Juliana Hatfield,"Peace & Love" (Ye Olde Records)
Solo acoustic outing from the Boston based artist sounds calm and inviting on this release. There are a few songs on love lost and found, but all sorts of relationships are examined. The best example being “Faith In Our Friends.” “I’m Disappearing” is another stand out track about losing your identity that works well. “Dear Anonymous” is a subtle dig at fans in today’s modern internet age. Everything flows together seamlessly and it shows that you can make a great record in your bedroom on the cheap!
www.julianahatfield.com
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by Sean Koepenick

Peter Case,"Wig!" (Yep Roc Records)
Peter Case gets down and dirty on this new solo record with gritty results. Ably backed up by DJ Bonebrake (X) on drums and Ron Franklin on guitar, Case paints a picture here that would be welcomed in any gin joint in Mississippi. There’s one Ledbetter cover here, but the rest is all Case. Some bluesy harp is featured on “Banks On The River” and the songs take off from there. “Ain’t Got No Dough” is another favorite of mine on here, but all the tracks shine. “House Rent Jump” is featured with full band and then solo acoustic as “House Rent Party.” Buy the record from his label and you get 5 outtakes digitally. Hotter than hot sauce on a crawfish, Case delivers on Dig. Slim Harpo would be proud.
www.petercase.com
Rating:

Review by Sean Koepenick

Carnival Season,"Misguided Promise-Complete 1984-1989" (Arena Rock Recordings)
Best band to ever come out of Birmingham, Alabama? Well, I can’t think of another band from that state so… Just kidding, these guys rock. They cover The Damned and MC5 on this collection, but its a little more power pop on their own songs. “Waiting For No One” and “Black Velvet Elvis” are my favorites here, but there are no stink bombs in the batch. If you don’t believe me take the advice of Tommy Keene and Robert Pollard who both sing the bands praises in the liner notes. “Please Don’t Send Me To Heaven” without my copy of this CD in my hands. Pick this up pronto.
www.myspace.com/carnivalseason
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by Sean Koepenick

Javier Escovedo,"City Lights" (Self Released)
Thrilling solo debut from the leader of The Zeros and onetime member of True Believers. All the hooks are in place and it’s a bit more modern sounding in the songwriting department. “The Music Keeps On Playin” reminds me of VU with a symphony background mixed in. “Under The Stars” and “Our Last Goodbye” are the standouts on this platter for me, but I’m sure you will pick your own when you buy this. Head to your nearest digital outlet and pull the trigger, you won’t regret the decision.
www.myspace.com/javierescovedo
Rating:

Review by Sean Koepenick

Finger,"Still In Boxes: 1990-1994" (Second Motion Records)
Raw, in your face rock that channels Crazy Horse and The Replacements but still lets their own style blast thru the speakers. Raleigh, NC had a lot of great bands emerge in the early 90’s. Finally this one gets a proper re-release via Second Motion. Merge single #12 was Finger, but they continued onward to forge their own path. “Gravitating Home” and the title track rock with abandon but these are just a couple of the gems in this treasure trove of great songs. There’s a reason bands like Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr. and Buffalo Tom had Finger as openers back in the day. Probably because Finger will stick in your eardrums until the sonic damage is complete. Superb release that you need in your collection.
www.secondmotionrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Sean Koepenick

Clinical Trials,"In The Wake Of The Digital Afterlife" (Self-Released)
5 song EP from this NYC duo that will be causing a stir in your music scene soon. I’m hearing some PJ Harvey, a dash of Siouxsie mixed in with some Nirvana-like guitar to tear at the edges with some cool results. “Hey” features a tribal chorus that will drift into your cranium and stay there. Gears are shifted a bit on the last song, which goes acoustic and showcases the great songwriting talent here in a stripped down format. Listen to “Awake In My Arms” at their website and I bet you will want the whole record. I guarantee it!
clinicaltrials.bandcamp.com
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by Sean Koepenick

The Church,"Untitled #23" (Second Motion Records)
A swirling, psychedelic masterpiece that begs for headphone listening. This is not hyperbole-this is the real thing! “Space Saviour”, “On Angel Street”, and “Sunken Sun” hit the peak of the aural soundscape created by the band, but you need to listen to this one from start to finish to appreciate it fully. “Anchorage” features a killer chorus-“darkness returning/my torch keeps on burning for you/in the life you keep on spurning/everything is hurting me.” Only a few bands can still produce a quality release like this 30 plus years on and then go out and play it live (along with 2 other albums). The Church are in rarefied air above the clouds. Let this one shine some light your way.
www.thechurchband.net
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by Sean Koepenick

The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours,"Goodie Bag" (Self-Released)
Catchy new EP from this long-running outfit of DC music veterans. Superior songwriting and great licks are featured on every song. The songs about a payphone and a trash can are the most endearing here. But the “Kindergarten Rock” is a tribute to The Ramones if they played in front of a bunch of toddlers in school. Welcome back gentlemen, it has been way too long. Grab this Goodie Bag at their shows but be prepared for your kids to fight over the toys in the bag!
www.facebook.com/TheRhodesTavernTroubadors
Rating:

Review by Sean Koepenick

Nick Marsh,"A Universe Between Us" (Bellissma Records)
Flesh For Lulu frontman strikes out on his own with his first solo record. Don’t expect full tilt rockers like “Postcards From Paradise” here, but the songs are top notch. It’s more subdued, but the songs remind me of the quieter moments of bands like Concrete Blonde and The Cure. Vocally Marsh is in a class by himself however. All the songs except one are written by Marsh which helps to tie everything together. Settle in with a cup of coffee and pop this in the player. You will be pleasantly surprised. Now come play the US!
www.myspace.com/nickmarshmusic
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by Sean Koepenick

The Godfathers,"Shot Live At The 100 Club" (Secret Records)
Spectactular return to form from these late 80’s rockers. 2 disc release features both audio and video of their 25th anniversary show at this London club. All the favorites are here, along with 2 new songs. “Back To The Future” is the brand new single and can be purchased digitally in its studio version online now. A new record is to follow. Sounds great and the boys haven’t lost a step. What more advice do you need?
www.thegodfathershq.com
Rating:

Review by Sean Koepenick

Leisure Class,"Parents Night at the Leper Colony" (Self-Release)
Oh great, another talented band from Detroit that I missed the first time around. This band /orchestra were originally named Mr. Unique & the Leisure Suits and were formed in 1977. And, as I mentioned, they came from the Motor City. Ah yes, the Motor City, that magical place that spat out the MC5, Stooges and Jack White. If Detroit had never existed there would be a huge gapping hole in my record collection. “Parents Night at the Leper Colony” is a “best of” package of the bands work from 1979 to 1994. It’s like Black Flag meets Joe’s Garage. Thirty years later and these songs are still pushing the envelope. Trouser Press proclaimed their 1983 EP as having “something to offend everyone”. That’s probably still true but it’s one of those albums that everyone should hear at least once. Just so you know that it exists. This is the album you can put on and enjoy with a few of your coolest friends or you can also use it to run off unwanted guests. That, in my humble opinion, is a true sign of genius.
www.leisureclass.net
Rating:

Review by J.R. Oliver

Joey Stuckey,"The Shadow Sound" (Senate Records)
Joey Stuckey is a talented man. He can cover the Allman Brothers one minute and slide right into Hendrix the next and never miss a beat. Just check out some of his youtube clips and you’ll see what I mean. “The Shadow Sound”, his latest album, is a mix of blues, rock, pop, jazz and funk. Just the kind of stuff I’ve come to expect from Stuckey. There are fourteen original, solid, radio friendly tracks here. This guy should be getting loads of airplay if he isn’t already. Just check out “Funny”, track 4 on the disc. The guy jumps back and forth from mellow to in your face so smoothly you never know what hit you.
www.joeystuckey.com
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by J.R. Oliver

Olekranon,"Bilal" (Housepig/Inam Records)
This is what P.I.L. wished they had sounded like. Ryan Huber is the mastermind behind this wall of beautiful noise. There’s some Jesus and Mary Chain style guitar, some old school beats, some WTF was that noises, some good old 4/4 rock n’ roll drumbeats, some scary alien brainwaves and all kinds of other shit happening on this disc. It’s dark, it’s full of suspense, and it’s like Alfred Hitchcock for the auditory system.
www.housepig.com
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by J.R. Oliver

Nick Lowe,"Labour Of Lust" (Yep Roc)
In 1979 Nick Lowe was the pop rock Messiah. Even though his first solo album had proclaimed him as “Jesus Of Cool” it was “Labour Of Lust” that cemented his place in rock n’ roll. Well, at least in the eyes of a 16 year old boy living in the rural foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I played this album over and over for months. I studied these songs like they were the gospel. Lowe’s wit as a lyricist was every bit as clever as Elvis Costello, another one of my heroes during that time. Every song would stick in my head like the gum under my desk in homeroom. There wasn’t one bad track on the album. It’s a real shame it has been out of print for so long. I would like to thank Mr. Lowe for making my high school daze a little less miserable. I always had my headphones and cassettes when I wanted to make everything else disappear. Yep Roc is doing something great for a whole new generation of 16 year olds that are about to become fans.
www.nicklowe.net
Rating:

Review by J.R. Oliver

Wretched,"Beyond The Gate" (Victory)
North Carolina metal quintet Wretched implements numerous musical curveballs into their modern extreme metal template on their sophomore effort BEYOND THE GATE. This 12-track Jamie King-produced endeavor contains all of the elements you’d expect from one of King’s forward thinking metal acts, yet this troupe goes further than expected with their version of what a merciless metallic assault should represent. Containing a bounty of updated Gothenburg flavored melody with an abundance of technical shredding (“Part II: Beyond the Gate”) that stand a cut above the norm, Wretched’s six-string sting bursts with character yet doesn’t deter the bonecrushing rhythmic movements from achieving maximum impact. While this squad’s overall presentation is impressive, it’s the little things like the orchestral interlude “Horizon”, the use of instruments such as sitar and didgeridoo and their jarring stylistic shakeups from skullbashing metal to dreamy melancholy within their bruising framework which ultimately sets this band light years ahead of their mallcore peers and worth a multitude of spins.
www.victoryrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

US Christmas,"Run THick In The Night" (Neurot)
A backwoods answer to Hawkwind, the North Carolina septet known as US Christmas play a type of down home stoner rock smorgasbord where Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath meet bluegrass on their latest effort RUN THICK IN THE NIGHT. Driven by earthy tones, acid blues repetition and transcendental arrangements with just enough hypnotic feedback and fierce folk firepower to be considered post metal, this troupe supplies a bevy of heavy without even cranking past the point of excess, trading in mammoth volume for multi-layered psychedelic rock as channeled via Neil Young. While this offering is lengthy and drags in spots, the luxurious instrumentation (especially the sections containing the violins) and the organic vibes emanated throughout allow the listener to sink into the collection’s clutches and chill out without a sense of apprehension, becoming fully immersed in the unit’s drone-laden and doom-infused rural explorations.
www.neurotrecordings.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Woe,"Quietly, Undramatically" (Candlelight)
Philadelphia black metal merchants Woe have shifted from being a misanthropic one man band to a fleshed out and furious full-on unit on the project’s latest endeavor QUIETLY, UNDRAMATICALLY. This newly comprised squad’s seven-track journey intertwines glacial black metal oppression with dynamic post metal composition nuances with a remarkably un-kvlt capturing of each individual instrument, especially noticeable in the scaled-down percussion section, resulting in an organically induced shot of despair propelled with traces of an odd juxtaposition of Baroness and Enslaved while at their most upbeat. Woe’s new fangled take on Norwegian despondence is spirited yet a bit uneven, resulting in a meandering mixed bag of progressive thought executed with a discernibly nefarious metallic disposition.
www.candlelightrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Mikingmihrab,"Tres Tontos" (Humaninhuman)
Displaying multi-faceted indie rock leanings, Philadelphia trio Mikingmihrab’s latest offering TRES TONTOS shuffles between amplified folk, bouncy punk, disheveled alt rock, and bright and jangly blues. Falling somewhere between Totimoshi, Dead Milkmen, Dinosaur Jr., and Fugazi, this band’s unabashed spirit and laid back up front and thunder from the back delivery (“Albatrons”) keeps the body writhing with unpredictability while bursting with a garage rock goodness you can wrap your head around throughout the disc’s entire nine-track duration, making an album ripe with a potpourri of divergent flavors that mesh well together.
www.myspace.com/humaninhumanrecords
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Downspirit,"Point Of Origin" (Metalville)
Combining the bombast of power metal with the hip grinding rhythms of bluesy sleaze rock, the debut endeavor by Sweden’s Downspirit takes a trip back in time harkening the glory days of the Sunset Strip with a bevy of clichés in tow for as authentic a vibe you can expect from a modern act. From the outfit’s Shotgun Messiah meets Nickelback thick and heavy sound to their predilection to bust out harmonicas and Heil boxes at the drop of a hat (“Highway Run”), Downspirit makes no bones about their affection for all things ‘80s (“Lovesong”). Providing muscular riffs and cheeky choruses aplenty, Downspirit’s performance packs a punch and is a good time seeking guitar driven album with a surprising amount of heaviness at the forefront. Yet like many of the acts they aim to emulate, they lack an overall substance to make a lasting impression or remain memorable.
www.downspirit.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Interment,"Into The Crypts Of Blashpemy" (Pulverized)
After 22 years with a long hiatus in between, Swedish death metal traditionalists Interment have gotten everything in order to finally release a proper full-length album and to no one’s surprise, INTO THE CRYPTS OF BLASPHEMY shares nefarious old school sentiments with the likes of Grave, Dismember, and Entombed. Remaining faithful to the undeniable buzzsaw guitar and guttural growl presentation (“Where Death Will Increase”), this viscous nine-track endeavor affair draws significant inspiration from Stockholm metal at its most primitive and raw (“Morbid Death”), complete with over the top song titles (“Stench of Flesh”, anyone?) D-beat drum pounding galore and soul rattling bass to round out this grizzled unit’s triumphant long awaited two decade-long musical mission. Despite being about 20 years past due, Interment provides a solid slab of audible Swedish evil for gray beards and new jacks alike to thoroughly enjoy.
www.pulverizedrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Frenzy,"In The Blood" (People Like You)
UK rockabilly stalwarts Frenzy return with their 13th studio album IN THE BLOOD. With a career spanning well over two decades, this trio embodies the true spirit of their chosen genre with bouncy songs that contain a prominent upright bass leading the charge and setting the tone (“hero”). Brazen with an uncanny knack for concocting the winning formula of contagious choruses, slinky riffs and downhome cowpoke rhythms perfect for shaking your wares at the local juke joint to, Frenzy’s 10-track offering provides a no frills and straightforward joyride for modern day greasers and pin-up queens to get their ya-ya’s out to.
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Christian Mistress,"Agony & Opium" (20 Buck Spin)
Northwestern female fronted metal quintet Christian Mistress drops an authenticated traditional metal vibe on the six-track offering AGONY & OPIUM. Bolstered with Mercyful Fate-esque twin guitar heroics at every turn while led by a smoky vocal delivery that successfully juxtaposed the mystery of Stevie Nicks with the power of Doro Pesch, this well-versed troupe displays a knack for delivering a bevy of heavy riffs with a vintage feel without coming off as a mere retread of the storied glory days of the NWOBHM era. Instead, they seem to use their lessons in metal history as a springboard to effectively create the kind of raw and aggressive music that channels Budgie, Iron Maiden, and the like.
www.20buckspin.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Hull,"Sole Lord" (The End)
Brooklyn, NY quintet Hull throws down a copious dose of atmospheric sludge on SOLE LORD, a colossal 10-track affair that satisfies with as many luxurious musical interludes as skull crushing passages. While inevitable comparisons to the usual suspects of post metal are commonplace and in some instances not too far off the mark, Hull cleverly opts towards side roads and detours in their musical journey, staying one step ahead of the curve in the process. Thanks to a dizzying three-pronged guitar attack and a shifting vocal point of view, this troupe meticulously weaves in and out of heavy music genres with an intriguing array of dexterity where thrash, punk, ambient, and stoner metal coagulate to form Hull’s organically grown gargantuan sound.
www.theendrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Pro-Pain,"Absolute Power" (Regain)
The musical display from veteran NYC hardcore metal squad Pro-Pain is as scathing as ever on their 13th studio offering ABSOLUTE POWER. Retaining the band’s trademark balance of barking hardcore anthems and groovy metallic melodies, Pro-Pain’s no frills ferocity and authentic crossover tendencies shine throughout this 10-track collection, chugging along with expected aggression (“Stand My Ground”, “AWOL”) while displaying the fearlessness to incorporate other heavy influences into their pummeling paradigm (“Hate Coalition”). Showcasing some dastardly fretwork with a slab of solid as ever songwriting, Pro-Pain keeps the pit active and the heads banging on their latest in a long line of triumphant metallic hardcore releases.
www.regainrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Lizard Skynard,"Lizard Skynard" (Self-released)
Fronted by sideshow performer Eric Sprague and featuring members of The Heavils, Lizard Skynard is an eclectic unit with an unorthodox musical delivery that is gutwrenchingly heavy yet completely left of center. Thanks in part to Sprague’s stream of consciousness spoken word style (liberally borrowed from Henry Rollins), this quintet rages out with artsy hardcore pretense that leaves welts on your brain. While some material on this eight-track offering can be written off as exercises in experimental overindulgence, cuts like “Ocean Electric” and “Space Eels” make up for the unevenness with musical output that is cohesive, creepy crawly and contagiously crushing.
www.lizardman.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Nobody Lives Forever,"Nobody Lives Forever" (FOF)
Buffalo, NY metalcore troupe Nobody Lives Forever churns out a sonic yet sterile showcase of Hot Topic deathcore on their eponymous 13-track debut. Armed with a skillfully performed yet totally derivative heard it all before attack, an everything but the kitchen sink instrumental approach and an affinity for the works of bands like Bleeding Through, Winds of Plague, and every other band in the generic modern metal parade, this act exhibits a serviceable yet unimaginative blend of scathing heaviness that relies on overplayed genre nuances too often throughout that ultimately renders them back towards the middle of the over saturated growl and blast pack.
www.myspace.com/nobodylivesforevermusic
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Dawn Of Ashes,"Genocide Chapters" (Metal Blade)
Shedding enough of their industrial heavy leanings to implement a broader and more pronounced Cradle of Filth-esque black metal style, Dawn of Ashes makes the most of their metallic makeover on GENOCIDE CHAPTERS. This 11-track endeavor keeps this sinister squad’s penchant for macabre subject matter, applying their horror-based tunes to a mechanized blast beat and overwrought symphonic keyboard pairing in lieu of the throbbing electronic beats from past releases, resulting in a bastardized concoction of uneven modern malevolence heavy on the drama while showcasing glimpses of deviant majesty. Despite making great strides, this troupe has its work cut out for them, as there still needs to be some fine tuning and a lot less of a robotic pulse present in order for Dawn of Ashes to embody a kind of identity necessary to break through to the ever so hard to please contingent of black metal purists.
www.metalblade.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Unearthly Trance,"V" (Relapse)
NYC doom metal merchants Unearthly Trance unleash an abrasive yet hypnotic metal excursion with their latest full-length affair entitled V. This veteran unit keep tempos down to a pummeling crawl while pushing intensity levels into the red thanks to a mammoth percussive presence and an eerie psychedelic vibe woven into their thick and viscous yet surprisingly melodic and memorable sensory attack. Boasting an intriguing array of brutality manipulated through the inescapable sense of despair that oozes from the bevy of discordant guitar riffs and harsh and foreboding vocals, this 13-track endeavor does suffer from being a bit too redundant at times, noticeably dragging the disc’s momentum down, though those subscribed to elements of drone won’t mind the repetition. Despite being a prolific band with a decade under its belt, this trio is still flying way under most metal fan’s radars despite championing a hellacious hybrid sound tailor made for fans of extreme metal at its most jarring to easily become enamored with.
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Wolfshade,"When Above" (Wraith)
French black metal project Wolfshade radiate a depressive mindset on the seven-track offering WHEN ABOVE. Maintaining a strong sense of atmosphere thanks to the constant stream of down tempo arrangements, this one-man act’s third full length attack is a nefarious endeavor bolstered by simple yet effective rhythmic rumblings, a coarse sense of melody and a lead vocal that effectively switches between a tortured rasp and a haunting almost spoken word delivery that never gets in the way of the music’s foreboding slow pace to seep into your skull.
www.wraithproductions.net
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Encoffination,"Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh" (Selfmadegod)
The two-man death/doom metal unit known as Encoffination yields a sinister musical entity entrenched with a stench-ridden slow crawl and laden in an atmosphere of suffocating dread and despair on their latest affair RITUAL ASCENSION BEYOND FLESH. Adorned with eerie samples from horror movies as the only decipherable human sound on the album, the diabolical din whipped up by this tandem gives more than a nod to the progenitors of the doom death movement, wavering between funeral dirge and subterranean cacophonic chaos without any sense of warning while crash cymbals act as mile markers for the utterly oppressive murky guitar and guttural vocal journey into the depths of the abyss to develop an authentic evil sound and an overall chilling listening experience.
www.selfmadegodrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Bastard Priest,"Under The Hammer Of Destruction" (Pulverised)
Staking claim on a crustily composed D-beat death metal assault, the Swedish two-man outfit Bastard Priest does little to deviate from the early ‘90s approach championed by the likes of Nihilist and Discharge on their offering of odds and ends entitled UNDER THE HAMMER OF DESTRUCTION. In fact, right down to the callous production value, heavily reverb vocals, and primal songwriting, this troupe winningly captures a blatantly unoriginal yet face ripping 11-track old school death metal presentation whose piledriving pounding mimics albums you’ve long worn the grooves out of.
www.pulverisedrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

La Otracina,"Reality Has Got To Die" (Holy Mountain)
Psychedelic Brooklyn, NY trio La Otracina serves up a stellar sixty-six minute, seven-track space rock smorgasbord in the form of REALITY HAS GOT TO DIE. Chock full of guitars comfortable enough to both worship the riff and explore the galaxy, this troupe’s exercise in musical excess features a constantly trippy rhythmic kick and a bluesy metallic backbone as the launching pad for this unit’s copious cosmic guitar solos, improvisational percussive interludes, and instrumental freakouts galore sounding at times like a musical conversation between Deep Purple and Hawkwind and at others like King Crimson meets Yes. Sprawling songwriting and a free form stoner rock spirit also contributes a fair share of influence on this squad’s astral aura, as does their predilection for unfurling unabashed streams of jazz, synth, prog, and classic rock with the jagged side fully exposed to feel maximum impact. Pack a lunch, tune in and take the ride this band offers and you may never be the same again.
www.holymountain.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Bad Cop,"Harvest The Beast" (ROIR)
Nashville, TN trio Bad Cop blends psychedelic rock head trips, punk rock bravado, and indie rock swagger on their 10-track release HARVEST THE BEAST. Lancing ears with a rash of treble charged garage rock goodness with bursts of blistering fretwork, Bad Cop’s sound is as bouncy and chaotic as an ADD-diagnosed child off meds for the first time yet despite all the disorder running amuck, the disc never runs off the rails completely. Instead, the cascading bass lines, detached lead vocals and angular songwriting is hankered down by a savvy classic rock pretense and the knack to emulate the music that the cool kids are rocking out to without flat out pilfering, making a raucous din chock full of swirling white noise and infectious grooves.
www.roir-usa.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Complete Failure,"Heal No Evil" (Relapse)
Frothing at the mouth with seething hardcore intensity and crust-laden grindcore fury, Pittsburgh, PA unit Complete Failure doles out a bass-driven balls out beatdown on the troupe’s latest endeavor HEAL NO EVIL. Meshing technical hardcore with a varied array of Swedish death metal influence isn’t exactly groundbreaking in the year 2010, yet this unit kicks it up considerably to render a scalding assault highlighted by a caustically-charged vocal delivery and a intriguing batch of tempo shifts from speed to sludge and back again. Brimming over with a plethora of anger and dollops of despair, the overall ominous vibe emitted by Complete Failure contains all of the ingredients to stick in your craw long after the 12-track affair plays out.
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Fleshwrought,"Dementia Dyslexia" (Metal Blade)
Fleshwrought is a side project featuring Jonny Davy from Job for a Cowboy on vocals and Navene Koperweis from Animosity and The Faceless taking control of the rest of the musical roles. This high profile duo has teamed up to provide an assault that goes beyond both members’ usual technical deathcore output on the 10-track release DEMENTIA DYSLEXIA. Armed with a smattering of angular riffs and unorthodox progressive tendencies galore, Fleshwrought have created a mechanical meltdown whose clinical yet chaotic nature supports everything hurled at listeners from random saxophone that wanders in and out and bits of industrialized white noise going nose to nose with a face ripping guitar presence that fearlessly veers into experimental realms without losing an ounce of its brutal edge. Truly a cut above the norm, the debut from Fleshwrought ranks high amongst the modern death metal sect and is worthy of your attention if you are a fan of the new sounds of metallic ferocity.
www.metalblade.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Krieg,"The Isolationist" (Candlelight)
US black metal merchants Krieg return from hiatus with a new lineup in tow and a 10-track album chock full of despair entitled THE ISOLATIONIST. Expressing their dizzying sense of dissonance with a handful of hateful scorn strewn in for good measure, this excursion exercises its right to be as bleak as necessary yet strays from the beaten black metallic path enough to allow the stream of repetitive atmospheric passages and ambient tribal percussive elements to stand along side the undercurrent of seething rage without feeling out of place, truly creating a progressive and unsettling listening environment. Championing an authenticated classic buzzing guitar and raspy vocal style straight out of Norway with a penchant for tossing in an array of off-kilter shifts and exploratory moments much like their USBM peers, Krieg provide the right amount of aggression with an ample share of adventure to mark their righteous return to the battlefield.
www.candlelightrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Risk/Reward,"Risk/Reward" (Self-released)
NYC indie rock quartet Risk/Reward took their music smeared with an unmistakable Big Apple attitude to Chicago to record with underground icon Steve Albini, resulting in a rousing 11-track eponymous offering. Rhythmically driving with a slight alt country jangle permeating throughout underpinnings of hard rock and punk (“Breakin’ Hearts”), songs like “Want” sound like AC/DC translated by Husker Du while “Fault” provides a slab of slow cooked melancholy akin to The Replacements or Soul Asylum and “Buybacks” displays the band brightened and upbeat side like a cross between Wilco and Social Distortion. Blurring edges between roots rock and shoegaze with a punchy panache, Risk/Reward have made a big sounding rock record with hooks for days and underground cred galore.
www.riskreward.bandcamp.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Earth,"A Bureaucratic Desire For Extra-Capsular Extraction" (Southern Lord)
Earth’s auspicious debut has been re-released thanks to the kind folks over at Southern Lord, who restored the collection of tracks once released as two separate parts into its seven-track intended from and renamed it A BUREAUCRATIC DESIRE FOR EXTRA-CAPSULAR EXTRACTION. Delving back into the band’s formative years when the group employed a heavier and dirtier lineage akin to its Pacific Northwestern upbringing, this reissue illuminates the importance this groundbreaking squad has had on the modern underground metal realm, as the redundant cryptic drone heard on cuts like “German Dental Work” still manages to feel as oppressive and foreboding as it did twenty years ago while guest spots by a young Kurt Cobain and full-time contributions by Joe Preston help to solidify the legacy this trailblazing drone/doom metal has created.
www.southernlord.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

For Every Story Untold,"Hidout" (Self-released)
Ambient Queens, NY duo For Every Story Untold demonstrate the wherewithal to compose hauntingly beautiful music as indicated on the tandem’s four-song EP HIDEOUT. With discernible influence coming from the likes of Portishead and Cowboy Junkies, this group provides a lush background of cymbal crashes and whispering synths while an ethereal female vocal delicately weaves in and out of the multi-layered instrumental presentation (“From Under Paris”). Commandeering a balance between serenity and majesty, For Every Story Untold successfully fuses heart-wrenching shoegaze properties with ambient alternative rock to create a captivating strand of music with a cosmically enhanced cinematic scope perfect for escaping the world by (“Hideout”).
www.foreverystoryuntold.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Todd Snider,"Live, The Storyteller" (Aimless Records)
“Live, The Storyteller” is like a great night out with a group of good friends. You may not be doing what you would normally be doing but you’re having a damn good time anyway. Snider is a modern day John Prine and a storyteller is exactly what Snider is, first and foremost. When he starts speaking or singing you just have to listen. You don’t have a choice because he’s doing what he was put here to do and it comes across. Especially on this live album. Sure, he’s been called a singer/songwriter, alternative country, a scruffy modern troubadour, a folkie and much more I’m sure. All of which seem to apply but above all the guy is a storyteller. Period. Lots of really good stuff here. A few highlights for me were the “Alice’s Restaurant” meets “L.A.Woman” vibe on “45 Miles” and “Bill Elliot Story”. It’s the coolest story I’ve ever heard when it comes to Bill Elliot stories. Believe me, living in the south, I’ve heard a few.
www.toddsnider.net
Rating:
and 1/2
Review by J.R. Oliver

The Gray Lions,"Run Wild" (Self Release)
Nestled somewhere between Brownsville Station, Grand Funk Railroad and the Razzle Dazzle Show lies a territory that is owned by The Gray Lions. This might be the bands debut cd but these guys aren’t noobs. They’ve been around the block a few times. The line up consists of Marc Rubinstein on guitars and vocals, John Leight on bass, J.A. Landry on drums and Mark Hudson on vocals, guitars and keyboards. Yes, it is the very same Mark Hudson who has co-wrote songs for Aerosmith and Mr. Starkey. And, for those of us old enough to remember, the very same Mark Hudson that hosted the Saturday morning Razzle Dazzle Show with his brothers Bill and Brett. We won’t go into how long ago that was. The cd has a few tracks that rock along the lines of Brownsville Station. “Lost My Woman”, “Who Do You Love” and “You Were Wrong” are a few. They do up some blues and boogie woogie as well. This on one band that the “needs more cowbell” adage works really well for. A fun listen.
www.thegraylions.com
Rating:

Review by J.R. Oliver

Katie Davis,"Three Songs" (Self-Release)
The lovely Miss Davis is back with a new download only ep titled “Three Songs”. There’s just something about her haunting voice and crisp, clean acoustic guitar that just immediately sucks you in and makes you fall for someone you’ve never met nor seen. Folk pop is not really my thing but Katie Davis folk pop seems to suit me just fine.
www.katiedavismusic.com
Rating:

Review by J.R. Oliver

Alive In Stereo,"Alive In Stereo" (Skope)
Denver, CO trio Alive in Stereo tows the harder edge of the alternative rock line on their seven-track eponymous endeavor. Peppered with loud/soft dynamics galore and solidified with a slew of rousing choruses, this unit churns out palpable shards of melodic hard rock on the surface (“Oh My God”), yet dig past some of the recycled riffs and a penchant for tugging at heartstrings as well as keeping fists raised in the air becomes visible. Despite coming off a tad Nickelback-esque at times, fans of Trapt, Incubus, Chevelle, and Seether can find something to hold onto here, as this crew showcases the ability to produce above average compositions with emotionally charged guitars and vocals leading the primrose path to the hard rock hierarchy.
www.skopeentertainment.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Thieves And Villians,"South America" (Victory)
Upstate NY quartet Thieves and Villians unveil their sophomore effort SOUTH AMERICA, a punchy 13-track pop-punk affair drenched in the inescapably familiar pre-teen rock sound with enough slight variations and contagious hooks that sweeten the mix and showcase substantial growth (“The Ascetic Life is For Me”). Despite a self-induced increase of edginess and a surprising organically musical nature propelling the music to a different level, the band tends to get mired in the saccharine mindset a bit too often here to make a serious dash for the king of broken hearts crown, but does a fine job of replicating the wares of Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack, and All-American Rejects to provide an innocuous good time.
www.victoryrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Negligence,"Coordinates Of Confusion" (Metal Blade)
Slovenian new jack thrash metal squad Negligence lay down an ornery chunk of headbanging tunes on their sophomore 10-track effort COORDINATES OF CONFUSION. Reminiscent of bands such as Testament and Forbidden, this troupe does an adequate job of keeping vocal lines melodic without losing a feral snarl (“Disharmony”) while the walloping bass and drums dole out an unspectacular yet sturdy foundation for the guitar to rip through the speakers like a cross between Nevermore and Shadows Fall (“Screaming Fear”). Proficient yet hindered by following the classic blueprint a bit too stringently, Negligence leave little to the imagination but does a bang up job in replicating the breakneck feel of many of the Bay Area’s finest in their prime.
www.metalblade.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Left In Ruins,"Straight Out Of Hell" (Self-released)
Westchester County, NY metal outfit Left in Ruins have struck a brutal melodic death metal goldmine on their latest nine-track offering STRAIGHT OUT OF HELL. Meshing necksnapping grooves with a slew of meat and potato crossover riffs (“Destruction”) with a vocal delivery seemingly summoned from the bowels of the abyss (“Straight Out of Hell”), Left in Ruins pounds you to the ground with an authentically hellacious blend of musicianship and savagery (“Path of Blood”, “Side With the Reaper”) with an surprisingly widespread metallic foundation capable of transcending genres without losing ferocity.
www.leftinruins.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Thee Nosebleeds,"Thee Nosebleeds" (Humaninhuman)
Rabid and rapid fire from the get-go, Philadelphia trio Thee Nosebleeds showcase a raucous yet stylized blend of tough as nails hard rock and streetwise punk on their 13-track self-titled album. With a hearty helping of Motorhead, Nashville Pussy, Zeke, and Antiseen in their arsenal, this troupe blasts out of the gate with the kind of high octane rock ‘n roll firepower embodying the rebelliousness of rock to the max. Wistful punk (“As Fast as You Can”) and drowsy blues (“Pigfoot’s Revenge”, “Goner”) also appear throughout the disc while a suggested hip shaking swagger can be detected in between blistering cuts like the minute-long “California”. Thee Nosebleeds turn out to be as no frills and smash and grab as you will find, armed with strong hooks, a rock ‘n roll backbone, and an unapologetically in your face attitude (“South Street Shooting Spree”) propelling their take no prisoners attack.
www.humaninhumanrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Mini Mansions,"Mini Mansions" (Ipecac)
The trio known as Mini Mansions has developed a complex 12-track collection of tunes that stands on its own from the rest of the pack by going retro on their eponymous introduction to the world. Steeped in a 60’s grandiose pop mood with oddball composition tendencies strewn in for a trip-laden experience while adorned with pleasant vocal harmonies galore, this unit featuring Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age dug into their Beatles and Beach Boys catalog extensively here, resulting in the member’s excavating uneasy yet strangely appealing walls of sound radiating with equal amounts of vintage warmth and modern quirk. Psychedelically inclined courtesy of swirls of pianos and organs nestled next to the barrage of LSD-flavored layered vocals, despite measures Mini Mansions take to insure a nostalgic trip for the ages, a prevalent electronic pulse pumping underneath keeps the music from becoming merely a retread, instead pushing the album into uncharted territories where current exercises of mind expansion and an irrefutable love for Brit pop is necessary.
www.ipecac.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Diskreet,"Engage The Mechanicality" (Siege Of Amida)
Midwestern deathcore squad Discreet showcases endless streams of breakneck chops and invigorating levels of aggression on the 11-track sophomore effort ENGAGE THE MECHANICALITY. Despite the awkward album title and spelling of their name, this release unleashes a technically proficient and relentlessly ferocious assault that adroitly bounces within the death metal genre to present an onslaught meshing crushing cacophony with seething rage and jawdropping musical prowess (“Bishop of War”). Armed with a face-melting twin guitar battering that adds intrigue to the unit’s beefed up delivery of headbanging grooves, tumultuous tempo shifts and primal slam metal melodies (“Human Harvest”), Diskreet concocts their hybrid style with care and conviction, devastatingly deviating from the norm throughout this affair to warrant repeated listens at maximum volume.
www.siegeofamida.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

October Tide,"A Thin Shell" (Candlelight)
Returning after a lengthy hiatus and a lineup reshuffle resulting in one less founding member in the ranks, Sweden’s October Tide provides a dark and shadowy hunk of heaviness in the form of the seven-track A THIN SHELL. Resonating a depressive atmosphere and an epic stream of gloom, these reformed morose metal merchants their heaviness into somber shards of despair delivered by a well-trained act with the glacial chill of a barren tundra (“Fragile”). Maintaining a sonic crush with some of the most elegant death/doom melodies this side of Paradise Lost and Swallow the Sun (“Blackness Devours”), October Tide’s threat inducing tracks are chock full of the down tempo scorn and luxurious instrumental interludes the forlorn can set their melancholy to.
www.candlelightrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Agothacles,"This Is Not A Threat, It's A Promise" (Selfmadegod)
Prolific veteran grindcore troupe from Belgium Agothacles are difficult to keep up with, as they have appeared on over 200 (!) releases throughout their two-decade plus tenure, but they’ve remained a consistent force in the underground extreme scene. This latest offering from the band is a full-length, meaning 27 songs in 32 minutes for this velocity driven unit, entitled THIS IS NOT A THREAT, IT’S A PROMISE. Mixing it up between slightly sloppy D-Beat and crusty nihilistic grind with a few slow grinders strewn in for some variation, this grizzled crew offers no mercy when serving up their punk propelled attitude flanked with guttural growls and intentionally undercooked production values, an action endearing to some yet too simplistic for others. Nonetheless, this is a durable album for fans of Discharge, Entombed, and Napalm Death to bond over, truly embodying a crossover mentality with the intent to annihilate everything in their path.
www.selfmadegodrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Gwar,"Bloody Pit Of Horror" (Metal Blade)
Celebrating their 25th year of invading Earth, Dave Brockie and his associates that comprise the mighty Gwar continue to churn out comedically-driven theatrical heavy metal on their latest 11-track endeavor BLOODY PIT OF HORROR. Championing their novelty status to the hilt while producing salacious slabs of explosive metal in the process (“Storm is Coming”), Gwar may be best known for their outlandish look and circus-like live show, but their music has seen a significant upgrade in the last few years. Locking in with a hammering thrash metal precision, the musicians underneath the costumes have stepped up their game considerably in the last few releases, and retain the same spirit here with a barrage of tasty double barrel riffs (“A Gathering of Ghouls”) and a punkish metal charm (“Beat You to Death) firmly planted within the band’s outrageous framework. Gwar has morphed into a band with both nasty effects and nasty riffs fueling their intergalactic chaotic chicanery.
www.metalblade.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Place Of Skulls,"As A Dog Returns" (Giddy Up!)
Former Pentagram six-string maestro Victor Griffin wields his axe in the name of God once again to helm his project Place of Skulls’ latest eight-track presentation AS A DOG RETURNS. This album is equipped with a warm and organic doom metal aura thanks to the combination of Griffin’s smooth vocals and mesmerizing fretwork breaking into the kind of massive jams birthed during multiple studio sessions leading his spiritual sojourn (“Dayspring”). Ominous song lengths, bluesy swagger (“He’s God”) and heavy handed hulking riffs aside, there’s an air of serenity that creeps out of songs like “Psalms” when harmonica and bongos are included, but make no mistake; though the lyrics are laden with praise, this disc is distinctly drenched with a slow crawling psychedelic charm ripped from the clutches of Lucifer himself.
www.placeofskulls.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Unsun,"Clinic For Dolls" (Armoury)
Unsun is a Polish female fronted gothic metal troupe featuring Mauser, formerly of native death metal heroes Vader on guitar, and his wife Ava on vocals. The tandem’s sophomore 10-track release CLINIC FOR DOLLS provides a multitude of the dark and heavy elements necessary to stand out in the crowded symphonic/Goth metal set. Ava’s emotive voice isn’t the strongest, but it does a formidable job on ballads like “The Last Tear” and plays well off the prevalent deeper than normal rhythmic thump that propels cuts like “Time. Unsun lays down a smattering of melodramatic melodies with a good cross section of influences ranging from throbbing industrial to piano-led symphonic running through their repertoire for fans of both Epica and Lacuna Coil to get excited about.
www.eaglerockent.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

The Paparazzi,"Rococo" (Serious Business)
Led by Cat Power bassist Erik Paparazzi, The Paparazzi is a delightfully psychedelic pop rock project chock full of freewheeling melodies and lighthearted wordplay. This collective’s nine-track affair ROCOCO showcases a love for the soulful rock sounds of the 1960’s (“Hi”) with a discernible Beatles fetish and a drowsy indie rock sensibility (“My O My”). Instrumentally lush and boldly experimental, The Paparazzi makes quirky daydream pop that is fresh from the dryer soft and warm.
www.seriousbusinessrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

The Last Stand,"The Last Stand" (Self-released)
The Last Stand is a NYC hardcore band consisting of Mike Inhuman on vocals and the members of his brother Mark’s band Shutdown rounding out the rest of the outfit. This amalgamation of scene veterans unsurprisingly doles out a heartfelt and authentic batch of raucous hardcore anthems (“Opportunities Lost and Found”) ripped from the era of CBGB matinees and youth crew pile-ons (“Watch You Go”). Containing four tracks of explosive true blue sing along hardcore packed with a cathartic crunch, the only question for this band with such a strong familial lineage is what took them so long to get together?
www.myspace.com/thelaststandnyhc
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Closenuf,"...To A New Beginning" (Wreckords)
Closenuf is a Brooklyn, NY based unit with a wealth of musical experience that shines through on their 18-track endeavor …TO A NEW BEGINNING. Led by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Anthony Foti, this troupe maintains a balance between 70’s soft rock and pristine pop a la Jackson Browne and Billy Joel with a slew of tasty nuances strewn in like the bluesy romp “Fertile Green” making everything go down smooth (“She’s Leaving”). Interestingly including remixes of certain songs that really showcase each chosen song in a different light (most notably “At Night” as remixed by Al Pitrelli), Closenuf portray the confidence to be able to alter their songs without recourse. Taking it back to the roots, Closenuf celebrates their new beginning by exhibiting a comprehensive lesson in the rudiments of rock ‘n roll.
www.closenuf.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

All Out War,"Into The Killing Fields" (Victory)
Upstate NY metalcore pioneers All Out War have returned in bruising form on their nine-track endeavor INTO THE KILLING FIELDS, a triumphant album that no one ever expected to be released. But here it is, in all of its galloping Slayer thrash meets early days of hardcore glory (“The Murderers Among Us”) with a seething Mike Score keeping an eye on the world’s ills, presiding over the proceedings like never before with a voraciously venomous vocal delivery that gets the point across like a smack to the mouth (“Fear Those Who Claim Divinity”). If you yearn for the days when metalcore meant overtly brutal music that begat massive moshpits and carnage everywhere (“From Manipulation to Martyr”), this comeback release does the trick, furiously fusing the best Hatebreed, Terror, and Earth Crisis offer while standing strong alongside this trailblazing band’s storied catalog.
www.victoryrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Earthride,"Something Wicked" (Earth Brain)
Maryland doom metal merchants Earthride traditionally takes painstakingly lengthy periods between albums, much to fans of the swampy squad’s dismay. But this quartet always manages to dole out the doom in the most delightfully depressive way, and the nine-tracks found on SOMETHING WICKED follow that motif ardently. Led by the gravelly vocal of Dave Sherman and containing a surge of St.Vitus-esque punch (“Grip the Wheel”) with a smattering of sludgy southern grooves (“Hacksaw Eyeball”), Earthride ascends to their rightful position on the top of heap with copious waves of the unit’s trademarked slow-churned fuzzy, fat and whiskey-soaked organic jams absorbing everything in its path (“Force Fed Fear”).
www.myspace.com/earthridedoom
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Vagina Panther,"Vagina Panther" (Self-released)
With an outrageous name like Vagina Panther, it’s hard to know what to expect or be prepared what to deal with, but this female-fronted NYC quintet throws everyone a curveball by producing an eclectic mix of Desert Sessions-esque tumbleweed rawk with a sly and self-aware sense of indie rock swagger on their eponymous debut (“Pressure Check”). Robotic rhythms under flashes of acid rock guitar assist this outfit’s in achieving rebellious punk rock flair sharing Pat Benatar and Paramore (“So…How We Gonna Do This?”) but it’s when this sinewy squad’s punchy garage rock gets turned sideways towards the hypnotic end of heavy where the band reaches multi-faceted Queens of the Stone Age meets Yeah Yeah Yeahs type of turbulence (“Please Just Say So”).
www.vaginapanther.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Destitute-CEO,"Destitute-CEO" (Self-released)
Destitute-CEO is both the name of the one-man band helmed by Early Gates of The Ray Gradys and his debut four-track EP. This affair gets right down to business and is packed with rebellious tendencies rendering a precise punk rock buck the system salvo crammed with attitude. Armed with an arsenal of sneering commentary aimed at living life under the thumb of Corpoate America (“Homophones and Double Negatives”) as well the cost of staying true to yourself (“A Poverty Vacation”), Destitute-CEO fuses guitar gymnastics and anthem-like choruses of seminal bands like The Clash, Rancid, and Bad Religion into a veritable punk rock jubilee that hits smart and hard.
www.myspace.com/destituteceo
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Salem,"Playing God And Other Short Stories" (Pulverised)
Salem is a veteran Israeli metal troupe whose latest 12-track outing is the unit’s seventh in their 25-year career. This quintet changes things up a bit on PLAYING GOD AND OTHER SHORT STORIES with some reworked versions of songs by artists such as Kreator (“The Privileged Dead”) and Bob Marley (“Exodus”), as well as the inclusion of a female singer dispensing shards of Goth rock throughout the album not too mention a prevalent tribal percussive presence not unlike that of Soulfly running within the thrash metal framework (“The Mark of the Beast Part 1”). This departure from their usual death/doom style may be a bit jarring for longtime fans, but for those seeking a new adventure in metal, Salem’s latest definitely pushes experimental buttons while integrating undeniable heaviness (“Playing God”).
www.pulverisedrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Dali's Llama,"Howl Do You Do?" (Dali's Llama)
Prodigiously prolific desert rock hermits Dali’s Llama poke their heads out of the sand dunes long enough to deliver their 10th offering, the 10-track HOWL DO YOU DO? Adorned with a playfulness not found on prior releases, this collective’s newfound attitude begins with the album and song titles (“You Can Be My Zoo”, “Flustrated”) and spills over into the predominant swirls of garage rock organ, extended trippy jams and not so subtle Cramps-esque psychobilly influence (“I’m the Trouble”) that has seeped its way into the accustomed sludge-ridden mix you’d normally expect from Zach Huskey and company (“Plaid Rainbow”). Seemingly cranked out as a distinct change of pace, this disc’s underlying sense of frivolity and freewheeling nature steers Dali’s Llama’s music into a realm where nothing but just wanting to kick out the jams matters.
www.dalisllamarecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Helmet,"Seeing Eye Dog" (Work Song)
The complex beast known as Helmet return with their seventh full-length album entitled SEEING EYE DOG, a decisively eclectic 10-track affair even for this groundbreaking band. Still helmed by Page Hamilton (the only remaining original member), this NYC noise rock institution has seen a fair share of discord both in their music post-BETTY and within the band for the past decade or so and this batch of songs truly reflects the tumultuousness endured by Hamilton and the multitude of associates Helmet has employed since their salad day darling status expired (“LA Water”). Boasting plenty of the trademark piledriving rhythms that made Helmet a dangerous entity (“Seeing Eye Dog”, “She’s Lost”), this time around Hamilton’s vocals and the musical directions on some of the tracks are more scattershot and adventurous than the music is prepared for, making for an uneven listening experience. An irreverent cover of “And Your Bird Can Sing” by The Beatles and “Morphing”, a noise rock instrumental that sounds it came from a Hamilton movie score sound completely out of place and add to the album’s overall jarring nature. Nonetheless, Helmet showcases that despite all the static they create, they still have a firm handle on what it takes to chug away with acerbic wit, dropping off viscous riffs and crushing metallic melodies with just the right mix of heavy and catchy along for their staccato-friendly ride (“Welcome to Algiers”).
www.helmetmusic.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Meltgsnow,"Black Penance" (Pulverised)
It took seven years, but the Singapore metal outfit Meltgsnow has finally released a follow-up to their 2003 debut with the 10-track BLACK PENANCE. This troupe explores a wealth of styles to comprise their sound, ranging from shrieking black metal to chunky Gothic metal (“Crown of Serpents”) while tossing a slew of influences from classic metal and death metal in between. Creating engaging compositions with discernibly dark and foreboding tones (“Empty Sky”), Meltgsnow juxtaposes the wares of King Diamond, Moonspell, Satyricon, and 36 Crazyfists together, concocting an unpredictably unique entity with an unmistakable metallic edge and an undercurrent of dread.
www.pulverised.net
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Phobia,"Unrelenting" (Relapse)
Southern California grindcore veterans Phobia have produced a virulent 17 track affair in a 14-minute span, making their latest release UNRELENTING an album truly worthy of its title. Finding a middle ground between crusty D-Beat (“Life’s Animosity”) and ferociously spastic grind (“Sign of Times”), this long-running unit has had its share of lineup changes through the years, yet their vocal shredded velocity-fueled brevity remains unfettered by the changes (“Dying for Who?”) and sounds as feral as ever (“Rehashed”, “Out of Control”). If you need a brutal soundtrack to break faces to, look no further than this band to get the job done.
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Corrosion Of Conformity,"Your Tomorrow" (Southern Lord)
Scaling back down to the classic three-piece ANIMOSITY-era version for a seven-inch two-song collection entitled YOUR TOMORROW, Corrosion of Conformity returns with their beloved underground lineup intact. But don’t expect the same crossover sound this time out, as this veteran North Carolina crew comes out swinging with a hybrid sound of Southern metal, stoner rock, and hardcore punk that somehow encompasses all of the band’s styles through the years without leaning heavily on one in particular. Breaking one eight-minute song into two parts led by the Ozzy-esque warbling vocals of Mike Dean and featuring the distinct percussive strikes of Reed Mullin while Woody Weatherman’s six-string sting keeps the juggernaut chugging, COC skillfully blurs the lines between St. Vitus and Black Sabbath with a dash of the eclectic crossover appeal found on the unit’s early work to make yet another stylistic shift within the band stick.
www.southernlord.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Righteous Fool,"Righteous Fool" (Southern Lord)
Righteous Fool is a North Carolina three-piece unit featuring Mike Dean and Reed Mullin of Corrosion of Conformity. Rounded out by Jason Browning, this squad sounds like a spin-off of COC with a discernibly looser feel akin to a desert rock band’s subtle swagger. This two-song endeavor showcases the rock solid rhythm work of Dean and Mullin while Browning holds his own with sludgy southern charm. Providing a strong stopgap between COC albums, Righteous Fool does a fine job in holding the attention span of the band’s fans with their colossal grooves.
www.southernlord.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Neaera,"Forging The Eclipse" (Metal Blade)
German melodic death metal merchants Neaera ardently follow the genre template on their 12-track offering FORGING THE ECLISPE. This quintet’s sturdy yet repetitive execution of death metal and metalcore does boast a brash vocal delivery (“Arise Black Vengeance”) that renders flashes when this disc stands out amongst the works of their peers (“Tyranny of Want”), but overall the redundancy in these songs is a bit too derivative to consider this album anything but a by the book modern extreme metal affair. If you enjoy the work of bands such as Heaven Shall Burn (who these fellow countrymen sound a lot like), As I Lay Dying, and Caliban, then this latest release should be something worth checking out.
www.metalblade.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Mad Sin,"Burn And Rise" (People Like You)
After all these years, German rockabilly outfit Mad Sin keep the party pumping with their raucous blend of punk, surf, country, and blues on the 19-track BURN AND RISE. This unit has a storied past both on and off stage and the veteran band’s quirky sound reflects their lifestyle (“Back from the Morgue”). Armed with a rebellious vocal delivery and mixing it up between upright bass body movers (“Am I Human”), weepy slide guitar twang (“Fur Immer”) and quick tempo barn burners (“No Control”), Mad Sin maintains the ability to produce a diverse array of styles without losing a grip on their clear cut street punk attitude, making this album a must have for modern day greasers.
www.peoplelikeyourecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Broughton's Rules,"Bounty Hunter 1853" (Relapse)
Broughton’s Rules invite you to join their free-form musical mission on BOUNTY HUNTER 1853, this jagged Pittsburgh, PA quartet’s debut offering. Featuring former members of Don Caballero, this mainly instrumental offering falls somewhere between spaghetti western jam band, jazzy ambiance, drone metal repetition and heavy psychedelic rock with strands of space rock looming in the distance (“Disaster of the Week”). Spearheading a pensive post-rock exposition garnished with the occasional haunting vocal when not exploring cinematic themes with soaring guitar lines and pulsating backbeats (“Moonsick”), Broughton’s Rules have merged a collection of heavy rock techniques with atmospheric dream-like explorations to create their own blend of captivating music seemingly perfect for film (“Night Smoker”).
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Conspiracy,"Irrmediable" (Pulverised)
The Dutch one-man band Conspiracy returns with IRREMEDIABLE, the project’s third offering. This endeavor continues to dabble in the darkness with a vehement black metal style anchoring the attack (“The Invocation of Hecate”, “Armageddon Broke”), allowing sole member Al Hazard (ex-Melechesh) to venture into more symphonic sounds throughout the duration of the album, yielding an ominous vibe reminiscent of old Cradle of Filth. Chock full of odd-placed nuances such as an eerie organ that seem at times a bit over the top to be taken with heed (“Carpathian Sunset”, “Pentagram”), Conspiracy’s latest collection contains a smattering of vitriolic viciousness (“A Dream of Fear”) yet exhibits the experimental wares to be able to veer off into a likely ode to King Diamond (“Irremediable”) giving the release an unorthodox quality and a few unexpected twists worth your attention.
www.pulverised.net
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Oceano,"Contagion" (Earache)
Oceano’s sophomore effort CONTAGION unquestionably produces a bountiful array of low-end rumble with moshpit-friendly breakdowns galore (“Viral Re-Animation”). Led by Adam Warren’s feral vocal roar, there is no questioning the sheer heaviness this band exudes, as the twin seven-string guitar chugfests are ripe with skull-crushing riffs and nasty stop-motion rhythmic switches (“Precursor to Enslavement”) and the battering provided by the bass and drums is an undeniable driving force in this deathcore quintet’s attack (“Weaponized”). Yet it seems as if the band has painted itself in a corner with their singular penchant for inflicting punishing music to the ears, as much of the music from this 11-track release stays at the same tempo and same level of ferocity throughout with little derivation sans the doom-esque vibe radiated from “Exist in Confinement”, ultimately rendering the album much like the work of many of their peers in the genre, stale in rather short order.
www.earache.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Downslave,"Cost Of Freedom" (Self-released)
Knoxville, TN thrash quintet Downslave aims straight for the jugular on the troupe’s debut COST OF FREEDOM. This squad meshes a shameless amount of Pantera’s vulgar display of power with a hodgepodge of inspiration pulled from Bay Area thrash metal’s elite bands to comprise a furious yet familiar 10-track onslaught that is far from original but rarely lets up to take a rest. Despite not so subtly borrowing a bulk of their style from bands fronted by Phil Anselmo, Downslave’s scorching fretwork, punchy arrangements, and persistent pummeling rhythms are served with a indubitably hostile vigor bound to get the pit moving and heads banging in approval.
www.myspace.com/downslave
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Cough,"Ritual Abuse" (Relapse)
Richmond, VA squad Cough has unleashed an oppressively heavy five-track collection of tunes entitled RITUAL ABUSE. This trio demonstrates an appreciation for all things doom with the use of deliberately suffocating tempos and cavernous riffs leading their cloudy charge (“Crooked Spine”). Clocking in at a weighty 53 minutes, this disc’s overall lumbering nature is accompanied by a slew of slow crawl riffs and ethereal vocal warbles that summon drug-induced despair from the depths of the soul (“Mind Collapse”). Juxtaposing Black Sabbath, Eyehategod, and Electric Wizard, Cough has crafted an album full of bleak atmospheres with the right amount of oddly melodic psychedelic dread permeating through thick slabs of sludgy doom.
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Braindead/Erfiq,"Braindead/Erfiq" (Self-released)
Florida’s Erfiq and NYC’s Braindead have joined forces for an eight-track split release of underground death metal. Up first are two live cuts and two studio tracks from Braindead, a guttural death metal unit whose flashy fretwork and Swedish metal tendencies come through strongest on “ID”. While the band’s studio work is cohesive, the live cuts are of lesser quality and diminish the band’s overall output. Erfiq is up next, and this unit has been through its share of tragic occurrences for certain. Their contribution is a retrospective of sorts, as this sunshine state outfit’s four-track endeavor both digs through their vault to tie up loose ends from previous sessions (“Slow Destroyed”) as well as pays tribute to the band’s fallen members by remixing some of their older material (“Kill The Plague”), with all the proceeds going to another member’s mounting medical bills. Mixing up their extreme metal sound with breakdown heavy chug and old school death metal aggression, Erfiq do an admirable job of keeping the pit moving while keeping the spirits of their former band mates in mind.
www.braindeadband.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Circle Of Animals,"Destroy The Light" (Relapse)
Sanford Parker and Bruce Lamont plus a handful of pretty stellar drummers comprise the Chicago industrial unit Circle of Animals, whose release DESTROY THE LIGHT embraces the patented mechanized metallic sound championed by hometown heroes Ministry. This eight-track offering presents clinically calculated electronic rock much like Al Jourgenson and company made in their prime right down to the vintage approaches taken to capture machinery whirs and churns (“Invisible War”). Creating cold and dark music harnessed by the redundancy of automation, Circle of Animals produce an authentic representation sound-wise yet meander in between soulless repetition and meandering monotony throughout to come off more tedious and dull than hypnotic.
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Father Befouled,"Morbid Destitution Of Cevenant" (Relapse)
Unsettling yet unoriginal, eerie Georgia death metal unit Father Befouled ape their spooky style mainly from Incantation as documented on their haunting 11-track album MORBID DESTITUTION OF COVENANT. Despite an incomprehensible yet menacing lead vocal (“Paradise of Desecrated Nothingness”), succulent slow churned riffs (“Vomiting Impurity”) and some intriguingly unexpected blistering to listless tempo changes, this band’s version of doom encrusted death metal wallows in shared desperations and broken spirits from some of the most foul bands from the ‘90s a bit too stringently, ultimately demeaning some of their unholy impact. Bolstering their foreboding cacophony with a bevy of evil echoes and waves of unsteady feedback seemingly collected from the bowels of Hell, Father Befouled’s blasphemous barrage of unorthodox heaviness renders an excursion in true evil.
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

The Secret,"Solve Et Coagula" (Southern Lord)
Italy’s answer to Converge, The Secret has made a harsh and callous metallic hardcore offering in the form of SOLVE ET COAGULA. This squad’s third release pummels listeners with copious strands of crusty D-beats (“Pursuit of Discomfort”) and blackened melodies ripped from Norway’s most glacial merchants (“Double Slaughter”) yet manages to inject shards of atmosphere within their merciless cacophonic chaos to balance out this blistering assault (“Bell of Urgency”). Guided through these dark and ominous corridors by a frenzied bark, this Kurt Ballou-produced 12-track affair encapsulates all the elements of a nightmare into a fierce and furious soundtrack that crosses over into all things abrasive and sinister.
www.southernlord.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

In Mourning,"Monolith" (Pulverised)
Swedish metal juggernaut In Mourning present a progressive minded modern metal smorgasbord on their eight-track release MONOLITH. Smashing the wares of Katatonia, Opeth, and Swallow the Sun together to form a colossal metallic entity with a wealth of textures and shades, this quintet distributes a masterfully composed strand of majestically mammoth melodies (“The Smoke”). Showcasing an uncanny capability to dually engage and enrage, this troupe’s fearless musicianship allows the band to make smooth transitions from scalding death metal to ethereal atmospheres without tripping over itself or disrupting the overall flow (“The Final Solution”). Cramming everything possible into an album’s framework can be risky, yet In Mourning decisively pulls off this feat and creates a cohesive collection of tunes bursting with tasty intricacies and clever arrangement nuances in the process.
www.pulverised.net
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Forbidden,"Omega Wave" (Nuclear Blast)
Veterans of the golden era of Bay Area thrash metal Forbidden forge a welcomed comeback after a lengthy hiatus by throwing their hat into the revival ring on the 12-track affair OMEGA WAVE. Championing their hometown sound with a focus on melody thanks to the band’s trademarked combination of flashy fretwork and histrionic vocals (“Adapt or Die”, “Forsaken at the Gates”), this quintet does a solid job of producing meat and potatoes headbanging material like a cross between Exodus, Testament, and Death Angel (“Overthrow”, “Swine”) with touches of progressive and power metal traipsing through the twin guitar tradeoffs (“Immortal Wounds”). Providing a clean yet menacing attack, Foribidden is yet another old school band to arise from the where are they now file and come back to the scene with a renewed vigor.
www.nuclearblastusa.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Comeback Kid,"Symptoms And Cures" (Victory)
Canadian hardcore punk gang Comeback Kid continues their consistency streak of putting out quality material with their latest 40-minute blast SYMPTOMS AND CURES. This grizzled quintet’s 11-track endeavor pulls no punches and veers towards the aggressive end of the spectrum, unapologetically raging from the opening strands of “Do Yourself a Favor” until the final notes of the crushing “Pull Back the Reins” disseminate into dust. Chock full of gang choral vocals, rousing hooks, and heavy melodic guitars propelling the songs into warp speed, Comeback Kid displays the penchant to write fast and heavy songs that stick in your head (“GM Vincent and I”, “Get Alone”). Creating a velocity-induced thrill ride full of razor sharp riffs, scorched throat screams (“Because Of All The Things You Say”) and tumultuous punk hardcore tendencies, Comeback Kid are one of the rare acts that have bounced back from a frontman switch (guitarist Andrew Neufeld replaced Scott Wade in 2007) and made their most seething album to date, cementing themselves as a cornerstone group of the punk hardcore genre with this intense offering.
www.victoryrecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Atlantean Kodex,"The Golden Bough" (Cruz Del Sur)
After a few years living off of an EP and some rare recordings, German metal troupe Atlantean Kodex finally has released a debut full-length with THE GOLDEN BOUGH. This quintet has crafted a necessary epic metal affair considering the heady subject matter the outfit tackles. Brimming over with cinematic overtones and bombastic instrumentation a la Manowar while lyrically delving into Scotland’s Sir James George Frazer’s theory regarding the origins of religion, this band provides a bevy of traditional headbanging fare ripe with melodic singing, acoustic interludes, and cascading choruses with discernible doom metal overtones taking the reigns throughout. Clocking in at over an hour over the span of nine tracks, this weighty endeavor renders a collection of sweepingly grandiose tunes guaranteed to be a worthy listen for those who enjoy power metal with all the accoutrements and the classic heavy metal of yore.
www.cruzdelsurmusic.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Dakrya,"Crime Scene" (Sensory)
The Greek septet Dakrya employs three vocalists (two female and one male) and implement a carnival-like atmosphere in their Gothic metal mix via eccentric instrumentation as heard on the unit’s nine-track album CRIME SCENE. This odd troupe’s ham-fisted amalgamation of musicals and metal is an exaggerated tour de force that begs to be acted out on stage for maximum impact to be felt, yet a vivid imagination and a predilection for the avant garde works just as well. Adventurous yet at times a bit too much to digest courtesy of the cabaret melodic vocals and storyline-driven lyrical flow, Dakrya’s delivery and direction is a definite acquired taste for those who crave a dramatic flair in their heavy music.
www.lasersedgegroup.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Necrite,"Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" (Flenser)
Necrite is a San Francisco based trio that sounds as if they came from a frozen Nordic town based on their horrifyingly devastating black metal tome SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI. Adorned with blood-curdling vocal shrieks and a pitch black guitar and drum presence dispensing a cavernous cacophony of distorted doom-laden depravity, Necrite have created a macabre environment via their erratic sense flow and overall feeling of dread they approach their music with. Even though this five-track affair runs nearly 70 minutes in length, Necrite keeps suspense levels raised with a raw and unrelenting assault bearing unholy atmospheres, jagged textures, and demonic drone rhythms to potentially permanently damage the psyche.
www.theflenser.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Circledown,"Mobius" (Self-released)
Circledown is an Atlantic City-based outfit whose proclivity for making modern melodic metal places an emphasis on hooky vocal lines on their four-track EP MOBIUS. Meshing the rage of Mudvayne with the catchiness of Chevelle (“Half-Step”), this unit’s metallic heartbeat is accompanied by an electronic pulse adding radio friendly consistency to the entire affair (“Crash”). While Circledown uses all of the tools of the trade wisely, they also write solid songs that never sound blatantly ripped-off despite obvious influences of nu metal and rapcore roaming about. Packing more aggression into their music than your average modern metal band while towing the commercial rock line allows this EP to get a leg up on the like-minded pack and ultimately make this unit one to watch for fans of Sevendust, Static-X and the like.
www.circledown.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

The Wretched End,"Ominous" (Candlelight)
Fronted by Samoth, best known for his work with Emperor and Zyklon, OMINOUS is the latest chapter in this artist’s metallic quest. The 12-tracks that comprise the album take curious avenues to hammer their point into your skull, juxtaposing tough guy metalcore breakdowns with technically sound arctic black metal blasts (“Of Men and Wolves”) as well as riding a Pantera meets Sepultura groove metal train from time to time (“Fleshbomb”). This album’s unexpected variations indicate a sense of trying too hard to be current and seem insincere, furthermore lumping this talented unit as an ordinary and indistinguishable entity despite the obvious pedigree and majestic black metal excellence peppered within (“The Armageddonist”).
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Nails,"Unsilent Death" (Southern Lord)
Nails are a blistering Southern California grindcore crew that explodes with caustically applied crust-laden D-beat destruction on their 10-track scorcher UNSILENT DEATH. Dirty and raw guitars channel Entombed while pummeling rhythmic punishment emanates from the bass and drums a la Nasum and Napalm Death (“I Will Not Follow”) to create a blunt and savage 15-minute excursion straight to the wrong side of the tracks (“Scapegoat”, “Conform”). Blasting with the severity of a tsunami while keeping their music as uncompromising as humanly possible, Nails have studied the playbook and abandoned all care to make their debut a velocity-driven statement of sheer brutality.
www.southernlord.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Emergency Gate,"The Nemesis Construct" (Twilight Zone)
German squad Emergency Gate apparently boned up on their melodic death metal on their fourth release as indicated on the sextet’s latest 13-track offering THE NEMESIS CONSTRUCT. Ripping the keyboard overlay and churning metal rhythm trick directly from the overwrought In Flames/ Scar Symmetry/ Raunchy playbook (“As My Bride Cries Blood”) while doing very little else dissimilar from their peers to stand out, this disc renders some durable tunes that will get the neck moving a la Killswitch Engage or Bullet for My Valentine (“The Green Mile”) yet ultimately suffers from the stick to the by the book method, hindering this act to rise above anything beyond being just another unidentifiable heavy band with slick production, modern technique and played out Swedish metal nuances.
www.twilightzonerecords.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Sacred 13,"Jagged Regrets" (Self-released)
Erie, PA trio Sacred 13 unleash a slab of ferocious hard rock brimming with attitude on their 13-track offering JAGGED REGRETS. Double barrel guitar riffs lead this squad’s Godsmack meets Randy Rhoads-era feel of “Inferno” while a bottle of whiskey and some Hellyeah seem to be the most influential forces behind “Tomorrow”. Despite a spotty production and slightly contrived songwriting, the pounding rhythms, gravel-throated vocals and Zakk Wylde-esque contagious riffs (“Don’t Be Afraid”, “I Don’t Care”) are a bit derivative but hit the nail on the head, exhibiting this unit’s uncanny knack to crank like nobody’s business when trying not to be commercial radio darlings a la Shinedown or Nickelback (“Lifeless”).
www.myspace.com/sacred13band
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

The Crown,"Doomsday King" (Century Media)
Awakened from their slumber, Sweden’s The Crown returns in ferocious form on their comeback release DOOMSDAY KING. This savage smorgasbord of relentless aggression (“Through the Eyes of Oblivion”) showcases this mighty band in arguably the best fighting shape of their career, pumping out a flurry of powerful tunes with the vigor and venom as if they never disbanded in 2004 (“Blood O.D.”). Led by the gravel throated growl of new vocalist/ ex-God Macabre singer Jonas Stålhammar, the pummeling rhythms and bruising riffs this lauded unit are known for can be found in abundance across the span of this 10-track offering (“Angel of Death 1839”, “Soul Slasher”), as The Crown makes no mistake when putting the message out that they have returned to reclaim their position amongst the top of the heap. Spreading their bounty of thrash metal speed and death metal destruction with an unbridled proclamation of brutality, The Crown have made an album chock full of the devices that truly demonstrate why they are still regarded as part of melodic death metal’s upper echelon of artists.
www.centurymedia.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Hero Destroyed,"Throes" (Relapse)
Hero Destroyed is a hybrid heavy unit from Pittsburgh, PA whose abrasive 11-track potpourri pummels eardrums from start to finish. Equally capable of blasting out a grind beat (“Army of Draccoons”) or scraping the bottom of the heavy riff barrel to come up with spastic shards of six-string nastiness (“You Might As Well Go With Plan B”), this quintet callously exhibit a dastardly sense of dexterity with unabashed hardcore heft and rounds of razor sharp metalcore (“Justifying the Hypothetical”) anchoring their punishing presentation (“The Last Upper”). Despite yielding a clinical feel that flattens out the overall experience, Hero Destroyed unleashes a collection of songs fueled with undeniable raw power and dissonant aggression and should appease those into cross-pollinated modern metal.
www.relapse.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Filter,"The Trouble With Angels" (Rocket Science)
Richard Patrick has rekindled his edgy heaviness on Filter’s latest 10-track endeavor THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS. Returning to building dark musical atmospheres, throbbing electronic beats and crunchy guitars dominate the album’s overall sound. Filter produces a bevy of heavily programmed fireballs completed with the soaring melodic choruses Patrick is known to painstakingly croon at the forefront of the industrialized snarl (“No Love”, “Clouds”). The softer side of the man does seep through all the vitriol however, as indicated on the airy “Fades Like a Photograph” and the ready for a commercial anthem “ No Re-Entry”, yet a constant sense aggression underlies the duration of this affair, giving fans of the band’s heyday something to clamor about.
www.myrocketscience.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

The Blame,"The Blame" (Self-released)
Staten Island, NY punk rock crew The Blame make no bones about their confrontational attitude (“Fight”) or tell it like it is viewpoint regarding the state of the world (“Unknown Soldier”) on their 11-track eponymous offering. This no frills quartet’s sneering punk delivery and melodic hardcore punk predilections render a batch of catchy street punk influenced tunes blending a raucous sense of rebellion with a blue collar social commentary (“The Summer Song”), making this band’s subject matter smack you as hard in the face as their riffs (“Who Wants the World”). Chock full of piss and vinegar as well as a unmistakable Big Apple mindset of shooting first and asking questions as you pull the trigger (“One Life”), The Blame showcase that punk rock didn’t die in Gotham City once CBGB’s shut its doors down for good.
www.myspace.com/yourtheblame
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Creation's End,"A New Beginning" (Sensory)
Creation’s End showcase a sound that follows the blueprint drawn up by Dream Theater with some slight variations in texture on their eight-track affair A NEW BEGINNING. Members of this seasoned NYC quintet have logged in time with the likes of James LaBrie and Circle to Circle and their style reflects their past experiences, serving up a dark and brooding strand of power metal with both Euro and American flair (“Forsaken”) complete with soaring guitars and histrionic keyboards spearheading the charge. At times as heavy as Nevermore yet retaining a distinctly cascading and crisp vocal style that emits a Blind Guardian-esque vibe (“Hollow”), this troupe implements a fluidly shifting progressive metal approach with classic metal guitar work galore (“Still Life”), making this affair something for fans of both power and prog metal to sink their teeth into.
www.lasersedgegroup.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

Gypsyhawk,"Patience And Perseverance" (Creator Destructor)
Dropping a 12-track full length record after just releasing their eponymous introduction a few months back, California quartet Gypsyhawk’s sound stays the course, offering up a blues-soaked vintage rock ride full of tasty guitars and good time boogie (“The Rabble and the Ruled”) on PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. In fairness, a few of the tracks can be found on both releases, not making this a completely new endeavor. Nonetheless, this unit still pays as much homage to Thin Lizzy allowed by law without having to cut Scott Gorham and company a check, yet this outfit cleverly inject a few hazy hits of stoner rock goodness to balance the whole endeavor out from being a full-on tribute (“The Bokors Procession”). Throwing down oodles of hip-shaking shuffles and twin guitars aplenty with touches of Fireball Ministry by way of Five Horse Johnson moments, Gyspyhawk’s trip through 70’s hard rock yields an enjoyably powerful excursion into past glories of the days of rock ‘n roll yore.
www.creator-destructor.com
Rating:

Review by Mike SOS

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