Music Reviews of Metal, Grindcore, Death, Prog-Rock
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Metal, Grindcore, Death, Black, Thrash, Progressive Rock
Handful of Hate — Gruesome Splendour Buy it at Amazon
Black metal spittle that ignites your soul on fire from moment one to the epic ending, “Gruesome Splendour” is hatred recorded. Brutal riff sludge and face melting blast beats are a staple in the blackest of the metal genre but few can accomplish anything other than feats of speed and endurance. Handful of Hate on the other hand actually make you want to listen, whether it’s for that devastating breakdown where you’re almost positive that you’ve found hell on earth or if it’s for that skull-shattering guitar squelchy harmonic.
- J-Sin
Swashbuckle — Crewed By the Damned Buy it at Amazon
Whoa some of my favorite things together at last! Pirates plus thrash metal! Nautical lunatics Swashbuckle hail from the mighty seas of New Jersey and their in your face sea shanty attitude will have you swabbing the decks in no time. Peg leg pumping anthems and eye patch intensity with gripping and thrilling guitars, fast drumming, and crushing grooves along with scratchy throat yelps all combine to make Swashbuckle one metal band that just might push Manowar aside.
- J-Sin
Crescent Shield — The Last of My Kind Buy it at Amazon
Warriors unite. Power metal saviors are here! Crescent Shield began as a side project for ex-Onward vocalist Michael Grant and ex-Destiny’s End guitarist Daniel DeLucie. Quickly it became their main focus as they moved on from their respective bands. Doses of Mercyful Fate, Jag Panzer, and Iron Maiden dot “The Last of My Kind” with its huge anthems of heavy guitars and even louder drumming.
- J-Sin
The Hawthorne Effect — A Study In Motivation Buy it at Amazon
Tech-metal group The Hawthorne Effect dangled progressive time signatures and growling vocals amid melodic overtures and brooding guitar gloom. Drum-wise “A Study in Motivation” is more like a study in complexity. Sometimes the clean vocals can bounce off-key but for the most part this is a perfect example of what it means to be a good well-rounded metal group. Not many think of Rhode Island when they close their eyes to envision true heavy music, but with the emergence of the Hawthorne Effect maybe those times are just around the corner.
- J-Sin
Profundi — The Omega Rising Buy it at Amazon
Melodic death metal fucktards like to disembowel babies to the evil, EVIL, sounds of blackened death metal, but those pussies have nothing in common with the sidewalk listener of Profundi. Armed with disastrous and chaotic song structures, Profundi destroys the literal equivalent of an entire militia with a single blow of sonic abrasiveness. Prowess aside, Profundi is sure to be darker than any other black metal group out there. The fact that they up-arm themselves with blackened soot of filthy tomb raiding guitar-glitz is merely an aside as to why they are the best non-un-dead death metal group out there.
- J-Sin
Manatees — Untitled Buy it at Amazon
Manatees untitled debut album is heavy and crushes your soul with its myriad of guitar effects and intelligent metal music. Sort of reminding one of a cross between old Cave In and Neurosis, Manatees relies on precise guitar sludge and thick tribal rhythms amid loud screeched vocals. Having taken half a year to record, the untitled debut features not only guitars, vocals, bass, and drums but also such found sounds as plasterboard, coat hangers, fire extinguishers, and bicycles. Turgid melodies that are far-reaching and never languid opt for an all-out flogging of your soul.
- J-Sin
The Nemesis Theory — Hypnopaedia Buy it at Amazon
Progressive metal that up-arms itself with technical prowess and a desire to write loud abrasive insane songs. “Hypnopaedia” makes no sense, it jumps from funky bass prog-rock to spazz to alternative rock. It’s like Mike Patton in a bottle or something. Imagine a Mr. Bungle, Primus, and Dillinger Escape Plan with a vocalist who likes to sing and talk crazy. Loud, feverish, and mind-blowing, the Nemesis Theory may have escaped from a mental ward.
- J-Sin
Drottnar — Welterwerk Buy it at Amazon
Someone called the new mania from Drottnar “bunker-blasting strobo-metal”. Really, no lenghty review could better describe the absolutely unmatched insanity of Welterwerk. After the fairly boring Spiritual Battle record, Drottnar released the future-focused, progressive black metal, head-scratcher EP Anamorphosis. Even the groundbreaking nature of that EP does not prepare us for what the new record holds. Surging lightyears beyond where they left off, Drottnar assault the mind, body, and spirit with a scathing combination of grim attitude, technical wizardry, earth-shattering fuzz bass, and surgically precise execution. On Welterwerk, Drottnar manage to combine disparate sounds reminiscent of Mayhem and Dillinger Escape Plan at once into a strangely cohesive and utterly satisfying package. The captivating structures and riffs are even more mind-mangling with production values that span the entire range of human hearing. Welterwerk is dark, extreme metal art that will confuse, challenge, and ultimately energize metal minds to new levels of perception.
- Jeremy
Manowar — The Sons of Odin Buy it at Amazon
The loudest band on Earth just got louder. To quiet the screams of ravenous fans worldwide, Manowar have blessed metalheads with The Sons of Odion, an EP intended to preview the forthcoming Gods of War full-length and give the fans something special to rage on. In epic Manowar style, blazing heavy metal is juxtaposed with majestic orchestral arrangements. Live versions of “The Ascension” and “King of Kings” kick the EP into action before a stunning, symphonic performance of the new song “Odin” asserts the band's mastery of metal theatrics. “Gods of War” is an imposing composition, but the real gem is the title track. Destined to be a classic in the band's arsenal, this song starts with an infectious, dirty metal riff almost ripped from the glorious past before settling into a steady, fist-pumping charge that explodes into uncontrolled heavy metal fury with Eric Adams' unrestrained wail then concludes with an enthralling warrior narration of victory under the command of Odin. The Sons of Odin is exhilarating proof that Manowar are still the soundtrack to honor, battle, and victory.
- Jeremy
Tortured Conscience — Every Knee Shall Bow Buy it at Amazon
Every Knee Shall Bow is one of the most pulverizingly brutal records possible. Tortured Conscience pin the listener within seconds and mercilessly assault with a lethal combination of adrenaline and aggression for 38 minutes — including a juiced-up Bloodgood cover. This record has been in the death metal grinder for a long time, but the result is worth the extended wait. Speedy ideas bookend Suffocation-esque death metal breakdown riffs while maniacal drum-work struggles to contain the fury erupting like a dormant volcano that has a vendetta against the villages on its slopes. Berto Salas' throat vomits disgusting pools of blood-drenched vocal violence upon unprepared ears with sickeness ranging from growls to screams while sounding surprisingly unique. By making expert use of both complexity and simplicity, Tortured Conscience are satisfyingly relentless without slipping into the overbearing boredom that plagues so many death metal bands. The record's production is clear enough to sound excellent when cranked to maximum volumes while still retaining plenty of volatility like a nuclear warhead. As lyrically shocking as it is musically devastating, Every Knee Shall Bow is a death metal blitzkrieg of the highest order.
- Jeremy
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