Features

Reviews for January 2nd, 2013

Details: Published on Wednesday, 02 January 2013 11:25; Written by George Washburn; Hits: 276

The holidays are over, 2013 is here, and now it is time to get back to business. In case you missed them here are links to the MetalDisciple.com Best 100 Metal Releases of 2012 and my brand new video series 365 Days of Metal, which started yesterday.

Also, I don’t know if you’ve seen these or not, but I just picked up a pair of Motörhead brand headphones and I am loving them. I’ve got the Motörizer one and it sounds really good. I’m not getting paid to tell you that, I just like them and wanted to share. Not only are they comfortable and set up for heavier music, but they have the Motörhead logo on there so you can look cool too lol.

Tengger Cavalry – Sunesu Cavalry

Right before the holidays I came across an advertisement for Tengger Cavalry and their album “Sunesu Cavalry.” I believe I saw the ad in Metal Hammer or Terrorizer, though I don’t recall which (I’m probably the only person who picks up these mags more for the ads than the articles.) The album cover was what caught my eye; a dude with a big sword on a horse atop a pile of skulls will always peak my interest. Normally this is where my attention span would end. I might look the band up on YouTube to see if I can hear a clip, but then I usually move on.

Then I noticed the band was from Beijing, China. I don’t hear too much metal from China, so I kept digging. That was when I found out that not only does Tengger Cavalry play blackish metal with Chinese folk influences, but the band also utilizes Mongolian throat singing! That is definitely a metal first for me. Mongolian throat singing, for those who haven’t heard it, is this unique deep throaty (duh) style of singing that reminds me of a human didgeridoo. The style can be cool to listen to, though to be honest I tend to get bored after a few minutes. Combining it with heavy metal music, though, that is bloody brilliant. Throat singing blends quite naturally with metal, and since there are regular harsh vocals as well it is not overwhelming. Five minutes and one song stream later I was fumbling for my credit card to order the CD from Metal Hell Records.

From what I can tell Tengger Cavalry is the work of just one man, which makes this album even more impressive. “Sunesu Cavalry” appears to be a remix and remaster of 2011s “Cavalry Folk” with a new song “War Horse.” The album sounds very impressive production-wise and even without the unique folk elements this is an album to be reckoned with.

“Sunesu Cavalry” is a welcome change of pace that introduces new elements to the metal genre. I love folk metal with Teutonic and Celtic flavoring, but I find this Asian folk element a new and exciting style. I highly recommend giving this album a listen. You can hear “War Horse” below.

Noise Pollution – S/T

You thought the 80s were over didn’t you? Well guess again, friend. Allow me to introduce you to Noise Pollution, an Italian hard rock/glam band and their self-titled debut album.

The only other band I’m aware of doing music anything like this right now is Steel Panther, and they are of course planting tongue firmly in cheek. Unlike Steel Panther, Noise Pollution is not doing this comically; they take these songs seriously. Now, I admit my knee-jerk initial reaction when I heard the first half of the first song was to be incredulous that anyone was still beating this dead horse. I decided to keep listening to see if this train would in fact derail as I expected it to, but by the end of the second song I realized that I was actually starting to like these guys.

These songs are certainly more accessible than the majority of metal bands out there right now, but these guys write songs that are both catchy and got my head bobbing. Think of “Slave to the Grind” era Skidrow, or one of my favorite bands no one ever heard of, Leatherwolf. Noise Pollution doesn’t sound particularly like either of those bands, but they have that same catchy heaviness that gets the songs stuck in your head.

So, yeah, I think this is actually a pretty cool album. I really don’t listen to this style much anymore, but that is probably because no one plays it. Noise Pollution makes it real easy to slip back into old habits. Check out their video for “Kill Your Fate.”

Burial Ritual – Exterminating the Masses

Burial Ritual is a death metal band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and “Exterminating the Masses” is their second album. I almost decided not to review this album based on the disc they sent me. It came on a home-burned CD-R with the default white cover and the band name scribbled on the front in sloppy handwriting and no bio sheet. If you don’t care about your presentation, why should I?

I decided to listen to the album, if for no other reason than to mock it mercilessly. These guys spoiled my fun though because the music on here is actually pretty good. The album’s style is a fairly typical death metal style – fast drums and guitars with cookie monster-style harsh vocals. Despite the “typical” sound, I found the songs to be quite listenable.

The production on “Exterminating the Masses” both helps and hinders the album for me. It helps because the harsh vocals are well seated in the mix so you can actually make out a lot of the words. When the vocals are prominent I am much more inclined to listen to an album. The hindrance is a minor one; the production in general is not all that punchy and it is a little muddy. These songs would benefit greatly from a stronger production, but they are still quite enjoyable as they are now.

Burial Ritual has the music part down, but they might think about presenting their product a little better when trying to promote themselves. Check out the track “Beasts of War.”

Mechanical Organic – This Global Hive Part One

Mechanical Organic is melodic progressive metal band from Melbourne, Australia and “This Global Hive Part One” is their third album.

It didn’t take long for me to become bored by the first track. “Meek as a Dove Wise as a Serpent” is two and a half minutes of random sounds with someone talking over top. This is obviously an intro track, but man, it went on way too long. This is a concept album, and I guess they were using this track to set up the story, but still, way too long.

I woke up in time for the second track, “Artistic Atrocities”, which is where we finally get to hear what Mechanical Organic is really about. This is where things get interesting. I was immediately reminded of Nevermore fronted by a genetically spliced combination of Warrel Dane and a “Mindcrime”-era Geoff Tate. That’s a pretty cool combination, no? I think it is.

When the meat of the songs is playing I really like what these guys are doing. My one complaint is that there is way too much of this speaking crap going on. Fine, do it once in a song, but then be done with it. They overuse this tool and it annoys me now every time they cut to it. Here is the incredibly long track “The Dark Ones Know”; try telling me you don’t get annoyed by the third time the talking part cuts in. Still, it is definitely worth checking these guys out.

Details: Published on Friday, 28 December 2012 11:47; Written by George Washburn; Hits: 888

Hey everyone. 2012 has been an amazing year for metal. I hope 2013 will prove to be equally impressive. Here’s the list of my favorite albums from this year. I tried to put them in some kind of order, but to be honest it was like choosing which of your children you like most. So this list is in no particular order beyond alphabetical. As far as I am concerned these albums are all winners and they all deserve your attention.

The one album I feel the need to highlight above the others, my Album of the Year if you will, is the one I have been championing all year long – “Woods 5: Grey Skies and Electric Light” by Woods of Ypres. Hands down this has been my favorite album this year, without exception. No other album has received half as much playtime on my MP3 player, CD player and turntable, and I expect that to continue on into next year and beyond. It was with a very heavy heart last week that I observed the one-year anniversary of the passing of David Gold. His passing was a terrible loss to the metal community and one that I mourn every single time I spin one of his amazing albums. If you have not yet taken the time to listen to this album, please, do yourself a favor and sit down and REALLY listen to it. It is both beautiful and tragic.

Take your pick; you can read the list below (with links to reviews where they exist) or watch this video intro and playlist and listen to them all in a row.

Aborted – Global Flatline - Read the Review

Abstracter – Tomb of Feathers - Read the Review

Adeia – Hourglass - Read the Review

Adorned Brood – Kuningaz - Read the Review

Adrenechrome – Hideous Appetites - Read the Review

Agalloch – Faustian Echoes

Agony Lords – A Tomb for the Haunted - Read the Review

Ahab – The Giant - Read the Review

All Hail the Yeti – S/T - Read the Review

Anaal Nathrakh – Vanitas - Read the Review

Ancient Ascendant – Into the Dark

Arctic Sleep – Arbors

Aura Noir – Out to Die - Read the Review

A Band of Orcs – Adding Heads to the Pile

Bejelit – Emerge - Read the Review

Between the Buried and Me – Parallax II - Read the Review

Bilocate – Summoning the Bygones

Black Breath – Sentenced to Life - Read the Review

Bloodred Hourglass – Lifebound - Read the Review

Borgne – Royaume de Ombres - Read the Review

Brendon Small – Brendan Small’s Galaktikon

Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead - Read the Review

Carach Angren – Where the Corpses Sink Forever

Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity - Read the Review

Chaosweaver – Enter the Realm of the Doppelganger - Read the Review

Cultura Tres - El Mal del Bien - Read the Review

Dante – The Rorschach Manifesto - Read the Review

Dawnbringer – Into the Lair of the Sun God

Daylight Dies – A Frail Becoming - Read the Review

Derelict – Perpetuation - Read the Review

Dordeduh – Dar de Duh

Down – Down IV The Purple EP - Read the Review

Dragged Into Sunlight – Widowmaker - Read the Review

Dust Bolt – Violent Demolition - Read the Review

Eagle Twin – The Feather Tipped the Serpent’s Scale

Earthen Grave – Earthen Grave

Eluveitie – Helvetios - Read the Review

Ensiferum – Unsung Heroes

Entropy - E3 - Read the Review

Evadne – The Shortest Way

Evoken – Atra Mors

Ex Deo – Caligvla - Read the Review

Eye of Solitude – Sui Caedere - Read the Review

Forgotten Tomb - …And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil

Funeral – Oratorium - Read the Review

The Gardnerz – It All Fades - Read the Review

Hail Spirit Noir – Pneuma

Hooded Menace – Effigies of Evil - Read the Review

Huntress – Spell Eater - Read the Review

I Saw the Deep – Astronavigation - Read the Review

Ihsahn – Eremita - Read the Review

Job for a Cowboy – Demonocracy - Read the Review

Katatonia – Dead End Kings

Khors – The Wisdom of Centuries

King Giant – Dismal Hollow - Read the Review

King of Asgard – To North - Read the Review

Lamb of God – Resolution - Read the Review

Lykaion – Nothin’ But Death - Read the Review

Machine Head – Machine Head F**king Live - Read the Review

Maiden United – Across the Seventh Sea

My Dying Bride – A Map of All Our Failures - Read the Review

Natur – Head of Death

Necrovation – Necrovation

Okera – A Beautiful Dystopia

Old Man Gloom – No

Orden Ogan – To the End

Pain Confessor – Incarcerated

Pallbearer – Sorrow and Extinction

Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol - Read the Review

Pig Destroyer – Book Burner - Read the Review

Pilgrim – Misery Wizard

Pry – Transcendent Iridescence - Read the Review

Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression - Read the Review

Sabaton – Carolus Rex - Read the Review

Satan’s Wrath – Galloping Blasphemy - Read the Review

Saturnus – Saturn in Ascension

A Sound of Thunder – Out of Darkness - Read the Review

Stalwart – Manifest of Refusal - Read the Review

Sterbhaus – Angels for Breakfast and God for Lunch - Read the Review

The Sword – Apocryphon - Read the Review

Sylosis – Monolith - Read the Review

Taranis – Kingdom - Read the Review

Testament – Dark Roots of Earth - Read the Review

Texas Hippie Coalition – Peacemaker - Read the Review

Titan’s Eve – Life Apocalypse - Read the Review

Turbonegro – Sexual Harassment

Venomous Maximus – Beg Upon the Light - Read the Review

The Very End – Turn off the World

Vesperian Sorrow – Stormwinds of Ages - Read the Review

Void Moon – On the Blackest of Nights - Read the Review

The Wandering Midget – From the Meadows of Opium Dreams - Read the Review

Weapon – Embers and Revelations

Wedding In Hades – Misbehaviour

Wintersun – Time I - Read the Review

Witchcraft – Legend - Read the Review

Witchsorrow – God Curse Us - Read the Review

Woods of Ypres – Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light - Read the Review

Wretched End – Inroads - Read the Review

3 Inches of Blood - Long Live Heavy Metal - Read the Review

4 Arm – Submission for Liberty - Read the Review

Details: Published on Friday, 28 December 2012 08:42; Written by Corey Morris; Hits: 299

Pig Destroyer - Book Burner

Pig Destroyer is by far one of my favorite grindcore bands, hailing from the DC Metro area. They are purely aggressive without giving a lot of breathing room to their listeners. There is no mainstream accessibility due to their speed, incoherence, and sonic violence. “Book Burner” is their fifth studio album and Scott Hull has managed to write more memorable riffs which transform listeners into battered victims. Hull also produced the album, giving it a rawer and edgier production value compared to “Prowler In The Yard.”

Many guest vocalists throughout the album accompany Pig Destroyer’s vocalist, J.R. Hayes. Misery Index’s Jason Netherton on ‘The Diplomat,” Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s Richard Johnson within “The Underground Man” and fellow Agoraphobic Nosebleed vocalist Kat Katz on “Eve” and ‘The Bug.” The addition of Misery Index drummer Adam Jarvis as the replacement for longtime drummer Brian Harvey adds a much nastier, but still technically flawless performance to “Book Burner,” with Jarvis’ drumming style exquisitely complementing the album’s crunching violence.

“The Diplomat,” is by far my favorite track off the album and additionally a great video as well. I interpreted the video as Corporate America purposely putting weapons in the hands of “natives” and letting them battle it out to the top. The rich white man waits to reap the benefits, but one of the “natives” comes to his senses and guns down the rich white man, thereby becoming sucked into the lifestyle himself. The one survivor chooses to rule over nothing as opposed to the potential unification of his civilization. This track has a slow and trudging pace with dueling vocals thanks to Hayes and Netherton. Furthermore, Hull adds an unforgettably, unsettling bridge, and teeth-grinding licks to the track. “The Bug” is another stand out track; I love the opening quote from Larry King as he reads “Tropic Of Cancer.”

“Book Burner” might not be as perfected as some of Pig Destroyer’s earlier releases, but it succeeds in every which way an album can. They managed to maintain their distinctive sound and brutality. I must confess that this album easily made my top ten of 2012 list. Anyone and everyone needs to give this album a spin regardless of its grindcore genre.

Sister Sin - Now & Forever

What guy doesn’t like a female fronted metal band? Let me rephrase that; who likes eye candy with their metal? I have always had a soft spot for attractive female singers, especially Liv Jagrell. I was impressed with “True Sounds Of The Underground” when it dropped approximately two years ago. I was looking forward to “Now & Forever” and hoping that the band would have built on their experiences of sharing the stage with the likes of Motorhead. Unfortunately, it seems that they have already run out of steam and have been so called “inspired” or ripped off Doro.

The first track, “MMXII” is nothing but a wasteful instrumental. It doesn’t serve any purpose or introduce any relative context. “End Of The Line,” has some annoying soaring vocals by both Jagrell and the backing members of the band. It reminds me of a tone deaf Vince Neil. “Fight Song,” has some great guitar riffing but the lyrics are so serious that they are comical. The backing vocals and chanting throughout the album is just too much. It becomes not only tiring, but annoying as well.

“In It For Life” is where my idea for the previous Doro statement originated. “Hearts Of Cold reminds me of “Bat Out Of Hell”, it has a very dramatic rock opera atmosphere to it. The longer you listen to “Now & Forever,” the weaker the album gets. The very last track, “Morning After” is very slow and sounds like Evanescence; it just has no place on this album.

In conclusion, it seems that Sister Sin has been focusing more on the pretty, sexy front woman trend, thanks to magazines such as Revolver, rather than constructing substantial, quality music. I was disappointed by the lack of creativity and energy I expected from the band. Jagrell’s vocals are Sister Sin’s selling point along with her image, while the rest of the band takes a backseat and seems to just go along for the ride.

Otep – Hydra

Otep is an industrial, nu-metal, and spoken word poetry band from Los Angeles. “Hydra” is her sixth and final album written around a graphic novel that she has been working on the last two years. I would go into to more detail but the main character is based on Otep. Surprised? There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the release of “Hydra.” Otep has slammed numerous publications and websites due to their negative comments regarding not only her new release, but also her career. Supposedly if Metal Disciple gives her a bad review, she will humiliate and insult us via Twitter and Facebook. So I say let’s not waste this opportunity for some free publicity.

I’m not going to waste anyone’s time so I will get straight to the point. Otep has been unoriginal for the last 10 years or so and the trend continues with “Hydra.” Her music is nothing but feelings of oppression forced upon the listener. “Hydra” of course contains spoken word poems that bored me to death and just takes away from the tempo and pace of the album. I have to admit that I was unable to finish the entire album in one sitting, which is pretty rare for me. It reminded me of the time I saw Otep at Ozzfest; perfect timing to hit the toilet, shop for merchandise, or grab a beer. If you have listened to one Otep album, you have heard them all, plain and simple.

Overall, if you’re an Otep fan, you must have stumbled upon Metal Disciple by mistake. Please browse the reviews and find a more talented and relevant band to spend your time and hard earned money on. I find Otep to be offensive when describing herself as artistic, and furthermore, she is plain selfish with her indulgence in herself more and more with every album. I have to agree with every other review that has proclaimed Otep diluted with no grasp on reality. This review might seem harsh, but Otep has brought it on herself with the quality of her music combined with her attack on “real” music review sites and forums. Not those teenybopper metal magazines at your local grocery store. I really hope she reads this; I can’t wait to see her reaction!

Details: Published on Friday, 21 December 2012 08:35; Written by Corey Morris; Hits: 294

WildeStarr-A Tell Tale Heart

WildeStarr hails from the San Francisco Bay area, formed in 2003 by veteran Dave Starr and keyboard/vocalist London Wilde. Drummer Josh Foster later joined WildeSatrr in 2010 and they began working on “A Tell Tale Heart.” This album is based on the stories of Edgar Allen Poe that contain passion, anger, fury, and pure metal. It instantly reminded me of Judas Priest’s “Nostradamus.”

Wilde’s voice is defiantly fitting for such lyrics, which portray heartbreak, betrayal, and psychological terror from a tortured mind. Wilde’s voice has a Geoff Tate sound to it, especially on tracks such as “A Perfect Storm” and “Seven Shades of Winter.” Starr takes on all the duties of both bass and lead guitar throughout the entire album. Foster has injected some new dynamics and freshness into WildeStarr, like a rejuvenated Primal Fear.

“The Pit Or The Pendulum” is my personal favorite track on the album. Every member of the band really shines here. Foster has some great double bass work going on while Starr hits the nail on the head with his placement of guitar harmonies and arrangements. Wilde seems to channel dual personalities as he carves out this chilling tale.

The production is huge on this album, making everything sound amazing and it really sets the tone for WildeStarr. This is a must buy for fans of Judas Priest, Primal Fear, Queensryche, and Helstar. Additionally, fans of Starr or Poe will not be disappointed.

Threshold-March of Progress

Threshold is a progressive metal band from England. These guys have been around since the late 80’s and have numerous albums and awards under their belt. Threshold has released “March of Progress,” five years after their last release “Dead Reckoning”. Damian Wilson returns on vocals and he hasn’t missed a beat. His vocals and catchy hooks compliment the bands melodic, crunchy style of progressive metal.

The opening track, “Ashes,” is fully energized and powerful as the opener and sets the tone and pace for the entire album. This track and the rest of the album touches on topics such as the environment, the human race, and politics. Furthermore, I really dig the keyboards from Threshold, especially on “Return of the Thought Police.” Additionally, hands down the best guitar solo has to be on “Liberty Complacency Dependency.” Every track is stellar and “Rubicon” really puts the icing on this tasty progressive cake.

I am a huge fan of progressive metal and Threshold. I am still baffled to why they seem to lack the same commercial success of less talented bands in the realm of progressive or fantasy metal. Threshold is easily accessible and they cater to a larger and broader audience. These guys always produce excellent implementation and craftsmanship in regards to their performances and song writing. Hopefully this album will manage to bring more fans to the Threshold.

(Note – Be sure to also check out Damian’s Iron Maiden cover band Maiden United. They recently released their latest, the brilliant “Across the Seventh Sea.” Incredible interpretations of Maiden material. – George)

Obscenity-Atrophied in Anguish

Obscenity is easily one of the earliest German death metal bands since forming back in 1989. “Atrophied in Anguish” is their 8th studio release after a 6 year long break since their 2006 release, “Where Sinners Bleed.” Of course expectations are high due to the technical German death metal edge and the legacy of Obscenity.

“Erase the Divine” wastes no time in causing the listener’s balls to drop. Obscenity takes a different approach than that of early albums. They have incorporated more melodic qualities, but this definitely doesn’t take away from their bone crushing style. I think after all these years variation is not only unpredictable, but also productive if done correctly, “Diary of a Scapegoat” is a perfect example. This is what separates Obscenity from a majority of death metal bands.

The Germans adopt the typical pummeling and blasting traits when necessary, with loads of double bass, octave chords, faster death/thrash or melodic riffing sequences, and a nice balance between chugging breakdowns and outbreaks of unbridled velocity. The vocals have similarities of that to Glen Benton of Decide. For fans of hectic percussive patterns, “Swine to the Slaughter” and “Neurotic Frenzy” are masterpieces.

Obscenity has proven yet again that they are one of the most 'total package' bands in their scene, implementing a number of techniques both brutal and old school to polish off an admittedly well rounded, riff-focused record that should prove worthwhile for purists of the medium. Ultimately, Obscenity have a record here which might well appeal to a large cross-section of the death metal populace, be they the brutal followers of Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation and Severe Torture, early Floridians or those into the more intense scene out of California in recent years. “Atrophied in Anguish” is perhaps the band's most accomplished and formidable record to date, and I, for one, am pleased to see they're still chasing and clobbering that dream.

Seven Deadly-Allegiance

Seven Deadly is a UK based band made up of the now defunct Panic Cell. I have to admit that I never really was a fan of Panic Cell. I felt that their vocals were too generic for my taste. Kind of like a bad karaoke version of David Draiman of Disturbed. Seven Deadly does brings intensity and heavy rock coherence on their debut EP release, “Allegiance,” but once again falls short in regards to the vocals. Archie Wilson’s vocals shift between clean and nu-metal that does somewhat compliment their style of music. Hopefully the vocals will be refined before releasing a full-length album.

“Allegiance” is their best track on the EP. It has a nice thrash metal sound with furious guitar riffs, but this is about as heavy as Seven Deadly gets. Most of the tracks alternate between furious growls and melodic vocal tones, which threw me for a loop. Just when I started to bang my head, they put on the breaks with a harmonized breakdown leaving me frustrated and confused.

Overall, Seven Deadly is pretty heavy when it comes to comparing their guitar and percussion work. Rob Hicks on the drums could probably play in a heavier, more technical band and thrive as opposed to being held back here. There are a few impressive guitar solos sprinkled throughout the EP as well. Seven Deadly will have to show a little more inventiveness and ambition on their first full-length release to survive an over-populated music scene.

Details: Published on Monday, 17 December 2012 11:22; Written by George Washburn; Hits: 330

Adrenechrome – Hideous Appetites

Adrenechrome is a thrash band with groove tendencies that hails from Ontario. “Hideous Appetites” is their first album.

When I first started listening to “Titan’s Fall”, the first track off “Hideous Appetites”, I was like, ok, thrash, I like. If Adrenechrome were simply a thrash band I would be content; they do thrash well. But by the time I made my way to track two, “Six Guns”, it was becoming apparent that these guys cannot subsist on thrash alone. At this point the guys get decidedly more…groovy. The foundation is still based on thrash, but rather than the straight-forward crush of thrash they lay back a little and let the riffs breathe.

The vocals, while not exactly clean, are not harsh. Expect clean vocals which give way to a snarly thrash edge. On “Six Guns” the singer occasionally drops into that Pantera-esque Phil Anselmo deep muttering like he is covering the telephone with his hand and talking to someone else. Nice!

The production sound on “Hideous Appetites” works really well. It sounds perfect without sounding over-produced. As much of a production perfectionist as I am, there are actually moments when one can go too far and over-produce an album to the point where it starts to sound bad again. Adrenechrome suffers not from such afflictions; I wouldn’t change a thing.

Well, dammit. Here I was thinking my year-end 2012 list was finished and ready to go live next week, but I think someone is going to have to get the axe to make room for “Hideous Appetites.” I like these guys a lot and feel like they deserve to be on the list. Check ‘em out. Here is the video for “Titan’s Fall.”

Bludvera – Terrorform

More thrash! Bludvera is a thrash band from Liverpool, England and their debut EP “Terrorform” sounds nothing like The Beatles. Rather, their sound lays somewhere between Warbringer and Municipal Waste.

Bludvera choose to do one thing, thrash, and they do it well. The songs on “Terrorform” are exactly what one would expect from a thrash record: it is fast, utilizes tight precision riffs, and the vocals are growled when they aren’t gang vocals. Didn’t I recently say gang vocals were mostly dead in metal? Apparently the rumor of their death was greatly exaggerated.

The production on “Terrorform” is a little sharp and tinny, but as anyone who was around for the golden era of thrash in the late 80s can tell you, that is the perfect thrash sound; the better to hear all the little details without anything getting lost in a muddy sound.

Bludvera don’t win any points for originality, but they make up the difference in execution and pure thrashing passion. Give these guys a listen. Here is the track “Powerhouse.”

Hic Iacet – Prophecy of Doom

Hic Iacet, Latin for “here lies”, is a black/death metal band from Spain, and “Prophecy of Doom” is their debut EP.

I’m not exactly sure why I decided to review this one. The EP only has two tracks, which is short of the three tracks I require for consideration of a review. There are funeral doom bands that would qualify because each track could be twenty minutes long, but no, both these tracks are approximately five minutes long. Well, I suppose if I really liked the songs that might get them an exception. But no, both these songs are fairly forgettable.

Who knows what I was thinking when I decided to put this on the calendar. But here it is.

The production on “Prophecy of Doom” sounds pretty bad. The band sounds like they are playing in the next room and there is a lot of dead air between them and the single Radio Shack microphone used to record these songs. This would sound like a decent bootleg live recording, but as a studio recording it’s a stinker.

I couldn’t find either of these tracks on YouTube, sooooooo, moving on…

Southern Badass – Born in Mud

I could not fault you for thinking that Southern Badass might be from one of the Southern states in the good ‘ol US of A, but you would be wrong. Nay, Southern Badass hails from France. This is just one of the many things I do not understand about this album.

Let me preface the horrendous beat down I am about to lay by saying that Southern Badass is a one-man project and I have the greatest respect for people that have the skill and ambition to go it alone. So despite the venom I am about to issue toward “Born in Mud” know that I applaud Arno Bechet for having the cajones to give it a go.

Ok, gloves off.

What the fuck is this? I’m French, but I play southern-rock tinged hard rock/metal? Am I missing something? Does he want to be a cowboy? I’m not sure what audience this guy is playing for, but it has to be a mighty small one.

I couldn’t listen to this whole thing; it is just plain bad. Ever see the classic movie “The Princess Bride”? “Born in Mud” must somehow tie in to the phrase “To the Pain” because it leaves me wallowing in freakish misery. For those not familiar, here is the full movie quote:

“Your ears you keep and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing," will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.”

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Here is “Wrath Temptation.”

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