

Reviewer: Fox

Although these Danes switched vocalists with the induction of new shouter Kasper Thomsen and the exit of one Lars Vognstrup, fans of Raunchy can consider the group to be that much more formidable as a result. It is a rarity that a band can effectively swap frontmen without a major backlash yet Raunchy proves that they’re suitably up to the task with broad soundscapes and aggressive sensibility on tracks such as the hooky “Phantoms” and “The Cruse Of Bravery”, a real nail-biter featuring a crisp, deadly main riff.

Although the band’s songwriting remains mostly predictable, top-quality production and talented performances soften trend-sniffing arrangements. Structuring songs in order to achieve maximum dramatic impact is one thing, but the best songwriters avoid repetition and patterns more frequently than you will uncover upon listening to this record. An A+ is due for the bright, punchy tones offered during solid bashers like “Abandon Your Hope”, the mix is tight and quite redoubtable. But upon listening to tracks like “Remembrance”, it must be noted that chugging on the low register guitar strings for measures on end is not only unoriginal, overdone and unthoughtful, it can become downright irritating if taken in without the proper frame of mind. If As I Lay Dying or any of the countless similar acts that have invaded metal like a supernatural strain of flu were major Faith No More fans, they would probably sound a lot more like Raunchy. Unfortunately, the big hooks don’t always save “Death Pop Romance” from being yet another speck on the pimply face of metalcore. Does this album have merit? Yes, “Live The Myth” and the aforementioned “Phantoms” come off as being detached enough from the stereotypes at times. Further maturity and a willingness to further develop their own identity would be recommended, but if you have been living under a rock for the past five years, this still might be something that’s new to you.

REMEMBERING NEVER 1/2

Death to Tyrants

Abacus Recordings, 2006

Reviewer: Thorne 

The definition of hardcore, in this day and age, is rather sketchy. With bands like Comeback Kid and This Is Hell calling themselves hardcore, it's easy for music fans to get confused. However, with "Death To Tyrants", the veterans and undisputed kings of the genre Sick of It All, have done everything in their power to get rid of this confusion. What you hear on this album is hardcore in it's angriest and purest form. This is the kind of music that made hardcore a household name in the 80's and 90's, back when the music had more of a message than "Be clean and wear women's pants." Now, while I will make it a point to state that this is pure hardcore, please understand it doesn't sound dated and it doesn't reek of desperation like so many old school bands of this day (excluding Agnostic Front and Madball, who still release quality music) but instead, it carries the feelings of old school hardcore...just with more meat. Part of that "meat" comes from the production of Tue Madsen. Tue is a definite favorite here at FourteenG and there's a reason for that.

With "Death To Tyrants", he has taken Sick of It All's patented New York City Hardcore sound and beefed it up to a level that's just mammoth beyond words. But let's not give all of the credit to the producer...the real stars of this album, as always, are the band. This record is the most inspired and vitriolic offering I've heard from Sick of It All in a long time, offering attacks on the greed of corporations, the Bush administration (always a popular topic in metal these days) and society's injustices in general.

Musically, the band doesn't deviate from the sound that solidified their reputation in the hardcore world, but they have definitely improved as musicians. The material is finally as strong and cohesive as the band's playing, and vocalist, Lou Kohler, proves to the hardcore poseurs of the world (This means you Jamey Jasta) that he's still the king of this vocal style. And with this album, Sick of It All prove once and for all that they are, without a doubt, the reigning kings of New York City Hardcore.
 

How To Live With A Curse

Abacus Recordings, 2006

Reviewer: Thorne 

THREAT SIGNAL1/2

Under Reprisal

Nuclear Blast Records, 2006

Finland’s Torture Killer minus Chris Barnes [Six Feet Under fame] have one funky, sludge latent, technically blissful CD on their gore soaked hands! On any normal day the incessant mention of skulls, torture, murder, and cannibalism especially on one recording would result in an instant guffaw, however if truth be told, there is nothing laughable about Swarm! by any stretch of the means. To be brutally honest, I have NEVER been a fan of Barnes' strangling garbage disposal vocals until now, talk about a vast improvement not to mention his vocals finally fit in somewhere. Barnes’ vocals are the icing on the cake or nail in the coffin in this case since we are discussing metal imagery and all. When I first heard “Forever Dead”, I was in another part of my house and was instantly bowled over. Unfamiliar with the music but as soon as I heard the unmistakable vocals I was confused because it was enjoyable. I ran into my living room to discover it in fact was Mr. Barnes that was “singing”. After that, I was hooked on the CD. Now as far as that song goes, "Forever Dead" starts out as a violent maelstrom of twin guitars from Jari Laine and Tuomas Karppinen and battery behind the drums by Tuomo Latvala with the thunderous bass of Kim Tornianen. The song concludes with a rich, unexpected dreamy yet deadly ending. It's as infectious as the bubonic plague was back in its heyday!

The story of T-K is rather an ironic one, a modern day Grimm's Fairy Tale. The band began as doing cover tunes of SFU for which the name of the collective spawned from as well. A little while later they branched off with their own material, was signed to a small label… blah, blah, blah… now as the rest of the text book fairy goes, it seemingly took a scenic route into the Poppy Fields before finding the Yellow Brick Road. After several year of uninterrupted bliss, the band had undergone some personnel changes and lost their singer; Barnes' curiosity was piqued after seeing the recognizable name in print. When he found out the band was in need of a frontman he contacted them offering his services. The rest as they say is history who ever would have thunk that Barnes would have fronted a band that began covering his songs. Talk about coming full circle.