Mazzie's Music Magorium

Arch/Matheos "Sympathetic Resonance"

2012-01-21T21:01:00.000-08:00

Two members of Fates Warning, John Arch and Jim Matheos, formed a new project called Arch/Matheos (duh) and released their debut album, "Sympathetic Resonance" after eight long years of waiting since the excellent EP "Twist of Fate". This album is like Fates Warning 30 years later except it's updated obviously.

John Arch definitely is the mastermind behind Fates Warning's success and downfall(they sucked after he left) and now he's doing it again with this project. I'm not entirely sure if it's going to be a permanent thing or just a project. I guess we will find out soon enough. Anyway, he practically picked up where he left off when he disappeared after Fates Warning time and it's like he never left the music scene. It's crazy how great he sounds and his talents haven't faded away.

It's full of insane guitar solos and the vocals is absolutely killer. One thing for sure, don't expect another Fates Warning album! It is very prog and and even heavier. I even detect Nevermore style riffing in some songs. There's a lot of variety with the tempo and vocal ranges. I haven't become bored as I listen through the album and every song is at least enjoyable though most are great. At the same everything flow together and each song complements each other. There is one thing that really disappoint me is the bass. The bass is mostly just in the background and there is nothing special about it really. As you regular readers know I am bass fanatic and I want to hear more bass!

Definitely a great comeback album for John Arch! Recommended for progheads and anyone who dig interesting metal album.

Score: 8/10

Vallenfyre "A Fragile King"

2012-01-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

I picked up a copy from a local metal shop today and listened to it as soon as I got home. I've been looking forward to get a copy for a while and finally got the opportunity to buy it. Vallenfyre is founded by Gregor Mackintosh of Paradise Lost along with members of PL, My Dying Bride, and some other band. Mackintosh decided to form a old school style death metal band and Vallenfyre is the new superband full of famous musicians. Same idea as Shrinebuilder and etc.

This album is excellent old school death metal sound with big doom influences ala Entombed and Celtic Frost. However there is nothing new with the sound but don't let that stop you from getting this album. It's definitely great solid album. The guitar riffs are heavy and dirty sounding. The vocals is very gritty and really brought the sound together. The production is excellent and very gritty sounding without being too muddy and losing the clarity of being able to hear all the instruments.

The artwork is excellent and I'm even considering buying a vinyl version of this album just for the artwork and listening to this on the good ol' wax!

Definitely recommended for all death metal fan!

Score: 8.5/10

Virgin Black "Requiem- Mezzo Forte"

2012-01-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

If you've been following my blog since the beginning then you should remember my review of their album "Sombre Romantic" and gave it a 8.5. This album was released after "Sombre Romantic" and is a first part of the Requiem trilogy. So far only the first two albums are released and the final part is unknown. I really wonder if they will release the final part...

Back to the point, this album is an absolutely gorgeous gothic doom album with tons of classical influences. The vocals are top notch and the instrument works is near perfect. They got a symphony orchestra from their home country to play the classical parts of the album. That's pretty awesome and really expand the atmosphere of the album. The lyrics is beautifully written and full of emotion but at the same time not so cheesy. I don't normally over hype albums but I'm blown away from this one and it's definitely one of the best album I've ever heard. Not just for metal genre but for music in general. Recommended for any music fan really.

Score: 9.5/10

Sinai Beach "When Breath Escapes"

2012-01-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

I'm going to review the reissue of Sinai Beach's debut album by Victory Records. I do own the original print but it's so terrible in production it's not even worth listening or recommendation. So forget about the original print and let's focus on the reissue. Sinai Beach was your typical metalcore during the height of the core music in early 2000s and they were signed to Facedown then Victory Records. Unless you are metalcore superfan and want to own every single metalcore album in existence then don't bother with this one.

The production definitely improves over the original issue but still can't save this album. The album is full of boring and predictable breakdowns and the vocals is awful. There's some sound clips from random movies inserted in couple tracks and that just doesn't work here. It works very well for Zao but Zao is good at everything they does. I think Sinai Beach was trying to be like them but they threw in the clips just to be "different". You can't be different for the sake of being different. If it has purpose then do it, but if it doesn't then don't bother. That's an important lesson all new and upcoming bands need to learn. Unfortunately they didn't so it ruined the album in my opinion.

Score: 3/10 (gotta give them Candice song which was actually decent)

Norma Jean "The Anti Mother"

2012-01-03T12:08:00.001-08:00

Third album by Norma Jean and quite possibly one of their best work. I'm very impressed and surprised because I thought they are done for after that Redeemer debacle. This album is definitely different and has some typical chaotic metalcore, post hardcore, and even post rock songs. There's a lot of guest musicians like Chris Moreno, Page Hamilton, Cove Reber, etc. That's pretty cool and something different coming from Norma Jean.

It's definitely not same as their earlier works ala Bless The... and O'God... albums but it's a huge improvement than Redeemer like I said earlier. The first few songs are your typical Norma Jean chaos and full of heaviness and breakdowns. The later songs are more softer and full of "post" influences. All of the guest musicians did great and adds something nice to the songs they worked on. The production is great as usual which is what I always expect from them. However, the album isn't perfect... far from it in fact. There's couple of filler tracks that I felt were put in there just to make it a full length album. I know I said it's one of their best albums but that doesn't mean it's the best album ever. Basically it's a solid metalcore album for all those who enjoy that scene.

Score: 7/10

Circulus "The Lick on the Tip of an Envelope Yet to Be Sent"

2012-01-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

Circulus is a psychedelic folk rock band from Ohio and they have 3 full length albums under their belt. I'm reviewing their debut album which was released in 2005. I don't really remember how I stumbled upon this album but I remember it was about two to three years ago. This album definitely isn't something I would normally listen to so it's bit "out there" for this blog but I don't really care and you are more than free to skip this one and read other reviews. However, if you are more open minded like I am and willing to give this one a chance, then you won't be disappointed.

The album cover art is one of the best I've ever seen in awhile and even the album title is pretty awesome. This is your typical folksy rock with a psychedelic influences. It is not cheesy, far from it, but it is a very fun album to listen to. One thing that is interesting is the fact there isn't much of singing on this album. Some songs are instrumental and others just have a little of singing, mostly male vocals. The production is very impressive for this style and I really appreciate that. I absolutely love the songs "My Body is Made of Sunlight" and "Candlelight", such fantastic songs that are just beautiful to listen to.

I strongly recommend this album to those who enjoy folk and folk influenced rock music. Hell, I recommend this to anyone who's willing to be open minded. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. I think this album is perfect for listening while you are surrounded by nature like forest or mountains or just away from people and technology in general(except for your CD player or iPod).

Score: 8/10

A Thousand Times Repent "Virtue Has Few Friends"

2012-01-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

I actually forgot I have this album in my collection. What a blast from past... A Thousand Times Repent is a metalcore band from Atlanta, GA and they only have been together for a short time. As far as I know they only have one album released, which is "Virtue Has Few Friends". It's an alright album and really only for people who dig metalcore music. It has some good moments and many forgettable moments as well.

There is no great song on the album but there are few good ones like "Curses! Another Shape-Shifting Wraith!" and "Complete Relinquish. Utter Abandon". The rest are pretty much boring or just plainly sucks. One thing that really bother me a lot is the way the album is very disjointed. There's some heavy, almost deathcorey, songs and some clean acoustic songs. Don't get me wrong, I dig albums with variety but for some reason it just doesn't work here. The songs are too different and doesn't really have anything to do with each other. It feels like they just created different songs and throw them together without considering how the songs can flow together.

If you are a metalcore aficionado, then go ahead and check this album out. If not then just move on... nothing to hear here. You can always download just the two songs I mentioned earlier and that's all you need from this band really.

Score: 4/10

Elks "Destined For The Sun"

2011-12-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

I got this album as an early Christmas gift and I never really heard of them except for an introductory interview in a random metal zine. Cannot remember which at the moment but I'm very glad I got a copy. They just signed to Tee Pee Records and released this as their debut. The band is from NYC and they are very difficult to label. I don't know about you but I love bands like that because I've pretty much listened to every genre and it's getting more difficult to find something new. While, they aren't exactly "new", they do bring some unique mix of sludge, punk, and rock.

I'm really impressed with the sound production of this album. Usually underground bands aren't able to get quality mastering and the sound suffers due to this. However, the sound is very crisp and well balanced. None of the instruments take over the rest. It's all very tight and blend together well. The drums is very relentless and fast. Best part is the bass is actually listenable! The guitar riffs are excellent and the harmonies is crazy. Very inventive solos as well. The vocals is nothing special but it doesn't take away anything from the album either. Overall the sound is sorta technical, yet sludge. Very odd but you gotta listen to the album to know what I mean by that.

Recommended for anyone who dig sludge or at least "out there" rock music.

Score: 7.5/10

bandcamp: http://elksny.bandcamp.com/

The Black Dahlia Murder "Ritual"

2011-09-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

The new album released by The Black Dahlia Murder. Normally, I'm not a fan of the band ever since they formed and I never gave them chance until now. A lot of people told me that this release is their best work and that I will definitely like it. I decided to listen and bought a copy and give them a chance. Boy, I'm very glad I did because it truly kicked ass!

Now, don't expect anything innovative or new to come out of this release. It's really just a solid death metal album. One thing that I really liked about this album is that it's very varied. There's some tech death, some melodeath, and even some nice atmospheric sound being created by usage of strings, piano, and acoustics. One thing that I am very impressed is how much the musicianship has improved since their debut album, Unhallowed, and they proved that they are serious musicians that just so happen to be metalheads who love to party. There's good amount of solos that are very creative and doesn't completely take over the album. It's all there to guide the tracks along like a support beam.

I also loved the fact that this album is only around 45 minutes long and that's right amount for this release. I don't really hear any filler tracks and feel like each track has its own purpose in the whole concept. That's tough thing to do for a band to pull it off and they did. All the fans of TBDM will love this album and those who doubt should really give them second chance and give this release an unbiased listen.

Score: 8.5/10

Thyne Scabbard "Redemption"

2011-09-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

A California metalcore band, Thyne Scabbard, was founded in early 2000's and released only one full length as far as I know. This debut album laid in my cd collection and has been collecting dust til few days ago and I went through my collection and I decided to give it a listen. Honestly, I cannot remember if I gave it a listen when I obtained it years ago.

Musicially, the band is straight up metalcore with some death metal influences. A lot of people said it has some black metal tones in it but I don't really hear it anywhere with exception for the vocals which is high and raspy but I don't really consider that solely black metal... just a vocal style, nothing more. The drums is very loud and clear throughout the album. The biggest disappointment for me is the bass. For some reason it sounds pretty fuzzy and it's more of a background and supporting the guitars. I would like to hear the bass player to be more assertive and do some of his own solos. Guitars is very solid and crisp. The production is not really consistent but that's to be expected with this being an independent release. Doesn't really bother that much.. just a note for those audiophiles.

So far, my favorite tracks are The King of Abandon, Lies, Lust, and Redemption, and To Those Who Cursed Me. Those songs are fast, heavy, and very catchy. I definitely can see the band's potential to develop their sound with those songs. However, the album also has some awful songs such as Reaching Out With Broken Fingers, which is boring and sound like it is a combination of two other songs on the album. I don't like to hear an album where the songs are bit samey and I detect that with this album. I still have to say it's a pretty solid debut album and I expect the band to progress further with next album if they do plan on it.

Score: 7/10

I'm back...for now.

2011-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hey readers,

It's been awhile since I've checked in here. I honestly thought the blog is done for good but I got an itch to start reviewing again. However, I'll be reviewing mostly stuff that I already own in my music collection so there will be a lot of older albums. I'll review whatever new album I purchase from now and on as well, but I don't buy as much as I used to due to finance reason of course.

Bands, if you want me to review your music, I will, but only if you send physical copy of your music. I'm really tired of digital music and a physical copy will certainly make it worth an effort for me. Sorry, I'm still old school! Just send me an e-mail: xfilesmanix -at- yahoo -dot- com.

Expect to see some new reviews coming soon. I'm currently sorting through my music collection!

Immundus "Poemia"

2010-02-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

Immundus, a dark ambient artist from Portugal/Norway, released a single album called Poemia. The main inspiration behind this album is the infamous Edgar A. Poe and his literary. The single album consist of three songs:

1. The Sleeper
2. Alone
3. Spirits of the Dead

The album is available for download at the website at the end of this review. This is some really dark ambient music and I really dig it a lot. Very creepy and desolate. It's best to be listened while you're alone and in a dark room to really let the atmosphere impact you the way it's meant to be. The guy is definitely very talented and he released many albums before this single album. One thing that would've been cool is if he made this into a concept album. At first I was pretty hesitant when I heard it's inspired by Poe's writings since that's been done many times in past but I do like this perspective on the writings and focus more on the atmosphere that Poe pulled really well in his writings. If you pay attention to his writings, it's all about what's happening around the character. Same concept applies to this album which is what I really enjoyed. This guy really get what Poe's works was all about. Recommended for anyone who dig horror related music or ambient genre.

Best Song:Spirits of the Dead-my favorite and I can not stop listening to this song. Absolutely dark and beautiful.

Worst Song: Alone- still great song but I tend to listen to Spirits of the Dead much more often.

Score:8/10

www.immundus.net (For free download, just go to the releases section and you will see Poemia with a link for download)

Video below is for another album but should give you a good idea of the sound

Desolate Anguish "Trainwreck Session Demo 2009"

2010-02-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Desolate Anguish is a band from Tennessee. I cannot really describe their exact genre because they combine many different sounds to form their own unique music. There's some doom, noise, and punk. I really dig it a lot because punk just so happen to be my favorite genre and it's nice to hear some chaotic sounds incorporated in the music. This demo consists only three songs and the longest track clocks at over 12 minutes and shortest track is a little over 3 minutes long. That's some nice variety of lengths which I dig because sometimes I wanted to hear a short track and sometimes I like to sit down and truly listen to the longer tracks. The punk influence truly shines in the riffs and you can really hear the gritty and dirty style being shown in the guitar riffs which is my favorite part. The vocals is very screeching and normally that would annoy me but it really fits the music very well so I don't really mind as much as I normally would. They displayed their doom/sludge side in the construction of the songs. You can hear how things slow down as they enter the breakdowns and how heavy this sounds really are. They definitely have something special here and I am really excited to see what they will do and I was told by the band that they are entering studio very soon so they should have something new sometimes this year. I definitely recommend this for any people who dig the sludge style and punk as well. If you dig both as I do then you will really love this one.

Best Song: Traitor-Love this track- full of punky riffs and perfect mix of punk and sludge being shredded in the blender.

Worst Song: All That A Man Has He Will Give To Save His Own Life- great track but does get bit repetitive for my taste and this is where the vocals annoy me sometimes as well.

Score: 8/10- great demo and really make me looking forward to whatever they plan to spit out this year.

http://www.myspace.com/4desolateanguish

Uni-SEF "Can These Bones Live?"

2010-01-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

UniSEF hail from Boise, Idaho and they are proud to be one of the only Christian punk band from that area as well. Unfortunately they just split up last year so that means no plans for new album. You can still order their albums from their online store at: http://www.unisefmusic.ecrater.com/

This is some great straight up punk rock album and they definitely remind me a lot of old school punk rock like The Altar Boys...especially their early stuff. The vocals is fun and I absolutely love their lyrics. It's fun to sing along! You can hear various of influences from street punk like Rancid to a little bit ska. They are very passionate about what they sing about so you can feel that they are very genuine at what they do and believe in. They also included their songs from Death and Revolution split with Thee Impostors in this album so that's nice if you don't have the split.

Best Song: Drive Thru Amerika -very catchy and the lyrics is my favorite out of all songs.

Worst Song: Paulie-still pretty decent though.

Score:8/10

http://www.myspace.com/unisef

Burden "The Fool"

2010-01-16T20:29:00.000-08:00

Burden is a German sludge rock band and they released a 3 song EP called "The Fool". The sound is very southern and remind me a lot of Corrosion of Conformity at least vocally. That's not necessarily a bad thing but don't expect to hear anything new. What I really dig about this stuff is it's very catchy and I can detect some blues influences which I really love when bands do that. I will give them points for that.

I have to admit I hate it when the band put out an EP that is only 3 songs long. Just call it a demo for Pete's sake. The sound is also a little bit too fuzzy for my taste and it kinda make the songs a bit less catchy than it could be with more polished mastering. The bass kinda got lost in the noise which I really don't like. I'm a bass frenzy and I want to be able to hear bass just as clearly as rest of the instruments. However the EP definitely show some promise. It's for anyone who dig some sludge-y rock that's catchy as well.

Score: 6.5/10

Best Song: "Bottled Betrayal"-very catchy and I really can see the band's potential in this song.

Worst Song: "The Fool"- the album title track that could be much better with good mastering. The sound is too fuzzy and I didn't enjoy it as much as rest of the other songs.

http://www.myspace.com/listentoburden

Excerpts From Untombed Magazine

2010-01-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

I am officially a writer on the Untombed staff so I've been doing interviews and reviews. I've gotten permission to type in my reviews here from the magazine. However, I strongly encouraged you guys to purchase the magazine from www.divinemetaldistro.com because it's awesome! :)

Sit At My Right Hand-As The Sun Sets

An EP by Sit At My Right Hand and one of two CDs released this year. The guy is definitely one busy dude. The music is straight up death metal and it's very brutal. Some said they have experimental sound but I disagree because there's nothing new that's being done. I'm glad the production is much better with this EP than the debut album. I dig the passionate lyrics and I can see that this guy is very genuine about his beliefs and his goal for this band. However, the music composition is decent at best. The guitar riffs are good without any doubt. The drums...not so much. I really think they need to get someone who can play drums or at least know what he/she is doing with drum programming. If they invest more in that then the next album will be much better. What would be even better is for them to be picked up by a record label to get some good mastering done. I would recommend this for any fan of death metal and if you are not then don't bother. 4/7

Darkness Before Dawn-Kings To You

Darkness Before Dawn is a death metal band with considerable metalcore influences. This is their debut album released by Bombworks Records. It is too bad it was kind of "lost in the shuffle" among many releases over the summer. This is actualy a decent death metal album with nice symphonic elements with the keyboards. They do pull some breakdowns in a couple of songs and I think it's done pretty well. The best song definitely is "Undeserved hatred" which is full of great double bass drummings, spooky keys, and some great guitar riffs. The keys is bit more of a background and supporting the composition as the whole. Some people may not like that bu tI think it's a perfect mix. The main complaint I have about this album is the vocals. I think it gets boring and I've been focusing a lot on the guitar riffs and drumming to keep myself interested. The other thing is the album cover art is way too dark and should be much brighter so I can see the details. 5/7

Surtr Demo

2010-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Surtr is a doom band from France and consist of two members. Pretty new band, founded last year, and released a demo. They sent me a copy and asked for a review. The demo includes three songs, two original and one cover song. The music is pretty much straight up doom which is not bad thing. I can definitely tell they are influenced by Sabbath and Reverend Bizarre(one of my favorite).

The first two songs are simply titled part I and V which makes me suspect they already have a full length in works but I could be wrong. The first song is about 9 minutes long and I really love the beginning which is full of heavy riffs. However I have to admit I get a little bored after a while and I was wondering when the song will end. The second song is much more interesting and pretty catchy. Last song is a cover song on Black Sabbath "Electric Funeral" and I think it's done pretty decently. However, I think it's getting old because I've heard tons, tons of bands doing cover on Black Sabbath songs. I would prefer a cover song on some underrated bands like Reverend Bizarre. In fact, I don't think I ever heard of any band doing a cover on Reverend Bizarre songs. If any of you guys know of one then please tell me!

Overall, this is pretty good demo and I definitely will keep an eye on this band and see what they will do with their music in future. This is good stuff for anyone who dig some catchy doom music.

Best Song: Part V

Worst Song: Part I (gets boring after a bit while)

Score: 7/10

http://www.myspace.com/surtrdoom

Yidhra "Promo EP"

2010-01-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Yidhra is an upcoming doom metal band and I've heard one of their song off the DMA(Doom Metal Alliance) Sampler. I really loved the song so I went ahead and bought a copy of their EP. I have to say it's such a bargain because it was only 5 bucks!

The music is pretty much straight up doom metal and there isn't anything that haven't been done. However they played it so well that I can't help but really dig the music. It's very catchy and I absolutely love the song structure. Just listen to "Witch Queen" and you will know what I mean.

One thing I really have to commend is the production of the EP. When I heard how clear and crisp the sound is, I pretty much said "YES!". I love me underground music and totally understand the reasons behind crappy or so-so production, either on purpose or not. However, I would like to hear some good quality music every now and then. They really put their money into this release and the quality is excellent. I can hear every instruments really well and none of them are either too loud or too quiet. Huge props to the guy behind the mastering.

Best Song: "Witch Queen"

Worst Song: "Ancient Ones" (don't get me wrong...still a good song!)

Score: 8/10

www.myspace.com/yidhra

Doom Metal Alliance Sampler Vol. 9

2010-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Doom Metal Alliance is one of the biggest supporter of the Doom scene. If you are into Doom and still haven't heard of this then you better get your butt out of the rock and check it out. They release a sampler every now and then and this is their 9th one. I have to say this is my favorite sampler so far because of a high amount of excellent bands that deserve more recognition. The sampler consist of not just Doom but Drone, some Post Rock, Ambient, Sludge, and more. All the samplers are free for download so I'm telling you it won't hurt to check it out. I know nobody would say no to free music.

Best song: Yidhra - The Lament Of Longinus (killer song and I'm really into this band now thanks to the sampler)

Worst song: Destino Entierro - The Alcholichrist (pretty decent but I prefer the other songs than this one)

Score: 8.5/10

Download here

Baroness "Blue Record"

2009-12-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Second full length by Baroness, a progressive Sludge Metal band who are famous for the masterpiece, "Red Album" and they definitely doesn't disappointed me with this album. To be honest, I'm absolutely thrilled they decide not to make the exact same album as "Red Album" because then that would be bit...stale. They change their style a bit in this album and become more fun and catchy.

This album is much more progressive and focus more on the song structure. There's some repetition throughout the album and that is a good thing. I liked the fact I'm able to hear some amazing riffs over again and again yet at same time it's not occurring so often because there is some variety as well. The vocals is not the best and when I first heard the vocals I was taken aback at first because I'm not used to that. However, I gotten used and start to really appreciate the style. It actually really fit the music really well. It's definitely not for everyone but if you either enjoy the style or can get past it then you will absolutely adore this stuff. One thing that I really dig a lot is that blues feeling hidden in there somewhere... It's there but not quite there at same time so if you kept listening to the album over and over again then you will detect it like I did.

Best Song: "A Horse Called Golgotha" such a killer song and my favorite Baroness song. Killer chorus and just amazing vocals, guitar riffs, drumming...heck it's nearly perfect song. I don't want to say it's perfect because perfection doesn't exit but this is pretty darn close!

Worst Song: none...I can't pick which is the worst because this is such a killer album and I can't bring myself to pick a song and call it "worst song" out of the tracklist.

Score:10/10- Yes I gave it a ten...it's definitely album of the year for me and quite possibly of the decade. It's up there on my top ten favorite album of all time....but I need to give it some time to see if it will pass the test of time which I am pretty sure it will.

www.myspace.com/yourbaroness

Desyre "Warning of the Night"

2009-12-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

Desyre is a Glam/Hair Metal band from Finland and they already have few demos under their belt. This album is their first full length album, which is released few months ago. The cover art is pretty cheesy and very 80's, but that is to expected. However I think it could have been designed better.

The music is classic Glam Metal sounds and it's actually bit dated to me because there is nothing new being done here. They played the sound really well though and sadly that style is not my thing. I bet fans of 80s Glam Metal and Hair Metal would dig this album a lot but if you are not then don't bother with this. I do have to admit the vocalist is really good and he's very talented. Too bad he's not in something like Power Metal or just straight up Heavy Metal band because I would totally dig that much more and buy the albums.

Best Song: "Can't Let Go" you can really see the vocalist' talent in this song and I actually liked it.

Worst Song: "Yule Night Brightness"-boring and like I said...not my favorite style so I don't like most of the songs off this album.

Score: 5/10-Gave them points for the vocals and being good at what they are doing. If I am a fan of the style then the score would be higher but I'm not.

www.desyre777.com

Somber Gravity "The Burial" and "The Funeral"

2009-11-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

Somber Gravity is one of many projects by Napalm Dave, and a very dark ambient/darkscape with horror/sci fi theme. The project has been around for years and he finally decided put it to rest with this two albums finale. I was actually sad to hear that because this is really an excellent project and it's free to download...can't beat that!

I'll start with The Burial album. I really dig the prevalent theme mostly about horror and sci fi influenced lyrics on death and end of life. It's pretty fitting considering this is the last Somber Gravity material ever to be released. I really dig the ambiance on the track "This Bitter End We Meet Without" which happens to be my favorite track on this album. The best part of the entire album has to be the samples Dave used because they aren't that obvious with first listen but if you listen carefully then you will be able to noticed where those samples came from. I won't tell you what it is because that is the fun part of listening to the album!

Now, The Funeral album. Pretty much similar as the first album and a good conclusion for the project in general. I think this one is "softer" and more somber with the lyrics and the music composition. Love the song "Prelude To The End of My Life" and my main complaint with this album is that its much shorter than the Burial. At first I was suspicious of the two albums concept because most of the time when a band does that it would be too long and the music would be bit too spread out. However this isn't true for this project and I'm really glad Dave decided to do double album concept to end it. It's definitely a grand finale.

Score: 9/10

Best Song: "This Bitter End We Meet Without"-best song hands down on this albums and quite possibly out of all Somber Gravity tracks.

Worst Song:" Dead"-still a decent track but could use some more variety because it sounds bit "same-y" with other tracks in general.

http://napalmdrones.niceboard.net/forum.htm (a forum where you can find this release and learn more about Dave's other projects)

Hguols "Epitome"

2009-11-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

This is a debut album by one man project called Hguols and will be released by EEE Recordings in December. I'm fortunate to receive the promo copy from the guy behind this project.

I've heard of the project awhile ago and when I found out its 100% MIDI used, I was actually suspicious because normally when someone use MIDI to make music, it sounds terrible and cheap. I was blown away and surprised when I gave the song on his myspace a listen. Now, I finally have the album and gave it listen yesterday and all day today. It's definitely a GREAT album for a debut effort.

The music is definitely very raw black metal with a lot of ambiance for atmosphere. Obviously there is no real instruments since this is 100% MIDI but the composition is pretty much top notch. I absolutely love the guitar patterns and the distortion being used in many of the songs.
I think the drumming is the weakest point of the album because honestly...nothing beat the real drumming. Generally I'm not a fan of programmed drumming so that's why it's a minus for me. However, it doesn't ruin the album so it's still enjoyable.

Best Song: "...Of Blackened Skies"-love the ambiance in this song and guitar absolutely slays!

Worst Song:"...Of Threnodies Abided"-overal a decent song but bit boring to be honest. I already started to skip this song.

Score:7/10

www.myspace.com/hguols

Impending Doom "The Serpent's Servant"

2009-10-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

If you don't know who Impending Doom is then you must've been living under a rock. Impending Doom is one of the most popular Christian metal band in the scene. This is their second album and I have to say I am a little disappointed. Gone is the pig squeals and the raw feeling that Nail. Dead. Risen. had. Granted, the production is a lot better but the passion is not really as strong as the debut album is.

This album is pretty much a standard deathcore album and that is not necessarily a bad thing but I was hoping that Impending Doom could set themselves apart from the rest of the deathcore scene like they did with the debut album. I guess they actually wanted to be the same and that disappointed me. If you are a fan of deathcore then go for this album. If not then stay away!

Best Song: "More Than Conquerors" and "Revival:America" =shows their skills and passionate vocals plus the second song mentioned is what I was expecting from them.

Worst Song: "City of Refuges"-I skip this track a lot...just boring.

Score: 6/10- decent deathcore but still a disappointment

www.myspace.com/impendingdoom

Malignant Monster "Foul Play"

2009-10-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

An Aussie thrash/death metal band, Malignant Monster, released this seven tracks EP, "Foul Play" in 2005. I got a copy from an Aussie friend and I've been really digging this album for a long time. I'm really glad to see this EP with SEVEN tracks. I always hate it when an EP have fewer than 4 tracks. I mean come on...give me a break!

When I heard the first track, "Old Corpus Delecti", for first time...the first thing to pop in my head is...FINALLY! some good modern thrash metal. The drums are very thrashy and fast. Good blastbeats and you can definitely pick up death influences. The guitar works are pure thrash while the vocals bring some variety with black metal style growls. They did a pretty good cover on Megadeath's song "Liar" as the last track on the EP. I've been noticing more and more quality metal coming out of Aussieland. Total props for the country!

Best song: "My Rage"-full of brutal force and solid instrument works. Lyrics is very catchy too.

Worst song: "Turrets of Blood"- the least thrashy song out of the album. Doesn't really do much for me. They better not expand on this song on next album. Stick with the first couple of songs.

Score: 7.5/10

www.myspace.com/malignantmonster

I Destroyed Leviathan "EP"

2009-10-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

I Destroyed Leviathan is an one man project and the EP is free to download. You can check it out at the myspace link at the bottom of this review. Someone requested to have this EP reviewed. I personally am not really familiar with the genre "nintendocore" and am not sure if it is really necessary. I decided to just give it a listen anyway.

At first I wasn't sure what to think of this music. It's pretty much electronic noise with samples from the nintendo games music. The song titles are pretty funny though. It actually make me chuckle the first time I heard the entire EP but I noticed I got tired of it pretty fast by the time I was done. I would say it's worth a free download but if there ever is any album for sale in this style then I definitely won't buy it.

If you want something to listen and have few laughs then go for it. If not, then walk on.

Best Song: Run Forest Run-I actually think this song is pretty catchy. I probably will keep just this song and get rid of the rest.

Worst Song:The Real Intro-uh? what?

There is no video clip in this review....because there isn't any in existence that I know of so far.

Sorry!

Score:4/10-overall pretty boring stuff except for a song here and there. Might be worth a download if you want to hear to something that's just wacky. The art is pretty cool though so scored some points for that.

http://www.myspace.com/idestroyedleviathan

Makeshift3 "Fluorescent Black"

2009-09-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm gonna do a punk album review this time. Been a little while!

Makeshift3 has been around ever since mid 90's and I'm very surprised only few people are aware of them. I own all of their album but I decided to do a review on their most recent one, "Fluorescent Black", which was released several years ago in 2002 or 2003...something like that. This album is very decent and if someone want me to describe what Makeshift3 is like then I would definitely say a mix of MxPx and Emery. They play some songs in simple punk style but they also introduce a little of "hardcore" and screamo into the mix.

When I first saw couple pictures of the band members, I actually assumed they are just another lame "pop-punk" band that ruined the punk scene. I decided to give them a couple of listens on myspace clips and I was totally wrong. I bought their albums to give 'em a couple of serious listens. Boy, I'm glad I did that. Totally cliche but true....don't judge a book by its cover!

The album is very eclectic and jump around different shades of punk. There is some melodic punk rock songs and there are some songs that have strong hardcore style vocals. The vocals is the best part of the album. That dude can really scream! The guitar work is pretty much straightforward for punk band.

This album is good for a punk fans who appreciate different aspect of the punk genre such as punk rock, hardcore, classic punk, et cetera.

Best Song: Irish Sky-I just love this song and maybe I'm biased cuz I'm Irish.

Worst Song:Nine Year Love Song-actually almost a pop-punk song which I don't like in general but I do have to admit it's not bad for that style.

Here's some video clip with their music for you to listen.

Score: 6.5/10-not the best punk band ever but pretty decent.

www.myspace.com/makeshift3

The Human Abstract "Nocturne"

2009-09-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Human Abstract is one fantastic progressive metalcore band. They released one of my absolutely favorite debut album, "Nocturne" in 2006. A friend of mine introduced to a music video by them and that's what got me hooked on this album.

The production is pretty good considering its a debut album and the band put a lot of emphasis on clear production for vocals and the guitar works. The only complaint I have here is that I don't really hear the bass that well and the drums was more of a "background" noise on this album. I can tell the drumming was excellent but they put a bit too much focus on the guitar so drums got a little bit lost in the picture.

I really love the way the guitarists kept playing different riffs but at same time its all cohesive. There is no "samey" songs in the album and I can definitely tell the difference between each songs. That is very refreshing and something different in the metalcore scene at that time. A.J. is definitely talented guitarist and unfortunately he is not with the band anymore. That got to be the biggest blow for the band.

If you are bored of the typical metalcore and want something refreshing and different then I definitely recommend this album. Its really excellent and I still listen to it regularly after two years so far.

Best Song: "Vela, Together We Await The Storm" and "Crossing the Rubicon"- two of their most complicated and successful songs. Love almost everything about those two songs.

Worst Song: "Desiderata"-the least interesting song on the tracklist. Still a decent song though.

Here's a music video for you guys to check out. Its seriously good!

Score: 8.5/10 (lost some points for mostly inaudible bass and drums being background noise)

www.myspace.com/thehumanabstract

Mystified "Pulse Ringer Pieces"

2009-09-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Imagine yourself falling into a reality of pure blue water existence...that is what I felt when I listened to this vinyl on my record player. This is some excellent ambient music and I personally never heard of this band before I got a copy from the record label- Droehnhaus(in Germany).

The first side(A) has 3 very dark and doomy songs. None of the songs are fast at all...just very slow and ominous mood setting. I find it very fascinating to hear that while watching the record spinning around and around. The record itself is blue so it really fit the mood I think the band is trying to portray in the music. On the third song, there is something that is bit different. The beats I hear is pretty muffled. At first I thought it was some kind of mistake made during production but I realized that it fits the song really well. It almost give a suffocating feeling which makes sense.

The another side(B) is much more uplifting but not entirely happy, happy, joy, joy feeling. It's almost like I'm being pulled slowly out of the watery existence...like I was in the deep then floating slowly up to the surface. It's definitely interesting feeling and I really dig it a lot. The sound is much more soothing and calm than the first side.

I strongly recommend this album for people who are into ambient/noise and want to have a true musical and visual experience. This album is only released on vinyl so you better have a record player to play it.

Best Song: Phantom Ringer-the first song and the darkest. I just love the vibe I get while listening to the album. It's almost like I was "born" into the dark and watery existence.

Worst Song: Floaty Ghost-second song and a little too "samey" to the first song in my opinion but still a great song overall.

Score:8/10

www.myspace.com/mystified

De Profvndis Clamati "In Between Passionate Minnuendos"

2009-09-20T17:40:00.001-07:00

A 2 song EP by a Braizilian Doom Metal band, De Profvndis Clamati. They sent the songs to me through myspace and I decided to give it a couple of listens. I have to admit this is nothing what I've expected from a South American band. I don't mean to be stereotypical but I usually expect more of lo-fi and brutal sound because that's what I've heard from majority of the South American bands. This one is definitely a big exception and I really liked it.

There is a lot of different influences in those two songs. Very slow...almost funeral doom style but there is significant amount of folk influences which is interesting because I don't think I've ever heard any of that in other South American bands so far. I really enjoyed the guitar work on this EP. The drums is pretty good but nothing special.

I'm bit disappointed that there's only two songs and I think it should be considered a demo instead of a EP. I was left wanting more and bit disappointed that I only have those two songs. That can be a good thing because I'm definitely interested in picking up whatever they are going to release.

I'm not going to do best/worst song because...well there's only two songs! I have to say I really liked the song "Love May Sink By Slow Decay" better out of the two songs.

6/10 (lower rating because its only two songs..argh! Also the drumming was alright..need to be improved)

http://www.myspace.com/deprofvndisclamati

Cosyns Self Titled EP

2009-09-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Cosyns is one of several projects by the man, Derek Corzine. Some of you might know him from Aletheian, Bloodlined Severed, and Whispers From Heaven. He's very talented musician and I guess he decided to start an instrumental metal project. Yes, you heard me. Instrumental. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not fan of instrumental music in general because it's hard to keep it interesting without the vocals. However, this is really good stuff! Technically there are lyrics but we, listeners, will have to figure out from the rhythms in the songs. Derek decided to use Morse Code concept with his music and pretty much "sing" the lyrics in Morse Code. I have to admit this is very interesting concept but he's not the first one to do it. Meshuggah has constructed many songs this way and so have few other bands. However, I think it's first time someone done an album in Morse Core in its entirety.

The one thing I really don't like is the programmed drummer. He does it well but I know he knows a lot of drummers so I think he should brought someone in to do the drums for him. That's just my opinion. The guitar work absolutely slays! I'm not surprised because that is his specialty and I expect it to be top notched work.

Best Song: Christ Wept- the first song on the EP. It only have one sentence in lyrics which is Christ wept. At first I was hesitant because I thought it might be bit repetitive but its really not. It's very well thought out and I absolutely love the guitar works on this song. Drumming was pretty good even though it was programmed.

Worst Song: Outward- still a very decent song but this is where the drumming is starting to annoy me. Other than that its still a great song.

Score: 7.5/10 (would've been much higher if he used a real drums)

www.myspace.com/cosyns

Last Rites Demo

2009-09-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

I downloaded this demo off blabberdownload.com (legal download site-free!) and I'm glad I did. This is a really good thrash metal stuff! Last Rites was formed last year and to this day they still don't have a record label deal. That pretty much surprised me because this is some good stuff. The only issue I have is the production as it is bit shoddy. I'm not really surprised because this is demo so can't really expect an excellent mastering.

Virtual Flesh- first song on the demo. It's pretty much a decent song. I could say there's almost nothing special about this song. However the riffs are great and the drumming is excellent on this song. I'll have to say its a little too fuzzy but that's mostly due to the production issue.

Degradation of Humanity- this is a good introduction to what Last Rites is all about. Good thrash metal with passionate lyrics. I would prefer this song to be the first one on the demo but track arrangements is not that big deal to me. I can always just choose to listen to this song first.

Anima Christi-last song on the demo and my favorite. I really love the riffs in there and the vocals is awesome! Definitely show the potential Last Rites has and I believe they will put out excellent albums. This is what thrash metal is all about!

Score: 6.5/10-mostly due to production...I just hate the fuzzy sounds.

you can download this demo for free at www.blabberdownload.com

Or check them out at www.myspace.com/lastritesmetal

Main Line Riders "Worldshaker"

2009-09-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Alright, I know this is not something I normally would review but I actually enjoyed this album and I think some people would. This is a hard rock album and the main guy behind this band used to be in Huntingtons, a punk band. I am not sure but i think this album is a debut album for Main Line Riders but I could be wrong. (EDIT: its actually their second release)

The production is actually really good. I'm impressed and I really like the guitar riffs. They are soo groovey and very catchy. That is definitely the key in hard rock music. It's heavy but at same time very catchy. Their music and vibes definitely remind me of AC/DC with their fun songs. The only main differences are that they aren't Aussies and to be honest, they can't beat the Young brothers!

One thing that I don't like is the songs are too close together. There's almost no breaks in between so it feels like a constant roller coaster and personally I prefer the breaks so I know when a song ends and the new song begin. Other than that, it's pretty much a solid release for me and a great start for the band.

Best Song: Chrome and Steel- love this song...very catchy and I kept replaying this song the most.

Worst Song: "Coming Home"-a ballad and slower song...not really my thing.

Score: 7/10

www.myspace.com/mainlineriders

A Hill To Die Upon "Infinite Titanic Immortal"

2009-08-31T12:13:00.001-07:00

A Hill to Die Upon released their debut album, "Infinite Titanic Immortal," on Bombworks Label few months ago. I have to say this is an amazing debut album and I am still blown away by the fact that almost all of the members are only 20 years old or younger. The music sound like it's all been done by bunch of veterans, but at the same time it has that excitement of young musicians motivated to put out great music.

A lot of people call them a black metal band but I am not entirely sure about that. I look at them more as an extreme metal band because they don't play purely black metal. It's heavily mixed with death metal, some thrash, and even core influences. That might put off the "tr00" metal elitist when they read that part about core influences but I'm serious when I said its really good music that all metalheads will enjoy, even the core kids and the elitists!

The best part of the music has to be the vocals and the guitar riffs. Even drumming was great on this album. The thing that bothers me a little bit is the bass. It's not as strong as rest of the instruments being used. The lyrics are awesome and the artwork is definitely amazing! One look at the cover art and you know for sure it's going to be a killer cd!

Best Song: "Twin Heads of Vengeance" and "This King Never Smiles" are my two favorites songs off this album. The second song is actually from their demo which they rerecorded in much better quality.

Worst Song: "Rime"-still good song but at same time I kept skipping this song to listen to other better songs that interest me more.

Score: 8.5/10

Definitely a solid album that everyone should definitely pick up!

http://www.myspace.com/ahilltodieuponband

D.R.I. "Thrash Zone"

2009-08-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

D.R.I. is an very interesting band. They are considered one of the godfathers of the crossover scene. They originally were a hardcore punk band that put out couple of albums in 80s. They gradually absorb thrash influences as they progress. This album probably is my favorite album by them. It has the perfect blend of hardcore punk and thrash metal.

I absolutely love their guitar riffs and drumming. Very thrashy and full of energy that is so well known in the hardcore punk music. Every time I listen to one of their songs, I feel like I just want to go out and mosh around! I also really dig the lyrics because they all deal with something that is important to them such as society issues, media censorship, and some personal conflicts they've experienced.

Best Song: Thrashard-the perfect blend!

Worst Song: Beneath The Wheel-good song but bit too long which makes it bit boring. If they cut it shorter then it would be much better.

Score: 8/10

www.myspace.com/dri2

Dormant "Consolamentum"

2009-08-25T12:43:00.001-07:00

Hailing from Netherlands, Dormant is an one man black metal project by Nain-User. He released this album on now defunct Son of Man records in 2006, limited to only 100 copies.

This is some great black metal! When I listened to it at work, I actually felt like I'm alone in my cubicle and it's all cold... almost like I'm imaging myself in one giant frozen barren lands. This is one of few black metal albums where a real drums is actually being used which is great. It's actually refreshing to hear that because I honestly am getting sick of programming drums. It simply is not the same.

I really love the variety of vocals being used in this album. There's screaming, clean singing, whispers, and I can really see that the guy behind this project really have a talent for vocals. I also dig the fact that some songs are in English and some are in Dutch. I always have a thing for bands singing in their native language. It just makes it more beautiful and emotional for me because I have to rely on the music to feel the emotions more deeply than I would've if I listened to English songs.

There is an album in the works for years. Let's hope it will be released soon because this is some quality black metal. Too bad this album is long out of print so good luck obtaining a copy folks!

Best Song: The Grevious Children- this is where the drumming part absolutely shines!

Worst Song: Dromant Souls-could use some more creativity in vocals and riffs. However it still is a good song.

Score: 8/10

http://www.myspace.com/dormantmetal

Ultimatum "Lex Metalis"

2009-08-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Normally, I am not crazy for covers album because, well you have to admit most covers album that got released within last several years pretty much sucked. However, this album, Lex Metalix, by Ultimatum, is absolutely excellent! They recorded 13 songs, covering variety of influences from different eras. Mostly are from 80s which doesn't really surprise me since many bands from that era are big influences on Ultimatum's sound.

One thing I really appreciate about this album is the band doesn't play those songs exactly the same note by note. They actually added their own ideas yet still retain the classic sound those songs are so famous for. They selected excellent songs that are not covered that often like "Steeler" by Judas Priest, and "Gut Wrench" by Mortification. Its actually nice to have a mixture of secular songs and Christian songs. It shows that a Christian doesn't have to listen to Christian only music. Heck, I'm not fan of using "Christian" to label those bands. Those bands are metal bands and they just happens to be Christian... /end ranting.

Best Song: "Sin After Sin" by Twisted Sister and "Steeler" by Judas Priest. Both are excellent songs and I've been a huge fans of both bands so it was great to see Ultimatum covered songs by both of them.

Worst Song: "Denim and Leather" by Saxon. Personally, I never really got into this band so I don't really have nostalgic feelings when I heard this song. However, Ultimatum still made it a great song.

Score: 8/10

www.myspace.com/ultimatummetal

Seventh Angel "Lament For The Weary"

2009-08-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hail the Seventh Angel! This is their second full length album and my favorite. This is such an excellent thrash album with big doom influences. I honestly never heard of that mixture until I listened to this album. It is so obvious due to some members being involved in several doom bands.

Each song is so freaking heavy and the guitar riffs is still so dirty but much chunkier than the debut album. The production is so much better in this album. I really appreciate that the bass is much more listenable because I'm bass freak and I think bass is under appreciated in a lot of metal albums. The drums is even better due to production and the drummer improving his skills. Overall, all instruments are much improved and the debut album is tough to beat but they surely did so.

The lyrics is amazing and very emotional inspired. It's very dark and they spoke of topics that not so many bands are willing to sing about. Especially the song "No Longer A Child" about a child experiencing abuse and rape.

Every ounce of this album is amazing and I will have to say this album is near perfection. In fact I went ahead and gave this album the perfect 10/10 which is a first!

Best Song: "Lament For The Weary"-title track and the most balanced in this album.

Worst Song: “Life In All Of Its Emptiness”-still excellent song but just inferior to rest of the songs in this album.

Score:PERFECT 10/10

www.myspace.com/originalseventhangel

Dagon "Terraphobic"

2009-08-10T20:17:00.001-07:00

A sophomore album by Dagon and released by Bombworks Records. This is an excellent extreme metal album. I cannot really pinpoint what exactly kind of metal this album is because it has mixture of death, thrash, and a dash of black metal. It's actually refreshing to see a band that are trying something different and try to fuse all those excellent subgenres into something great. There's tons of thrash riffs and some nice groovy riffs mixed in. The vocals are mostly guttural with some high pitched being used in some songs.

The whole theme of this album should be pretty much obvious. Dagon's all about the ocean and the myths behind the oceans such as Poseidon and that kind of stuff. I really dig the concept and there isn't that many bands that are obsessed on the oceanic themes like Dagon.

Best Song: a tie between Terraphobic and Full Speed Ahead-excellent songs! Perfect mixture of thrash and death riffs with excellent vocals. I love the solos in those songs.

Worst Song:The Last- worst song on the album but it doesn't mean its bad though. I really dig this song too but it's a little bit boring compared to the rest of the songs on the album. Could use some more creative solos and variety of vocals in my opinion.

Score: 8.5/10

www.myspace.com/dagonmetal

Erasmus "Memento Mori I:Outrocuidance"

2009-08-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

A debut full length album by Erasmus, the one-man band, was just released on Sullen records. I finally got this CD last week and been listening to it a lot this week. I have to say this album is a lot more ambient than the EP. I'm really glad its much longer than the EP(duh!) and gotta love the song titles...very creative. It's not that lo-fi or raw like typical south american BM bands(hehe) but it's definitely not the most polished sounding, which is a good thing. The album art pretty much say it all...have the desolate/loneliness mood to the music.

The only thing that bother me about this album is the drumming. I don't know what it is about the drumming...it's just not memorable and it kind of ruined the awesome guitar riffs. Maybe with better mixing it would be much more productive.

I'll have to say good job with the debut album and I would love it if there is some more variety in the vocals and I really HOPE the drumming parts will be improved.

Best Song: To Weigh The Distance Burning Closer-really love the guitar riffs and the atmosphere in this song...drumming is not so bad either. If the next album has more songs in the veins of this one then it would def be a big improvement.

Worst Song: The Somnambulant's Lament-interesting song title..no idea what Somnambulant means...but this song is alright. Nothing memorable and the drumming pretty much ruined it for me.

Score: 7/10

Great album for black metal fans to obtain. Its limited to only 250 copies so you better grab one soon before it's sold out.

www.myspace.com/erasmustn

The Last Hope "Manifesto"

2009-07-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

"Manifesto" is The Last Hope's sophomore album released recently. This is definitely a big improvement over their debut album. I really love the dirty sound and the energy they put into those songs. The theme of this album seems to be about oppression and the rising to rebel against the corrupt. The them is bit unoriginal and been done millions time in the punk scene which disappoint me a little bit. However, the music aspect definitely doesn't disappoint! They defiinitely play catchy riffs and good, strong vocals. This type of music is good hardcore punk that unfortunately is declining nowadays. This album is definitely for people who loves punk and want to listen to a band that is honest and really believes in what they preach in their music.

Best Song: We Will Rise-very catchy and makes me want to rise my fist!

Worst Song: Convert Or Kill-boring theme and way too generic for my taste. Nothing special or memorable at all about this song.

Score:7/10

www.myspace.com/thelasthope

Dead Risen "Demo 09"

2009-07-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Dead Risen is a one man "DIY" project and he sent me this demo few weeks ago and I finally got some time to give it several serious listens. This is definitely a mix of death metal and grindcore. The production is very raw but it really fits the music so I didn't mind. The only thing I would like is for the sound to be a little less fuzzy so I can hear the distortion and riffs more clearly. The riffs and drumming are very catchy which is always a plus for me. The vocals is hard to get used to at first but its death/grind so what do you expect? Definitely not clean vocals, that's for sure! There's only few songs....total of 7 songs which is not bad for a demo. I would like to see a full length from them and the production should be focused on making it less fuzzy and improve on the mixing with vocals and the bass. Other than that, its a good start for the band and I am looking forward to see what he have in store for future.

Best Song: I AM- very catchy riffs! I hope they will make more songs with good riffs like this one.

Worst Song: Into Your Heart- this song is pretty much "eh" for me...nothing special at all and doesn't really interest me for some reason.

Score: 6/10

www.myspace.com/deadrisen

A Death Cinematic "A Parable on the Aporia of Vengeance and the Beauty of Unpenetrable Sadness"

2009-07-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

I was recommended by a friend to check this band out. Got the album from the man behind this band and I gave it several listens in past week. All I can say is...wow what an intense listening experience I ever had in awhile. It's not exactly straight up doom metal...it's more of simplistic drone with tons of ambient and a dash of black metal influences. To be honest, I never heard anything like this and I'm really fascinated by this album. Its actually two CDs album packaged in beautiful wood-like CD holder being stored in a nice package. It has amazing photography all over and lyrics insert. The tracklist is 11 songs at almost 90 minutes which is very long for an album(a bonus!). I kind of feel like I will be a bipolar when listening to this album because I'm listening to melodies but at the same time some weird feedback or disortion kicked in. I actually tlaked with the man behind this project and he said that it was made almost completely on the spot and its not meant to be easily reproduced which is remarkable if you think about it.

This album is not for easy listening or listening for fun...this is meant to be taken seriously and sit in dark in the basement with candles on and listen intensely.

Best Song: "The Sun Glints Through The Dust With Risen From Their Hooves" has some weird metalliac riffs that is just awesome.

Worst Song: "Knives At My Brain In The Discordance Of Sleep" still a great song but bit too much for me. I guess I will need to give it more time and absorb the music over time..maybe my opinion will change.

Score: 9/10

www.myspace.com/adeathcinematic

Gorilla Warfare "Battlefields"

2009-07-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

A debut album by Gorilla Warfare, a hardcore punk band that consists of three brothers and a best friend, released by Wounded Records in 2008. This is very spirit filled hardcore and heavily East Coast style which is not surprised considering they are from Nashville, TN. I really dig this album because of the huge chemistry between the members...obviously because they are almost all brothers. The sound is very heavy and they shout mostly about war, militant, and being proud of who you are. Nothing special or amazing about lyrics nor the music itself but I do have to admit its very catchy. Their lyrics kind of remind me of Hatebreed for some reason except its not so negative....just that feeling you get from listening to hardcore....being proud and strong!

Best Song: Band of Brothers- this is pretty much the epitome of what Gorilla Warfare is all about.

Worst Song: Another Day- kinda boring hardcore song...has the passion but bit too generic for my taste.

Overall, this is decent hardcore album and if you are a fan of hardcore then you should pick this up from them. I give this album 6.5/10.

www.myspace.com/gwhardcore

Vociferor "Fall of Man"

2009-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

An EP by Vociferor, a project by two members of Vanguard, called "Fall of Man" and released by Sullen Records last week. When I received the copy, I went straight to my bedroom and put it in my CD player. After several full throughout listens, I think this album is a decent black metal and a good start for Vociferor. The production is alright but that's typical in the black metal scene and I really dig the riffs. I like the fourth song a lot because it is very different than rest of the songs and honestly it is the most interesting one out of the five songs. Basically, there is nothing special about this album...its like they played the black metal pretty well but I don't really feel any strong emotions or anything like that.

I'm also disappointed that there is no lyrics insert in the booklet because I really like to read the lyrics so I know what the album is all about. I know the title should say it all but I want to know what the band really feel about the fall of mankind. Is it about fall of man as in Adam and Eve era? Or is it about the end times?

Best Song:Unworthy- this is the song I talked about earlier...unique and I really dig the atmosphere.

Worst Song: Preludium-nothing special at all...just typical stuff.

I think this is a decent album and if you are looking for something special or that has the "WOW" factor then you will be disappointed. However if you just want to listen to some good ol' typical black metal then get this.

I really hope they will improve on creating some more emotions in the music and hopefully add lyrics in net album.

5.5/10

http://www.myspace.com/vociferorblackmetal

Vengeance Rising "Human Sacrifice"

2009-06-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

Vengeance Rising is the infamous Christian 80's thrash band that released a couple of albums before breaking up in early 90's. This album is their debut album released in 1989.

The album is absolutely a classic and a must have! This album is very brutal and most possibly heaviest album I ever heard by a Christian band. I am still amazed the band never got picked up by any of the major metal label like Nuclear Blast or Metal Blade.

The first moment when you push the CD in the player...BAM! The brutality started! No chance to relax and get used to the sound and it will never let you go away. The first track is same title as the album and it is full of excellent riffs and simple structures. Tons of solos throughout the album

I can tell there's some death influences and the production is surprisingly pretty good for their time. I am actually impressed and really appreciate the efforts. Of course there's no such thing as a perfect album but this one is pretty close. The only thing I don't like about this album is that it is freaking short! Only 39 minutes?! C'mon, give me some more Vengeance Rising music!
Good thing they produced another excellent album after this one or I'll go nuts.

Best Song: Beheaded...the last song of the album with that insane vocals by Roger...just total brutality.

Worst Song: Receive Him...obviously filler song and the vocals is kind of annoying actually.

Score: 9.5/10

If you find a copy...buy it immediately. I'm serious.

Note: I am not going to post the myspace link for VR because the modern VR is totally different than the VR from 80's. I don't consider them the same band at all.

Flaskavsae "Celestial"

2009-06-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! What an excellent album by Flaskavsae! Flaskavsae is an ambient black metal band founded in 2005. Flaskavsae has been experimenting with the black metal and ambient sounds to create something unique and more original than many other black metal bands. This album is actually supposed to be Flaskavsae's debut album but was held and another albums got released first. Finally, it got released in Summer, 2007 to the lucky 50 people who were aware of it.

Now, it is OOP and rare to find. I am very fortunate to acquire this album several months ago and I absolutely love it. Really dark atmosphere and excellent and fast drumming. I really dig the vocals a lot because it sounds absolutely beastly...definitely not human like!

The production is very lo-fi which really adds up to the atmosphere. The album really makes me feel like I'm in some kind of dark cave and I am going insane. The guy who's behind this band obviously knows what he's doing with the production which is great and rare in black metal scene. If you ever come up a copy then grab it before it disappears in thin air(....or bought by someone else who is faster than you).

Best Song: Tie between Celestial and Raised By Fire. Both are very brutal tracks and just perfectly composed of fast and complex drumming, heavily distorted guitar riffs, and beastly vocals to drive you crazy!

Worst Song:Without War. Still excellent track...just could use some more variety of drumming.

Score: 9.5/10

www.myspace.com/flaskavsae

The Divine Harmony 3-Way Split

2009-06-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

The 3 Way Split is between No Heaven, Dios Incandescente, and (((0))) that got released by FunerART records label. The music is mostly drone and funeral doom style. I have to say I really dig Dios Incandenscente the most out of all three bands. I really love the heaviness of the three songs by them. I really recommend this band and I am definitely going to check out more of their music.

No Heaven is pretty decent but one major thing that really bother me is some production of their songs is terrible. I had to crank up the volume to be able to hear anything which I really don't like. I would rather all songs' volume to be at least similar level.

The (((0))) song is very interesting drone song....quite quiet also but listenable. It actually makes me want to listen more which can be good and bad thing....I do wish there's one more song by them to maybe even out the amount by the other bands.

Overall, this is a decent album and I'm very glad to find out about this because I heard Dios Incandescente for first time and I really dig them a lot. They are definitely the best out of three.

I would definitely recommend this album just to listen to Dios Incandescente's material.

Best Song:Darwin IV
Worst Song:Hymn Of The Selen

Score:6/10

Primitive Graven Image "Traversing The Awesome Night"

2009-06-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hailing from UK, Primitive Graven Imaged released this debut album on Open Grave Records back in 2006 and it is pretty great for a debut album. It's very obvious that they are heavily influenced by Darkthrone but it's definitely not a rip-off. I really dig the thrash influences on this album. Thrash metal happens to be one of my favorite metal subgenre so I really dig the sounds. I like the way they used a little of keyboards and focus more on the guitar riffs. I've noticed that many black metal bands focused mostly on keys which is getting boring for me. It's actually refreshing to listen to their album.

I definitely recommend the album to anyone who dig black metal and want to hear something different than typical black metal that went overboard with keys.

Best Song:Fear and Fire
Worst Song: Design

Score:7.5/10

www.myspace.com/primitivegravenimage

Centinex "Bloodhunt/Reborn Through Flames"

2009-06-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

One of many swedish death metal bands to come out during early 90's. Centinex actually produced decent death metal music. This album is actually two in one. Bloodhunt is an EP while Reborn Through Flames is full length. It's actually nice to have both in one since Reborn Through Flames is my favorite album by Centinex and the EP is one of their last good material in my opinion. The songs on the album is really schizophrenic because there are mix of excellent death metal with swedish influences, some are slower and more melodic, while others are just standard death metal songs. They did a cover on Kreator's song which is alright. Not the best cover song ever but they did it well enough not to disrespect Kreator's legacy.

If you want to listen to some good 90s style swedish death metal then go ahead and get this album. However if you are looking for something that is excellent and amazing then you definitely will be disappointed. This album is more for fans of death metal and if you are not then don't bother getting this album.

Unfortunately this band split in 2006 so there won't be any more albums after their last one, World Declension, and personally, I think it's about time anyway because they haven't been producing anything better than their older materials.

Best Song:Molested
Worst Song: Luciferian Moon

Score: 6/10

www.myspace.com/centinex

Trouble "The Skull"

2009-06-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

"The Skull" is Trouble's second full length album released in 1985. It may be an old album but it's such a killer classic. I absolutely dig this good ol' DOOOOOOOOOM metal. Very dark and heavy! It also has some thrash influences among the traditional doom riffs. A lot of very long tracks which is normal for doom metal. The production is bit rough but totally fit the mood perfectly. I definitely recommend this album for doom lovers and metalheads. It's such a classic that should not be ignored.

Score: 8.5/10
Best Song: The Wish
Worst Song:Gideon

http://www.newtrouble.com

Horde "Hellig Usvart"

2009-06-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

Fans of this band always cheer "HOOOOOOORRDDEE!"

If you are a christian metal fan and you don't know about this band then you must have been living under the rock your entire life. Horde is one of the most famous christian black metal band(one man band actually) and released the album, "Hellig Usvart", back in mid 90's. This is the most important release for the "unblack" scene due to it being released on Nuclear Blast.

Okay, enough about history...if you want to know more then research!

Generally, the music is pretty good but a little bit generic in my opinion. The vocals is alright but hey come on, its black metal so the vocals gotta sound brutal. What I really dig about this album is the drums...its excellent which is obvious due to who the man behind the band is....(if you don't know who then get out of the rock!). I always think the song titles are so cheesy that it's awesome!

Best song: Invert the Inverted Cross
Worst song: An Abandoned Grave Bathes Softly in the Falling Moonlight

This album is absolutely an essential for black metal collection. However, the quality is not top notched like Antestor's material. It is more valuable due to the history behind the album.

Score: 7/10

www.myspace.com/hellingusvart

Venia "Victory By Surrender"

2009-06-15T01:33:00.000-07:00

This is the female fronted melodic metal band, Venia from Finland...not to be confused with the other Venia from US...the hardcore band which is not even that good.

Anyway, the album was released few months ago on Open Grave Records and it is pretty good. The music is something like a bit of thrash, power, melodic, progressive, and dual vocals(male and female) all thrown in blender. That is not a bad thing...in fact I dig the sound a lot. It's definitely a big improvement over their EP on production and songwriting. I really like the way they have some songs in English and others in Finnish. I guess I have a thing for music in foreign languages.

Best Song:Victory by Surrender
Worst Song:Liberty

I am already looking forward to see what they have in store for next album.

Score: 7/10

www.veniaband.com

www.myspace.com/veniaband

You can buy the album at www.divinemetaldistro.com

Virgin Black "Sombre Romantic"

2009-06-14T19:43:00.001-07:00

Virgin Black is Australian doom/gothic metal band. Definitely one of my favorite in the doom genre. Their music is so beautiful and amazing composed. Sombre Romantic is one of Virgin Black's first album, after Trance EP, and has 11 songs(including outro). It's definitely my favorite album by VB due to the emotions being felt by listening throughout the album. They used a lot of classical instruments such as piano, violin, and cellos. Beautiful lyrics and beautiful compostition. I definitely recommend the album to anyone who dig doom/gothic sound...even anyone who enjoy classical music.

Best song: A Poet's Tears of Porcelain
Worst song:Weep for Me

I am telling you...there's absolutely no "bad" song...even the worst song on the album is still awesome.

I'm giving the album 8.5/10.

www.virginblack.com

www.myspace.com/virginblackofficial

Within The Torn Apart "Drone In Blood Out"

2009-06-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Within The Torn Apart is a drone band by Napalm Dave. This album is basically a compilation of his earlier tracks made in 2007-2009. Currently, he has a debut album that will be released on Sullen Records sometimes this year.

Drone is a genre that is not for everyone, and it is purely underground with an exception for Sunn 0))) which is the most well known drone band.

I received the album from Dave and I gave it couple of listens over past several days. I can tell already he's a veteran in the scene and have huge talent. Some of the tracks has bad production but still enjoyable.

I really dig the Sunn 0))) tribute tracks and the one that has Fire (Eligbbor, Frost Like Ashes, Firethrone) contributed his vocals. The tracks all are blistering beasts that just ripped everything apart!

Best track:Darkness Into Light
Worst track:Up Above

Score: 6/10 due to production

I am definitely looking forward to the debut album that is coming out sometimes this year.

You better keep an eye out! Like Dave said, Drone on!

www.myspace.com/cbfdib

Download the album for free!

(link with permission by the band)

Krig Target: Human, Mission: Destroy

2009-04-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Krig, a Brazilian death metal band, just released their album, Target: Human, Mission:Destroy, and it's an excellent release! Totally brutal and unforgiving! I was blown away because I've heard some of their older songs and thought they were alright so I wasn't expecting much from them. Boy, I was VERY wrong and the album is full of brutal death metal with excellent vocals. I love the songs Fast Food and Beautiful Mutilation. Excellent lyrics and excellent music! I really love the guitarworks...just plainly great. I think the only thing they need to tweak with is bass. Could've create better bass riffs and have the drums accompany it better.

Overally I give this album 8 out of 10

http://www.myspace.com/krigdeathmetal

Divulgence Demo 2009

2009-04-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Divulgence is a new band out of South Carolina and play death metal. They just got signed by Bombworks Records and are working on a full length that hopefully will be released later this year. They sent me their 3 songs demo and I gave it a couple of listens. So far I really dig it although production isn't that great but that is to be expected with demos. I really enjoyed Awaken the Dawn song in particular. I can really feel the passion in the music and lyrics. They seems to be very passionate musicians and they are mixing in some black metal influecnes which I always love. Another big plus is they don't have much of the 'core in their sound and they mentioned that their big influences seems to be Antestor, Crimson Moonlight, Carcass, and Warbringer which are excellent bands. I can see some sounds drawn from those influences but they did not try to be a rip off which is good thing! The major problem for me is that the sound is little too fuzzy and its hard for me to hear the drums and bass guitar. That definitely could use some improvement. I definitely am going to keep an eye on them and see what they have to offer in their new album. I give their demo 6/10.

www.myspace.com/divulgencesc

FBS "Fight Before Surrender"

2009-03-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Finally! A quality punk band actually existed! I'm really excited to review this album by FBS because they definitely is one of my favorite current punk bands. In the world full of fake punk that's actually mostly just pop crap pretending to be punk, it is very difficult to find good punk bands that feel "real". Their sophomore album, "Fight Before Surrender", is excellent punk sound with tons of influences from classic 70s punk like The Clash, and 80's punk like The Exploited with their own current punk sound thrown in the mix. The lyrics is straightforward and true to their Christian beliefs. The only negative aspect of the album probably is that it's little tad "rip off" of those classic punk sounds but I can see their own creative spin on it so I am hoping that on their next album(they are recording right now) will have more of their own sound than reaping off their influences too much. I give this album 8.5 out of 10.

O, Majestic Winter "Defiling The Serpent's Temple"

2009-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

This probably is one of the most interesting album I ever heard in a while. That doesn't mean its the best album ever...not that close to it. However, this band definitely have HUGE potential. I can see in their lyrics and music that they have tons of passion for music and experimenting with styles of music to see where they can push the boundary of black metal. They mix in grind and hardcore in black metal to create some good sound. The biggest problem with the album is production. It definitely need some good production and mixing so it doesn't sound all washed in. I would give this album 4 out 0f 10 mainly to production. They already are working on new album and I heard two songs they have up on myspace and it's WAY much better! I'm excited to see what they will do with next album because I knew they have huge potential and it's coming out now.

Hortor "By the Sword of the Almighty Emperor"

2009-03-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hortor is a black metal band from Mexico and they released a demo, an EP, and a debut album. I am reviewing the EP, which have four songs. I don't really know what most of their lyrics means because they are in Spanish. However, I really dig the emotion and the keys in this EP. The major problem would be the mastering because it is really hard to listen through the bad production. I hope they would improve that aspect and put some money in mastering part. I can see that they have big potential to be a really good black metal band. The only thing that hold they back would be the production/mastering. Definitely give them a listen and try to ignore the production issues. 5/10

www.myspace.com/hortor

A Plea For Purging "Depravity"

2009-03-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

A Plea For Purging is a well known metalcore band from Tenn. This is their sophomore album and an improvement over the debut album. I remember the debut album being full of energy but bit too generic for my taste. Now, this album is still a bit generic but the energy is still there! I really dig the energy they had and that is probably why they are doing so well right now. I really dig the song Malevolence and Traitor. This is a good album if you dig metalcore that is more metal than the core with breakdowns. That is one thing I really like about them a lot....not full of breakdowns. I would love it if they stop being generic and bring some more creativity in the next album. 6/10

www.myspace.com/apleaforpurging

Elgibbor "Repent Or Perish"

2009-03-04T12:46:00.001-08:00

Elgibbor is a one man project by Fire who originally is from Poland but lives in USA now. He has many previous albums in his belt so there is a high expectation for this release. This album definitely surpass my expectation and I was blown away with the progress he has made with the album compared to last one. The whole album is excellent black metal with no fillers at all. Each single track is very good. I especially love the two songs in Polish language. Maybe it is just me but I have a thing for singing in foreign language. My favorite track probably have to be Dark Valley due to the atmosphere Fire created in this song. The entire album is pretty much almost flawless. I am very excited to see what Fire will do with his new album, War, that is coming out soon. 9/10

www.myspace.com/elgibbor

Frost Like Ashes "Born To Pieces"

2009-03-03T21:11:00.001-08:00

Frost Like Ashes is a band created by Sebat in 2001. They are mixed black/death metal and just released Born To Pieces EP last year. This happened to be one of my favorite release of 2008. The album is limited to 250 copies and is already sold out. The album is absolutely amazing... I listened to it for weeks when I first got it. First three tracks are totally solid and Born To Pieces track is my favorite track. It's so brutal and the lyrics is hauntingly straightforward about abortion. The EP have two covers, one of Saint's "Plan 2" and Johnny Cash's "When the Man Comes Around". Both covers are excellent done although I prefer the Cash over one a little better than the Saint one. They also did an acoustic version of their famous song, "A Nightfall's Cold Kiss", which is an interesting but good song. At first I was hesistant because I normally am not a fan of acoustic versions but they did this one very well. The last two tracks are rehearsal tracks which is nice to hear and see how they usually rehearse.

This is definitely a must for any death/black metal fans. Unfortunately its all sold out so you will have to search through ebay or see if anyone have it for sale/trade. 9/10

www.myspace.com/frostlikeashes

Incrave "The Dead End"

2009-03-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

Ulterium Records is one of the best metal record out of Europe right now. Incrave released their sophomore album, "The Dead End" about a year after their debut. I have not listened to the debut album but I heard from several people that it's big improvement so I will take their words. I honestly cannot remember where I got this album from but I stumbled on it today and decided to give it a listen. I'm glad I did!

I usually am not big fan of power metal and tend to be very picky on those type of music. However, I have to admit I enjoyed this album. It's a little bland for me and could use more variety of riffs and vocal techniques. I am surprised with the way they used the keys in this album and I really liked that. I'll have to say my favorite track got to be either "The Touch Of Death" or "Nevermore". If you are a power metal fan then you probably will enjoy this a lot. This is a good progress for Incrave since they are so young (average is 22 years old I believe) and I'm looking forward to see what they have in store for next album. 7/10

www.myspace.com/incrave

Transbeauce "Stories On The Radio"

2009-03-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

Transbeauce is a French rock band and they have been around since 1997. I received their album, Stories On The Radio, and gave it several listens in past few days. I really enjoyed the mellow sound and I can see that they are very experienced with their instruments. It's actually an instrumental album so there's no vocals on it. At first I was a little hesitant because it is very difficult to make a very good instrumental album without any lyrics to tell a story. However, I think they did pretty good job with that. I noticed that some of the songs sound little similar and I think that more variety in tempo and beats would make the songs different, yet still flow together. Overally this is a good mellow album and I would recommend it to anyone who may want to just chill out and listen to good relaxing music. 6/10

www.myspace.com/transbeauce

Beliver "Sanity Obscure"

2009-02-28T13:54:00.001-08:00

I've been listening to Believer's "Sanity Obscure" ever since I got it few days ago. I have to admit that I don't really know much about Believer except that they are thrash band that has been around for ages. I finally got the cd from ebay and gave it a spin. I have to say wow! This is some good old school thrash stuff. I don't think this is perfect album though. I don't like the first track, "Sanity Obscure". Its bit boring thrash to be honest. However, they make it up with most of the tracks after that. I have to say my favorite track is "Stop The Madness" because I can really relate to the lyrics and its excellent heavy song. Close second would be "Dust to Dust"....great catchy thrash song. I'll recommend this album to anyone who enjoy thrash metal. I'm really glad I got this album and definitely plan to get more of their music in future. 8/10

www.myspace.com/believermusic

Theocracy- Mirror of Souls

2008-12-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

Theocracy is a band started by Matt Smith in 2002 and it took him five years to released this album. The wait is more than well worth it! I pre-ordered this album then listened to it the day it arrived. I couldn't stop listening to the album for days. This is truly an amazing progressive metal with strong power metal influences. Matt Smith definitely is one of the best vocalist out there today. He's great with the guitarworks too. The title track is 22 minutes long! Usually long tracks like that is hard to listen sometimes due to the length but Theocracy hit it home with this song. I absolutely love the interludes, guitar works, and keys in the song. Absolutely beautiful song. The lyrics is strong Christian theme and it's truly meaningful, nothing cheesy. I truly recommend anyone who want some good metal to listen to Theocracy and buy this album. 9/10

www.myspace.com/theocracyband

Agalloch- Pale Folklore

2008-12-15T17:09:00.001-08:00

Before I bought this album, I've been hearing many good stuff about Agalloch in this past year so finally I decided to buy this album on a sale. Boy, I have to say it's one of best sale I bought this year. Pale Folklore is Agalloch's full debut album and I have to say they did excellent job considering it is their first full release.

The first three songs is actually supposed to be one long song called "She Painted Fire Across the Skyline" and they run between 3 minutes to more than 8 minutes. It is an excellent song that makes me feel like I'm going on a long adventure through nature. It has one of best opening I've ever heard in a while. I think my favorite song has to be The Misshappen Steed which happen to be one of slowest and softest song of the album. That actually surprised me because I usually lean toward heavy and fast but this song is just plainly amazing. It shows variety of speed Agalloch is able to play in the album. 9/10

I defintely recommend this album to anyone who enjoys those nature inspired dark folky metal. Heck, even if you don't enjoy it, you should give them a try anyway. Their myspace link is: http://www.myspace.com/agalloch

I definitely plan to purchase their other album, The Mantle.

Kekal- 1000 Thoughts of Violence

2008-12-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to Kekal's "1000 Thoughts of Violence" and I just have to say...wow. They kept delivering amazing album after another. I just bought this one few weeks ago after enjoying The Habit of Fire for past several months. I think I'll have to say I love this album better than Habit. My reasons are that it is a fusion of black metal and avant garde. It's the perfect balance between two "eras" of Kekal. I get to listen to the best of both eras in my opinion. I have to say my favorite song is Violent Society because it is just remarkable how they can somehow combine black metal with little bit of strange hip hop right in the middle. At first I was like what was that? Then I realized what they did and I have to give them props for having guts to go that far and it definitely work very very well. I definitely am planning to order more of their albums and see what else they have to offer. I also am looking forward to their new album coming out sometimes this month(i believe). If you are in mood for some avant garde or even some good black metal then I definitely recommend you to check them out. 8/10

myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kekalembracethedead