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Showing posts from July, 2013

Diamond Plate - "Walking Backwards" from new album PULSE

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I have nothing but infinite love for Diamond Plate . From the first time I was sent to review them live; it's been a total psychotic love fest. They've released their first single to the second album, Pulse. The single is entitled "Walking Backwards". It's blistering! It's a circle pit frenzy of happiness. It reminds me of Kill Em All era Metallica , early 90s Slayer , a touch of Pantera , and a whole lotta attitude. OMG! The track is just amazing. Helming vocals since the departure of "purdy haired" Jon Macak (for personal reasons) is Matt Ares . To my ears, on this track, Matt's vocals have a more gritty, more guttural tinge than Jon. It's not better, just different. A wee part of me wonders if Jon had stayed how much better the vocals would be. But I digress, the killer part of the song is, as usual, Konrad Kupiec 's guitars. For someone so young, he's got a firm grasp of metal riffage! Konrad can stand toe to toe with Kirk Ha

Blodig Alvor - Morkets Frembrudd

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Indie Recordings gives the world at large another band to instantly fall in love with. Blodig Alvor is an up and coming band that everyone should give a listen to.   They’ve got a new album out entitled Morkets Frembrudd . OMG! The album starts out like the song "Am I Evil". If you’ve never heard the original by Diamond Head , then think of the very popular Metallica version. This means I shall like whatever comes next immensely! And I do!   Morkets Frembrudd (the "Am I Evil" type intro) flawlessly segues into "Mr. Molotow". It’s a catchy, riff laden, old fashioned heavy metal tune. Before the song had been played a minute I was head banging along with glee. "Mr. Molotow" is gritty and groove laden. You’d expect this type of guitar banter from a band from say, Texas, but Blodig Alvor hails from the mighty shores of Norway. Blodig Alvor songs give props to some classic bands. "Start En Revolusijon" channels vintage Aerosm

Shai Hulud - Reach Beyond the Sun

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Shai Hulud ! That is just happiness right there. Their new album is entitled Reach Beyond the Sun . Metal Blade dropped the album February 19 th .   It was a little late for a Valentine’s Day gift, but if you truly love someone, the wait is worth it. Reach Beyond the Sun starts out strong. "The Mean Spirits, Breathing" is a hard driving tome that sets the stage for a brutal album. If you aren’t familiar with Shai Hulud , they are a mixture between punk rock, heavy metal, and skater metal. The vocals are bombastic and in your face. This isn’t a problem as Chad Gilbert can scream with diction. You can understand clearly what he is singing about. If your eyes did a double take, you aren’t mistaken. This is the same former Shai Hulud singer Mr. Gilbert. He hasn’t been in the vocal chair for Shai Hulud in ten years but you can’t tell by his performance. His voice is as strong and forceful as ever! Chad also produced the album. Reach Beyond the Sun is fast pace

Gloria Morti - Lateral Constraint

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Ah Finland. How do I love thee? More and more each day as you proffer to mine listening ears your best and most talented bands that oft aurally please me. Into the churlish waters that are the musical fray, I give unto thee and thine Gloria Morti and their album Lateral Constraint on Cyclone Empire record label. To be sure, I have no idea what Psycho is singing about on the album Lateral Constraint . I understood maybe one in four words. It was too bothersome to try to understand and it distracted from the music. I chose to treat the vocals as another instrument that adds to the polyphony. The overall tone of Gloria Morti ’s Lateral Constraint is consistency. Each song retains lots of elements of the last song. This makes Lateral Constraint flow wonderfully. Part of the consistency is the impressive drumming by Kauko Kuusisalo . Kauko is a beast! It’s like his only order was to hit these, very hard, and often. Sometimes the drumming seems as a blur, as if all the

Borg 64 - Anywhere But Here

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To be honest, the only reason I decided to look at Borg 64 is because I’m a die-hard Trekkie and I figured with Borg in the name it’s gotta be good. I opened up the promo materials and saw a song entitled "Late Night at Quarks". WIN! Borg 64 are from Sweden and they’ve been absent from the musical world for about seven years. They have re-emerged with a 4 song 12 minute mind fuck entitled Anywhere But Here released on Discouraged Records . So this big 10” starts off with this 80s type video game Tron thing happening. Then it segues into some punk rock stuff and then maybe spoken word over bass with ambient blips and bleeps. I don’t know what to make of it. There is so much happening musically you don’t know where to look. Yet all the elements in and of themselves are simple. Before I could get a handle on it I think I’m transported to a Frank Zappa / Primus type vista. Then I get biotch slapped by a scary marriage of electronica and metal. Borg 64 ’s Anywhere Bu

As Angels Bleed - As Angels Bleed

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Here's another contender for gothic symphonic masters. As Angels Bleed are a four piece from Sydney, Australia. Avelina De Moray helms lead vocals. Von Lehmann is the ax-master. Frank Marcri on drums and Jack Savage on bass rounds out the band. Believe it or not, their album As Angels Bleed was recorded at a place called Hells Gate Studio. The opening track is very over the top. As Angels Bleed merge a Lacuna Coil sound with a Ghost presence and come up with something very kitch and instantly likable. "Sinfully Yours" is richly layered and artfully blends prog rock and metal with a more darker tongue in cheek feel. "Desire" is more hard hitting metal mixed with doomy overtures. The music in and of itself isn't your average run of the mill doom. It's more in the lyrics and imagery As Angels Bleed conjures up. For instance, "I Drown" sounds like the theme song to some awesome Canadian drama series that nobody has ever seen but ube

Rival Sons and Sammy Hagar ??!! oh Yesh!!!

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Rival Sons have confirmed dates for a US tour, including a number of shows with rock legend Sammy Hagar   (Montrose, Van Halen, Chickenfoot). Rival Sons will be kicking off their tour on August 20th with a number of headlining dates, and have also been invited to perform a select number of shows with one of their heroes, Sammy Hagar , on his "Four Decades of Rock" summer tour. Rival Sons guitarist Scott Holiday comments: "Well, we're finally hitting our homeland for a handful of tour dates.  Ask and ye shall receive!  And what a cool thing to get to go out and support a legend and super cool fella like Mr. Sammy Hagar.  I think this one's gonna be a blast!" Sammy Hagar , himself a long-time fan of Rival Sons , comments: "These guys are the real thing.  Their first CD was great, showing off a lot of styles from the '60s, '70s and '80s.  These boys have done their homework... now road-tested.  The Sons have made a CD (HEAD DOW