Album reviews. Post up.

[from zero]

I think this could be fun ...

Pick an album out of your collection and post a quick review of it. Include any all elements of the selection: production, songs, writing, musicianship, et cetera.

I'll start with one I'm listening to right now:

Testament's The Ritual

Tracks:
1. Signs of Chaos
2. Electric Crown
3. So Many Lies
4. Let Go Of My World
5. The Ritual
6. Deadline
7. As The Seasons Grey
8. Agony
9. The Sermon
10. Return To Serenity
11. Troubled Dreams

Often underrated, Testament is almost always left out of conversations about the best thrash metal; always in the shadows of Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. I think Testament are among the best of the best, IMO.

1992's The Ritual is no exception. The opener, a quick 30 second guitar solo, leads into one of the strongest tracks on the record, Electric Crown. This song displays a killer chorus, as well as one of my favorite solos by the band. Look further down the track listing for the best guitar work, on songs like As The Seasons Grey and Agony. Any Testament fan will also recognize track no. 10, the ballad-like Return To Serenity. Clocking in at almost 6 and a half minutes, it is up there with the aforementioned Electric Crown in the strongest tracks on the album. Arguably, it is one of the best Testament songs ever written.

Plain and simple, Testament are pure thrash metal. Shredding lead guitars, hard riffs, and flawless vocals from Chuck Billy, all combine for a true heavy metal sound. If you're looking for a band that doesn't feel the need to try new things on every other record, and stays true to their roots, I highly recommend Testament for your collection.

Musicianship – 9
Production – 8.5
Atmosphere – 9
Originality – 8
Overall – 9

 

[powerslave]

Great idea, great band, great review. One of my all time favorite bands. I may have to pull something from the archives for my first review.

Speaking if Testament, when are they going to have a new disc? It's been years since "The Gathering" came out. I know Chuck had cancer and last I heard that was taken care of and he was fully recovered.

 

[from zero]

Great idea, great band, great review. One of my all time favorite bands. I may have to pull something from the archives for my first review.

Speaking if Testament, when are they going to have a new disc? It's been years since "The Gathering" came out. I know Chuck had cancer and last I heard that was taken care of and he was fully recovered.

I heard they were coming out with something this year?

I actually stole this idea from a website called blistering.com. They have some cool forums over there. One of them is the "Album Reviews" one. Thought it would be cool to have something like that over here for people.

 

[from zero]

I'm bored. I'll do another one I was listening to today:

Lo Pro - Lo Pro

Tracks:
1. Fuel
2. Not Me
3. Sunday
4. 1 Day
5. Reach
6. Walk Away
7. Thread
8. Oblivion
9. Ignition
10. Never
11. Fake
12. Bombz

Lo Pro is a very new band, recently signed by Aaron Lewis of Staind to his own 413 Records. The toured with them and Sevendust early last year as well. I found this disc at my local used CD shop for $2.99 (or $3.99, I forget), so I figured, what have I got to lose?

The answer was ... nothing. I enjoyed the CD a lot actually. Granted, it's nothing groundbreaking, or even original, or even THAT great. But, it's fun to listen to, and a real breath of fresh air from most of the other crap that's on the radio these days. The highlight of the album is the single, Sunday. The vocals are very powerful, and I think among the best on the record, in the chorus: "Why does always feeeeeeeeeel like Sundaaaaaaay ..."

Bottom line, Lo Pro are basically your average hard rock band. The album is very radio-friendly, but that doesn't make it bad, IMO. Comparable to other modern rock acts like Shinedown, or Smile Empty Soul, this band is probably nothing you haven't heard, but is much better than most mainstream rock out there. The song Sunday alone was worth the 3 bucks I spent.

Musicianship – 7
Production – 9
Atmosphere – 8.5
Originality – 6
Overall – 8

 

[HS Lifter]

LOL. Flah has a whole damn website dedicated to reviews.

Dont know the link though....

 

[Flah]

http://www.geocities.com/qkasmt/

There's the link. It's on Geocities, so forgive all the hassle that comes with having a website on there.

If you guys want, I always wanted to get together with a bunch of people and do a proper review site.

 

[majutsu]

Elite will be here a while. No one else is doing anything in Music. Talk to George about an album review area in the music forum. After all, "rockin'" is clearly part of the elite lifestyle, as he calls it. Furthermore, Flah and otherwise will write excellent reviews that will attract people to the elite site. Once here, people who like new music, also generally being active people in life, interested in health and fitness as well, will check out other site areas, products and membership benefits. I think its a good fit. George, what do you think?

 

[from zero]

LOL. Flah has a whole damn website dedicated to reviews.

That's great and all, but I didn't know that, there's no thread concerning this kind of thing, and this gives everyone a chance to post their own reviews ... so you can spare us the dick attitude.

 

[Flah]

Post more reviews! More! I never head of Lo Pro and I love hearing about new music.

I like your final reviewing scale too. Good work with everything.

 

[from zero]

Alright, I'll do one more, cause I'm bored. I want to see some other peeps post some stuff up. This could be a really cool thread ...

Metallica's S&M

Tracks:
1. Ecstasy of Gold
2. Call of Ktulu
3. Master of Puppets
4. Of Wolf and Man
5. The Thing That Should Not Be
6. Fuel
7. The Memory Remains
8. No Leaf Clover
9. Hero of the Day
10. Devil's Dance
11. Bleeding Me

1. Nothing Else Matters
2. Until It Sleeps
3. For Whom the Bell Tolls
4. Human
5. Wherever I May Roam
6. Outlaw Torn
7. Sad But True
8. One
9. Enter Sandman
10. Battery

Ahh, Metallica. The band that used to the gods of thrash, became a laughing stock when they cut their hair, a laughing stock again with Lars' bullcrap every week, and a laughing stock again with the release of the critically dismal St. Anger. Well, to all of you who agree with the above, I give a big FUCK YOU. Metallica is one of the most successful rock bands ever, and are worthy of praise from me, because I give them respect for trying new things. Now, I'm not a fan of St. Anger, or the Napster fiasco, but I respect Metallica for their contributions to music. Like I said, they are not afraid to try new things.

Which brings us to 1999s double live album S&M ... I must say, when this was released, I was very intrigued. I like to relax to some orchestral music sometimes, and I am familiar with some of Michael Kamen's work in the movies, and am a huge fan of Metallica, so I bought the record. Needless to say, I enjoyed it VERY much. Right from the opener, The Ecstasy of Gold, I knew I was in for a treat. The Call of Ktulu only further peaked my interest. It wasn't until the bone-crunching opening riffs of Master Of Puppets that I could really begin to bask in this gem. Classic Metallica sound, combined with the not-so-subtle orchestra in the background gives the listener an odd, yet euphoric listening pleasure. Further along the disc, a superb version of The Thing That Should Not Be, followed by an excellent rendition of Fuel. Soon after, the first disc closes out with a bit of a surprise in Bleeding Me. This not-often-heard epic is performed very well, and goes great with the orchestra.

On to the second disc, where a beautiful Nothing Else Matters re-captures the listener back into the concert. A couple tracks later, the classic For Whom The Bell Tolls is delivered, followed by a few Black album favorites, Wherever I May Roam, Sad But True, and Enter Sandman. Two of the highlights on the record are captured in Outlaw Torn and One. I was never a big fan of the studio version of Outlaw Torn, but I found it to be playing over and over again in my stereo. The sheer emotion felt as Hetfield screams "NO NO NO NOOOOOO!!" in the live version of One is enough for me to buy the disc(s) alone.

Overall, I think Metallica made a wise choice in the experiment, and left me very pleased with the purchase. Metallica will always be Metallica to me, and this record only proves it. They are versatile, unrelenting, and just straight up fantastic musicians. Bravo, Metallica.

Musicianship – 10
Production – 9
Atmosphere – 10
Originality – 9
Overall – 9.5

 

[powerslave]

Overkill - Horrorscope

Tracks:
1. Coma
2. Infectious
3. Blood Money
4. Thanx for Nothin’
5. Bare Bones
6. Horrorscope
7. New Machine
8. Frankenstein
9. Live Young, Die Free
10. Nice Day…for a Funeral
11. Solitude

Bobby “Blitz” Ellesworth (v), D.D. Verni (b), Sid Falck (d), Merritt Gant (g),
Rob Cannavino (g)

Another underrated band, Overkill is almost always left out of conversations about the best thrash metal bands; always in the shadows of Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. I think Overkill is among the best of the best, IMO.

1991's Horrorscope is no exception. The opening song begins quite harmlessly before the neck wrecking begins. My personal favorite tune on this album is Blood Money. This song has several tempo changes. This disc also contains several songs that are staples in an Overkill set list; Coma, Infectious and Thanx for Nothin’. Another highlight is the cover song Frankenstein. Some of the albums best guitar work can be found towards the end of the album in Nice Day…for a Funeral. Also, this album marked a different more gritty vocal sound for Blitz.

Plain and simple, Overkill are pure thrash metal. Shredding lead guitars, hard riffs, and gritty vocals from Blitz, all combine for a true heavy metal sound. If you're looking for a band that doesn't feel the need to try new things on every other record and stays true to their roots even to this day, Overkill may just be right for you. They aren’t called The Wrecking Crew for nothing. I highly recommend Overkill for your collection.

Musicianship – 9
Production – 8.5
Atmosphere – 9
Originality – 8
Overall – 9

 

[from zero]

Sentenced - The Cold White Light

Tracks:
1. Konevitsan Kirkonkellot
2. Cross My Heart and Hope to Die
3. Brief Is the Light
4. Neverlasting
5. Aika Multaa Muistot (Everything Is Nothing)
6. Excuse Me While I Kill Myself
7. Blood and Tears
8. You Are the One
9. Guild and Regret
10. Luxury of a Grave
11. No One There
12. Killing Me Killing You

Anyone who knows death metal should immediately recognize the band Sentenced. I use the term "death metal" lightly. They USED to be death metal. Crushing guitars, throaty, gritty vocals, the whole deal. The past couple of albums, they have toned their sound down a bit, opting for a more "modern hard rock" sound. Pretty simple verse/chorus/verse/chorus song structure, clean vocals, et cetera. Now, depending on who you ask, this may or may not be a good thing. Myself, I like the sound ...

The Cold White Light opens with a minute and a half of some samples, leading into the albums true intentions: simply, to rock. Past Sentenced fans will recognize the macabre track names such as Excuse Me While I Kill Myself and Luxury of a Grave. The two aforementioned are also two of the strongest tracks on the album, IMO. You can't help but have some fun sing along with the chorus "I'll kill myself/I'll blow my brains onto the wall/See you in Hell ..." The lyrics are pretty absurd, but like I said, it's fun, and it rocks. My favorite track on the record would have to be Neverlasting. If this song doesn't get you going, I'm not sure what will. The solo, about 2 minutes into the song, is probably the best on the album, and leads into a slow, quiet bridge of hands clapping, and erupts again with the powerful riffs that make this album worth having.

Though they have departed from their death metal roots, Sentenced puts out a hell of a rock record with The Cold White Light. Who says a modern radio-friendly sound is bad? My favorite tracks are the harder, faster tracks, but that's not to say this isn't a good album. If you are looking for a catchy melodic metal album, I suggest you pick this up and pop some Prozac. They haven't abandoned the depressing lyrical content at all.

Musicianship – 9
Production – 9
Atmosphere – 8
Originality – 8.5
Overall – 9

 

[powerslave]

Mercyful Fate - Melissa

Tracks:
1. Evil
2. Curse of the Pharaohs
3. Into the Coven
4. At the Sound of the Demon Bell
5. Black Funeral
6. Satan’s Fall
7. Melissa

King Diamond (v), Timi Grabber (b), Kim Ruzz (d), Hank Sherman (g),
Michael Denner (g)

The forerunner to today’s “Black Metal” genre, Mercyful Fate made their debut in the early 80’s. At times, they were also grouped in “The New Wave of British Heavy Metal”. However they were not British most members hail from Denmark, but because of the underground tape trade that made a lot of these groups famous.

1983's Melissa was their debut album. Some people may have heard many of the songs on this album from Metallica’s Garage Inc. disc. The real standout of this and all other Mercyful Fate albums is the vocal styling of King Diamond. His vocals range from guttural groans to operatic falsettos. Also, the lyric subject matter mostly deals with Satan and or the occult. Song highlights include Satan’s Fall, Evil and Into the Coven. Musically, this is you standard heavy metal offering; dueling lead guitars and galloping rhythms.

If you’re a fan of today’s “Black Metal”, you should check this band out. Some may find Mercyful Fate hard to listen too because of the subject matter or King’s vocal ability.

Musicianship – 7
Production – 6
Atmosphere – 7
Originality – 8
Overall – 8

 

[from zero]

Awesome powerslave. Thanks for posting these up.

 

[powerslave]

I'll look for some stuff this weekend when I get into my archives while I'm counting and cataloging my music.

 

[powerslave]

Need some more peeps to post up!

Don't mind From Zero and myself. Even if your not a metal head post up your review. I'm sure others will find your review helpfull.

 

[from zero]

Don't mind From Zero and myself. Even if your not a metal head post up your review. I'm sure others will find your review helpfull.

EXACTLY!! Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[Flah]

I wouldn't mind getting some stuff up here, not reviews persay, but more overviews of some underground acts people may be missing out on.

If that's cool with you guys, of course.

 

[from zero]

Do it up Flah!

Beautiful Creatures - Beautiful Creatures

Tracks:
1. 1 A.M.
2. Wasted
3. Step Back
4. Ride
5. Wish
6. Kick Out
7. Blacklist
8. Kickin For Days
9. Time And Time Again
10. Goin Off
11. New Orleans
12. I Got It All

Beautiful Creatures are pretty obscure. I don't think many know about them. A few years ago, they were on the bill for Ozzfest, so I decided to purchase the album and give it a shot. What I listened to was not the typical Ozzfest band. These guys had a pretty original sound in today's rock world. In fact, if I wanted to ballpark a guess, I'd call it modern glam rock.

The opener, 1 AM, draws the listener in with guitars and vocals reminiscent of the 80s. Influences of AC/DC and Guns N' Roses are clearly heard, and it sounds like you're in for a fun record. Well, most of that is true. Though I really enjoyed the faster-paced songs like 1 AM, Ride, and Kick Out, I found the album grow kind of stale with some of the songs. It's a good effort, but songs like Kickin For Days and the single Step Back really didn't do anything for me. That's not to say they are bad, but they're not going to be called classics any time soon.

The record has some nice lead guitar work (a breath of fresh air from the circa 2001 Ozzfest lineup), and some pretty original vocal work (though it does sound like he's been listening to AC/DC too much), but the entire album seems to follow very simple song structures (verse/chorus/verse/chorus/solo/chorus). If 80s hard rock/metal are your thing, you may really enjoy this record. I don't think it's for everyone though.

Musicianship – 7.5
Production – 9
Atmosphere – 7.5
Originality – 8
Overall – 7.5

 

[Flah]

Planes Mistaken for Stars

Who They Are:
Vocals/Guitar: Gared O'Donnell
Vocals/Guitar: Matt Bellinger
Bass: Chuck French
Drums: Mike Ricketts

What They Play:
Post Hardcore/Emocore/Emo

Why You Should Check Them Out:
A furious explosion of cathartic post hardcore. Amazingly catchy off the cuff vocal work accents the overall addictiveness of these noisy hard edged kings of emocore. For those of you that think emo is primarily built around weepy ballads about lost love then you need to check out this band and be surprised.

Discography:
1999 – Planes Mistaken for Stars (EP)
2000 – Knife in the Marathon (EP)
2001 – Fuck With Fire
2002 – Spearheading the Sin Movement (Single)

Website:
http://www.pmfs.net/

Music Online:
MP3: http://www.purevolume.com/PlanesMistakenForStars

The Skinny:

In the world of music, there are those bands that claim to be live bands and those bands that actually built their rabid fan base from those live shows. Denver’s Planes Mistaken for Stars are one of those bands that seemingly never stop touring and for good reason. Their high-octane musical delivery is built for a live setting complete with loud guitars, horse screamed vocals, and adrenaline fueled performance. If cathartics had a theme song, Planes Mistaken for Stars must’ve recorded it.

Considered by many to be the foremost example of the loosely defined “Screamo” genre, PMFS recordings have gained equal notoriety in the underground as their amazing live performances. Their vocal interplay sounds like an angrier interpretation of Hot Water Music, balanced with a lower end hoarse croon and a screechy vocal chord destroying scream. Their music, however, is atypical of other bands that encompass the screamo sound. Built largely off the emotional resonance of early Fugazi, their music is a blast of heavily distorted guitars, almost if My Bloody Valentine got together to record a punk record. It’s almost more aligned with Sonic Youth than it is Rites of Spring, but there is no mistaking their pure aggressive sound.

It’s fast, noisy, and on the brink of chaos and fans of their music love every second of it. As one reviewer wrote about their debut full length, Fuck With Fire:

If there’s anyone out there who’s afraid that the obsidian-hard, raging post-hardcore of the ’90s is quickly becoming an endangered species threatened by pop emo and more cleaned-up versions of post-hardcore, one listen to Fuck With Fire ought to assuage all fears.*

Amen to that and amen to Planes Mistaken for Stars for offering up such a rough and energetic translation of emo greatness.

*Review from Aversion

 

[majutsu]

This thread is great! Good job all. I'll try to get one up tonight.

 

[Flah]

Majhas

Who They Are:
Vocals: Jon Michael Gioe
Guitar: John Zeps
Bass: Tony Reitz
Drums: Tom Roosa

What They Play:
Hardcore

Why You Should Check Them Out:
With screams that shred every last sinew of Jon Michael Gioe's vocal chords, Majhas is an aggressive blast of sound that fans of Coalesce and Botch will instantly fall in love with.

Discography:
2003 - Stepping into Character

Website:
http://www.majhas.com/

Music Online:
http://www.majhas.com/media/Majhas-FistfightsInMotion.mp3

The Skinny:

Signed to the same label as such brutal offerings as the Suicide Note, Bloodlet, and Deadguy, you know that Majhas has something innately destructive to offer. Hailing from Indianapolis and made up of former members from Ice Nine, Endive, and Curb, Majhas are destined to destroy your eardrums with their volcanic live shows and their balls out approach to noisey hardcore that made Botch and Coalesce perennial fan favorites.

But there is another side to Majhas besides their hostile attack that's usually the first thing to surface to the ears of most. Majhas has a slightly more progressive edge that sets them apart from their hardcore peers and aligns them more with bands from the superstar Hydra Head label. Their music truly is more akin to Botch than it is Coalesce, but with songs like NOLA Heat, they shift into an area that's usually held steady by dense progressive traits of Celestial-era Isis before fully letting loose with a madcap hardcore speed fest.

Still, the most striking aspect of the band is their singer who has a near inhuman endurance when it comes to screaming his voice away. His intimidating growl is just ferocious and anchors the abrasive music that goes from angry to hopeful. It's music that every hardcore fan owes it to themselves to listen to. With a genre increasingly being filled with the bland, uninspired, and watered down, Majhas provides a much-needed kick in the nuts and could readily jumpstart your long forgotten hardcore appreciation. It's great to see bands like this making music today.

 

[SoreArms]

I already posted this one before, it doesn't really fit with the stuff that you guys are reviewing but Ithought I'd help the cause.

The String Quartets Tribute to Nine Inch Nails

I saw this album yesteday as I was looking for something interesting to buy. Apparently it has been out since 2002, but this is the first time I see it. I have heard many good orchestra and symphony tribute albums before so I thought it was a good find.

Here are the songs covered:

Piggy
Heresay
Just like you imagined
The Fragile
Into the void
Closer
Something I can never have
Suck
Eraser

First impression:

I had a hard time identifying several of the songs and had to look at the CD to figure out what song I was listening to.

Although there are some good songs in there, I think there are better songs worth covering than some of their choices.

They did an exceptionally good job on covering Closer.


Overall, it is a decent album, but I already have a palette for quartets. Aside from the occasional listen, it makes for good dinner or coctail music.

If you're a devoted NIN fan, it's definately worth having in your collection.

If you're a casual NIN listener, this is one you can skip.

 

[SoreArms]

This one isn't an album review, it's a a thing I wrote for a school news letter about "The Mummies". There is abviously some fiction in there, but the band is real.


The Mummies. Who are they you ask.? Legend has it that the band was formed to entertain the ancient Pharos who liked to rock out to honor their god Ra. The Mummies were often asked to play at virgin sacrifices and at all social gatherings because their wild, loud Rock and Roll music drove the women mad. When the ancient kings died and were encased inside their Pyramids, the band was also entombed along with their instruments to help them rock out in the spirit after life, according to their tradition. Legends claim that at times you could hear the best in Lo-Fi Rock and Roll coming from some where in the sand dunes of Egypt and as a show of respect, the locals would leave bottles of whine and cases of beer as a tribute to these legendary Rock and Roll hieroglyphs. Some time during the last decades of the previous century , it is said that a group of grave robbers or careless Archeologists, clumsily stumbled on their resting place and opened the chamber of their “party-mid”. Their first response was one of surprise when they saw four mummified beings in tuxedos getting ready to play one of their legendary hymns.

Their were abouts were unknown for years, until the early nineties when four mummies were reported to have been seen in the San Francisco area driving a hearse and drinking cold, refreshing beers. These reports turned out to be true and soon after the band started playing “gigs”. They always appeared in their bandages and always had the grittiest, ugliest and scummiest instruments that they could get their hands on.

The Mummies continued to rock until the mid to late nineties, I guess even their bandages weren’t strong enough to keep them together. They have been named the Kings Of Budget Rock and are the epidemy of lo - fi rock. They played loud, raucous music in the filthiest bars in the worst parts of town. Their music has been categorized as Rock and Roll, Garage, Garage Revival, Punk and degusting and were often compared to The Sonics, one of the early days best Garage bands whom The Mummies modeled much of their styles after. They recorded several records and singles but refused to put anything out in CD. The Mummies are now defunct and have moved on to form new musical monstrosities . Although the band is long gone, they left an impression that’s stronger than dirt.


The band was broken up, but have recently put out a CD of old unreleased tracks.


http://www.themummies.com/

 

[powerslave]

I already posted this one before, it doesn't really fit with the stuff that you guys are reviewing but Ithought I'd help the cause.

The String Quartets Tribute to Nine Inch Nails

The idea behing the thread was for anyone and everyone to post up a review regardless of their taste in music. Just happend to mostly be us metal heads putting up the first few entries. I may not like a particular type of music but surely there are other peeps who do. So feel free to post up!

 

[from zero]

Five Pointe O - Untitled

Tracks:
1. Double X Minus
2. King of the Hill
3. Art of Cope
4. Purity 01
5. Freedom?
6. Sympathetic Climate Control
7. Untitled
8. Syndrome Down
9. Breathe Machine
10. The Infinity
11. Aspire, Inspire

I first heard this band on a Roadrunner Records sampler CD that came along with another disc I bought. The song on the disc was called Double X Minus. When I heard it, I was blown away by the sound. Something about it was similar to the nu-metal genre, but there were elements that were hardly that at all. The singer has powerful, commanding vocals, capable of a pretty broad range on the scale, which I'd say is pretty rare for most nu-metal. The screaming vocals are a bit screachy, but go wonderfully with the music. Backup vocals are in the form of screaming, but more like you would hear in a death metal band.

Double X Minus opens the record with a reckoning, and does not let up easily. The heaviness of the next track leads into one of my favorites on the album, Art of Cope, which, IMO, displays singer Daniel Struble's most impressive vocal work. A couple other standout tracks include the Freedom? and Sympthetic Climate Control, which you could call the "Ballad" of the album. If you are familiar with the Resident Evil soundtrack, you'll take note that The Infinity was included on that record. The closer, Aspire, Inspire, is an 11 minute epic (again, something very RARE in nu-metal). Unfortunately, I have to say, they could have come up with something better. The song starts with about 6 minutes of some mellow music. However, it is really simple, and could have had more effort put into it. The vocals come around with "Aspire, Inspire/if not you then who/if not now then when ..." over and over, until the 11th minute arrives. Personally, I do enjoy the song, because it's something different from the rest of the album, and genre, but I think with some creativity, it could be a great epic.

Bottom line: Five Pointe O, IMO, is the most talented nu-metal band out there. If you are into the genre, please do yourself a favor and pick up this disc somewhere. Hell, even if your heart lies with other genres of metal, try this one out. I really do use the term "nu-metal" lightly, as there is so much more impressive about this disc than you average radio nu-metal group.

Musicianship - 8
Production - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Originality - 8.5
Overall - 9

 

[from zero]

Come on guys, post some up.

Stampin' Ground - A New Darkness Upon Us

Tracks:
1. New Darkness Upon Us (Intro)
2. Don't Need a Reason to Hate
3. Behind the Light
4. Killer of Society
5. Dead from the Neck Up
6. Cage
7. Bear the Scars
8. Betrayal Has a Face
9. Pain Is Weakness (Leaving the Body)
10. Unmarked Grave
11. Ashes to Scatter
12. Mantra of a Dying World (Outro)

I recently learned of this band from the Hot Topic sampler, Metal For The Masses, Vol. II. The track Bear The Scars appears, courtesy of Stampin' Ground. I thought it was a good track, so I went out and picked up the full-length record.

After a few listens, I'm finding out that this band kicks ass. The intro, pretty soft and acoustic, leads into the brutality that is Stampin' Ground. Slayer-like guitar riffs, NY hardcore-like vocals, and your typical hardcoresque breakdowns combine for a powerful combination. The highlights of the album, IMO, are The Cage, Betrayal Has A Face, Pain Is Weakness (Leaving The Body), and Unmarked Grave. Unmarked Grave might have my favorite guitar work on the album, with riffs clearly influenced by the old school thrash genre.

This is a good metal album. I'd call it a hybrid metal/hardcore/metalcore. Whatever. It's loud, heavy, and good. I'd recommend it for all metal fans, old and new. My only criticisms are the lack of any lead guitar; the vocals seem to get tiring after a while, to me. By tiring, I mean, I can't take this album and listen to it over and over again. Maybe I just have to let it grow on me ...

Musicianship - 8.5
Production - 9.5
Atmosphere - 8
Originality - 8.5
Overall - 8.5

 

[Flah]

Ion Dissonance

Who They Are:
Vocals: Gabriel McCaughry
Guitar: Antoine Lussier
Guitar: Sebastien Chaput
Bass: Miguel Valade
Drums: JF Richard

What They Play:
Metal

Why You Should Check Them Out:
Just like a laser guided missile, Ion Dissonance combines pinpoint accuracy, speed, and massive destruction upon impact. For those that love the controlled chaos of Dillinger Escape Plan and the unrelenting technical explosion of Obscura era Gorguts.

Discography:
2003 - Breathing Is Irrelevant

Website:
http://www.iondissonance.com

Music Online:
http://www.iondissonance.com/mp3s/Ion_Dissonance-101101110110001.mp3
http://www.iondissonance.com/mp3s/Ion_Dissonance-the_death_of_one_man.mp3

The Skinny:

When Ion Dissonance first strummed their atonal chords for the world to hear with their debut album on grindcore/tech metal/death metal haven Willowtip Records, it wasn't so much of a happy surprise as it was a major revelation in music. ID came at the perfect time, ushered in by bands like The Red Chord, who played an uncompromising mix of tech ala Dillinger Escape Plan with the extreme heaviness of death metal. There's always that band that people love to write about on message boards when someone grills them on the heaviest bands in music today and ID is on the very top of that list.

Coming out of Canada, Ion Dissonance cut their teeth on stage with some of tech and metal's outright best including Robotic Empire stars Daughters and Relapse's The End (who the band is currently touring with). The band's first real crack at stardom came when they posted their 2002 demo (.357) on the late MP3.com to huge fanfare from the metal community thus creating the word of mouth that eventually lead to an opportunity to record a one off on Willowtip, home to such like minded bands as Capharnaum, Arsis, Crowpath, and Rune. Given the chance, ID certainly stepped up to the occasion and recorded one of tech metal's best.

To try and understand Ion Dissonance is like trying to piece together a David Lynch film without the last half. You just can't do it and it's futile to try. Take for example, their two-minute opus The Death Of One Man Is A Tragedy, The Death Of 10,000 Is A Statistic. Built off an amazingly catchy brutal and inventive riff, the song takes no prisoners across its relatively short running time but leaves its mark for far longer on your subconscious. The song is so merciless in its delivery you simply won't listen to heavy music the same way again after hearing it. The rest of the album follows suit and not only bludgeons you with its giant riffs but challenges your mind with its complex song structures and "out there" moments. For thirty minutes, it's a lot to take in but could you expect anything less from a band named Ion Dissonance? Surely you can't. Complex, severe, and wonderfully chaotic, Ion Dissonance is a band that deserves its place in history as one of the heaviest to emerge from the recent "spazzcore" movement.

 

[powerslave]

Watch Them Die - Self titled

Tracks:
1. Torn Pages
2. Unleashed
3. Fall From Grace
4. The Struggle
5. To See You Bleed
6. Sadist Ways
7. Resurrection

Patrick Vigil (v), Pat Mello (bv) (b), Ira Harris (d), Greg Valencia (v) (g),
Jase Freakley (bv) (g)

I first heard this band on a Century Media sampler cd. The song “Torn Pages” appears on the Identity 8 disc. Also, the song “Sadist Ways” is being played on Music Choice’s metal channel. I believe they are new band from northern California. This cd has been a staple in my recent play list.

I would classify this band as metal core maybe even thrash. There are a few guitar solos, but nothing fancy, they fit the music nicely. Another highlight is that there are a few “spoken word” parts in a few songs. For me, song highlights include: “Torn Pages”, “Sadist Ways” and “Resurrection”.

This band is fast and brutal. The only fault I have with the disc is that at least for me, it does not sound too good when the stereo is cranked. May be something in the mix. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this disc for those that like their music fast and brutal.

Musicianship – 7
Production – 7
Atmosphere – 7
Originality – 8
Overall – 8

 

[from zero]

Raunchy - Confusion Bay

Tracks:
1. Join the Scene
2. I Get What I See
3. Summer of Overload
4. Watch Out
5. 9 - 5
6. Show Me Your Real Darkness
7. Confusion Bay
8. Devil
9. Insane
10. Morning Rise and a Friday Night
11. Bleeding #2

From the opener, Join the Scene, your ears are pummelled by some powerful double bass kicking from Danish metal outfit Raunchy. Confusion Bay is the group's second offering, released on Nuclear Blast Records early this year. Using elements of metal, hardcore, metalcore, industrial, and nu metal, Raunchy come at you with a non-nonsense style of music that is as infectious as it is brutal.

The band is sort of like Fear Factory, with less electronics, and a more clean vocals. I found the sound to be be very pleasing. The song Summer of Overload is played on Comcast's Music Choice a lot, and has really grown on me. It is definitely one the highlights of this record. Along with that, the songs Watch Out, Show Me Your Real Darkness, and Morning Rise and a Friday Night provide the listener with the best material of the album. It's a toss up between tracks 3 and 4 for best overall, IMO.

I really dig this album. The drumming is exceptional, there are powerful guitar riffs, and some really impressive vocals, all of which, along with the bass and keyboards, combine for one hell of a record. I will definitely be picking up the band's first release, Velvet Noise.

Musicianship – 8.5
Production – 9.5
Atmosphere – 9
Originality – 8
Overall – 8.5