So, its happened again! Another foolish group of people puts in my hands their hard work for me to examine and tear apart!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! The fools!!!
No, seriously this is really cool... yet another band has decided to ask me for my opinion. I like it! So let's get started.
As I have mentioned before, I am from South Carolina. I am a southerner and its something I can't really shake, not that I really want to. It's just something in my blood. It actually does inform some of my musical taste. I think its why I like blues based music. One style I used to love is the whole southern metal thing. Enter Thieving Coyote from Florence, SC.
Now I know what you're thinking, "Dude, what do you mean 'used to love'? There's plenty of southern metal bands!" Really? It was great about ten years ago until Savanah took over and now everything I loved about the scene is sublimated by an attempt to be 'progressive" and a lack of aggression. Well, I guess in that way its just mirroring most modern metal. But I digress. I have been thirsty for solid southern metal for... well, about ten years now. Its a good thing for me I must not be the only one.
First off this is an ep. Its roughly 20 minutes of your time and you don't really feel the time go by. It starts with the corker "White Lightning". If you don't know what that's a reference to then, by all means, look it up. All I can say is my grand dad used to make it all the time and even used it to help wake himself up. The song feels like white lightning running done your throat. Its the fastest song on the record and a total rocker.
In turn each song pulls some interesting tricks out. "Space Van" has a slightly more stoner vibe. "Dead Man's Gamble" is more straight up rock n roll. "Dixie Wizard" is the most southern sounding of the bunch and it locks into a great groove. Finally "Lizards on the Radio" entertains with its tales of excess at the truck stop. That song in particular has a highly amusing intro.
From back to front, this is a great southern fried metal excursion. It should please any fan of early southern metal and just rock n roll period. And you should definitely give them your hard earned money. It's good to see my home state housing such rocking bands again!
https://www.facebook.com/ThievingCoyote
https://thievingcoyote.bandcamp.com/
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Sardu- Standing at the Precipice
So it looks like I'm moving up in the world... :)
This band asked me to write a review for their upcoming album... which hasn't happened to me before.
And I think its really cool.
To start, it should be said I have a... complicated relationship with anything that combines "black", or "blackened" with "crust". I have found that when you combine these two genres you lose the heaviness of the crust and the atmosphere of the black. I have not found a band that does it correctly yet... Until now...
Sardu, who hail from Barrie, Ontario, are a black/speed/crust band or, at least, I would call them that. I'm sure that Sardu would also fly under the Metalpunk banner. My only real issue with a lot of Metalpunk is that, and let's be truthful here, most of it just sounds like a mix of Motorhead and Discharge. I love those two bands. The first is my number one favorite band and was the reason I am listening to the heavier end of rock n roll music. I just think that we can distill some other influences into the music. Sardu does just that. They sound like putting Motorhead, Darkthrone, The Return... era Bathory, and Discharge in a high octane blender!
Standing at the Precipice is one beast of an album. It definitely can get you headbanging and fist pumping. But I think its at its best on the slow burners like The Vagrant and Dominion of Evil. One of the dudes in Gravewurm said in an interview, "You can't get the black metal feeling with blast beats." Well, I agree. Speed usually detracts from the dark atmosphere. This is a great record but when it slows down you get this great dark and threatening atmosphere. It helps really build that Mad Max/ post apocalyptic vibe and really holds up the black part of their descriptor very well!
In short, this is a kick ass, thundering record by a great up and coming band that everyone should pick up.
My favorite tracks are "The Vagrant" and "Dominion of Evil". But every track is excellent and just gritty as hell! Everyone who reads this blog should pick up this album in October when it comes out cause I will be! Until then check them out. www.facebook.com/sardudeathgang
This band asked me to write a review for their upcoming album... which hasn't happened to me before.
And I think its really cool.
To start, it should be said I have a... complicated relationship with anything that combines "black", or "blackened" with "crust". I have found that when you combine these two genres you lose the heaviness of the crust and the atmosphere of the black. I have not found a band that does it correctly yet... Until now...
Sardu, who hail from Barrie, Ontario, are a black/speed/crust band or, at least, I would call them that. I'm sure that Sardu would also fly under the Metalpunk banner. My only real issue with a lot of Metalpunk is that, and let's be truthful here, most of it just sounds like a mix of Motorhead and Discharge. I love those two bands. The first is my number one favorite band and was the reason I am listening to the heavier end of rock n roll music. I just think that we can distill some other influences into the music. Sardu does just that. They sound like putting Motorhead, Darkthrone, The Return... era Bathory, and Discharge in a high octane blender!
Standing at the Precipice is one beast of an album. It definitely can get you headbanging and fist pumping. But I think its at its best on the slow burners like The Vagrant and Dominion of Evil. One of the dudes in Gravewurm said in an interview, "You can't get the black metal feeling with blast beats." Well, I agree. Speed usually detracts from the dark atmosphere. This is a great record but when it slows down you get this great dark and threatening atmosphere. It helps really build that Mad Max/ post apocalyptic vibe and really holds up the black part of their descriptor very well!
In short, this is a kick ass, thundering record by a great up and coming band that everyone should pick up.
My favorite tracks are "The Vagrant" and "Dominion of Evil". But every track is excellent and just gritty as hell! Everyone who reads this blog should pick up this album in October when it comes out cause I will be! Until then check them out. www.facebook.com/sardudeathgang
Friday, August 8, 2014
IIIIIIIII'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack!!!! + Axattack- Toxic Wasted ep
Hello Again Interwebs,
I have returned to grace you with more face melting, loud as hell, molten metal!!!
Now I know what you're thinking, "Dude! You can't just pop back here after 2 years like nothing happened!" Well, actually, yes... Yes I can... It's my space and I can do what I want! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
But I'm back... for the forseeable future at least...
But today I have a real post... a review...
I am from South Carolina and while I don't hate it, it is not known for its metal. I mean, we had a great death and thrash metal scene... 20 YEARS AGO!!!! Yeah, we had Nile but that's really our only metal claim to fame that I care about. I don't care too much about it either.
Then I got lucky. I met a couple of younger fellows that really liked metal. We didn't always agree on everything but they got the passion and the fire. And, again lucky for me, one of them started a band.
Axattack is a three piece thrash act from Columbia, SC, which is my hometown. This is their first release. It's a self relreased 3 song ep. It clocks in at just around the 9 minute mark. It has songs about werewolves and thrashing beer zombies. Sounds fun so far, right?
Werewolf blasts out with a maniacal scream and a beautifully crazed riff. The vocalist sounds quite honest when he yells, "You will die!" This all leads to a howl and a killer mosh part cycling into the lead. The drums pound you into oblivion. The bass is actually audible and does a great job of anchoring the riffs to the rhythm. The whole song pounds you flat and leaves you with one of those great moments where all the musicians beat their instruments for 10 seconds. Excellent opener!
Toxic Wasted starts off with a tasty riff and then gets up to speed quickly. Something I've said for a long time. You can't play thrash slow. This track speeds by and seems to be about being pissed because you drank all the alcohol. I can imagine a fairly destructive party to this. Though I will say this has more of a bite than the party thrash stuff. The riff stays pretty moshy through the song with intermittent screams of "toxic wasted!" Overall, its a very bare bones but loud and fast track. Really great for thrashing and drinking! My favorite track!
Bear the Mark starts with a bit of drums and a great neck plunge leading into a much more mid paced riff. Still these guys know its speed we need- and they lose no time to lay it on us. This is a "thrash anthem" of sorts. Its good fun and pretty diverse flowing into a slightly more bay area style. This song specifically reminds me more of early Metallica. A little more melodic and a little slower but a great closer, indeed!
Look, the influences are all there. You can pick them apart if you want be these gents have released a great ep and deserve your money for the thrash.
https://axattacksc.bandcamp.com/album/toxic-wasted-ep
Next up reviews of the new Countess, new Ogre and many more.
I have returned to grace you with more face melting, loud as hell, molten metal!!!
Now I know what you're thinking, "Dude! You can't just pop back here after 2 years like nothing happened!" Well, actually, yes... Yes I can... It's my space and I can do what I want! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
But I'm back... for the forseeable future at least...
But today I have a real post... a review...
I am from South Carolina and while I don't hate it, it is not known for its metal. I mean, we had a great death and thrash metal scene... 20 YEARS AGO!!!! Yeah, we had Nile but that's really our only metal claim to fame that I care about. I don't care too much about it either.
Then I got lucky. I met a couple of younger fellows that really liked metal. We didn't always agree on everything but they got the passion and the fire. And, again lucky for me, one of them started a band.
Axattack is a three piece thrash act from Columbia, SC, which is my hometown. This is their first release. It's a self relreased 3 song ep. It clocks in at just around the 9 minute mark. It has songs about werewolves and thrashing beer zombies. Sounds fun so far, right?
Werewolf blasts out with a maniacal scream and a beautifully crazed riff. The vocalist sounds quite honest when he yells, "You will die!" This all leads to a howl and a killer mosh part cycling into the lead. The drums pound you into oblivion. The bass is actually audible and does a great job of anchoring the riffs to the rhythm. The whole song pounds you flat and leaves you with one of those great moments where all the musicians beat their instruments for 10 seconds. Excellent opener!
Toxic Wasted starts off with a tasty riff and then gets up to speed quickly. Something I've said for a long time. You can't play thrash slow. This track speeds by and seems to be about being pissed because you drank all the alcohol. I can imagine a fairly destructive party to this. Though I will say this has more of a bite than the party thrash stuff. The riff stays pretty moshy through the song with intermittent screams of "toxic wasted!" Overall, its a very bare bones but loud and fast track. Really great for thrashing and drinking! My favorite track!
Bear the Mark starts with a bit of drums and a great neck plunge leading into a much more mid paced riff. Still these guys know its speed we need- and they lose no time to lay it on us. This is a "thrash anthem" of sorts. Its good fun and pretty diverse flowing into a slightly more bay area style. This song specifically reminds me more of early Metallica. A little more melodic and a little slower but a great closer, indeed!
Look, the influences are all there. You can pick them apart if you want be these gents have released a great ep and deserve your money for the thrash.
https://axattacksc.bandcamp.com/album/toxic-wasted-ep
Next up reviews of the new Countess, new Ogre and many more.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Top ten of 2012... sort of...
It should be said that I found this to be a spectacular year for Heavy Metal! My list therefore is going to be a little odd... and broken into the parts! First the top 11 I guess... :)
In no particular order...
Albums
Deathhammer- Onward to the Pits
Vampyric Blood- Ordo Dracul
Eternum- Veil of Ancient Darkness
Iron Dogs- Cold Bitch
Alchemyst- Nekromanteion
Arkham Witch- Legions of the Deep
Bible of the Devil- For the Love of Thugs and Fools
Superchrist- Holy Shit
Cauldron- Tomorrow's Lost
Saint Vitus- Lillie F:65
My Dying Bride- A Map of All Our Failures
Eps/ Demos:
Oath of Cruelty- Altar of Impalement
Amulet- Cut the Crap
Visigoth- Final Spell
Stone Magnum- Stone Magnum Promo
Honorable Mentions:
Zuul- To the Frontlines
Corsair- Corsair
Air Raid- Night of the Axe
Hellwell- Beyond the Boundaries of Sin
If I had had more time with these I might have expanded my list! Seriously some great metal this year!
Happy New Year!
In no particular order...
Albums
Deathhammer- Onward to the Pits
Vampyric Blood- Ordo Dracul
Eternum- Veil of Ancient Darkness
Iron Dogs- Cold Bitch
Alchemyst- Nekromanteion
Arkham Witch- Legions of the Deep
Bible of the Devil- For the Love of Thugs and Fools
Superchrist- Holy Shit
Cauldron- Tomorrow's Lost
Saint Vitus- Lillie F:65
My Dying Bride- A Map of All Our Failures
Eps/ Demos:
Oath of Cruelty- Altar of Impalement
Amulet- Cut the Crap
Visigoth- Final Spell
Stone Magnum- Stone Magnum Promo
Honorable Mentions:
Zuul- To the Frontlines
Corsair- Corsair
Air Raid- Night of the Axe
Hellwell- Beyond the Boundaries of Sin
If I had had more time with these I might have expanded my list! Seriously some great metal this year!
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Alchemyst- Nekromanteion
Wow... just Wow!!! This was a total surprise release for me! I found out later it had members of Anael in it... Which if you don't know them you need to check them out, like, now! This is great Occult sounding Black/Death metal.
To start, what's really interesting about these guys is the vocals. They are not screamed or grunted as one might expect, oh, no... rather they are clean!!! That's right The vocals are shouted in a very old school way. You even get a few of those old Tom Warrior "ugh"s that we all know and love! And if you don't know what I am talking about then you should leave the hall!
Musically this is everything right about black and death metal. Its heavy and powerful, emotive and occult. Its atmospheric but doesn't take away from the metal side. Every song is amazing and I will listen to this over and over again! Especially in candlelight during ritual moments for which atmosphere is called for undoubtedly!!!
I will be honest that this record was hard to find but it is worth every minute of the search. This record is amazing and should be bought listened to and included on everyone's top lists at the end of the year. Go out and get this!!!
And I lied... I will put together a end of the year list but it will be tomorrow or the next day and at least before the New year...
To start, what's really interesting about these guys is the vocals. They are not screamed or grunted as one might expect, oh, no... rather they are clean!!! That's right The vocals are shouted in a very old school way. You even get a few of those old Tom Warrior "ugh"s that we all know and love! And if you don't know what I am talking about then you should leave the hall!
Musically this is everything right about black and death metal. Its heavy and powerful, emotive and occult. Its atmospheric but doesn't take away from the metal side. Every song is amazing and I will listen to this over and over again! Especially in candlelight during ritual moments for which atmosphere is called for undoubtedly!!!
I will be honest that this record was hard to find but it is worth every minute of the search. This record is amazing and should be bought listened to and included on everyone's top lists at the end of the year. Go out and get this!!!
And I lied... I will put together a end of the year list but it will be tomorrow or the next day and at least before the New year...
Corsair- Corsair
Another release I had been avoiding! Well, when Decibel magazine gives anything a thumbs up I wonder off and ignore it... after all, it is Decibel. But this time they may be onto something.
After an well played but unimportant intro, "Chaemera" kicks off and we are treated to a good and authentic late 70's/early 80's metal style. Imagine, if you will, combining Thin Lizzy with a more N.W.O.B.H.M. sensibility. Its heavy in all the right places with great harmony and technical skill as well as a wonderful ability to write songs, but what makes this really great is mastering the smoothness of Thin Lizzy. It comes across as a Heavy Metal band who have mastered what makes rock and roll great. This really how Iron Maiden might have sounded if they wanted to start bar fights! Its solid rocking heavy Metal.
The band can play and have solid song writing skills definitely but what's interesting is how they split the vocal duties. The guitarists and bassist sing on different songs. While this is very cool, I personally feel the should just let Paul Sebring sing as I think his voice fits the music the best.
This is a great fun and laid back metal release and everyone should listen to it at least once in their lives. My favorite tracks are Falconer, Gryphon Wing and Of Kings and Cowards, but all the tracks are good. So check these guys out.
After an well played but unimportant intro, "Chaemera" kicks off and we are treated to a good and authentic late 70's/early 80's metal style. Imagine, if you will, combining Thin Lizzy with a more N.W.O.B.H.M. sensibility. Its heavy in all the right places with great harmony and technical skill as well as a wonderful ability to write songs, but what makes this really great is mastering the smoothness of Thin Lizzy. It comes across as a Heavy Metal band who have mastered what makes rock and roll great. This really how Iron Maiden might have sounded if they wanted to start bar fights! Its solid rocking heavy Metal.
The band can play and have solid song writing skills definitely but what's interesting is how they split the vocal duties. The guitarists and bassist sing on different songs. While this is very cool, I personally feel the should just let Paul Sebring sing as I think his voice fits the music the best.
This is a great fun and laid back metal release and everyone should listen to it at least once in their lives. My favorite tracks are Falconer, Gryphon Wing and Of Kings and Cowards, but all the tracks are good. So check these guys out.
Hellwell- Beyond the Boundaries of Sin
Man, its been a while... Well, I never promised you consistency! But I am going to post 3 reviews and a end of the year list so... :)
So for whatever reason, I have been avoiding this release. Now, I have no idea why but its true. Maybe its fear of disappointment. Maybe it was because I heard there were keyboards on this thing and there can be such a thing as too much synth! Either way, I was so wrong!
For those of you not in the know Hellwell is a side project from E.C. Hellwell and Mark "the Shark" Shelton of Manilla Road fame. It also contains a few other members as guests. As I said I was fearful for some reason I cannot at this point explain. But coming out of this I really like this record. It combines Manilla Road's epic metal stylings with Deep Purple's use of organ. You know how in Deep Purple sometimes the keyboards were what anchored the riffs and helped make it heavier... yeah, that's happening here in some songs too. Every song on here is classic and powerful heavy metal.
I honestly cannot think of standout tracks for this record. Every track works together to create a cohesive whole in a way that great classic rock records do. So all the tracks are not only essential but very amazing! This record is a shoe- in for me for my top ten list. I believe this record will be considered a metal classic and truly stand the test of time! Go and buy it now!!!
So for whatever reason, I have been avoiding this release. Now, I have no idea why but its true. Maybe its fear of disappointment. Maybe it was because I heard there were keyboards on this thing and there can be such a thing as too much synth! Either way, I was so wrong!
For those of you not in the know Hellwell is a side project from E.C. Hellwell and Mark "the Shark" Shelton of Manilla Road fame. It also contains a few other members as guests. As I said I was fearful for some reason I cannot at this point explain. But coming out of this I really like this record. It combines Manilla Road's epic metal stylings with Deep Purple's use of organ. You know how in Deep Purple sometimes the keyboards were what anchored the riffs and helped make it heavier... yeah, that's happening here in some songs too. Every song on here is classic and powerful heavy metal.
I honestly cannot think of standout tracks for this record. Every track works together to create a cohesive whole in a way that great classic rock records do. So all the tracks are not only essential but very amazing! This record is a shoe- in for me for my top ten list. I believe this record will be considered a metal classic and truly stand the test of time! Go and buy it now!!!
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