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
Hemlock — Bleed the Dream Buy it at Amazon
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless of course you’re the freakin’ sick and twisted extreme metal band Hemlock. The group is disturbed enough to stick with you forever—scrub as much as you want, their stench will never rub off. Loud drums pummel you with gut-piercing precision and brutality. The guitars are chaotic and technical while the vocals are shouty and strained. They remind me of a newer Pro-Pain. Nice.
- J-Sin
Whitechapel — The Somatic Defilement Buy it at Amazon
Knoxville, Tennessee probably is the last place on Earth that you’d look towards to fulfill your need for some extreme metal. Whitechapel however hopes to change that perception with their death grind debut “The Somatic Defilement”. Culling their name from the infamous London district in which Jack the Ripper performed his grisly street walker murders, Whitechapel spews out ominous vocals of grunts, growls, and pig farts. The overt heaviness of sludge metal is soaked with death metal’s brutal technicality and grindcore’s boisterous extremities. Perhaps one of the more evil sounding groups to debut this year, Whitechapel is one gore-grind/death metal hybrid that you should pay full attention towards. Think Behemoth plus Nile and of course Carcass.
- J-Sin
Hatesphere — Serpent Smiles and Killer Eyes Buy it at Amazon
Releasing on 9/11/07, “Serpent Smiles and Killer Eyes” is another torrential downpour of thrash metal from this Danish metal outfit. This time around, they show some influence from earlier Hatebreed with more groove and breakdowns this time around. But still it’s that amazing speed and aggressiveness that seems to define them as one of the premier gut-punching thrash groups imported from Europe.
- J-Sin
Raging Speedhorn — Before the Sea Was Built Buy it at Amazon
U.K metal mavericks Raging Speedhorn return with their manic “Before the Sea Was Built”. Outfitted with vicious vocals via their new singer Bloody Kev and thunderous bass from their new bassist Dave Thompson, Raging Speedhorn is just as sick and twisted as ever. Using the duo approach to vocals, they range from disturbing screeches to loud shouts bringing a metal and hardcore hybrid to its knees. “Before the Sea Was Built” is this talented metal group’s fourth album to date and shows why they were picked to tour with Nile in North America some three years ago.
- J-Sin
Darkest Hour — Deliver Us Buy it at Amazon
Metal legend Devin Townsend produces (and also offers up a wicked solo) the latest effort by Virginia natives Darkest Hour. “Deliver Us” once again takes another step towards their more thrashy side by leaving the more melodic Swedish metal shreds behind. Having made some commercial success with their ’05 effort “Undoing Ruin”, debuting at #138 on the Billboard charts, many of their longtime fans shuddered to see if Darkest Hour would fall into the waste heap that has become more popular metal. Fortunately for all involved, that never panned out. The fifth studio album by Darkest Hour is just as technical and savagely fast as their previous efforts with guitarist Kris Norris absolutely shredding out some wicked solos. Norris and the rest of the band easily win a crown of metal gods with yet another hefty notch on their belts.
- J-Sin
Trencher — Lips Buy it at Amazon
Schizophrenic Casio keyboard metal spastically implores you to dare to not have a seizure while listening to “Lips”. Imagine grindcore with crust metal, and Casio keyboards…distorted. Yes You’ll find bass, drums, vocals, and a Casio keyboard and that’s it! Casio-grindcore is definitely a lonely genre but it fits Trencher nicely as they shred, rip, and tear their way through your eardrums and into your nervous system. Fucking weird for sure, but amazingly addictive albeit slightly bludgeoning.
- J-Sin
Litmus — Planetfall Buy it at Amazon
Britain’s Litmus test is one space rock group that you can’t pin quite down. Often being compared to the likes of Pink Floyd, Atomic Bitchwax, and Monster Magnet, they obviously can up and move with the flow. And flow. Boy do they flow. Their songs ratchet up heavy metal genius with acid rock anthems pulsating throughout. Nice!
- J-Sin
Marduk — Warschau Buy it at Amazon
Marduk is even more wicked, sinister, and blisteringly fast live! “Warschau” exposes this much hallowed black metal outfit to those of us unfortunate enough to have never experienced one of the premier black metal bands live. Their Satanic grooves slam down with bodies getting scattered about. Filthy vocals wrench you loose from your comfort zone and relocate you into the same depths of hell that Marduk hails from. “Warschau” is a glimpse at how devastatingly brutal black metal can truly be.
- J-Sin
Winters — Black Clouds in Twin Galaxies Buy it at Amazon
Hard gothic metal in the vein of Elliott Smith and Black Sabbath (yes that’s a bizarre combo but it’s what fits damn it). Winters are from England and realize that Monster Magnet might be slightly more famous than them but that it’s perfectly acceptable to follow in those huge footsteps. Think Cathedral meets the Kinks.
- J-Sin
Mustasch — Latest Version of the Truth Buy it at Amazon
Now this is the heavy metal our dad’s grew up with. We’re talking power metal ballads with spandex, long hair with plenty of headbanging, and whirling guitar solos. Hard rock in the vein of AC/DC but with metal’s power and fury. Raise both fists high for this one folks!
- J-Sin
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