GRIND MADNESS AT THE BBC (www.earache.com)

Extreme Noise Terror-22 tracks. Almost just as intense as Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror retains a sloppier punk edge. This is a band I shamefully admit I’m not familiar with, despite knowing their historical significance and integral role in the development of grind as a cohesive genre. These tracks are complied from 3 sessions, and all tracks have previously been released, most recently by Discipline Records in 1998 (although it wouldn’t surprise me if that comp is out of print, hereby making this the only officially available version of this collection of songs). Man, listening to this stuff is like a fist repeatedly to the face and I’m loving it when every blow lands. As I understand it, nowadays Extreme Noise Terror is a hybrid of grind, death metal, and crust punk, which to me sounds fucking amazing and is a testament to Extreme Noise Terror’s longstanding contribution to grindcore-they never forsook their punk roots. Essential stuff.

Carcass-8 tracks. Carcass was known for bringing the “gore” angle to grind over blunt politics (even though they were initially subliminally political-the early lyrics were indeed gory, but coming from a vegan/animal lib angle as opposed to outright sadism or misogyny). These tracks were pulled from two sessions and were previously released by Earache on the Choice Cuts compilation. These songs are from Carcass’ early era, before they went full on technical melodic death metal (even though Carcass was one of the early bands considered grind that was always more death metal oriented and had a less overall punk influence). Personally, I prefer a more developed, death metal Carcass, as the stuff on Necroticism and Heartwork is superior to the early records. But even then, their early records were far more technically developed than what their peers were doing at the time. Carcass’ contribution to this comp is essential for those reasons alone-the gore theme and higher caliber musicianship- even though they would go on to make better music. Sadly, Carcass never recorded another session with the BBC to showcase said improved music.

Bolt Thrower-12 tracks. Bolt Thrower is a band that I’ve never personally seen as grind, being pretty much death metal from the start with a smidge of grind influence. Their lyrical themes of war and epic, metal as fuck musical approach were and remain alien to grindcore. These tracks are taken from 3 sessions, and were previously released by Strange Fruit in 1991 but, like Extreme Noise Terror, I would not be surprised if that comp is out of print and this is the only way you can get your hands on these recordings. The first session is interesting because it’s the only widespread release-aside from some early demos-with original vocalist Alan West. Solid stuff here.

Godflesh-4 tracks. This is the real gem for me on a personal level, as Godflesh is a recent obsession of mine. Not grind at all, Godflesh’s mechanical industrial metal is harsh, dissonant, martial, repetitive, yet extreme in a way that no one has accurately done since. This lone session is being released in its entirety for the first time on this compilation (2 songs, “Tiny Tears” and “Pulp” were previously released on the In All Languages compilation). Godflesh is a totally different kind of heavy. Never approaching anything that resembles an extreme tempo, Broadrick and Green pummel you with harsh guitar noise and sterile, monotonous beats. The only thing grind about Godflesh’s music is the fact that their music vaguely resembles the metallic harshness of machine parts grinding together. The versions of “Pulp” and “Like Rats” included here are simply devastating. The inclusion of the unreleased material makes the acquisition of this comp worthwhile. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

Unseen Terror-8 tracks. Unseen Terror is a one-time side project of Shane Embury of Napalm Death and this one session features Mick Harris from Napalm on vocals. This session was previously released by Strange Fruit in 1989 and, again, this comp is most likely the only way you can get these recordings. Sloppy, punk-ish grind with some vaguely thrash-influenced breaks is Unseen Terror’s M.O. Quite possibly the least interesting material on this comp, the music is merely OK and the vocals are quite redundant. Decent stuff, but on the merits of the material alone, it’s not worth seeking out this comp just for these recordings. The likely rarity of this material may be a selling point for grind and/or Napalm Death collectors.

Heresy-19 tracks. Very interesting stuff here. Heresy’s version of grind is likely the truest to the genre’s roots on this collection. This is basically extreme punk rock-a precursor to crust punk. There’s nary a metal influenced riff to be found here, and the vocals are mostly cleanly sung (some grunting/screaming pops up here and there). The only thing that ties this to metal influenced grind is the use of blast beats. These tracks are pulled from 3 sessions, and as far as I can ascertain, all 19 tracks are previously unreleased, making Heresy’s contribution to this comp quite valuable. This is some raw, high-energy stuff. To reiterate, this is (seemingly) the first official release of these recordings, which makes the acquisition of this compilation that much more worthwhile.

Intense Degree-11 tracks. Like Heresy, Intense Degree falls more on the punk side of grind. These recordings are from one session, and were previously released by Strange Fruit in 1988. And like Extreme Noise Terror, Bolt Thrower, and Unseen Terror, this is probably the only official version of this session currently in print. This material is; again, quite similar to Heresy, as it is mostly punk riffing over blast beats with cleanly sung vocals. The slight differentiating factor between the two bands is that Intense Degree dials in a slight thrash influence. Solid and full throttle way to close out the comp.

To sum it up, this compilation is an absolutely mandatory purchase for all those into early extreme music. This is the very definition of (mostly) grindcore, recorded in its element-live and raw. The unreleased material by HERESY and especially GODFLESH, and the likely rarity of all the other material, solidifies this comp as an essential historical document. Don’t wait-snatch this up immediately, and thank me later.

THE OFFICIAL HEAVY METAL BOOK OF LISTS by Eric Danville (Backbeat Press)

It shouldn’t need to be said that this book is extremely light on serious content. It is what the title says it is - a book of lists. There’s nary a lengthy paragraph to be found anywhere on these 226 pages. It’s broken down into 7 loose conceptual chapters with two chapters overlapping-Drugs/Alcohol, Occult, Violence, Sex/Obscenity, Noise (freeform lists), On the Road (touring lifestyle), and Whole Lotta Lists (more freeform lists). There is roughly 140 some odd lists herein and I’ll just give you a sample of the topics without spoiling the content of the lists: 50 Heavy Metal Drinking Songs, Kittie’s Top 6 “Get Drunk For Under $30” Wines, 8 Heavy Metal Bands Who Got Their Name From Horror Movies, Pure Fucking Armageddon: The Norwegian Black Metal Body Count, 51 Awesomely Violent Band Names, 9 Metal Suicides, 52 Band Names About…Pussy!, Director Matt Zane Of Society 1 Remembers 25 Metalheads Who Appeared In His Porn Movies, 21 All Chick Metal Cover Bands, 12 Gibson Flying V Guitars, 6 Songs About Roadies, 17 Metalhead’s Stage Names And How The Got Them, 32 Great Moments In Kiss Merchandising, and 21 Hair Metal Video Fashion Tips. If this sort of largely inoffensive, inane content is your sort of thing, then I’m sure you’ll get a few chuckles out of this. It’s as well researched as it needs to be-the band name lists (which there are a few of) seem to be lacking a bit in effort, as if the author went to Metal Archives or some similar site and did a quick search for gory/sexual band names. The only thing I truly find objectionable about this book is in Chapter 3, Violence, there’s a list called 8 Heavy Metal Songs The Government Has Used To Torture Prisoners At Abu Ghraib And Guantanamo Bay. I absolutely find it sickening and appalling to make light of the injustice against human rights in the name of “freedom” committed by the leaders of our nation (and only 2 on the list of 8 are actual metal songs). This section should’ve absolutely been cut form the final print-there’s no excuse for this level of tastelessness.

All in all, this book is simply a “for fun” affair. An easy read (the fonts are humungous-I wonder if that’s a subliminal knock on the perceived intelligence level of the average metalhead) with shallow content, don’t come to this looking for seriousness and you won’t be disappointed.

HATEBREED-Hatebreed (www.e1entertainment.com)

STRIKE ANYWHERE-Iron Front (www.bridge9.com)

DEAD SWANS - Sleepwalkers (www.bridge9.com)

DETHKLOK - Dethalbum II (www.adultswim.com)

KITTIE - In The Black (www.e1ent.com)

MUCKY PUP - A Boy In A Man’s World/Now (Reissues) (www.iscreamrecords.com)

DIRGE WITHIN-Force Fed Lies (www.e1music.us)

It’s a tale as old as time - a metalcore band with thrash and melodic death metal influences, a decent rhythm section, a guitar shredder, and an angsty vocalist who alternates from shouts to clean singing. This was somewhat of an original sound circa 2000-when bands like SHADOWS FALL and GOD FORBID were just getting noticed. But almost a decade later, this formula is about as stale as 3 day old Krispy Kreme’s. Sugary, but disgusting. And now we have DIRGE WITHIN. Bringing absolutely nothing new to the table, this band-which formed roughly two years ago-seems to exist solely for profit. And I say that with good reason-this is guitarist Shaun Glass’ second attempt at commercial music glory. You see Mr. Glass first well-known band was BROKEN HOPE, an excellent brutal death metal band (with such charmers as “Erotic Zoophilism”, “Penis Envy”, and “Hobo Stew”). Brutal, gore soaked death metal is hardly profitable business-CANIBAL CORPSE being the notable exception. So when that didn’t bring him to great fortune, he sold his soul to CREED-esque rockers SOIL. Now, when that didn’t pan out as hoped, he jumped on the metalcore bandwagon and rode it. Hard. Anyways, DIRGE WITHTIN is an entirely forgettable band, and its only redeeming factor is the choice lead guitar work (promotional materials provided leave it ambiguous as to whether Glass or fellow axe slinger Matthew Szlachta is responsible). But even then, how many commercialized metalcore bands have excellent lead guitarists? Quite a few. It’s simply not enough to save this wholly terrible band. There is not one memorable moment on this record. I shudder to think that some impressionable kid is going to stumble upon DIRGE WITHTIN and proclaim it to be the most elite underground metal band. As for me? I’m gonna go induce vomiting to hopefully quell the nauseating feeling I got while listening to this.

THE PERENNIAL-Dissension (www.theperennial.net)

Modern hardcore. Yeah this stuff is intense, but it’s also quite banal. THE PERNNIAL throw down in “classic” HATEBREED fashion, but comparatively add a touch of guitar melody and keep the tempos quick, and not reliant on the ol’ breakdown. But that’s all they really have going for them; a slight edge from the pack. Otherwise, this is as formulaic as it gets. As usual, the vocals are the weakest link, being nothing more than a monotone bark. Not much more to say really, as this EP is over in the blink of an eye (3 songs in roughly 9 minutes). Recommended to those who dig HATEBREED, early POISION THE WELL, early CONVERGE, and the like. You can snag a free download from the band’s website, provided above.

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE-Sleepwalking (www.trustkill.com)

An intriguing and energetic, but ultimately unrewarding experience; MEMPHIS MAY FIRE play a blend of metalcore, post-hardcore, and southern rock. A weird combo, right? It doesn’t work though, as the post-hardcore (read: modern emo) influences dominate everything. The only metal element, borrowed from metalcore, is clichéd and tired breakdowns. I will say that the guitar work of Killen McGregor and Ryan Bentley is pretty damn scorching when it wants to be. When not in full-on breakdown or emo chorus mode, these guys do a ton of bluesy, legato riffs, licks, and solos. Mostly excellent work from these guys. However, Matt Mullins on vocals kills this band for me. I am just not into this type of high-pitched emo singing at all. I don’t mind the screaming, but those whiny clean vocals-which are all the rage these days-are plain fucking annoying. All in all, this is a short, high-octane record, that is merely inoffensive and nothing special. Imagine ESCAPE THE FATE, or a jacked-up THE USED drinking a shit-ton of whiskey and busting out their dad’s old SKYNYRD records. Not my thing at all, and not metal at all, but I’d reckon the kids who are into this type of stuff will gobble it up and beg for more.

VICIOUS CYCLE - Pale Blue Dot (www.derangedrecords.com)

Blistering and slightly melodic hardcore punk (in the original sense) is on VICIOUS CYCLE’s menu. Whilst it’s nothing groundbreaking, this record is totally fun and packed with adrenaline. And these guys are no slouches instrumentally either; there’s plenty of REFUSED-like dissonances, “The Waiting” has got some pretty cool odd time signatures, and “Death”, “For Carl”, and “Rebirth” are trippy soundscapes. Vocally, Nico Taus is channeling Earth A.D. era Danzig; deep howls and some deep bluesy clean singing (used very sporadically). The production quality is raw, dirty, and smacks of analog-it’s very “demo” like if you catch my drift. I have to imagine this record was made to be heard on vinyl. I’d also guess that VICIOUS CYCLE is a very intense and formidable live band. With 13 songs in 28 minutes, you know what you’re getting-an absolutely no frills, old-school punk record. Check it out.

SHADOWS FALL-Retribution (www.everblackindustries.com)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m a hypocrite cause I decry metalcore but dig SHADOWS FALL. Fucking sue me. I’ve been following these guys since 2000 (I must have seen them at least 7-8 times that year alone-they were practically on every tour package that year). They had somewhat of a unique sound back then, and everybody’s aped it and commercialized it since. I was looking forward to this record-after the drama surrounding their time with Atlantic Records for the disappointing Threads Of Life (supposed forced commercial leanings), and hearing how this record was going to be handled independently (with the assist from Ferret Records solely for distribution), I had expectations of an absolute thrashtastic barnburner. SHADOWS FALL were free to do as they please. After the obligatory acoustic intro, “The Path To Imminent Ruin”, “My Demise” kicks in with a neck breaking thrash intro. I was faked out soon thereafter, as this tune has many twists and turns. Mostly midpaced for the verses and choruses, it soon heads for an epic clean bridge, and a blistering neoclassical section-reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen-immediatley afterwards. I was kind of disappointed at first, coming from the thrashy intro to mostly midpaced metal, but then I realized it takes some balls to open your record with a seven-minute epic. And after one tune, I can say with certainty that Jon Donais is still one of the finest lead guitarists in metal; an absolute fucking beast. Some of the stuff he pulls off on this record is just mindblowing. And the rhythm section of guitarist Matt Bachand, drummer Jason Bittner, and bassist Paul Romanko is as tight as ever. I caught SHADOWS FALL on Jimmy Fallon performing “Still I Rise”; a decent tune, but nothing special, there to serve the function of the requisite “single” (along the lines of “Destroyer Of Senses” and “Inspiration On Demand”). The three-pronged vocal attack (Donais, Bachand, and lead throat Brian Fair) is as sharp as ever and used to great effect. The only drawback-and this is somewhat minor-is that the choruses are predominately cleanly sung and saccharine as all fuck. The hooks on this record scream “radio”. In fact, these choruses are the most accessible in their entire catalog; even more so than on Threads Of Life (you know, with the forced major label commercialism and all). I find it kind of weird that the band had total control over the content of this record, and chose to add such blatant radio hooks. Anyways, “War” satisfied my craving for thrash, as this one’s absolutely lethal. Diversity has always been SHADOWS FALL’s ultimate strength, and they play this aspect up more so than ever. There’s really something for every metalhead, from epic (“My Demise”), to midpaced (“King Of Nothing” and “The Taste Of Fear”), to melodic (“Still I Rise”), to extreme (“War”). This album is ace and completely pisses all over Threads Of Life and Somber Eyes To The Sky, and is on par with The Art Of Balance and The War Within. They still haven’t topped Of One Blood yet, though.

BLACK ARROWS OF FILTH AND IMPURITY-1984 (Eternal) (www.gileadmedia.net)

CHIMAIRA-The Infection (www.ferretstyle.com)

CYCLE OF PAIN-Cycle Of Pain (www.reformrecords.com)

DARKEST HOUR-The Eternal Return (www.victoryrecords.com)

GALLOWS-Grey Britain (Reprise)

BLOOD RED THRONE - Souls Of Damnation (www.earache.com)

EPHEL DUATH - Through My Dog’s Eyes (Elitist/Earache)

IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION - Of Winter Born (www.earache.com)

OCEANO - Depths (www.earache.com)

HEAVY METAL KILLERS (www.earache.com)

Powervice - “Behold The Hand Of Glory”. Fun, uptempo Di’Anno-era MAIDEN worship from the Netherlands. Lots of sweet guitar harmonies and a ripping guitar solo over an aggressive, punkish rhythm section. Title track from their 2005 demo.

RAM - “Sudden Impact”. A blend of fast traditional metal and mid-tempo thrash from this Swedish band. Features a killer and aggressive main riff, melodic vocals, and an abundance of shredding guitar solos. From their 2005 album Forced Entry.

Cauldron - “Chained Up In Chains”. A track from the Canadian band’s 2009 album Chained To The Nite, which I’ve previously reviewed in full. To reiterate, this is old-era solo OZZY worship, decently done instrumentally, but severely lacking vocally and topped off with a cheesy lyrical tale of a femme fatale.

Enforcer - “Mistress Of Hell”. ENFORCER from Sweden contribute a blazing speed metal tune reminiscent of early PRIEST. Unabashedly metal and featuring some great bass playing as well as some tasty leads and riffs. From their 2008 album Into The Night.

H.O.D. - “Kicked To The Kerb”. The UK’s H.O.D. (HOSPITAL OF DEATH) offer this nondescript midpaced thrasher from their 2008 album Beer, Bitches, & Blood. Some decent riffs, but not much else. Truly horrible lyrics here.

Portrait - “A Thousand Nightmares”. Pulled from their 2008 self titled album, this Swedish band tries to channel a poor man’s version of a speed metal MERCYFUL FATE, especially vocally. A commendable attempt, but falls short of the mark. The highlight of the song is the extended trade off solo section over multiple riffs-something more bands should be doing these days.

Crowning Glory - “Sea Of Dead Dreams”. Early Dickinson-era MAIDEN inspired tune from this British band, very reminiscent of “2 Minutes To Midnight”. Instrumentally very solid with a plethora of good riffs, but lacking power vocally. From their 2006 EP Path To Glory.

Celtic Legacy - “Live By The Sword”. More Dickinson-era MAIDEN worship, more in the midpaced style. The best vocal performance on this compilation by far with a huge, catchy chorus. Some excellent guitar work as well. Taken from the Irish band’s 2003 album Resurrection.

Voltax - “Steel Maker”. Mexico’s VOLTAX contribute this short anthem about longing for the times of old a.k.a. the 80’s. Nothing about this track stands out, and is merely average overall. From their 2007 self titled album.

In Solitude - “Witches Sabbath”. A decent early KING DIAMOND approximation. Not nearly as vocally powerful as the King himself, and the riffs are a little lacking, but a worthy attempt at recreating a Fatal Portrait type atmosphere. A little derivative overall. From their 2008 self titled album.

All in all, if you are seeking something new and/or groundbreaking, then it’s best to skip this comp. But, if you’re looking for a fun, nostalgic listen with a handful of decent to great bands, then by all means grab this. My personal recommendation is to seek out the standalone releases of POWERVICE, RAM, ENFORCER, and CELTIC LEGACY.

CAULDRON - Chained To The Nite (www.earache.com)

THE HAUNTED - Warning Shots (www.earache.com)

I can only really recommend this to hardcore THE HAUNTED completionists, and maybe someone who’s never hear of THE HAUNTED. But I would sooner say to that person, “skip this, buy the first three records, and skip the last three”. This kind of reeks of cash grab.

INSECT WARFARE-World Extermination (www.earache.com)

MASTODON-Crack The Skye (repriserecords.com)

The vocal interplay of guitarist Brent Hinds and bassist Troy Sanders-and now incorporating drummer Brann Dailor-is the most impressive area of improvement here. These guys are now singing their asses off, with every word being heartfelt and intense. The only screamed vocals provided here are by perennial guest vocalist Scott Kelly (of NEUROSIS) on “Crack The Skye”. The lyrics tell an interesting and deep tale of astral projection. All this is a welcome surprise, as I’ve always thought of MASTODON primarily as an instrumental band with vocal sections. For the most part I still think that, but it seems on this outing that a lot more care was put into the vocal aspect. But that doesn’t mean one bit that they’ve slacked off instrumentally. The playing on Crack The Skye is absolutely on fire. Now, you might think that a prog-metal band “on fire” might mean notes flying all over that place in nonsensical fashion, but absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. There is no shortage of technical and complex riffing, but it never once enters “wank” territory-each note serves it’s purpose and is tastefully and carefully played. 10+ minute epic “The Czar” is by far the highlight of the album with it’s middle two sections of heavy, insane riffing sandwiched between two very ethereal, ambient, and organ heavy sections. The only time they go balls out crazy and unhinged is a 30 second section roughly six minutes into 13-minute monster “The Last Baron”. Guitar wise Hinds and Bill Kelliher play up their very unique and distinct style-heavy riffs, high legato licks, bluesy solos, and unusual chords. These guys are making a mark for themselves with each passing album, and should be recognized alongside some of the greatest guitar tandems in metal history. Sanders’ bass is a subtle, yet key ingredient to the mix-never overplayed but never understated. Dailor’s drumming style on this record caught me off guard-his trademark fast and fluid fill approach is surprisingly subdued here and his performance is overall quite restrained. He unleashes some of his signature fills, but only at the right time as opposed to all the time.

Expertly produced by Brendan O’Brien, I cannot recommend this album enough. This is a dense and powerful listen, and as much as I’ve touched upon here, there’s still so much more to be explored. MASTODON has blown me away from my first encounter with them (live at the Relapse Records Contamination Festival in 2003), and they continue to impress. This is the best record of 2009 so far, and looks like a strong contender to close out the year with such honors. Seek out the special edition with the bonus DVD, which has two featurettes-one on the making of the album and one of track-by-track commentary by the band. These two pieces provide invaluable insight into Crack The Skye as well as MASTODON itself. What are you waiting for? Get your hands on this now.

THE BOY WILL DROWN-Fetish (www.earache.com)

LIVE REVIEW:
ESCAPE THE FATE/
BLACK TIDE/WILLIAM CONTROL/ATTACK ATTACK! The Fillmore At Irving Plaza 2/21/2009

As I approached the venue, I was simply astounded by the sheer amount of emo kids that wrapped around from the Irving Plaza’s entrance on 15th & Irving al the way to 16th & Union Sq. E. It was a long fucking line. What’s even more trippy is when these kids popped (“pop” in this context is pro wrestling jargon for an extremely positive crowd reaction) for a 90’s TV theme compilation played between BLACK TIDE’S and ESCAPE THE FATE’S sets. I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but I just have a problem with these misguided emo kids showing up at a show like this and thinking they’re real deal metalheads when they’ve probably never heard PANTERA (the ultimate starter metal band), let alone something more extreme, underground, and legitimate.

Onto the music: I’m going to touch briefly on the two bands mentioned above as not metal: WILLIAM CONTROL and ESCAPE THE FATE. WILLIAM CONTROL went on second and I have to say, I was totally flabbergasted. Brace yourselves: A two-piece punk/new wave/goth/industrial/dance act. One lead singer, one bassist/backing vocalist, and a whole fuckton of prerecorded backing tracks. Drums, keys, guitars, backing vocals, all on tape. Personally, I don’t see the need for the bassist to be on stage,; if you’re going to have all that instrumentation on tape, why have the bass be live? Wouldn’t it make more sense aesthetically to have a lead guitarist on stage? Anyhow, I was not too impressed by the tunes, as it came across to me as a second rate ORGY. But the kids ate it up; especially the girls. I have never been to a show where girls are screaming their lungs out. It was extremely surreal, especially taking into account the audience’s average age.

ESCAPE THE FATE closed the night out, and if you’ve read my previous review of their This War Is Ours album., then you already know this band does not impress me. Their live show, while adequate and tight, did nothing to change my opinion. These guys had all the “right moves”, and while they looked like MOTEY CRUE (complete with Robert Ortiz’s Tommy lee-esque huge double bass drum kit), they sounded like THE USED. Not a good combination. I ended up staying for about 5 of their songs, and I just wasn’t feeling it at all. I opted to leave and beat the post-show rush out of the building and headed home.

ATTACK ATTACK! opened the show, and due to a bit of confusion on my part outside the venue (apparently, there is a separate line for the guest list, as opposed to general ticket holders), I only caught the second half of their set. I certainly did not feel like I missed anything, though. Run of the mill metalcore at it’s most banal, ATTACK ATTACK! utilized all of the gimmicky tricks generic metalcore bands use, and added zero innovation. Should I start with the monotone lead screaming vocals? How about the “classic” melodeath verse, punk chorus, and breakdown song structure? Maybe it’s the lack of guitar solos (or lead guitars in general) or the useless keys (used mostly for intros and outros and adding no substance to the bulk of the songs)? Either way, this band embodies mediocre. Even worse was the treated clean vocals. I can’t decipher by ear weather it was a vocoder or an auto tuner, but these vocals were definitely effected, every single second of their presence. They looked totally ridiculous on stage too, with both guitarists and the bassist doing an obviously rehearsed run-in-place maneuver. You can really tell they spent hours practicing this routine. I shook my head in shame that someone somewhere considers this legitimate metal. To my astonishment, the crowd was chanting “one more song” after their set. Maybe it’s me.

BLACK TIDE was up third, and despite not being blown away on record, I walked away from this show with a decent amount of respect for this band. I know people think of this band as the beacons of a new generation championing a traditional, old school Metal sound, and they are on the right track to getting there, but they still have a lot of work to do. The material presented that night was a more rock /commercialized interpretation of traditional Metal, but there were plenty of riffs and passages with a strong NWOBHM and thrash influence. I attribute this to being young - the average age of its members is somewhere around 17. For dudes their age, they certainly have a handle on their instruments, as the overall level of musicianship was very high. Their stage presence echoes the days of old, opting to headbang as opposed to throwing themselves and jumping around like idiots. I chuckled when they went for the easy pop with a cover of METALLICA’S “Hit The Lights”, but they played it pretty well overall. The only point in their set which left a bad taste in my mouth was bassist Zachary Sandler’s constant pissing and moaning about the monitor mix, going so far as to kick a wedge during a hissy fit. I will not chalk this up to their age, as I’ve witnessed plenty of older, more established bands throw fits over the very same issue. I just personally feel that any musicians calling themselves “pro” should be able to adapt to any adverse situation without making the crowd aware of the problem. Roll with it man. I overall ended up thinking of this band on a more positive note and they bring the goods as a live act; their songwriting is just a tad lacking. Again, it’s probably because of being so young. They need to delve into the roots of Metal, some NWOBHM, some Power Metal bands, and some classic thrash. Once they’ve acclimated themselves to these styles, and worked these influences into their music, they may be a force to reckon with. Time will tell.

Overall, this show was quite the experience. Mostly crap, but there was a big glimmer of hope from BLACK TIDE. As far as ATTACK ATTACK!, WILLIAM CONTROL, and ESCAPE THE FATE go, don’t buy their records, don’t go to the shows, and let these band’s careers die a obscure death. The emo kids can then go back to their FALL OUT BOY shows, and leave their corrupting influence out of Metal. It’s all for the greater good. - Dan Siano

CROOKED X - Crooked X (www.meteor17.com)

MONO - Hymn To The Immortal Wind (www.temporaryresidence.com)

DAN SIANO'S BEST ALBUMS OF 2008:

METAL:
Nachtmystium-Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1
Leviathan-Massive Conspiracy Against All Life
Opeth-Watershed
Into Eternity-The Incurable Tragedy
Darkthrone-Dark Thrones And Black Flags
Ihsahn-angL
Cynic-Traced In Air
Horna-Sanojesi Äärelle
Behexen-My Soul For His Glory
Tiamat-Amanethes

NON-METAL:
Guns N' Roses-Chinese Democracy
Sigur Ros- M e d S u d Ì E y r u m V i d S p i l u m E n d a l a u s t
Spiraling-Time Travel Made Easy
Coldplay-Viva La Vida (Or Death And All His Friends)
Nine Inch Nails-The Slip
Longwave-Secrets Are Sinister
Sponge- Galore Galore
The Mars Volta-The Bedlam In Goliath
The Brian Jonestown Massacre-My Bloody Underground
The Killers-Day & Age

DARK FUNERAL - Attera Orbis Terrarum Part 2 (www.regainrecords.com)

I do have a few gripes, however. Firstly, they put these brief captions up with the song titles for every song in the Buenos Aries footage. Two reasons this irks me: 1-it kills the “live” flow of the performance and 2-I don’t think a hardcore DARK FUNERAL fan-the ones this DVD and it’s predecessor are aimed at-is going to not recognize “Open The Gates”, “666 Voices Inside”, or “An Apprentice Of Satan” for example. Secondly, the set lists for the two pro shot shows are-with the exception of the addition of “Godhate” to Sao Paulo and the swapping of “Attera Totus Sanctus” and “The Secrets Of The Black Arts” between the two sequences-exactly the same! So, with 4 full-length albums of material to choose from, we get the same DVD twice for all intents and purposes. Thirdly, and most importantly, NO SURROUND SOUND! It’s obvious that a lot of time and care was put into the visual aspect, presentation, and packaging of this DVD set. And most DVDs of this ilk also include a tremendous surround audio mix. So what gives here? A major disappointment!

Despite it’s flaws, this DVD is both excellent and overwhelming. I cannot recommend this enough for fans of DARK FUNERAL, as well as similar tiered black metal bands (i.e. EMPEROR, MADRUK, etc.). It is an exhausting viewing to take in one sitting, but is well worth it to see one of the finest touring black metal bands thrive in their element. Highly, highly recommended. –Dan Siano

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL - Freedom Metal (www.cruzdelsurmusic.com)

PRO-PAIN - No End In Sight (www.regainrecords.com)

SLANK - Anthem For The Broken Hearted (www.slank.com)

XYSTUS - Equilibrio (www.lasersedgegroup.com)

BRING ME THE HORIZON - Suicide Season (www.epitaph.com)

ESCAPE THE FATE-This War Is Ours (www.epitaph.com)

GRAILS-Doomsdayer’s Holiday (www.temporaryresidence.com)

HATE - Morphosis (www.listenable.net)

MARIONETTE-Spite (www.listenable.net)

SONIC SYNDICATE-Love And Other Disasters (www.nuclearblastusa.com)

SYBREED-Antares (www.listenable.net)

SUSPYRE-When Time Fades… (www.lasersedgegroup.com)

TEXTURES-Silhouettes (www.listenable.net)

WAYLANDER-Honour Amongst Chaos (www.listenable.net)

BLEEDING THROUGH - Declaration (www.trustkill.com)

Oh brother. I usually don’t bother reading the bios that come with the CD’s sent to me. And I’m not too sure why I started here, cause the first sentence made me literally sick to my stomach. Death metal? Black Metal? BLEEDING THROUGH? Fail, fail, and fail. This is the epitome of trend-whoring metalcore. There is NOTHING death/black metal about the purest of trendy core breakdowns 1:40 into the first real song “Declaration (You Can’t Destroy What You Can Not Replace)”. I don’t care how many blast beats or tremolo picked riffs this band attempts, BLEEDING THROUGH can never be death metal. And holding one chord with a string patch does not black metal atmosphere make. Keyboardist “OMG! Hawt chick!” Marta (no last name, only Marta) has literally two sounds-a hokey symphonic string patch and a piano patch. It’s so tiring and gimmicky. I can sum up the gist of this whole album in one sentence-kick off with some pseudo death/thrash riffing/drumming, dive straight into breakdown, add piano/strings, growl along rhythmically, sing cleanly every so often, add plenty of angst-y swear words, and repeat ad nauseam. You can take two seconds to read that sentence, or waste 46:16 listening to this record. I can’t comment on individual songs, because they absolutely sound exactly alike. BLEEDING THROUGH are just another run of the mill, race to the breakdown metalcore band. Heard one, heard ‘em all. Blah, blah, blah, I sound like a broken record. The only thing I can credit to this album is Devin Townsend’s meaty and huge production. But that’s pretty much guaranteed when Mr. Townsend is involved. I can’t even honestly recommend this to the 13 year old, Hot Topic lovin’ target audience for this band. Chances are, said teenybopper “metal” fan already owns a BLEEDING THROUGH record. And since BLEEDING THROUGH albums are interchangeable, she/he would be best advised to not waste her/his money. I’m going to have to listen to GORGOROTH for weeks straight to purge this record from my short-term memory. Ugh. –Dan Siano

BROTHER VON DOOM-Relentless (www.deathcoterecords.com)

You’d think I’d learn my lesson from the BLEEDING THROUGH review to not read the supplied bios. I’m not totally disgusted by this one-more of a head shaking apathy. BROTHER VON DOOM’s (nice name, by the way) references both DETHKLOK and WALL-E. Cartoon Network and Disney. So far, we’re not off to a good start. Musically, we have ever so slightly above average deathcore. BROTHER VON DOOM can get pretty technical at times; witness the cool pull off riff :48 into “A Beautiful Masquerade”. Decent stuff. Like most core bands, BROTHER VON DOOM relies a little heavily on the good old breakdown, as well as recycled Swedish melodic death metal riffs. Mercifully, BROTHER VON DOOM spares us of any clean vocal tomfoolery. But that’s all you’re going to get here, folks. BROTHER VON DOOM does nothing to separate them from the pack. DARKEST HOUR has been doing this type of stuff much better since 1995 (and continues to do so to this very day). These guys are all great players, and Chris Elliot has a distinctly brutal growl, but the sum is not greater than the parts. This band’s songwriting is way too formulaic and generic. BROTHER VON DOOM certainly has the chops to be a truly sick band-the opening of “Coffins For The Cursed” is pretty wild. But only time will tell if they’ll forge their own path or continue riding the wave of the metalcore/deathcore fad. –Dan Siano

GAMA BOMB-Citizen Brain (www.earache.com)

Well, I wanted to totally hate this, but try as I might, I just cannot. Make no mistake, I don’t love this, but I will say it’s damn solid. Totally derivative retro thrash, but fun nonetheless. Storming out of the gates with “Zombie Blood Nightmare”, GAMA BOMB waste no time busting out all the right tricks-razor sharp riffs, speedy double kick drumming, face melting solos, rapid fire lead vocals, and ANTHRAX-esque gang vocals. Songs are short and to the point, the longest one being closer “Bullet Belt” at 3:28. It’s all not without flaw, however, and GAMA BOMB fails in two areas. Firstly, and most importantly, the imagery and lyrics are way too tongue-in-cheek almost to the point of parody. I mean check out this nugget from the 41 second, over before it begins “OCP”: “I don’t like cops and cops don’t like me”. Totally juvenile and it sounds like they are trying too hard to be funny. Secondly, and this is a very minor gripe, all the songs can sound a little same-y. 15 tunes can seem like an eternity when all the songs are similar sounding (ironically enough, the record doesn’t even crack 40 minutes). But that’s just collateral damage when you play rip-roaring thrash. Overall, very solid, but if I’m going for thrash, I’d prefer something with a more serious bent like BLOOD TSUNAMI, WITCHERY, or early THE HAUNTED. –Dan Siano

GET THRASHED (DVD) (www.lightyear.com)

GET THRASHED is a fairly comprehensive, highly nostalgic documentary of the history of-you guessed it-thrash metal. The main feature is packed to the hilt with fantastic vintage and current interview and performance footage as well as great vintage pictures and artifacts (ticket stubs, flyers, posters, etc.). Interviews include members of METALLICA, MEGADETH, EXODUS, SLAYER, DARK ANGEL, DEATH ANGEL, ANTHRAX, PANTERA, TESTAMENT, KREATOR, SODOM, DESTURCTION, SEPULTURA, HIRAX, OVERKILL, SHADOWS FALL, LAMB OF GOD, THE HAUNTED, IN FLAMES, MESHUGGAH, as well as personalities such as Eddie Trunk, Chris Jericho, Ron Quintana, DJ Will, Opie, Danny Shipman, Ian Christe, Charles Florio, the Old Bridge Militia, Jon & Marsha Zazula, Brian Slagel among a slew of others. The 100 minute film, complete with a soundtrack of all the featured bands, goes back to the start of the movement in San Fran and L.A. and covers a variety of topics such as tape trading, Megaforce & Metal Blade records, the opposition to the glam scene, the dedication of the fans, the “dress code” (you know-high tops, tight jeans, black band t-shirts, long hair, and the obligatory leather jacket with a sleeves-cut-off jeans jacket adorned with band logo patches over it), headbanging, moshing, stage diving, the NY scene, crossover, touring conditions, the German scene, the Clash Of The Titans tour, and nu metal. There are also brief band histories of METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, EXODUS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, KREATOR, and PANTERA. No stone is left unturned, and it is put together with the utmost respect for each band’s well-deserved legacies.

It is not without flaw, however, as there is definitely some highly questionable content here. For starters, there is the inclusion of interview footage with members of some truly suspect bands; namely SLIPKNOT, GODSMACK, CHIMAIRA, HATEBREED, KITTIE, and SOILWORK. These bands have absolutely nothing to do with thrash metal, and are here purely for the sake of getting this film some mainstream cred. KITTIE, a gimmicky all female nu metal band, have the balls (no pun intended) to decry nu metal during one of their interview clips. I laughed quite hard at the irony. Scott Ian of ANTHRAX loses all credibility with me when he refers to SYSTEM OF A DOWN as true thrash metal. Huh? Finally, I feel the timeline is way off. When we get to the 90’s, we go straight from the Clash Of The Titans tour-the supposed end of an era, to how grunge “killed” metal, to nu metal, to the recent faux-retro thrash trend (see my GAMA BOMB and BLACK TIDE reviews). Yeah, that’s how it happened in the mainstream, but what about the underground movements? They touch on the topics of death and black metal-thrash’s logical successors-for a combined five seconds. The filmmakers give PANTERA all the credit for keeping metal alive during the 90’s-which any self-respecting underground metalhead will tell you is total bullshit. I kind of get infuriated when 90’s metal is discredited simply because it was not 80’s thrash. Metal was never “dead” in the 90’s; you just had to actually put an effort into looking harder for it.

All in all, despite it’s misgivings, this film come recommended on two fronts. One is for the old school metalheads looking for an accurate trip down memory lane. The other is for all the kids who think metalcore is the end all be all. This would serve well to educate them on extreme metal’s true beginnings.

Bonus features include 90 minutes of unused band history footage of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE, FORBIDDEN, POSSESED, HEATHEN, DARK ANGEL, HIRAX, AGENT STEEL, OVERKILL, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, S.O.D., M.O.D., PRONG, CARNIVORE, WHIPLASH, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, SACRED REICH, ATROPHY, NASTY SAVAGE, HALLOW’S EVE, METAL CHURCH, D.R.I., EXCITER, RAZOR, SACRIFICE, ANNIHILATOR, ANVIL, DESTRUCTION, SODOM, ASSASSIN, TANKARD, CORONER, HELLHAMMER, MOTORHEAD, VENOM, RAVEN, ONSLAUGHT, SABBAT, MERCYFUL FATE, MORTAL SIN and synopses of regional scenes from Texas, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, and Japan.-Dan Siano

36 CRAZYFISTS - The Tide And It’s Takers (www.ferretstyle.com)

APOCALYPTICA-Worlds Collide (www.zombalabelgroup.com)

APOCALYPTICA-The Life Burns Tour DVD (www.zombalabelgroup.com)

I will give these guys a ton of credit though; “Master Of Puppets” is hard enough to play on a guitar. I can’t even fathom how hard it must be to adapt that to cello. I kind of wrote them off in my review of the Worlds Collide album, but actually visualizing this stuff puts it into a different perspective for me. It is uncanny how a distorted cello resembles a distorted guitar. I still feel that these guys are a total novelty act, but try as I might, I just cannot fault them musically. These guys are top-notch virtuosos. “Fight Fire With Fire”? Holy shit. These guys are shredding like Hammett note for note on a goddamn cello. That’s mind boggling to me. The novelty of this band shredding METALLICA and SEPULTURA (“Inquisition Symphony”(!) and “Refuse/Resist”) on cellos wears off quick when they launch into their original tunes. This is where this band is sorely lacking. While there are quite a bit of impressive sections, like the 16th note triplet sequence throughout “Betrayal”, the songs in of themselves are not noteworthy by any means.

The production values of the DVD are excellent. Multiple cameras catch all the nuances of all 4 cellists (as well a drummer Mikko Siren). The color scheme is nteresting; it’s not very saturated and teeters on black and white. It fits the mood of the sort of gothic image the band is running with. The audio mix is a pristine 5.1 surround, with (like most live DVD’s mixed in 5.1) the extraneous crowd mixed in the rear speakers. You really get the sense of their musicianship with a mix like this; all the playing comes at you from the front.

Bonus features include a tour documentary, a behind the scenes in the studio video for “Repressed”, and 7 music videos. Get it if you are a die-hard APOCALTYPTICA fan, or if you are looking for a break from your usual metal intake.

BLOODBATH-“Unblessing The Purity” EP (www.peaceville.com)

Fuck YES. BLOODBATH has returned from a 4-year layoff with an absolutely vicious EP, which triumphantly marks the return of Mikael Akerfeldt of OPETH on vocals. For those who aren’t in the know, BLOODBATH was initially assembled in 1999 as a tribute to old-school Swedish death metal (of the Stockholm variety) by members of OPETH, KATATONIA, and EDGE OF SANITY. They have progressed since then, incorporating a more American death metal influence (a la MORBID ANGEL) on this EP as well as their last full length, 2004’s Nightmares Made Flesh. This EP continues in this vein, as well a introducing a very subtle black metal influence (most notably on opener “Blasting The Virginborn”). But make no mistake, BLOODBATH is still full on death metal, with the bulk of the material following along in a DISMEMBER meets MORBID ANGEL in a dark alleyway vibe. Martin “Axe” Axenrot is a monster behind the kit, the riffs of Anders “Blakkheim” Nystrom and new guitarist Per “Sodomizer” Eriksson slay with no mercy, and Akerfeldt is truly brutal on vocals. What more do you need to know? Buy it.

TESTAMENT-The Formation Of Damnation (www.nuclearblastusa.com)

There is a ton of hoopla surrounding this new TESTAMENT record. Firstly, and most significantly, Alex Skolnick and Greg Christian return to the fold since 1993 and 1996, on lead guitars and bass, respectively. Along side vocalist Chuck Billy and rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, this signifies the reunion of the “classic” lineup (cannot be called “original” because of drummer Louie Clemente’s non participation; he was first replaced by Nick Barker (ex-CRADLE OF FILTH/DIMMU BORGIR/LOCKUP) and currently by Paul Bostaph (ex-SLAYER/FORBIDDEN/EXODUS).) Secondly, this is the first new material from TESTAMENT in nearly 10 years, since 1999’s The Gathering.

So how does it stack up to all the hype and anticipation? Truthfully, it’s not horrible, but it isn’t awesome either. Overall it can be most accurately compared to any record from 1989-1992. “More Than Meets The Eye” and “The Evil Has Landed”, the first two proper songs, chug along in a mid-paced mode. The band is in great musical form, but these songs are just lacking a spark that’s crucial to thrash. The title track is where things get going; a storming thrasher this one is. This is the only song that has truly retained the elements introduced to the band on 1994’s Low and onward-relentless speed, and harsh death metal influenced vocals. But after this they, for the most part, continue to chug at mid-paced tempi. Then there is case of TESTAMENT being influenced by the bands that TESTAMENT influenced. “The Persecuted Won’t Forget” literally sounds like Gossow-era ARCH ENEMY. I chalk this up to TESTAMENT’s need to stay current; and I guess there are worse bands they can be influenced by. “Henchmen Ride” is a cool stomper with a ripping thrash mid-section. This one hearkens back to Practice What You Preach and earlier. Thankfully, they have spared us of any “Return To Serenity”-esque ballad tomfoolery.

I will say this; the musicianship on this record is outstanding. Peterson and Christian lock in tight as hell-like they never parted ways in 1996. Skolnick’s playing is as it always was-fluid, melodic, modal, and very vocal like. The years spent out of metal and playing jazz has really pushed his leads into a whole other dimension. Taken out of context, one can almost envision these guitar leads played on an alto or soprano sax. Paul Bostaph, however, steals the show here. The double kicks are fast, clean, and accurate. His hands are just blazing, and strictly in terms of tone, this is the best he’s ever sounded. This album, as well as EXODUS’ Shovel Headed Kill Machine, proves that SLAYER was holding him back. Bold claim I know, but seriously, when has anyone ever heard this guy play this viciously, this fiery, and as powerful as he’s playing now? Not even on Divine Intervention. This is the best drum performance on a TESTAMENT record, even besting Dave Lombardo on The Gathering, Gene Hoglan on Demonic (the only good thing about that record), and John Tempesta on Low. Chuck Billy is in top form as well, his clean raspy singing voice dominating the proceedings. He does manage to sneak in some harsh vocals, most notably in the title track.

This is not a horrible album by any means and it is definitely worthy of the TESTAMENT name. I’d sooner put on Low, The Gathering, or Practice What You Preach before this, but this is a solid album nonetheless. Recommended to TESTAMENT fans as well as anyone doesn’t like to get any more extreme than say ARCH ENEMY or SLAYER. Decent stuff.

5IVE-Hesperus (www.tortugarecordings.com)

DEAD TO FALL - Are You Serious? (www.victoryrecords.com)

…and in an interesting epilogue to this review, DEAD TO FALL split up on 4/8/2008, less than two months after this record’s 2/19/2008 release date. Way to go, gents. –Dan Siano

SPYDER BABY - Let Us Prey (www.blindprophecyrecords.com)

BLACK TIDE - Light From Above (www.interscope.com)

My feeling of suspicion is doubly compounded when I read the bio and find out that they are kids. Literally. The average age of these band members is 16, with vocalist, lead guitarist, and visionary Gabriel Garcia being the ripe old age of 14. The bio also states that this band will “introduce a harder rocking sound to those who are too young to remember.” Now don’t get me wrong, I am mildly impressed by the skill level on display, but I don’t need a 14-year-old kid to tell me about metal. This just reeks of a pure major label gimmick band with a bunch of P.R. guys pulling all the strings. I’m insulted.

INHUMAN - Last Rites (www.iscreamrecords.com)

Good old fashioned hardcore. Heavy, simplistic, and totally pit ready. I’m not a fan of hardcore, and this is no exception. For the most part INHUMAN coasts along with a brand of hardcore that is generic and by the numbers. There are a few notable exceptions, one being standout track “What You Wanted”. This one is a cool melodic punk sing-along. Good tune. The stronger tunes are the more up-tempo ones like “Fashist”, “The Dream Is Not Dead”, and “A Fine Line”. These guys don’t screw around with the formula (two-step to breakdown), and it works for them. Solid, play it safe hardcore for fans who don’t need anything else. Hatebreed, Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All, and Madball fans take note.

OPETH - The Roundhouse Tapes (www.peaceville.com)

Despite the complexity and length of these compositions, OPETH never misses a beat and only seem to be getting better and more confident. Mikael Akerfeldt’s vocals are as strong as ever and the transitions from growling to singing is always amazing to me as the harsh, deep growling never seems to affect the singing. The soft spoken, mellow demeanor and in-jokes between songs are hilarious as usual as it is in extreme contrast to the music (it’s particularly funny when he dismisses the lyrics of “Under The Weeping Moon” as “black metal nonsense”). This is guitarist Peter Lindgren’s swan song with the band and his presence will be missed. The rapport as guitar players between Lindgren and Akerfeldt is uncanny and integral to the OPETH sound. I have not seen them live with new guitarist Fredrik Akesson yet, but he has some mighty big shoes to fill. Per Wiberg has fully assimilated himself into the band by this point providing tasteful organ, piano, and mellotron to the old pieces and harmonizing flawlessly with Akerfeldt. This is Martin Axenrot’s recorded debut with the band and I initially approached his entrance with the band with trepidation. Axenrot and former drummer Martin Lopez have very different approaches to drumming. Generally, Lopez plays more loose and improvisational and Axenrot is more stiff and precise. But when I saw them live in 2006 and further cemented by this live album, Axenrot was an excellent choice and provides and excellent foundation for the rest of the band. I eagerly await the studio debut of Axenrot (and Akesson, a supposed amazing shredder) in 2008. Stalwart Martin Mendez rounds off the band’s lineup on bass and subtly adds color when needed but primarily holds the harmonic structure of the pieces together like glue.

I can’t praise this band or this live album any more than I already have. If you are a OPETH fan, or a fan of progressive metal, and you don’t already own this, then what are you waiting for? Essential.

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