BallBusterHardMusic.com - Online Metal Journal

July/August 2004

Ayreon
"The Human Equation"
SPV/Inside Out Music
by Jonathan Mariante

Ayreon is the brainchild of Dutch songwriter/musician/composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen, and it's a very unique and groundbreaking project. It's a progressive rock/metal opera of sorts, with a story that explores human emotions, inner struggles, and personal demons. I'm not sure exactly what the story is about but it appears to be about a man who's been having a hard time in life, and from what the lyrics say, he may be in coma, or some kind of catatonic state. There are a number of different characters, like "Me" (the main character), "Wife", "Best Friend", and a number of different emotions of "Me". It sounds, in the story, like "Wife" and "Best Friend" have a little thing going! Eleven different vocalists, most of them well known ones from all walks of metal and prog, lend their talents to this project, each one playing one of the different characters, like in a play. James La Brie (Dream Theater) plays the "Me" character, Lucassen himself plays the "Best Friend", Marcela Bovio (a new Mexican vocalist discovered and recruited by Lucassen just for this project) plays the "Wife", Devin Townsend is "Rage", Heather Findlay is "Love", Mike Baker id the "Father", Devon Graves is "Agony", Magnus Ekwall is "Pride", to name but a few. The music is complex, sophisticated, brilliantly written and played prog-rock/metal, like Dream Theater meets Spock's Beard, with touches of Pink Floyd, Rush, Jethro Tull, Queensryche, the Moody Blues, Savatage, and of course the masters of prog, like Yes and ELP. The keyboards, and they are abundant, are very influenced by Keith Emerson. Some of them, in fact, were played by special guest Ken Hensley, of Uriah Heep fame! Who better for the job? Each of the vocalists brings something to the table, with his/her own style, adding to the diversity of this project. Other styles of music are used by Ayreon to create their sound, like folk/Celtic and classical. An number of unusual instruments are used in here, including violins and other strings, flutes, recorders, and other woodwinds. Ayreon has really raised the bar for progressive music. It's clear a large amount of talent and effort has gone into this, and what has come out is brilliant! It takes all the classic elements of prog rock/metal, adds some new ideas, and pushes it to the next level, and beyond! A very innovative, and experimental project. And above all, very good. Some songs that stood out for me were "Trauma" and "Pride", both heavier tunes, the former being a slower, darker, Sabbath-inspired song, lasting nine minutes, while the latter is a faster tune, in which La Brie sings like Geddy Lee. Then there's "Sign", a Celtic/Tull influenced song, played largely on acoustic guitar and flute. It is beautifully played and sung, two of the women, Bovio and Findlay, singing on it. Very haunting! "Loser" begins with a diddgery-doo, the goes into being a metal tune with Celtic flavorings, sung aggressively by "Father". And finally, we have the grand finale in "Confrontation", this one being a straight up prog-metal tune in the vein of classic Dream Theater. It ends in a rather quirky way, with an electronic/robot-like voice saying, "Dream sequence ended. Have a nice day", and then one of the guys (La Brie, I think) says, "Emotions...I remember". This is quite a piece of work! A crowning achievement for progressive rock and metal, that will be a tough act to follow! A masterpiece of the genre has been created here! Congrats to all involved for a job well done!

http://www.ayreon.com

MariZen
"Field"
by Paul Autry

MariZen has been around since 2001 and I can't say that I ever heard of 'em before and chances are, most of you probably haven't heard of 'em either. Well, if I have anything to do with it, that's gonna change because I was really impressed with their current release, "Field," and I'm gonna praise this release to anybody who will listen...and if they don't listen...they're gonna hear about it anyway. Now, I'll be honest with you, they're not really breaking any new musical ground here. It's exceptionally easy to describe them...their musical style is a combination of pop, rock and punk. But, they add a fresh energy to this style and it's almost like you're hearing this kind of music for the very first time.

The album features ten songs and has a running time that's close to 30 minutes and they make every second count. Every song is a winner, there's not a weak one to be found. Hell, my only complaint is the fact that I'd like to hear more. There's a lot of releases out there that clock in at over an hour and some of 'em have no business being that long. When it comes to MariZen, I could listen to an hour's worth of their music and not get bored with it. This band is just fantastic...absolutely fantastic...that's all there is to it. I'm simply floored at how good this album is and if you don't check it out, well, it's your loss. Don't pass 'em up or you will regret it for the rest of your life!

http://www.marizen.com

The Josh Goode Band
"Fact Of The Matter"
by Paul Autry

I'm gonna take the easy way out here and simply quote the first paragraph from the bands bio. It states, "What would happen if John Mayer wrote songs for Rush? What if Bono jammed with Phish for a night? If you could take all the talent from progressive rock bands, the honest lyrics of a singer/songwriter, the accessibility of a pop band, the versatility of a jam band, package the energy of a rock band and stew all those elements together in a pop/rock setting, spicing it up with jazz, reggae, funk and ska, what on earth would it sound like? The end result would probably sound something like The Josh Goode Band." There's only six songs on this release and I believe the above paragraph sums it all up. My only arguement is that I really don't see, or in this case, hear, the "progressive rock" elements. And depending on how you view the word "rock," it's stretching it a bit. I mean, if you look in those CD club advertisements, some of them list Madonna as rock. Having the energy of a rock band, yes, I can agree with that. The music here is so upbeat, even when it's laid back, that you can't help but feel the groove. They're top quality players, there's no doubt about that. These guys are gearing up to take their music to a national level and there's a pretty good chance they're gonna make it. They've got the talent and they've got the music to back it up. So, expect to hear a lot more from this band in the near future.

http://www.joshgoodeband.com

Complex 7
"Process"
Self
by Paul Autry

"Process" is Complex 7's second self-financed release and their musical style of choice is obviously progressive metal with a hint of thrash thrown in for good measure. For the most part, it's a pretty cool release. It's go a great sound quality, which is a MUST for this style of music...and I don't care who it is. If you use the word "progressive" to describe your musical style, even if it's just a small part of what you're doing, I don't care, it better have a crisp, clear sound. Otherwise, it's gonna suck. Luckily, that's not the case here. But, it does have a moment or two that makes me wonder. Such as track three, "Vicious Circle." Almos four minutes into the song, they break into this strange jazz sounding style and it just doesn't cut it. Kind of brings down the song. Experimentation is one thing, but, why fool around with something that isn't broken? Know what I mean? Stick to the straight forward stuff and you can't go wrong. Other than that, what else...musicianship. These guys have that. They know their instruments and they know them well. They have the potential to go on to bigger and better things, that much I'm sure of.

With an eight song release, the band cranks out a little over 43 minutes worth of music and, as I said, for the most part, it's a pretty cool release. It's worth looking into if you're into this style of music. That's what I think.

http://www.complex7.de

Hearse
"Armaggedon Mon Amour"
(Candlelight Records)
by Vinnie Apicella

Following up on last year's universally acclaimed, if domestically deficient, "Dominion Reptilian" release, Sweden's Hearse delivers another eleven tracks of Armageddon-sized torment for tortured souls. "Armageddon Mon Amour" is mix of pain and pessimism lyricized from the half-empty glass of life, delivered with a wry smile, deadened with a mallet of dark Metal, then thrown in cold storage to be later usurped as a combination of Celtic Frost's "Morbid Tales," Entombed's "Uprising," and The Haunted.

Led by the leads of Johan Liiva, former throat scratcher for the renowned Arch Enemy, his raspy roar comes through the listening zone like a razor run against chafing skin. Ably aided by a mere two members who together, sound bigger and bloodier than one might perceive, the trio creates an exciting style of modern Death aggression with blindsiding structural breaks of mood and melody, and old world tradition full with power groove and arena-sized soloing. Seriousness and sarcasm follow the theme of tracks like "Mountain of the Solar Eclipse," "Turncoat," and "Crops of Waste," with the "theme" developing through a lyrical high-rise of hope for humanity that's soon tugged and thrown to the ground amidst a cynical smile accentuated by down turned brows and gut-crunching choruses defined by "ultimate failures," "falls from grace," and "the beginning of the end."

To discount a degree of devil's music and mournful tones would do a disservice to the band, founded upon the principles of an evil in the extreme; thus a song like "Play Without Rules," overall amongst the most aggressive and adventuresome, crosses swords with ol' school Slayer and Napalm, "Amorphis-sizes" for some thirty seconds at the three minute mark, before smashing through the final sixty seconds in the fit of rage it began with. "Determination" follows with a melodiously catchy basic beat that sees Liiva go Goth while the song unfolds to reveal a deeper sound. Concluding with the stirring "Armageddon, Mon Amour," Hearse reveals its ethereal charms, revealing yet another side to a band bore of many elements of the Metal extreme, efficiently executed, deadly precise, stress-free and sensitized without the endless slew of Shakespearean features to slow progress. Overall, Hearse's second offering picks up and delivers for anyone and everyone who's ever been driven by the devil's horns, or just wears 'em for the holidays!

UFO
"You Are Here"
(SPV Records)
by Vinnie Apicella

UFO's millionth record finds them here… right back where they started. In truth, they never really left, some thirty years after they began. And remarkably so, considering the sun rarely shines on long gone '70s bands with ill-conceived '80s comebacks, log jam line up changes and overseas-only tour stops. Ah, but UFO, with or without Mr. Schenker, is a plotline of perseverance among their peers, still surviving in spite of perceived outdatedness and photogenic deficiencies.

"You Are Here" features a dual infusion of instrumental talent by way of guitar-shredder, Vinnie Moore, and skinsman Jason Bonham, both of whom ignite the charge that carries this album, for the most part, past the paternally correct patterns of playing style generally reserved for one trick ponies of the jam band generation. The big question, can the fretwork of Moore make fans forget Schenker? In truth, does it really matter anymore? Michael's work with UFO is certainly the stuff of legend, but his on again off again personality and perceived selfishness takes away from the predominant UFO element the aura the band produced more often than not. It was never about one or another musician, and it's not necessarily the case here, but the contributions of Moore and Bonham certainly give this one some extra legs.

The biggest surprise could be Phil Mogg's potent delivery on the vocals, vehemently delivering his outerworldly poeticism with a zeal few could've expected. Of the twelve tracks, there's plenty of age-old UFO-style ballad and Blues Rock including several highlights grounded by the occasional dead weight. The opening stomp of "When The Daylight Goes To Town" rides a "Rock In A Hard Place" riff in becoming one of the more driven tracks the further we fly; "Black Cold Coffee" is a terrestrial jam that feature's Moore's dexterous runs around the fretboard for one of the band's most eager productions, narrated within a Bonnie & Clyde type storyline that's one part drama, another hallucinogenic Mogg-world ramble tremendous on all fronts. "The Wild One" is beefed up and groovier in the vein of AC/DC with a few more scale runs than string bends, while "Give It Up" is catchy but eventual heard it all before filler; "Slipping Away" is a slip up in spite of its acoustic/electric multi-tracking dress and go nowhere plodding, while "The Spark That Is Us" is classic UFO, sensitized and ready for romance; a quality that's remained a trademark since day one.

Noticeably withdrawn are Paul Raymond's keyboards, usually responsible for the ethereal essence that's earmarked many a classic record, here lurking in the background, barely audible save for an occasional pre or post-solo appearance more compliment than character in any event. However, what the album lacks in color, it gains in mass, designed and delivered with a density that belies their formerly flighty persona. The album should have ended on track ten, that being "Jello Man," among their more edgy, if not energetic tracks, instead of tacking on two overdrawn weary travelers with tired choruses and clunky production, though "Swallow" the closer, upon sixth listen becomes quite catchy and anthemic.

With subtle variants, noticeable only in that UFO's classic Rock style is so well embedded in the minds of followers, "You Are Here" is an admirable offering that's got an air of instrumental groove with a new found edge, not to be confused with any among the old Schenker-bred standards like "Phenomenon" or "Lights Out," of course, but it's a better than decent album that states its case in simpler terms only minus, and to its own detriment, the degree of electricity and atmosphere that was synonymous with the listening journey since their first sighting.

Bluntface Records
"The First Compilation"
(Bluntface)
by Paul Autry

You know that old saying about how opinions are like assholes because everybody has them? Well, the same can be said about compilation CD's. It seems almost like you're not a real record label unless you put out a compilation CD. I'll be the first to admit that they're a good way to sample a lot of different music. There's a lot of 'em out there, that's for sure...and that may or may not be a good thing depending on how you look at it. Some are put together really well and others have no business even being in circulation. There's some that just seem to throw any kind of music on a single disc and it just doesn't flow right. Regardless of quality, not all music was created equal, remember that...especially when putting a compilation CD together. It may work for some people, but, for most of us, we're not gonna be happy listening to a rock tune, a rap tune, a country tune, a punk tune, a death metal tune, a folk tune and so on and so forth all in one sitting. So, where does this release fit in? Well, always a plus in my book is listing contact information for the featured artists. That was done here, good job. The package was kind of boring and, yes, I know that you shouldn't judge a book by the cover. But, remember, presentation does count for something and, in this case, eye candy it's not. Finally, the music. It's got somewhat of a good flow, but, for the most part, it's not a flow that really caught my attention. Let's take a quick run through these 20 tracks here.

1) Senseless Mutilation "Radiated Out Of Existence" ~ The death growl vocals just killed it for me. Take a lesson, learn how to sing.
2) 48 Rooms "Ascend" ~ Typical heavy rock, nothing too special. Not a bad song though.
3) Wormdr1v3 "Loaded" ~ Sounds like noise to me. Don't quit your day job.
4) Purge d.i. "Elevate" ~ So far, the best of the bunch.
5) Skintrance "Fountain" ~ Electronic/industrial (?) with vocals that really got on my nerves. Next.
6) Teiousekkai "Translucent Soul" ~ Is that a chick singing? Okay, well, there's some potential here. Wouldn't form an opinion because of this song. But, this is the first one that interested me enough to make a note of their website so I can seek out some additional information.
7) Evil Sex Party "New Era Death March" ~ Sorry, not into the whole metal rave thing.
8) Dan Miller "Suffer In Me" Rock that needs some work. Not really bad...more, shall we say, plain.
9) Shockwave "Darwinism Failed" ~ Yeah...and so did this song.
10) Fernco "This One Goes" ~ A rap song that does not belong on this release. It's actually a cool song. But, if you happened to like any of the first nine songs, I doubt that this will be a tune you'll appreciate. I liked it, but, that's just me.
11) The Bloodsuckers "Happy For You" ~ Not sure what you'd call this. Dirty punk? Whatever, it's cool.
12) Teiousekkai "Passerby" ~ No opinion yet. But, I'm excited. I have a funny feeling that I'll be writing about this band in the future.
13) Bob Dwyer "Project Sweet" ~ Since I don't do crack on a regular basis, I just don't get it.
14) Powder Keg "Unemployment" ~ Impressive.
15) Purge d.i. "Eggroll Samuru" ~ I liked track four better.
16) Senseless Mutilation "The Way Of The Knife" ~ I'd rather listen to my toilet flush.
17) Skee "That Sound" ~ More rap. Needs a lot of work. Listen to track 10 to see how it's done.
18) 48 Rooms "Clockwise" ~ A lot better than their other track.
19) Evil Sexy Party "The Underground" ~ Did I mention that I don't do drugs?
20) Wormdr1v3 "Fear Of Mine To Conform" ~ It's three in the morning as I'm writing this and I'm more interested in going to sleep right now and it really doesn't bother me that I didn't even get through this entire song...if you wanna call it that.

Please take notes if you plan on making a second compilation. While there was some good (okay) stuff on here, my suggestion would be to seek out Teiousekkai, as they were the real bright spot on this release. Hell, let me make it easier for you by just giving you their website: http://www.teiousekkai.com

If anything else I had to say made you curious or interested, check out the link below and have a nice day. http://www.bluntfacerecords.com

Brazil
"A Hostage And The Meaning Of Life"
(Fearless Records)
By Vinnie Apicella

"A Hostage And The Meaning Of Life" is a supreme being standing tall amidst a sea of sameness in Post-H/C and Indie Rock circles. The Indianan sextet pulls the best from '70s Prog Rock, '80s Modern, and today's burgeoning Emo scene and seamlessly creates a stunning debut that's far enough advanced to consider unique, yet polished enough to absorb easily.

Combining lyrical sensitivity underpinned by intricate dual guitar scaling, atmospheric melodies, catchy hooks and percussive dynamism, featuring piano, synthesizers, strings and modern production, tastefully blended by Indie-approved Alex Newport, each song is an art form unto itself, effectively transporting the listener beyond the borders of expectation while marrying a wealth of usually incompatible instrumentation. "A Hostage And The Meaning Of Life" draws inspiration from the same well as many of today's heartbroken saviors, but set apart in the delivery that's an emotional and experimental wandering, similar to a current band like Coheed & Cambria, or a "whatever happened to…" group like Cyclefly, or what At The Drive In once was, as well as the atmospheric richness of Armor For Sleep.

Between the covers, a song like "A Hostage," the first to emerge, possesses the technical dynamism of Rush's "2112" temperament, later yields to the astral passion of the angelic "Escape," or the prog-tinged psychedelics of a six minute epic like "Metropol," where subtle traces of the sax can be faintly heard, they're everywhere and all over, seemingly without ever touching the ground.

If one were to build on the acclaim deservedly afforded another newcomer like Funeral For A Friend for its forward thinking ability to run traditional Metal scales with melodic sensitivity and scattered arrangements, Brazil goes a step higher. By enlisting the age of the avant garde, recalling New Wave and Synth-Pop imagery where Goth and Modernity seized hold of a once dominant Rock position and ascended it to new heights. Brazil has and displays that ability, to rewrite the guidelines of not only Rock, but all its accepted subdivisions, declines the invitation to join in and goes it alone. It's like the output of all those half-awake, 4AM revelations written and recorded and the evasive, usually unconscionable result emerges here. "A Hostage…" is an amazing debut destined to be a true classic, only without the usual twenty year wait.

Gary Numan
"Live In London"
(Eagle Records)
by Vinnie Apicella

The latest live installment for one of the forefathers of the Electro-Pop revolution finds Mr. Numan featured on a live two CD set crammed full of early age classics and modern models, however, excluding the many a nameless, generally faceless releases during the so-called down time for the man who felt on the outside looking in at two notches beyond cracking the top 40 at one point.

"Live In London" is an excellent, nearly like being there, live record, not only for the fact that it features Numan's expected golden era digging deep into his late '70s origins, first with Tubeway Army, before embarking on such "Numan's Own" titles as "Replicas" which featured the oft-revisited classic "Down In The Park," and the massively popular "The Pleasure Principle," which reached chart-topping accolades led by the ageless, "Cars" hit. But perhaps owing to the fact that his label just threw out another live record last year which was more of a "complete" collection, fans will find many an unusual or unexpected opus unearthed for the occasion, such as B-sider's like "We Are So Fragile" or "Noise Noise," both of which, were met with an equally unlikely fan enthusiasm in spite of their obscure origins.

"Live In London," took place on the final date of Numan's "Exile" tour of the UK in 1997, concluding at Shepards Bush Empire, and highlighting a return to his darker side with soul stirring songs infused with edgier guitar parts and industrial-dynamism, from what was considered a strong comeback for the performer that time basically forgot from '85-'95, in a period when it was neither cool nor desirable to be either Punk, Glam, Goth, or forward thinking. Led here by tracks like the surging "Dominion Day," the disturbing image developed by "Dark," and techno-rich nuances of the funky "An Alien Cure."

Numan was and has been all of these things. One need look no further than to many of yesterday and today's mega-selling supergroups for proof. He broke at a time well before MTV ever plastered a Pop princess on the viewing screen, creating captivating sounds that were both chilling and cinematic, and eventually, far beyond listener comprehension. Years later, they would catch up. However, bands like early '80s New & Dark Wave pioneers like Depeche Mode, OMD, and later Techno-Industrial kings Nine Inch Nails, by way of cover or collaboration, have sung the praises of the man, effectually raising his stature far above any one or ten critics and slumping sales figures could force down.

"Live In London" was hailed by Numan himself as a "religious experience" and "awe-inspiring" and seven years after it happened, and in spite of inexplicably following up on 2003's "Live at Brixton Academy" record, finds Numan at his elemental and exploratory best, revitalized and recaptured, and importantly, re-examining and rewriting his reborn future.

Lamont
"Thunder Boogie"
(Traktor 7 Records)
by Vinnie Apicella

Few bands come across on record like they're storming straight through your living room with an in yer face sound that's like six speakers pinned side to side on either side of your head, amps cranked beyond limits while the band trudges with muddy boots and buckshot. It's a Beantown boogie of brain battering proportions as Boston's threesome bore of Thunder Boogie and trailer trash tenacity push the brashness well past the boundaries of fan friendly commercial Rock and star polish.

Envision bands like AC/DC and Motorhead in their infancies unimaginable, I know but that starve for the stage attitude and grind 'em down intensity signaled the start of something wonderfully reckless and raunchy in a Rock n' Roll game gone bubblegum. With an already impressive following riding on their collective power cord, Lamont's six year journey's seen them hit the trails with fellow Bostonians, Scissorfight, The Cutthroats9, and the incomparable kings of beer, bud, and bad, Gangreen, while currently warming up for U.K. denim and doom legends, Orange Goblin, and doin' some underground style sound tracking for extreme sports and video.

Tunes like the fast-paced and menacing, "Hotwire," "Vegas," "Hell's Got Me Runnin'," raw and reminiscent of "Let Their Be Rock," and the anthemic Punk surge of "Psychopath," reveal a DIY ethic with a go for broke delivery, and coarse Rollins-like vox that together recall early pioneers like Motorhead and AC/DC, instilled yet with a Southern-fried sarcasm and Stooge-infused virus that's destined to affect millions with ill manners, nerve damage, and self-inflicted aural wounds. Three guys, three chords, feedback, distortion, and barroom backing chorus, "Thunder Boogie" is like thunder and lightning surging through your veins and out your eye sockets, lighting your mind and renewing faith that Rock n' Roll was always meant to be loud, obnoxious, dirty and devil sent.

Leash Law
"Dogface"
Black Lotus Records 2004
by Jym Harris

I was a Crimson Glory fan when Midnight sang for them. Then there was a 'comeback' with the drummer from Savatage and this unknown singer named Wade Black. everyone agreed that Wade could hit the notes but wasn't as dramatic as Midnight... Well, as it turns out Wade has a NEW band...They are called Leash Law and Wade is much more suited to this outfit than he was to Crimson Glory. This is a very good sounding European style Power metal CD. Visit: www.black-lotus-recs.com for more information.

Woodswork
"Life In Dead Trees"
(Dead Tree Records)
by Paul Autry

With all the music that's floating around in the world, it should come as no suprise that there's probably a really great band out there that you're not familiar with. After all, no matter how much you're into music, you do tend to miss some good stuff here and there and, let's face it, you can't know every band who happens to have a great CD. With that said, I'd like to introduce you to Maryland's Woodswork. Now, I don't know about you, but, I happen to listen to a lot of music and every now and then, I get bored with it all. When that happens, I begin to look for something fresh and exciting and, honestly, in this day and age, it's hard to find something new to get excited about. If you feel the same way, it's time for you to give this band a listen. Woodswork is a band that creates original rock music that incorporates classical violin, three part harmonies, male and female, and piano. The end result is a rather interesting sound that's sure to capture your attention. That's not something I'm saying just to fill up space either. I usually rant and rave when I have to write about something that's not a full length release. "Life In Dead Trees" only features six songs and the running time is just under 30 minutes. But, I was too impressed with this release to care about that. I was more interested in hitting the repeat button on my CD player so I could listen to it again. When you're in need of something new and different, be sure to give Woodswork a listen. Once you do, every other CD in your collection is gonna start gathering dust for lack of use.

http://www.woodswork.com

Vintersorg
The Focusing Blur
(Napalm Records)
by Chris Forbes

This was a pretty cool release. The band blend black metal, folk music, clean vocals, and emotional music to make a very solid release. The music goes in all sorts of directions and has that roller coaster effect. This is far from typical black metal and is not just a run of the mill band. The band is trying to do something different and with this release they did more than the job. Info: www.napalmrecords.com

Belphegor
Lucifer Incestus
(Napalm Records)
by Chris Forbes

A blazing raw attack of death/black metal that will leave you breathless. Smashing drums, blistering riffs and vocals from hell. This is metal the way it should be played. Reminds me of old Morbid Angel if they were all in out black metal. An excellent display of death/black metal that will cripple the weak. Info: www.napalmrecords.com

Impulse Manslaughter
Live At WFMU
(Beer City Music)
by Chris Forbes

17 raw live tracks from a radio show in NJ from 1993. There is also some tracks from various EP's and a unreleased track too. This band played fast raw sounding punk/hardcore music with screamed vocals. This is no nu metal crap. This is the real deal. For those into real hardcore music they way it should sound, pick this up. Info: www.beercityrecords.com

Stormlord
The Gorgon Cult
(Scarlet Records)
by Chris Forbes

Boring death/goth metal with female vocals and boring songs. The music just doesn't go anywhere and the songs sound pointless. Typical black metal vocals and those female vocals were weak. Not a good release. Info: www.scarletrecords.it

Disarmonia Mundi
"Fragments Of D-Generation"
(Scarlet Music)
by Chris Forbes

At The Gates style death metal. The band play fast melodic death metal. The production is solid and if your into At The Gates style death metal you'll want this. Info: www.scarletrecords.it

Killradio
Off With His Head
by Chris Forbes

4 tracks of punk rock with a commercial edge to it. The band can write some good solid radio friendly tunes that most of coperate america will like if they promote this right. Sort of like The Offspring and bands like that. Really not for me. Info: www.killradiorevolution.com

Withering Surface
Force The Pace
(Scarlet Music)
by Chris Forbes

More At The Gates style death metal. The vocals are screamed, but have some reverb on them at times, which I didn't like. The music is typical of this style, fast parts, followed by some slower melodic parts. This really didn't do anything to stand out to me and just seems like another faceless death metal band in the scene. Info: www.scarletrecords.it

Chastain
"The 7th And The Voice"
Leviathan Records
by Jonathan Mariante

David Chastain is, without a doubt, one of the best guitarists in metal, ever! And he is criminally underrated! He has been going at it for almost twenty years, and has released a boatload of albums, under the Chastain moniker, as a solo artist, and with his other band, CJSS. He's a total workaholic, not to mention a brilliant, gifted musician and songwriter. This CD is a reissue of two of Chastain's (the band) 80s classics, "The 7th Of Never" ('87) and "The Voice Of The Cult" ('88), on one CD. At this time, the band featured the vocal talents of the lovely Leather Leone, and Dave was backed up by bassist Mike Skimmerhorn and drummer Ken Mary (who, in his career, has also played with Alice Cooper and TKO, among others). The music on these albums is traditional, classic heavy metal, being that these albums were first released in the 80s, but Chastain also touch a few other metal bases on the way. Some of the songs verge on being thrash/speed metal, while others have a darker, doomier feel to them, like Trouble or Rainbow (David's playing has a lot of Ritchie Blackmore influence). Leather has a strong, powerful, aggressive, bombastic voice, kind of like a female Ronnie Dio, and she can really belt 'em out! David's technical guitar playing also throws another flavor into the mix. This guy can shred! Why he isn't a household name is beyond me! He's also a great song writer and wrote all the songs on both albums, with a little help from Leather. These albums have been lost treasures for some time now, and it's great to have them back in the light of day again. What a sin it is that a great guitarist like Dave has never gotten the props he deserves! Not only does he play brilliantly, he has his own unique style, he writes great songs with intelligent lyrics, he has fantastic female vocalists sing for him (Kate French has now replaced Leather as Chastain's front woman), and he's definitely METAL! In Chastain, he doesn't overplay either, he lets it be an actual band, rather than hogging the spotlight. Now that these albums are reissued, perhaps the world can see what Chastain (the man and the band) has to offer and he'll get some of that long overdue recognition.

http://www.leviathanrecords.com

Queensryche
"The Art Of Live"
Sanctuary Records
by Jonathan Mariante

The boys in Queensryche are certainly masters of "the art of live". I don't need to state the obvious by saying what a brilliant, talented band Queensryche are. This is a well produced, well recorded live album, and the songs sound great live. When it comes to playing live, Queensryche have got it down to a T! They are perfectionists! However, having said that, I have a couple of beefs with this album. First of all the bulk of the songs (nine out of the fourteen) are Queensryche's more recent albums, like "Hear In The Now Frontier" and "Q2K", and in my opinion, those albums just don't measure up to the band's earlier material. The five classic songs on here are "Breaking The Silence", "Best I Can"' "The Needle Lies" (complete with Dr. X's evil chuckle!), "Della Brown", and "Anybody Listening?". Why they excluded so many of their classics is beyond me! Perhaps they wanted to release a live album of songs they've never recorded live before. That's understandable, but it still wouldn't hurt to throw in a few more of the classics. It just doesn't seem complete without songs like "Revolution Calling", "Operation Mindcrime", "Silent Lucidity", "Take Hold Of The Flame", "Empire", "Eyes Of A Stranger", "I Don't Believe In Love", "Queen Of The Reich", "The Lady Wore Black", etc. Queensryche have enough material that this could have been a double disc set! I don't know why they didn't make it one! Another complaint I have about this album is there seems to be an emphasis on Queensryche's slower, more laid back songs, like "My Global Mind", "Roads To Madness", and the aforementioned "Della Brown" and "Anybody Listening?". Come on, guys, we need more rockers on here! Are you trying to put your fans to sleep? You're supposed to be a metal band! Nothing wrong with a ballad here and there as long as it's just that-here and there, not a whole bunch in a row! If I want to go to a concert where I can catch a snooze, I'll go see Yanni or Barry Manilow! There certainly no denying Queensryche's greatness, but this album was a bit of a letdown. Next time, more classics, and more rockers! And make it a double disc. Give your fans their money's worth!

TOC
' Loss Angeles'
(Inside Out Music)
By John Haseltine

TOC blend together a mixture of rock, progressive metal and some jazz elements that leave the listener in awe. TOC do a great cover song of Smoke On The Water . And as a bonus track Judas Priest's Night Crawler. The highlights are there own songs. Some very catchy songs and ballads abound. Rock, ass kickin' riffs and synths. Great musicianship. 'Loss Angeles' is a " melancholic but groovy story of love and crime." Will appeal to fans of, Amorphis, Therion, Opeth, Evergrey. In a world of wanting to stand out with your own identity, TOC have a mesmerizing sound all their own. So much emotion. Melodic progressive metal at it's best. Very powerful. TOC take a step back to form with the more death metal track, 'Break-a-Neck' . Almost a little out of place, but a great song none the less . This track lets you know why TOC used to be dubbed the kid brother of Children Of Bodom . Excellent production and a very talented bunch of musicians. 'Loss Angeles' marks the third release for TOC. And for the good of the people, hopefully won't be the last. A great album all around.

www.tocrocks.com

Node
'Das Kapital'
(Scarlet Records)
by John Haseltine

Node are back with their third full length release 'Das Kapital'. 'Das Kapital' is a concept album touching on the past centuries political conflicts with some historical and sarcastic points of view. With numerous line-up changes since their 1994 inception, Node has come full tilt with a renewed death/thrash metal approach. The current line-up of Daniel Botti - lead vocals/guitars, Gary D'Eramo - guitars/backing vocals, Klaus Mariani - bass & Marco Di Salvia - drums, give an all out assault with some very strong material. This release also features guest musicians Jacob Bredahl (Hatesphere) and Petri Kusiisto (Carnal Forge). Very heavy and technical parts throughout. Neck breaking vengeance with every track. They also do a killer cover of Queensryche's Empire. Sound wise this release is in the vein of In Flames, Soilwork, Dimension Zero, No Return. They just finished up a round of dates with Lacuna Coil and are supporting Anthrax in Milano in July. You need to check this one out.

www.scarletrecords.it
www.theendrecords.com

Hatework
'Thrash-n-Roll'
(Beer City Records)
by John Haseltine

It sometimes amazes me. That with all the music I've collected over the years, and with all the reviews that I'm fortunate to do, that I come across a great band who have been out for several years. 'Trash-n-Roll' being the eighth release by these Italian "thrash-n-rollers", is nothing less than a 10(if one were to use a point scale). I thank Beer City Records (D.R.I., M.D.C., Verbal Abuse) for picking them up. With the influences of thrash, hardcore, and good old rock-n-roll, Hatework give you 12 tracks, clocking in at 42 minutes, of beer cranking, hard skankin' music. They, well this release reminds me of Tankard, Sick Of It All. I highly recommend for all hard music lovers. Hatework are Lo-drums, Marco-guitars, and Max-bass/vocals.

www.hatework.it

Twilight Ophera
'The End Of Halcyon Age'
(Crash Music)
by John Haseltine

Thundering fury of a blackened/death sound. This being Twilight Opheras third release, full of fierce black metal with backing orchestral sounds. Good, strong compositions here, with numerous 180 degree time changes. Great production. Very full sounding. Very reminiscent of Unshrouded Bitterness, Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Children of Bodom. Featuring members of Gloomy Grim and Soulgrind. Sure to rank among the best of the best albums of this genres style. Dramatic at times. A well rounded disk with all a likeable feel. " Sorely aroused from a nightmarish portent of perishing cruelty ." Well put. Twilight Ophera unleash their own sonic sounding mixture of black metal. I enjoyed from start to finish. Twilight Ophera are Mikko Hakkinen-vocals, Toni Mnaykki- guitars, Mikko Kaipainen- guitars, Timo Puranen- synths, Janne Ojala-drums, Lord Heikkinen-bass, and Haxu- additional clean vocals.

www.twilight-ophera.com

Sunno)))
'White2'
(Southern Lord)
by John Haseltine

Sunno))) is the brainchild of Steve O'Malley (Khanate/Burning Witch) and Goat Snake's Greg Anderson. There are also guest appearances by Attila Csihar, Joe Preston, Rex Ritter and Dawn Smithson.White2 being the fifth release by the band, gives you three very eccentric epics. All three being a journey into the darkest depths of the unknown. The soundtrack to another dimension . Long droning journey into the sound of the vastest regions. Very different for sure. Long, slow, sadness infested bass lines and eeriest sounds known. Something to zone to. Cool.

www.southernlord.com

Leviathan
'Tentacles Of Horror'
(Moribund Records)
By John Haseltine

Some of the sickest yet mesmerizing black metal songs I've heard in awhile. Bombastic, hyper speed terror. A few slowdowns fit in well. This disk has more than just a black metal sound. It has a feel to it. Twelve tracks of fury are unleashed upon you're weary soul. Cold, grim and evil. Just as the Moribund motto goes. Give a listen at the website. Then order one for yourself. A premiere release by one of the few premiere U.S. black metal bands.

www.moribundcult.com

Falkenbach
'Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty'
(Napalm Records)
By John Haseltine

Symphonic sounds of keys and strings start off the disk and delves you into a wonderful mixture of metals. Sounding of the most progressive to the darkest of metal with a folk feel to it. A Jethro Toll meets Dimmu Borgir. Vratyas Vakyas' first release was in '89 and with a six year sabbatical, has not stopped since. A wonderfully refreshing blend. Sad melodies with "hymn-like" vocals throughout. Great musicianship. Will appeal to fans of And Oceans, some Dream Theater, Opeth, Amorphis. Took me nothing to get into this one. Very catchy riffs, taunting acoustics with very memorable vocals. An epic in the making. A very heroic sound. A great listen over and over. Recommend over and over.

www.falkenbach.de

Gene Simmons
"Assshole"
(Sanctuary)
by Paul Autry

Gene Simmons is the Jack Nicholson of rock 'n' roll and on this, his debut solo album (yes, I know there was another one, but, do you see a Kiss logo on this one) he shows that there's more to life than being a fire breathing, blood spitting, bass fucking, demon in the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band.

Old habits die hard and, with the first two tracks, "Sweet & Dirty Love" and "Firestarter," Gene proves that he can still rock with the best of 'em. Actually, he does it a third time with "Weapons Of Mass Destruction" as well. The rest of the disc, however, shows that he's a man of many talents. He's rather mellow on tracks like "Waiting For The Morning Light," "Now That You're Gone," "If I Had A Gun," "1,000 Dreams" and "Beautiful," which kind of has a Beatles vibe to it. He's radio ready with "Whatever Turns You On" and, to be honest with you, the title track is a rather simple rock song, but, I think it's one of the best tracks on the album. I can't explain why, but, as soon as I heard it, it became one of my favorite songs.

Gene Simmons doesn't have to prove anything to anybody and, yeah, some people will love it, some people will hate it. Some people will get it, some people won't. If you don't get it, who cares? Don't buy the album, let it sit on the shelf so that someone who does get it can find it a lot easier.

In my opinion, there's only one thing that I really need to say...it's Gene Simmons. That's good enough for me.

http://www.kissonline.com
http://www.genesimmons.com

Little Feat
"Kickin' It At The Barn"
(Hot Tomato Records)
by Paul Autry

Little Feat has been kickin' it for the past 35 years and, with this release, they're not showing any signs of slowing down. Since they're not really a band that I followed, I can't compare this release to any of their previous work. Considering what I have to say, that might actually be a good thing because, the thought that first came into my mind when I gave this album a listen was that it has a fresh, modern sound. That's not to say that they're doing anything original here (so to speak) because this music has been done before. It's not like you're gonna listen to this and go, "Wow, I've never heard that before!" However, I'm sure you'll say to yourself, "Yeah, this is pretty good." Little Feat has a lot of variety in their music. Funk, boogie, country, honkey tonk, jam rock, blues, you name it. They mix it all up to give you an album where each song has a life of their own and that's something I really look for in a band. My favorite style of music is 80's style rock 'n' roll. Even if someone is doing that style now, and even if it's a good album, you kind of know what to expect. It's not like there's gonna be any major suprises from track to track. Know what I mean? On "Kickin' It At The Barn," it's total opposite...you never know what to expect. You don't know what's coming and the only way you'll have this entire album figured out is to play it from begining to end.

"Kickin' It At The Barn" is a good, musical album that I'm sure will appeal to a wide audience and that's pretty much all there is to it.

http://www.littlefeat.com
http://www.hottomatorecords.com

Eight Days Gone
"Silence To The Naysayers"
(Ragin' Grace/Titan)
by Paul Autry

Eight Days Gone are based (roughly) two hours from where I live, which was quite a nice suprise. It's good to know that there's a high quality band such as this that's out there doing the Pennsylvania music scene proud. This release follows a pair of self-produced efforts, "In The Absence Of Subtlety" (2002) and "303 Sessions" (2003). I haven't heard those releases, so, "Silence To The Naysayers" is really my first experience with the band...and, needless to say, I was blown away. This release is a solid, well written, guitar driven, rock album that's pretty close to perfection. The quality of musicianship is there, the way they present themselves is professional and, while I haven't seen them live yet, I think it's a safe bet to assume that they would deliver there as well. Take the 48 minute journey through "Silence To The Naysayers" and I guarantee you will be impressed!

http://www.eightdaysgone.com

"Evil Lives-A True Metal Tribute To Black Sabbath"
(Various Artist)
Magick Records
by Jonathan Mariante

Here we have a bunch of power metal masters, old and new, paying tribute to the ones who started it all! We begin with Iced Earth doing their version of "Black Sabbath" (which originally appeared on their album, "Tribute To The Gods"), in which Matt Barlow wails like a banshee in a spine chilling voice! Too bad he's out of the band now. We also have Primal Fear doing a sped up version of "Die Young" and Jag Panzer covering "Children Of The Sea", leather lunged vocalist Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin singing to rival Ronnie Dio! Racer X do a good version of "Children Of The Grave", featuring some hot licks from guitar wizard Paul Gilbert, and even more of those can be heard from George Lynch, in his and Vince Neil's version of "Paranoid". Guess they had to include someone from the 80s "hair brigade", but hey, Sabbath influenced them too. Just listen to the Crue's "Shout At The Devil" album and I DARE you to say you don't hear some Sabbath in that! And in this version of "Paranoid", George really shreds! Next up is Steel Prophet with "Neon Knights". Prophet vocalist Rick Mythiasin sounds a great deal like Ronnie! Also included are Agent Steel, doing a speed metal version of "Hole In The Sky", Dofka doing "NIB" (not much different from the original), Icarus Witch doing "Falling Of The Edge Of The World", Order Of Nine doing a rather trippy version of "Disturbing The Priest" (from the "Born Again" album, the one Sabbath did with Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillian), where they appear to use some vocal distortion. And finally, the disc ends with Twisted Tower Dire and October 31 (Hey there King, how ya doing, ol' buddy?) doing two 80s Sabbath tunes, "Glory Ride" and "Danger Zone", respectively. It's good to hear some of the power metal greats paying their respects to Sabbath. They all do a good job, and when many people think of Black Sabbath's influence on rock/metal, the first thing that often comes to mind is grunge, doom, and other more "contemporary" styles. Nothing against that, but Sabbath was as big an influence (if not a bigger one) on true heavy metal. Would Priest, Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, or any of the traditional/power/thrash/speed metal bands we all know and love (including the ones featured on this album) be here today if it wasn't for Black Sabbath? Doubtful! Hats off to all the bands who participated!