Tag Archives: new releases

Sawthis – Youniverse

Sawthis, from Italy, presents us with 2013’s Youniverse. The album sounds like modern extreme metal, which touches on industrial, thrash, and progressive elements. Lyrics are screamed in a hatecore style, so the ‘Cookie Monster’ factor is absent. More refreshment is provided in that the drums sound like drums – like …

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Tides From Nebula – Eternal Movement

Tides From Nebula, from Poland, have composed 50-plus minutes of instrumental music “without vocals” for us to enjoy. Eternal Movement‘s songs, mostly in the five-minute length range, tend to vacillate between channeling the high impact of rock with relaxed, mellow ambiance. Unlike instrumental guitar music which emphasizes solo bursts, this …

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Broken Hope – Omen Of Disease

In the 1990’s, if you were in a death metal band, you were well-off if you could claim Florida, New York, or Chicago as your hometown. Each locale had something distinct to offer – NY had it’s slam “NYDM”, Florida had bands who pushed the genre to greater extremes like …

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War Iron – Of Prophecy And Alchemy

True underground black metal bands used to pride themselves on a few things: sparse instrumentation, evil vocals, and what used to be termed “basement production”. True to form, but from 2013, we’re introduced to War Iron, a band from Ireland. Their EP, Of Prophecy And Alchemy, plods along in a …

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The First – Take Courage

Join the new wave of British Rock. The First, a band from Cambridgeshire, have released Take Courage, their 11-track second album. This is a melodic, hook-laden disc, rich with anthemic, catchy rock tunes. Widely compared to You Me At Six, the band channels influence from classic rock to power pop-punk, …

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Ferocity – The Sovereign

Ferocity, a Danish death metal band, focuses on truly ferocious vocals, thick buzzsaw stringwork, and solid percussion in a variety of tempos on their second and latest release, The Sovereign. Deep, guttural vocals are “mixed high”, tending to blot out what’s happening underneath. That said, the band seems to have …

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Superfecta – The EP

London’s Superfecta, formed in 2011, have released their debut EP, a four-song effort titled simply The EP. Drawing influence or ‘mojo’ from bands such as Soundgarden, Alter Bridge, Stone Temple Pilots, or Alice In Chains, the modern rock or nu-grunge band focuses each song on a different classic hook of …

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Ugly Kid Joe Interview with Klaus Eichstadt, September 2013

Klaus Eichstadt: In His Right Mind Ugly Kid Joe officially disbanded in 1997 after seven years together, racking up record sales exceeding five million worldwide. “20 years after their last hit”, these California rockers have reunited and returned to reclaim a spot among rock’s elite. With a recent blockbuster concert, …

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Celeb Car Crash – Ambush

Ambush is a nicely-produced, 13-track offering from Parma, Italy’s Celeb Car Crash. In contrast to their catastrophic name, this is a ‘safe’ album in the alternative rock, or nu-grunge vein. The band is competent, skilled, and versatile. Their sound could be described as vaguely reminiscent of Alice In Chains, or …

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Marcus Jidell – Pictures From A Time Traveller

Evergrey guitarist Marcus Jidell released his solo album, Pictures From A Time Traveller, in 2013 through Lion Music. It’s definitely an instrumental guitar album, but it doesn’t fall prey to “backing tracky” sound, or overly indulgent ‘shred’ in any given passage. Fluid passages lull one into a drifting, borderless sea… …

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Promethium – Origins

This is Lancaster-based Promethium‘s second album, titled Origins. This is a ten-track rock and roll album which ventures in to both metal and acoustic ballad territory. It’s fairly even-tempered, with most songs bearing different nuances of hard rock flavor. While crisp and modern, the mix is very vocal-forward or vocalist-centric, …

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Craven Idol – Towards Eschaton

Death metal band Craven Idol have arrived, with their debut album Towards Eschaton. This is the UK-based band’s first major release on a label, although their demo, released in 2006, did sell out all 50 copies. Raspy, caustic vocals in these eight tracks blend with ‘fast to blast’ tempo metal. …

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Bliss Of Flesh – Beati Pauperes Spiritu

France’s Bliss Of Flesh upholds the brutal death metal genre with their 2013 release, Beati Pauperes Spiritu. They seem vaguely similar to Behemoth in the latter’s early, intense years. The band does experiment with melody, especially during “On The Path To Expiation”. What sets this album apart from others within …

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Mordecai – Undaunted

Mordecai, a band from London, bring listeners 11 tunes showcased on their debut Undaunted. The band mixes two styles of rock in to their signature: a slower, melodic balladry and a fairly modern rock swagger. They sound vaguely American, but not so ‘in-your-face’. The songs follow, for the most part, …

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Beaten To Death – Dodsfest!

Beaten To Death is a band from Norway, featuring members of current, established metal acts: Tsjuder, Insense, and She Said Destroy. If you are looking for vicious grindcore that’s also innovative and satirical, look to Dodsfest!. These guys nail it: everything from dirty grind to jangle-pop melodies (played over blastbeats). …

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Ghost Avenue – Ghost Avenue

Ghost Avenue‘s brand of heavy music used to be called classic or power metal. On their eponymous 2013 disc, this Norwegian band showcases 11 energetic, catchy, melodic songs powered by dual guitar riffs. Add to that a solid rhythm section and a reasonably good vocalist for the genre, and you’ve …

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Dissension – Of Time And Chronic Disease

Canada’s Dissension have released a ten-song, fifty-minute concept album, Of Time And Chronic Disease. Combining elements of symphonic black, gritty death, burly power, and raging thrash metal, it offers sonic shocks to a diverse palette. Fans of second-wave symphonic metal (contemporaries to Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, et al) ought …

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Destroyers Of All – Into The Fire

Rare is the band who grasps the concept of ‘storming out of the gate’ with a killer debut that meshes great musicianship, good songwriting, and top quality production. Portugal’s Destroyers Of All offer a left-of-center metal assault, combining technical proficiency with catchy riff arrangements and songwriting, to deliver an incendiary …

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Mockingbird – Live Cuts

Mockingbird‘s Live Cuts was recorded at Wizzfest in Belgium. This Irish band formed in 2009; they still have some raw energy and enthusiasm carrying them forward. The album’s ten charming tracks are mixed fairly unbalanced, which is typical for a live setting. When the guitar breaks to solo (tasty!), the …

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Oranssi Pazuzu – Valonielu

Finland’s Oranssi Pazuzu presents fans with six original, genre-expanding, no-frills good tunes. Music replete with creativity sparks interest. Valonielu blends sparse industrial with rock, insanely running it through an extreme metal filter, resulting in a crazy chimera. The long, well-crafted songs feature guitars utilizing some of the heaviest, thickest “breakup” …

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