Dark Descents Best Release

Decibel Magazine and record label Dark Descent recently had a contest for readers/listeners to write about their favorite Dark Descent release. Well here is my answer...

Horrendous’ album “Anareta” has to be by far my favorite Dark Descent release. The album from start to finish is a blast of fresh, crushing death metal. Its albums like this that make me love death metal over and over again. The guitar riffs are crushing, the vocals are evil, and the drums keep it all at that extreme breakneck pace. The soloing is unreal, adding texture to the songs were a lot of newer death metal bands lack. One of my parts of this album is the haunting acoustic guitar part at the beginning of “Sum of all Failures” before it jumps into that growl and head smashing guitar riff.

Lamb of God VII: Sturm Und Drang Album Review

                Lamb of God’s new album VII: Sturm Und Drang (which means storm and stress in German), in my opinion picks up right where their last album Resolution left off. Resolution was such a great album, to follow it up was going to be a challenge. The new album is brutal, honest, hammer to the face, metal. With guest vocals from Chino Moreno from the Deftones on “Embers” and Creg Puciato from The Dillineger Escape Plan on “Torhes”, you can’t really go wrong. Puciato also helped with the lyrics on that song. The whole album is classic Lamb of God from the first track to the very end. Song “512” is about Randy Blythe’s time in prison in Prague, 512 being his cell number. I will be curious to see how the song relates to his new book; Dark Days: A Memoir. I really enjoyed the song “Engage the Fear Machine”. It is probably one of my favorites on the album, but again pretty much the whole album is amazing. To me that song is about how the media portrays all the negative news, trying to incite fear and chaos into the viewers. The guns are blazing right from the start of the album with “Still Echoes”, the albums opener. I also like how they put a slower song, but still kept it within their style, with the song “Overlord”. It sort of gives you a little taste of southern metal with how the guitar sound is done and Randy’s not so growly vocals. If you purchase the extended version (why you wouldn’t I wouldn’t know), you get two bonus tracks which I might add are worth it. Both “Wine & Piss” and “Nightmare Seeker (The Little Red House)” stand alone as great songs and definitely worth the extra few dollars to get them. If this album doesn’t get high reviews from everyone, I will be very surprised. It is classic Lamb of God and as with all their albums, gets better and better with each new one that they release.

My Occult Metal Pick

On the Decibel Magazine website last week, they had a contest to win a book called “Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll” by Peter Bebergal. You had to write in under 150 words who you thought was a pivotal occult band. I wrote my piece on none other than Mercyful Fate. Yes there are many bands that come to mind, such as Black Sabbath and Candlemass to name a couple, but as far as I’m concerned, Mercyful Fate is it! Here’s what I wrote:

                When I think of pivotal occult bands, a few come to mind, but the standout band for me would have to be Mercyful Fate. They are indeed a band that paved the way for later occult bands, but were also at the forefront of the black metal movement.  With the heaviness of the music and the range of King Diamond’s vocals, it is no wonder they released so many classic metal albums. The themes of these albums ranged from horror to strictly satanic and the cover art is so memorable. King Diamond was also one of the early pioneers to utilize corpse paint; proving looking evil can win the hearts of any diehard metal fan. Is Mercyful Fate pivotal for occult rock? Of course they are, just listen to “Mellissa”, “Don’t Break The oath”, or even “Dead Again” if you don’t believe me.

 

2014 In Review

As 2014 came to a close, it’s important to highlight some of the amazing albums that have come out, as well as a few of the awesome shows I have had the privilege to attend. I ended the year seeing Slipknot and Korn. Back in the late 90’s,  Korn was the first concert I ever attended, which unfortunately for my wife, got me hooked on the live show experience. The raw energy that comes out at a live show is like nothing else when it comes to music, especially metal music. Korn played a killer set of classics and ended their set with none other than the song that blasted them into metal stardom; “Blind”. I loved that song when it came out and years later, I still love it. Slipknot’s stage show will legitimately leave you breathless. Two sets of drums that rise into the air and spin around, a DJ that couldn’t stay still swinging from the high rising drum sets, as well as his own DJ stand. The set was awesome and to end my year’s concert going with that show was so worth it. This was my first time seeing Slipknot and I would definitely see them again. If you ever have a chance to see them, their live show alone will be worth it.

King Diamond, not only toured this year, but also released a greatest hits album called Dreams of Horror.  It has a career spanning collection of songs which the band states most of them will be played live. The album was re-mastered and within the booklet they explain why the song was included or some information on if and how they changed it. It is a must have for any King Diamond fan. He influenced so many bands throughout his career; it’s hard not to see him as a metal giant. I not only purchased the album, but I saw the band live as well. What a show!! I was excited as soon as I purchased my tickets and after the show it took me weeks to come down from the high that was King Diamond live. The stage set up was amazing and the fact that they act out some of the songs was really cool. They even cremated his grandmother live onstage. The music was so loud and perfectly executed that bits of the ceiling at the venue were literally chipping off and falling on us.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 saw some other pretty amazing albums come out as well. There was the return of the melodic death metal pioneers, At the Gates. Their new album At War With Reality brought any fan of the band back to their Slaughter of the Soul days. That album was so ahead of its time that seeing them, not repeat, but equal, was great return to form. Arch Enemy’s new album War Eternal with their new singer was a highlight for me this year. The album itself was awesome, but also had one of my favorite songs of the year “Time is Black”. The song is haunting, heavy, and melodic all at the same time. Michael Amott has done it again and I have a feeling he will keep doing it. The band Architects UK, a British metalcore band, released Lost Forever/Lost Together which I found heavy, as well as extremely catchy. The song “Naysayer” was also up there for one of my favorite songs of 2014. Other bands to release great albums this year were: Behemoth (The Satanist), Black Anvil (Hail Death), Godhunter (City of Dust), Darkest Hour (Darkest Hour), an EP by a grindcore band called The Drip (A Presentation in Gruesome Poetics), and the super group Bloodbath (Grand Morbid Funeral).

In the end, my favorite album of the year hands down has to be Black Crown Initiate’s The Wreckage of Star. There is so much going on in that album that it requires more than one listen. It is so good that I do not see listening to it more than once as a problem. They are a combination of Black metal and elements of progressive and death metal.  They flawlessly transition between your good old fashioned black metal vocals with clean sections thrown in for melody and a breather. The album itself will rip your face off, but leave you wanting oh so much more of it. They will be touring with the Godfather’s of Grindcore, Napalm Death, this year and I for one cannot wait to see them ripping it up onstage. “The Fractured One” and “The Malignant” are just a couple of my favorite songs on the album, but the whole album is just amazing and well worth a listen.

Volbeat / Five Finger Death Punch Concert

 

             I had the pleasure of seeing Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch recently. To set the mood, Nothing More and Hell Yeah opened up the show. We did miss a little of Nothing More because the show started earlier than we thought, but we did catch their new radio friendly single “This Is the Time (Ballast)” which sounded just as cool live as it does on the radio. They ended their set with the singer playing a set of drums alongside the actual drummer, plus both the guitar player and bass player playing snare drums on the sides of the stage. It was definitely an awesome way to end their set and start our night of rocking.

                Hell Yeah was next to get the audience head banging. Loud and heavy is what I have to say. With members from Mudvayne, Nothingface, and the almighty Pantera, what would you expect? They played “Hell Yeah” off their first album, plus a song off their newest album called “Sangre Por Sangre”. Based off how heavy they sounded and how good the new song was, their new album Blood For Blood is worth checking out.

                Volbeat, who is one of the best bands out there, totally blew the audience away. This was my 3^rd time seeing them and they were amazing every time. Michael Poulsen, the singer/guitarist has so much energy it’s hard not to want to sing along or just rock out. He runs around the stage, grabbing whoevers microphone is near him to sing. Volbeat’s music has so many influences, it’s hard for you not to find something you like or better yet, love about them. They incorporate country, metal, rockabilly, punk, and good old fashion rock and roll into their music. The whole set was great, but I’m going to mention a few of the more memorable songs. The Johnny Cash inspired song “Sad Mans Tongue” is an adrenaline packed song every time I hear it. Other songs that were played that sound true to the album versions were “Fallen”,” Lola Montez”, and “16 Dollars”(minus a stand-up bass). They even had kids from the audience come up on the stage to dance to “Pool of booze, booze, booza”, which they appropriately changed to pool of chocolate milk. I thought that was awesome. Overall it was a great show and well worth seeing over and over again.

                Five Finger Death Punch was the headliner for that specific night. Singer Ivan Moody entered the stage like he was entering a UFC fight or a street brawl, baseball bat and all. With the exception of the F word being thrown out every other word, they put on a rocking show. Jason Hook was killer on the guitar and he pulled out a couple of really cool guitars such as a double guitar with their symbol and one that lit up green.  Bassist Chris Kael looks like Davy Jones from Pirates of the Carribean. Their songs sound very much like their albums, which makes a live show even better. Take one part - crowd, add two parts - bands live energy and stage presence, and top with - a set exactly like a greatest hits album and you have a Five Finger Death Punch concert.



Hell Yeah



Volbeat

Five Finger Death Punch

Black Anvil – Hail Death CD Review

Black Anvil is New York’s answer to Black Metal. Their newest studio album; Hail Death released May27th, sounds like it was recorded in the fiery pits of hell. Being black metal, that is definitely not a bad thing at all. In an interview I read from the band, they basically said they don’t care what anyone thinks about their music and you can tell. The songs off their 3^rd studio album sound raw and energetic, they are brutal and unapologetic, everything black metal should be. The guitar, bass, and drums intertwined together flawlessly like beacons on evil calling out to the masses.  I like how they incorporate other genres of metal without losing their gritty black metal feel. Songs like “Eventide” with its gang vocals, as wells as “My Hate is Pure”, “Until the End” and, “Still Reborn” are all songs you should check out! Now go get caught up with what is BLACK ANVIL.

Arch Enemy – War Eternal Cd Review

Arch Enemy is the death metal brainchild of guitarist Michael Amott. Formed in 1996, the band has released 10 studio albums, including their newest one War Eternal which was released June 10th. With the departure of their singer Angela Gossow, who growled for them for 14 years, newcomer Alissa White-Gluz took over growling duties without missing a beat. Her vocal approach is uncompromising death metal at its best and from a female vocalist at that. Michael Amott knows how to write a killer riff and bring melody and destruction all at the same time. The haunting beginning of “Time is Black” sends chills down my spine before it kicks in and the metal begins. There is also a string section towards the end to add to the atmosphere of an already great song.  “No More Regrets” is another stand out track and based on the album as a whole, there is nothing to regret!! Every song packs a punch with amazing guitar work, haunting melodies, a rhythm section that shakes the earth, and vocals that kick you in the head, but leaving you asking for more. If you buy the deluxe version, it comes with a cover song of “Shadow on the Wall” originally by Mike Oldfield, an Arch Enemy patch and sticker. This is an awesome album and I would highly suggest it to anyone who likes death metal and killer guitar riffs with a great combination of melody.  If nothing else, listen to it to hear the amazing guitar work throughout the whole thing.

Mastodon, Gojira, Kvelertak Concert Review

               On May 16, 2014, I had the privilege of witnessing Mastodon play live. The show started with Norwegian rockers Kvelertak (which means chokehold in Norwegian) partying it up with their 3 guitar assault. Lead singer Erlend Hjelvik ran around shirtless like a maniac singing in the bands native tongue. I was pretty excited to get to see these guys and all the hype that goes along with them. I read recently in an older issue of Revolver Magazine an interview with the band and how they won Norway’s equivalent of a Grammy award called Spellemannprisen for their debut album. Not a bad way to get the night started.

                Gojira came on next. Having seen them before, I sort of knew what to expect, but boy do they deliver each time. Their live set sounds much like their albums, which delivered the brutality to get the mosh pits rumbling. They would be a band to see as headliners at some point so you can fully experience these French metal monsters.

                Mastodon came out swinging. Their set flowed flawlessly from old to new songs and crushed everything in between. They played a couple songs from Crack the Skye, which in my opinion has to be somewhere near the top of my best metal albums of the last ten years. The riffs, the mind blowing bass lines, and Brann Dailor destroying his drum kit while making it look easy, made for unforgettable metal. Songs like “Blasteroid”, “Divinations”, “Crusher Destroyer”, “Oblivion”, and “Black Tongue” were played in mesmerizing fashion. Combine the brilliantly played metal, with the lights and lasers, not to mention the freaky clown head by the drum kit; it was definitely an amazing show and one to remember!

Death- Leprosy (2014 Reissue)

               Death was one of the most iconic death metal bands of our time. Relapse Records has been reissuing their work and Leprosy is the newest release. Originally released in 1988, the 2014 version comes fully re-mastered and has a second disc of demos and rehearsal material. To say that this album is amazing would be an understatement! Decibel Magazine named it the # 6 death metal album of all time, while Metal Hammer Magazine boldly states “Leprosy splatters blood from the beginning”. Who could argue with that statement with songs such as; “Pull the Plug” and “Open Casket”!

                This was the second official release by Death and by all accounts it hit the metal community like a tsunami. Chuck Schuldiner’s vocals cut like razors straight to the point, while the guitar work shred and chugged in what we now hear as true death metal fashion. In my opinion, Death set the example or blueprint of what death metal should sound like and this album set the bar very high. Throughout Death’s history, many of the band members changed from album to album with Schuldner being the only constant. On Leprosy, Rick Rozz (Massacre) handles guitar duty, Terry Butler (Massacre, Six Feet Under) on bass, and Bill Andrews (Massacre) destroys the drums. It’s no wonder why Massacre’s new album Back From Beyond was the epitome of classic death metal. Death’s legacy is why so many bands reference them as an influence, as well as cover some of their classic songs. A few examples of great Death covers to check out are; Psychotic Gardening covering “Open Casket” or Revocation covering “Pull the Plug”. So check out Death’s reissue and if all else fails, at least check out some great bands covering Death songs.

 

Suicide Silence – Ending Is The Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show 12.21.12 Cd/DVD Review

              

              This Cd/DVD which came out February 18, 2014 is an effort to raise money for the late Mitch Lucker’s daughter. As quoted from the Cd booklet; “On December 21, 2012, the metal community came together in an amazing way to celebrate the life of Mitch Lucker & raise money for his daughter’s future education with an unforgettable evening of collaborative performances between past/present Suicide Silence members and elite heavy vocalists.” Purchasing this Cd/DVD is our way to contribute and remember Mitch’s legacy.

                With an all-star list of vocalists like Jonny Davy (Job For A Cowboy), Greg Wilburn (Whitechapel), Rob Flynn (Machine Head) covering Black Sabbath’s “Die Young”, Max Cavalera (Soulfly/Former Sepultura) doing “Roots Bloody Roots”, Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God), and many other covering Suicide Silence songs with the band. It was amazing to hear all these different metal vocalists come together and do their best at singing Mitch’s songs. The songs sounded great and hearing all the different vocalists doing their interpretation of the songs was defiantly an experience. There is also a song of Mitch and Suicide Silence covering the Deftones “Engine # 9”. This cd is a must have for any metal fan and a great way of helping Mitch’s Legacy live on.

Metal Up Your Mass; Part 1

Massachusetts is full of history. It is 10,555 sq. miles, ranking it the 7^th smallest state. It was one of the leaders in the industrial revolution with the introduction of textile mills. It is where the pilgrims first settled.  It is the birthplace of basketball. But most of all, MA is home to some of the most exciting metal bands to rip your faces off and make your ears bleed. Killer riffs, sing along choruses, monster themes, MA has it all.

Let’s start with some bands more in the hard rock category, but still part of MA metal history. Staind is a hard rock band that started in 1994 out of Springfield, MA. They have 7 studio albums, not all which is metal, but still catchy as all hell. Their newest album which is self-titled is a much rawer, angry album than their previous few albums. Godsmack is another rock band hailing out of Lawrence, MA in 1995. With 5 albums, 3 of which reached number 1 according to the Billboard 200 list. With catchy songs and a stage show that demonstrates their raw energy, Godsmack have been a powerhouse in the rock scene. Rob Zombie whose career in White Zombie, then later his solo career is another example of a MA metal/rock act. Hailing from Haverhill, MA, White Zombie’s first studio album came out in 1987. He has successfully written albums based around horror themes, as well as wrote and directed quite a few horror movies. 

Salem, MA’s Converge is a metal band that brings punk, metal, and hardcore together in one unrelenting blend of music. Formed in 1990 by Vocalist Jacob Bannon and Guitarist Kurt Ballou, they have created incredible music throughout their 8 album career. 2001’s Jane Doe was included in Decibel Magazine’s Hall of Fame. It was the album that defined them and their style of music and will go down as a classic in any metal heads dictionary.  Their 2012 album All We Love We Leave Behind was Decibel Magazines 2012 Album of the Year and was well deserving of it. The album was an unrelenting blend of metal from start to finish and a great example of what MA has to offer the metal community. Also guitarist Kurt Ballou owns his own producing/recording studio Godcity Studio out of Salem. What this means for the metal community is, not only do great bands come out of MA, great albums can be produced and recorded there too.

              The Red Chord is a metal band out of Revere, Ma. The band formed in 1999 and has 4 albums that assault the ears with blistering metal. Singer Guy Kozowyk on top of being the founder and main growler for the band became a police officer for the Manchester, NH police force in 2013.  The band is currently on Metal Blade’s label, but unfortunately hasn’t had a new album since 2009. Guitarist for the band Mike McKenzie, aside from being the main riff master for The Red Chord is also the mastermind for Doom/Death band Stomach Earth whose debut album under the same name, came out July, 16, 2013. The album reached number 18 according to Rolling Stones “20 Best Metal Albums Of 2013”.

 

So I am going to end part 1 here. Part 2 will be coming soon and will feature bands such as; Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Unearth, All That Remains, plus a few local bands I can think of. MA has had a lot of music come out of it throughout the years, some not even metal. With any luck, lots more bands will come out as well.

 

 

My Best Of 2013

2013 was in my opinion a great year for metal. I am not going to do a list, but will highlight some of my favorite albums or songs from the year. So let me start by throwing out a couple of “best of” songs. First I would have to say “In Due Time” from Killswitch Engage’s new album Disarm the Descent was an amazing start to Killswitch’s new endeavor with their new, old singer Jesse Leech. The album as a whole was great. Very melodic, but had the aggression of classic albums. Jesse’s voice seamlessly went from growling to clean vocals bringing a new life to the band and songs. My next song pick, “Blood like Cream” off of Red Fang’s Whales and Leeches is so addictive and catchy that it could possibly be stuck in your head for most of 2014. From start to finish, the album delivered pure party hard rock and roll.

As far as albums go, this year saw quite a few thrash metal legends coming out with great live albums. Metallica had Through the Never which was a spectacular display of their live abilities and also acted as a soundtrack for their movie. The album spanned their whole career, which was great to hear classic songs like “Hit the Lights” with newer songs such as “Cyanide” and everything in between.  Metallica never missed a beat packing full blown metal in a 2 cd set. Kreator and Testament who are also both thrash metal legends in their own right both came out with live albums spanning their careers which made you feel like you were literally at the concert.

Some of my favorite albums this year all happened to be by classic death metal bands. I may be partial to death metal, but these albums kicked some serious butt. Where to start is hard, but we will start with Autopsy’s The Headless Ritual.  The songs were straight up death metal, with a hint of doom mixed in. Suffocation’s new album Pinnacle of Bedlam was so brutal, it left you breathless. I could listen to this album over and over. I also liked the fact that the album came with a making of DVD which was pretty cool to watch the process. Exhumed and Immolation both had great albums, so if you love death metal as much as me, they are defiantly worth a listen.

Okay, on to my pick for the “Best Album of 2013” and the winner is…. Alright it’s a two way tie. Both albums were by bands that haven’t put out an album in years and both came back with a vengeance. I loved both albums a lot, but for different reasons. Let’s start with Gorgut’s Colored Sands. Every song on the album was pure death metal, well with the exception of “The battle of chamdo” which is done by an orchestra. Luc Lemay, the mastermind behind the music, did not miss a beat bringing his style of technical death metal to each song. Every song is great and worth listening to over and over again. I really enjoyed “Forgotten Arrows” and the title track “Colored Sands” very much. It also helps that I saw them play live this year and met Luc Lemay. He was very cool and charismatic which added to the greatness of the album.  Now for my other pick, which if you’re a metal fan, most people will agree with. Carcass’s new album Surgical Steel was an amazing display of metal greatness. Again it is an album you can listen to straight through over and over again. Each song has structure that makes them individual metal hits.  One of my favorite songs on the album “The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills” has a chorus that you will find yourself singing over and over again. Not bad for a band who hasn’t made an album for quite a while. They are touring next year, so if you have a chance to see these songs played live, do it. I know I am sure going to try and see them. The best part of that too is Gorguts are also touring with them.

2014 list of albums that are supposed to come out will make next year’s “Best Of” really hard. So far, I heard Slayer, Napalm Death (the godfathers of grindcore), Tombs, Mastodon, Opeth, and Behemoth are coming out with new albums. I don’t know about you, but I’m very excited, especially for new Slayer and Napalm Death. That’s just a small list of bands who are releasing new music, I’m sure there will be many more great albums no one even knows about yet. So this concludes my 2013 blog and I’m looking forward to new albums and some great concerts to blab on about next year. Hope you enjoyed it and continue to follow my rants next year.

Slayer / Gojira / 4 Arm Concert

                I might have died and went to heavy metal heaven. About 15 years in the making, but I finally witnessed, experienced, and absorbed the ALMIGHTY SLAYER. The venue was perfect, the crowd was energetic, pumped, and the sound was amazing. The night started with the thrash metal band 4 Arm, who were obviously influenced by Slayer. Horns were raised, fists were pumping right from the first note. They were defiantly not a bad way to start the night.

                Gojira took the stage next. I have their live DVD The Flesh Alive and it’s nothing compared to physically seeing them live. The guys from France sure do know how to rock out an arena. If it wasn’t for Slayer coming on next, I probably could have watched them play all night. Joe Duplantier sounded great, full of energy and enthusiasm. Songs like “L’Enfant Sauvage” and “The Heaviest Matter of the Universe” were just killer. Their whole set pummeled you to a point of no return. That slide Duplantier does on his guitar is mesmerizing. The band sucks you into their world, and to be honest, not a bad place to be.

                I have been listening to Slayer since High School. For years, seeing them live has evaded me. November 30, 2013, the wait was finally over and it was worth the wait. Would I have loved to see Hanneman (RIP) or even Lombardo?  Yeah of course, but both Holt and Bostaph are no slouches to the Slayer camp. Tom Araya’s vocals were like the Titans crashing down upon us, absolutely brilliant! The chorus for “War Ensemble” is still ringing in my head. Kerry King’s live performance is everything I imagined, but oh so much more. He and Holt destroyed the crowd with face melting riffs that only Slayer can do. I felt like a little kid in a candy store when Season in the Abyss’s “Dead Skin Mask” came on. Even if you wanted to sit still, you couldn’t, some part of you was rocking out. Heck, there was even a kid in a wheelchair crowd surfing. I thought the banner they did for Hanneman was awesome; it was a great tribute to a great guitar player. They closed their set by playing their killer classic “Angel of Death”. The set was so amazing, it flew by. Before you knew it, the lights came on and the show was over. But I can tell you this; it will forever be embedded in my head how great the show was. SLAYER NATION LIVES ON!!!!

Live Albums: Passion Of The Show

Live albums, you either love them or hate them. I have had many conversations with different people about live albums and what it comes down to, is I love them. Yeah a studio album is polished up, but something about the raw energy of a live set is just amazing. You receive what the band was actually trying to say in the album, your auditory system is getting the passion within the music. Okay, so there is a little talking between songs, it might be an introduction or a small bit about what the song means, heck it could just be a little speech to get the crowd or listener fired up for what they are about to play, but overall the albums tend to be an in depth look into the soul of what the band is like live. Many great bands have come out with live albums over the years. Metallica, Kreator, Machine head, Testament, Meshuggah, and Death are just a few to name off the top of my head. Within the past couple of months I have purchased Kreator’s Dying Alive, Metallica’s Through the Never, and Testament’s Dark Roots of Thrash. Two things you can gather from that small list, first is YES, I still buy physical copies of albums (I’m a sucker for flipping through the booklets) and second, thrash metal has had a constant stream of live metal albums coming out. Live albums are also a great way of getting a band’s collection of what some would call their greatest hits. Where else are going to get Metallica’s classic “Hit the Lights” and “One” on the same album. You can feel the crowd’s energy surging through each track.

 

When I listen to Kreator’s live version of say “Phantom Antichrist” I feel connected to the show, I can visualize it in my head. The band has to be on their game for studio versions. The Testament album has some great combinations of old songs, as well as new songs. “Trial by Fire” is a rock solid old school head banger while new gems such as “Native Blood” literally have you off your seat and ready to mosh. I really enjoyed Dark Roots of Earth, so to hear songs from that album, as well as older stuff is awesome. Some, if not most live albums you can buy a version that has a DVD of the actual show with it.  Gojira’s The Flesh Alive CD/DVD combo is great. Not only do you get a great live CD, but two different DVD’s with concert footage, as well a documentary of behind the scenes footage. I absolutely cannot wait to see them live myself when they tour with the Almighty SLAYER.

           

Red Fang: Whales and Leeches Album Review

Red Fang’s new album; Whales and Leeches brings a new meaning to bang your head. The album is 11 tracks of pure energetic rock and roll. If you do not find yourself at the minimum bobbing your head, get your ears checked!!  As they say in the song “Blood like Cream”: “Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up” and that’s how the album should be approached, at maximum volume. As of right now, “Blood like Cream” is my choice for Best Song of 2013. The album as a whole is great, definitely in my opinion going to be on a lot of lists for 2013 metal and hard rock top albums. With songs like “No Hope” and “Blood like Cream” how can you go wrong? Sing along choruses, riffs that have you dancing, and vocals that grind away at your ability to not head bang. Not bad for four guys out of Portland, Oregon!!

 

Horns Up For Halloween

Halloween, the greatest time of year! The decorations, the scary movies, the costumes, but most of all the music, nothing goes together better than metal music and the greatest holiday in the world. So here is a look of songs, bands, and albums that come to mind when I think Halloween. Please feel free to add to this list with anything I might have missed or forgotten.

                So let me start with a not so metal band, but the kings of sci-fi and horror. I am talking about none other than the Misfits. From their Glenn Danzig days to present they represent rituals, movie monsters, sacrifices, and the holiday itself. Their new cd which consists of only one original member, Jerry Only deals with zombies; “Twilight of the Dead” and “Land of the Dead”, Frankenstein’s monster; “The Ghost of Frankenstein” (Which happens to be one of my personal favorites), mummies, vampires and werewolves. The Misfits have stayed true to their path for many years. They also put on a killer show.  Only’s bass guitar looks like a skull, as well as the microphone stand, and the show is nonstop Misfits songs delivered with enthusiasm and energy.

                Force of Evil, which is pretty much Mercyful Fate minus King Diamond did an album which focused on horror movies. The album Black Empire has songs that focus on Leather face from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Candyman, to a song that pays tribute to the master horror author Steven King. If you are looking for an old school metal feel with a horror movie twist, this is the perfect album for you.

                Metal music fits the Halloween tradition so well, even without trying. Death metal and black metal are proof of that. Horror and gore are what a lot of death metal bands prided themselves on. Look at Deaths first album; Scream Bloody Gore!!!  Zombies anyone? Even when they went more real world, it was still scary stuff. It doesn’t hurt that they were one of the greatest death metal bands to ever grace a stage. Cannibal Corpse is another fine example of horror and gore. Who needs music when you have Gory album covers, much Like Cannibal Corpse does. It also helps their music is gore infested metal!!!  Iced Earth even has an album called Horror Show that puts all the classic horror movie monsters into songs. Who doesn’t want to hear a song about Dracula, or better yet, The Creature from the Black Lagoon?

                Ok, now onto everyone’s favorite subject, ZOMBIES. Who doesn’t love zombies? Heck, even my 2 ½ year old loves zombies. What better way to pay tribute to the living dead than by putting out a whole EP album dedicated to the flesh eating monsters? That’s what exactly The Devil Wears Prada did. Their Zombie EP is a 5 song sledgehammer to your face. The songs include sound bites like a shotgun blast, chainsaws, and even have a public service announcement warning the public of a zombie outbreak.  This album is great if you’re a metal fan, but even better if you’re a zombie fan.

                I could go on forever about what bands tie in great with Halloween and horror, but I’m going to conclude here and hopefully people chime in with some of their favorite Halloween or horror themed albums.

Carcass – Surgical Steel; New School Feel By An Old School Band

Carcass’s new album Surgical Steel is a death metal album every metal fan dreams of. It has speed and aggression, but also comes full blast with melody involved. We could spend the whole time arguing which prior Carcass album was the best, but let’s get to the point, this album is awesome. For a band we thought we would never get new music from, Jeff Walker and Bill Steer brought the goods!!! The album has songs that are, in my book, going to be instant classics. “The Master Butcher’s Apron” is dark and aggressive, definitely a stand out track. “The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills” has to be one of my favorite songs on the album. The opening track “1985” sort of gives the album an epic beginning to lead you through the rest of the album. You could almost certainly see yourself singing the chorus, especially “6,0,2,6,9,6,1”, which no one seems to have any idea what it means, but it works! On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this album a 6, it’s that good. Long Live Death Metal!!!!!

The Return of Gorguts concert and Colored Sands Cd Review

First off let me start by saying Luc Lemay of Gorguts is one of the most approachable, energetic, and passionate people I have met. Before the Return of Gorguts show even started, he was selling shirts and albums, but it just wasn’t that. He was shaking hands, taking pictures (something I unfortunately didn’t do because my camera on my phone sucks), and basically thanking anyone who would listen for coming out to the show. The venue was small, but it was perfect for that intimate Gorguts experience. The band was touring for their new album Colored Sands, their first new album in 12 years. Man, is the album a killer and as of right now one of my favorites for 2013. The opening track “Le Toit Du Monde” starts the album with some heavy riffs and is one of 3 new songs they played last night. The song is just straight out cool because it has the heaviness, but at points he makes it sound like he is distant and ambient. Then the technicality of the song kicks in and just leaves you breathless. The band also played “An Ocean Of Wisdom” and “Forgotten Arrows”, both adding to an unforgettable show. The album title track, which was not played, is Luc Lemay showcasing his all-around musical abilities, as well bringing on the crushing power of his technical death metal. The album even features a track that is strictly a symphony called “The Battle of Chamdo” and after hearing it, you will definitely be ready to throw on some old school armor and battle it out.  The album is worth listening to once, twice, a couple hundred times, and well at least twice a day. The album is amazing, the concert was unforgettable, and Luc Lemay is a cool guy in a great band.