Robot Lords of Tokyo-Virtue & Vice

RLOT Music
2013

Ohio's Robot Lords of Tokyo return with their 3rd full-length album. With nine original tracks, a cover of "Night Songs" (from Cinderella's 1986 debut "Night Songs") and guest lead guitarists including Chris Poland (Megadeth), Tracy G (Dio), Wayne Findlay (Michael Schenker Group) and Steve Theado (American Dog) it's hard to find any fault in "Virtue & Vice". Yet again the band (Rick Ritzler-drums, guitar and Paul Jones-vocals, guitar) enlisted Joe Viers (Bobaflex, No Sky Today) as a producer/bassist with mastering done by Richard Bengstsson (Oepth, Arch Enemy). Rhythm guitarist Beau Vanbibber (Deflagration) joins in on the bulk of these tracks and I must say how much I like the fact that this pair enlists numerous Ohio musicians to fill in the gaps. Aside from the guest guitarists above you get lead guitar work done by Ohio's own Terry Adams (ex-Trigger Zone/Throttle Z) on the killer Black Label Society-like rocker "Two In The Belly (One in the Head)". Speaking of Black Label Society (and all things southern rock) the group spices things up with sweet harmonica on "Chicken Little". It's not all southern rock grooves from this pair though as the Robot Lords of Tokyo also indulge in stoner rock, doom and hard rock. There's a distinct Clutch vibe going on here (which is all golden if you ask me), but there's splashes of  Down, C.O.C., Alabama Thunderpussy,  Monster Magnet and Motörhead as well. Or at least to these ears. I've also felt like this Ohio-based outfit had a bit of a dirty rock/biker rock edge going for them and "Virtue & Vice" just affirmed that in my mind. It's a shame their not more well-known among stoner/doom and groove metal junkies though as the riffs are heavy as hell and these guys know how to throw shit down! By the time the 9 minute "Through Perdition's Flames" wraps things up you feel as if you've been thrown to the lions, chewed up and spit back out with nothing but your stripped-clean bones left!  Bless the gods of rock n' roll for giving us the pair of Rick Ritzler and Paul Jones and this (much needed) smoked-out/whiskey-soaked new batch of songs. Especially as we need a counter-attack to all the crap the suits like to call "music"!

http://www.robotlordsoftokyo.com/

Still "single" Saturday "singles"

A slew of new singles have found there way into my inbox as of late as well as news about new singles. Rather then review them one at a time I should I'd just throw everything out there and give you my brief opinion on them. As for the title? Well, I used it once before and it's a bad pun even if the sentiment still rings true.



U.D.O.-"Metal Machine": This is the new single off of "Steelhammer" due on May 21st. It should be showing up on radio shortly. If the rest of the album is as good as this new single then 2013 should be a very good year for metal fans!

Satan-"Siege Mentality" Single: This is off of "Life Sentence" due April 29th in the UK and May 21st in the US. If you think I'm excited about this new album you have no idea! Satan are nwobhm legends and "Siege Mentality" is simply sinister and sweet. Of all of the new singles this is hands down my favorite and the album that I am most looking forward to hearing in 2013!

Airbourne-"Live It Up": "Black Dog Barking!", which will be Airbourne's third studio album, is due out on May 21st as well. More AC/DC love out of these lads. It is what it is. Not bad, but it sounds an awfully lot like "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)"....or at least the opening does.

Mind Assassin-"Mind of Caesar": This is the first single from this New York, NY heavy metal band that features Bob Mitchell of Sleepy Hollow fame on lead vocals. While there is no label information yet fans should expect some cool heavy metal/power metal if this new single is any indication. With Bob sounding as excellent and epic as ever this should be another good LP to look forward to!

Black Star Riders-"Bound For Glory": Boy, am I ever glad these guys didn't decide to release new music under the Thin Lizzy name. That would have been so wrong! "Bound For Glory" is the first single for the forthcoming album, "All Hell Breaks Loose", and features rock that wouldn't be too far out of place next to Thin Lizzy and the sort. With Ricky Warick on lead vocals the band looks to take what Thin Lizzy started and build upon it (or something like that). While it's a bit too formula for my tastes it is a solid enough rock number and I wish these guys the best.

So, there you have it. These are some of the singles that have shown up and, over the next week or two tops, I should expect that more will show up. At least that's the latest rumblings.

Flotsam and Jetsam-Ugly Noise

Metal Blade Records
2013

This was originally released as an independent/self-release in 2012. Metal Blade Records must have heard something they liked on it as it's now coming out on their label (or so it appears). This is actually their first release on Metal Blade since 2001 so that's kind of interesting to note. Let's see if we can toss out a few other quick notes first though before we dive into "Ugly Noise". This is the band's eleventh full-length album (that's crazy) and it's the first release since 1997's "High" to feature two original members- Michael Gilbert on guitar and Kelly David Smith on drums. Reportedly every one's favorite ex-Metallica bassist, Jason Newsted, also co-wrote some of this material. Or that's at least per Wikipedia (which I hate using as a reference point, but oh well and hell). OK, to be fair I've never listened to anything these guys have done (at least full-album wise) since "No Place For Disgrace" so I can't tell if this is the band's current style or what not. The good? Well, lead vocalist Eric 'AK' Knutson sounds pretty solid. The rest of the band is tight too.  Guitarist Edward Carlson and Michael Gilbert are in fine form and the rhythm section of Jason Ward (bass)
and Kelly Smith (drums) is rather thick and, dare I say, almost crunchy? Overall Flotsam and Jetsam sound pretty good...solid in fact. As for the music though? Well, the album art is almost a bad omen. We start off with the title cut, complete with piano intro, and then launch into an album that never seems to know where it wants to go. The title-cut (which was co-written by Newsted) is pretty good and there are numbers that really strike the perfect balance of modern metal and old-school power metal ("Play your Part"). "Gitty Up" though tries too hard to be groove metal and falls on it's face. It's not a good thing that Eric 'AK' Knutson sounds like James Hetfield from Metallica's "Load"/"Reload" period on it. Ugh. Things get worse though as that groove metal runs ramped  through "Run and Hide" and "Cross the Sky". Strangely the band seems as if they want to add radio rock, eighties-style, to the mix on these cuts leaving you to shake your head in confusion. "Rabbit's Foot" is alright even if it does strike too much of a dark metal pose."Rage" meanwhile just suffers from poor-songwriting and song-composition. Before you lose hope that there's nothing to appreciate about the new record though there is the industrial-thrash "Motherfuckery". True, it's odd to hear something like this from and eighties thrash band, but it actually comes off fairly solid. "I Believe" has no business being as good as it is with it's Alice In Chains meets Metallica vibe, but if you close your eyes and just sit back it's actually a steady little rocker. The album closes with the off-kilter "Machine Gun" which is another decent if not spectacular track. So, as stated, it seems as if the band just doesn't seem to know what they want to be which ends up hurting this album the most. Between that and some really poor lyrics "Ugly Noise" becomes far too fitting a title. Hopefully these guys can right the ship and, with some of the old lineup in place, find that old magic. Maybe there is still time for that. Although you do have to worry that, when Eric sings on "Machine Gun", "I'm past the point of no return" maybe he's right?

Salem (UK): X-Rated (Limited Edition EP) "Brofest 2013"

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Thanksgiving has either come really early for me or way to late. It just depends on how you look at it. Why, you may find yourself asking, are we talking about Thanksgiving in late March? Well, while I can't divulge all of the news and/or rumors that have found their way into my daily thoughts, as of late more and more cult eighties acts/N.W.O.B.H.M. acts have either released new music or are in the process of releasing new material. For me that's something to be VERY THANKFUL for! Or rather, this new music is something to keep this long winter (and it's every looming seasonal depression) we are having in check. All of that brings us to Salem. If you're already familiar with the band then you will know that they what I'm talking about when I say that they have always had the perfect blend of hard rock/traditional heavy metal and N.W.O.B.H.M.  If you're not familiar with the band then be sure to click on the link below where I have an interview with them as well as some reviews of their material. Beneath that you'll find all the other links you need to know when it comes to Salem and this new free digital EP. Yes, this new 4-track EP is free for the taking and, if you're   like me in anyway (in that you love great heavy metal), then just stop what you're doing and download this EP. Don't ask any questions. Just do it. You won't regret it. With "When Love's In Your Heart" setting the stage in true heavy metal fashion, followed by the ever so cool title cut, the band tears through 4 tracks of sensational hard rock/heavy metal. Lead singer Simon Saxby sounds better then ever. Truly, a track like "Ask The Lonely", showcases his youthful voice and shows that Salem still has what it takes to be a leading force in the field of British metal. The EP concludes with a re-recording of a song from 1982, "Reach To Eternity", and, if anything is wrong at all with this limited edition EP, you find yourself craving more! Paul Macnamara and Mark Allison offer up killer lead guitar solos to compliment Simon's youthful energy as Ade Jenkinson (bass) and Paul Mendham (drums) keep things solid in true rock steady fashion. Throughout this EP the band pulls out all the stops to give the listener four tracks of epic heavy metal that is both melodic and menacing. My only question to Salem now is this-when will we see another full-length album?

Interview with Salem:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Salem-%22In+The+Beginning...%22

All the other links you need to know!

www.SalemBand.co.uk

 

www.reverbnation.com/SalemUK

www.facebook.com/SalemBand

Axecuter-Metal Is Invincible

Infernö Records
2013

While the cover of "Metal Is Invincible" might not inspire a lot of confidence out of curious metal fans (even though cheesy album art and heavy metal music have always made for good bedfellows-just look at Exciter!) there is a lot to appreciate out of Axecuter's full-length debut-album. Perhapes I'm getting a bit too far ahead of myself though. Who (or what) are Axecuter you might be asking. Well, the band hails from Curitiba, Paraná (Brazil) and, having formed in 2010, released their first demo, "Bangers Prevail", in 2011. The group followed up the 3-track demo with a 2-track EP called "Innocence Is Our Excuse". From there the band would move on to the meat of the matter, 2013's new album "Metal Is Invincible", and everything would be right with the world. Or is it? The album opens with the title track and, as "Metal Is Invincible" comes thrashing out of the gates like a blood-thirsty mutant zombie (you'll have to pardon me as the kids and I watched "Quarantine" last night!), things quickly accelerate into "Fist Banging Mania" territory! With 9-tracks total (one of which is the instrumental, "Destructive Blitzkrieg" and another is a choice cover, "Heavy Metal to the World", originally done by Manilla Road) this is a no-frills, plenty of thrills speed/thrash assault through and through! Speaking of that cover (which again, is just choice!) the band managed to rope in Mark "The Shark" Shelton as a guest! Of course all that does is make it even more insane! The band is lead by vocalist/guitarist Danmented (Daniel Azevedo) who, in addition to also playing with Imperious Malevolence, has previous played in Subversive, Offal, Dementia and Infernal. His lead guitar work is solid while his lead vocals are off the chart! They have an almost Cronos quality about them which works rather well considering the overall sound of this disc. The band is rounded out by drummer Baphometal and bass player T. Basstard (Tersis Zonato) who, aside from laying down some meaty bass riffs here, has played in a black metal band (Lutemkrat) and a death metal band (Offal). Together the three of them unashamedly take inspiration from the likes of Venom, Warfare, Raven, Exciter, Tank, Razor, Hydra Vein, Motörhead, Sodom, Killer, Warrant (the original German one and not those wanker "Down Boys"!) and the NWOBHM act Avenger. Another sloppy & raw speed/thrash act you say? You got it! And frankly it's fun. No, it's not brilliant (nor is it meant to be) overly technical thrash. Instead this is the kind of thrash that works best in hold-in-the wall joints where the bear is cheap and the women....well, you know the score! If you can't see beyond the goofy album art then I feel sorry for you. For within tracks like "No God, No Devil (Worship Metal!)" and "Keep on Sinning" are thrash riffs custom made for the pit and stage diving. In a world where metal gets rather boring sometimes it' good to have garage thrash on hand to brighten your day!

Sein Zum Tode-Beeep!

Fork & Spoon Records
2013

Where oh where do I begin with this one? What do you suppose this would sound like if you were to only go by the album's art? Chances are that even the weirdest thing you could envision wouldn't even begin to compare with this odd concoction. We have stumbled upon a creature of mysterious origins if you will.Where's our good friend, Mr. Cryptozoology himself, Loren Coleman when we need him? For the record we have here in front of us (figuratively folks!) a Columbia, South Carolina record-label releasing the debut-recording from a Columbia, South Carolina act by the name of Sein Zum Tode. Other then this album and the band's birthplace/habitat I've got nothing to go by when it comes to this wild one. The easiest description would probably be "Avant-garde extreme heavy metal", but folks, listen, that doesn't even begin to cover this one. Trust me, Frank Zappa has got nothing on this trio! "Beeep!", which is 11-tracks in all, was mastered by Colin Marston (Behold the Arctopus, Krallice, Dysrhythmia) and sounds unlike NOTHING I've ever heard. These guys are weirdos in the truest form of the word! Imagine if you will you have one bus filled with Primus, Frank Zappa, Butthole Surfers, Fantômas and Mr. Bungle speeding down the highway at 100 MPH. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a garage, Black-Sabbath loving, death metal band hits them head on! It's a bloody mess of course and the only option on the table is to have some monkeys (who are freaked out on LSD!) put all the pieces back together with the help of a Speak and Spell that's being haunted by the ghost of Vincent van Gogh! That is about how you can sum up the trio that is called Sein Zum Tode. Below I've provided a link to their song "Worse Than Catholic" which, incidentally, is chillingly one of the more normal "songs" on "Beeep!". One last word before we go. I'd like to give a shout out to Fork and Spoon Records. It's not easy to be an up and coming independent record label. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication with the outcome often being a case of barely breaking even. Fork & Spoon Records, which was formed in 2010 by a few friends, saw a need and filled it. They obviously believe in the bands they've signed and have made an effort to do right by everyone involved. Kudos for that. The label "strives to maintain a community mentality. It is our desire to continue our family-like relationship with all whom we collaborate." Sounds good to me. Of course every family has that one odd relative whose really off their rocker (ie: flat out bonkers!) so I suspect Sein Zum Tode are like the crazy uncle we all know and love! Find out more below!

https://soundcloud.com/fork-and-spoon-records/sein-zum-tode-worse-than

http://www.forkandspoonrecords.net//bands/profile/?id=41

Australasia- Sin4tr4

Golden Morning Sounds
2012

When I started writing for Heavy Metal time Machine there was no way for me to foresee the unusually  large assortment of instrumental demos and albums I'd be asked to review. For someone like me (who didn't really appreciate instrumental rock or metal for a huge chunk of my life) it's been this enlightening moment where I've come to not only appreciate rock and metal sans vocals, but actually embrace numerous acts within the field. Australasia are one such act in that I truly appreciate what they are going for on "Sin4tr4" (the bands debut-album) and the way in which it unfolds (even if this 7-track EP is not perfect per say). This Italian group features two musicians (Gian handles guitars, bass and synths while Rico handles the drums) and musically it's a tale of two cities. Half of this is heavy (incorporating a hodge podge of extreme styles from post-metal to black metal) while the other half is heavenly (blissful alternative rock/shoegaze). You see this is in the album's opening numbers as "Antenna" is this melodic and beautiful power rock/alt rock track while "Spine" is just HEAVY post-metal with an emphasis on heavy. On some tracks (such as the unholy/death-tinged "Retina") the band digs deep within to create a true sense of unease. This gothic number stands in stark contrast to songs like "Apnea", "Satellite" and "Fragile" which are all so innocent and happy. As such there is enough here to entertain whatever mood you might find yourself in. Of the 7 cuts my favorites would have to be the post-metal, twisted stomp of "Spine" and (even if it does stand out a bit from the EP's other tracks) the dreamy, pop-like "Apnea". These two numbers are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but each resonated with me. As the EP flows back and forth, the heavy to the heartfelt, you'll discover that Australasia are equally adapt at utilizing modern electronics as well as vintage synths (and even organs!). Also, in what most certainly was a case of  choosing atmosphere over something overly glossy, shinny and glossy, the band's debut-EP has this almost subtle production job. It isn't raw of rough by any means. No, its more like the band kept things simple as far as the production went so that the music never gets all fanciful. Since I previously mentioned how this wasn't a perfect recording it should be noted that it takes a few listens to get to a point where you appreciate all the subtle differences between a few songs. On my first run-through I noticed that some of the tracks blurred together, but repeated listens cleared this up. As technically savvy as the pair are there is still this simple elegance to "Sin4tr4" to be appreciated and, with time, there's no telling what wondrous creations this post-rock/post-metal duo could give us. Find out more below.


Website: http://www.australasiamusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/australasiamusic
Bandcamp: http://australasia.bandcamp.com
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/australasia
Last FM: http://www.lastfm.it/music/Australasia?ac=australasia
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Australasi4
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/album/sin4tr4/id542593421


Videos:

“Spine”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seZgDPCBdLU

Intöxicated-Rock N Roll Hellpatrol

Hells Headbangers
2013

Was it the name? Was it the album art? Or was it the part about how this German band is "fueled by sex, drinks, and Satan"? Really, you could say that all of that helped to peak my interest. Granted, I also happened to see that the band closes out their 9-track debut album with a cover of Motörhead's "The Chase Is Better Then The Catch". That's a good selling point as well (at least for me). As I played "Rock N Roll Hellpatrol", I did some digging around online to find out who exactly Intöxicated was (as the promo doesn't give a lot of information). Their Reverbnation page says that they were "Spawned in 2009 from the alcoholic Abyss" and that the band plays "speed fucking Metal to the bones". Meanwhile the Metal Archives was a bit more help. The band was formed in 2009 and, prior to this 9-track debut-album, the group released/raised hell with a pair of demos. The band is made up of guitarist El Ranchö (Teme), bass player Speedy (Kaktus), drummer Schötti (ÄC) and vocalist Löuie (Maldoror). Only Löuie seems to have any previous band experience (per the Metal Archives) as he is an ex-member of Forgotten Forrest and also plays in Demonancy (who are "on hold"), both of which are black metal outfits. So, that about covers the band and their history. From the Reverbnation description it would be understandable if you'd thought of Tankard (early Tankard like "Zombie Attack" is a good fit), but the reality though is that, in addition to the obvious Motörhead love on display here, here's a band that is pieces/parts of Broken Bones, The Exploited, Metallica (circa "Kill Em' All"), Discharge, Razor, Carnivore, and Bulldozer. Being a German band and all there is a touch of early Sodom on this album as well. Then again there is some early Venom ("Welcome To Hell") love to be found as well. So, I think you can get a general idea about what these four aim for with their sloppy and raw biker thrash. Cuts like "Metal Porno Slut" and "Sex Drinks Satan" (which by the way starts off with a rather cool sample of I believe Vincent Price!) are fairly obvious as far as lyrical content goes. It's all so much fun though as you thrash yourself through "Crush Your Local Disco" "Lock Up Your Daughters", and "Break Your Limits". What's more I could just hear a track like "Slutanic Speed Metal" tearing up the top 40 LOL! All in all Intöxicated's debut-album is just cool dirty rock and roll/speed metal without any pretentious crap or worry that they are not being PC enough. It's very eighties in that regard, but there was a lot to love about that time period and there is a lot to love about Intöxicated. Let's just hope that they don't crash and burn before unleashing a couple of more albums!

Devils Rage-Rise of Insanity

Self-Release/Independent
2012

"Stemming from central Switzerland and the dark depths beyond, namely Sursee, we are Devils Rage and would appreciate your time to review our debut studio album, "Rise of Insanity"." Thus began the email from, what I assumed would be, just another "melodic death metal" band. Anymore doesn't it just seem like this kind of band is interchangeable? Especially all of the up and coming young ones. Melodic death metal bands
are a dime a dozen and I really expected Devils Rage to be just another new band bringing nothing new to the party. As the seven track EP opened with "Intro" I was having a hard time mustering any kind of enthusiasm. Having been proved wrong on more then one occasion though I trudged on hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I really need to learn to be more open and patient when it comes to these kinds of bands though especially as Devils Rage was kind enough to slap me in the face and give me a much needed boast of energy yesterday. As I went about doing some errands I found myself fully engaged in this young band by the end of track number two, "Because Of You". Did I really just get done saying that melodic death metal was all out of new tricks? This young band was originally formed in 2006, but (from the sound of it) didn't start to pick up steam until 2010. By that point in time they had established a steady line-up and spent two "intensive" years just playing out and building up a following. In 2012 the band was finally able to step into the studio with the resulting EP, "Rise of Insanity", being nothing short of amazing given the young nature of this band and, what was most likely, a limited budget to work with. It was Devils Rage member Patrik Schumacher (guitars) who was kind enough to send this EP my way for consideration so I must therefore throw some devil horns in the hair as a nod of appreciation in his direction. I would enthusiastically endorse this EP if just for the track "Because Of You". At close to 6 minutes in length this song goes through so many changes it's almost hard to keep track of everything! "Because Of You" falls somewhere along the lines of later day At The Gates or early The Haunted. It's something to hear somewhat softer death metal growls bouncing off of sinister thrash that flat out shreds!  Even with a run-time of 6 minutes it never gets boring as the band simply thrashes about in a manor that is both fun and frantic! In fact, with the exception of the sample-filled intro, most of the tracks here hover around the 5 minute mark which gives Devils Rage plenty of time to work in interesting time changes and catchy riffs. "Exit" is track number three and ups the band's aggression level considerably. By the time the EP ends with "Stupid" you feel as if you've been whip-lashed. "Glorious Liberation" and "Devils Rage" are insanely crunchy and showcase a young band with plenty of good ideas and a bright future ahead of them. Both of those tracks found me in a very metal mood as did "Inhuman". By "Stupid" I was rather bummed that there wasn't more to this EP! "Rise of Insanity" is sure to please those of you into the likes of In Flames, The Haunted, Arch Enemy and At The Gates while the number "Because Of You" could actually have a much wider appeal thanks to some of it's thrash-rock riffs! I look forward to what comes next for this young band. You can find out more about Devils Rage at either of the links below and "Rise of Insanity" can be downloaded from iTunes and Amazon.


 http://www.devilsrage.ch/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Devils-Rage/36373959781?ref=ts

Nitro-"Uranium" Single

Hacksaw Productions
2013

There are some things that should never fall out of fashion and one such item is traditional heavy metal. No matter how much metal's landscape might change, with newer bands trying to outdo the older ones in the extreme department, there will always be room for good, old-fashion, traditional heavy metal bands. Or as long as we the fans support them. What worked so well back in the late 70s and early 80s can (and does) work just as well now. That's of course if you know how to do it and how to do it right. For a band like Pennsylvania's Nitro (the ONLY Nitro that matters boys and girls) they not only knew how to do it right back in the day (their lone album, "Lethal + II", is a true heavy metal classic kiddos), but they still know how to do it right all these years later! In celebration of the 30th anniversary of  Nitro's "Lethal + II" (which you can find on iTunes and Amazon) the band is releasing the first single, "Uranium", from their upcoming new album, "Flechette". When you take into account the length of time that Nitro has been away from the scene (and really just how much the musical landscape has changed in all that time) it's one thing that they were even able to pick things up so well and so smoothly, but it's even more impressive that the same spirit of true heavy metal that helped the band find a loyal following back in the early 80s is still alive and kicking some serious ass on "Uranium"! While I'll never be able to figure out why this Nitro didn't have the same level of success as the "lipstick and hairspray" Nitro did (despite the fact that "Lethal + II" is so much better then anything put out by those pop metal princesses!) maybe the second time around will be the charm? Even if it has taken Nitro far too long  to release a proper follow-up to their lone album (the scene really could have used Nitro on more then one occasion honestly) this new single makes up for the wait. It also points towards bigger and better things for the band. "Uranium", which sounds as if it was forged by the gods of hellfire rock n' roll, is catchy as hell and will get stuck in your head for days on end! It's a mixture of straight-up heavy metal, crunchy hard rock and the more aggressive side of radio rock. And yes, it kicks ass! In a way it's Nitro in a new and improved fashion for today's heavy metal crowd while it's also the same Nitro that so many of us considered cult heroes back in the day. The cool thing about Nitro's new single is that you can easily see it getting love from both the metalheads (thanks to it's crunchiness) and the mainstream (thanks to it's catchy rock appeal) meaning it's a single in the truest sense of the word. If all was to be right with the world, and the band gets the proper press and airplay they rightly deserve, "Uranium" would be ruling the radio in no time flat! It would get plenty of airtime no doubt. I saw how effective it was first hand. As I played the single many times over for review purposes (and honestly so I could also just rock the f**k out as this cut is killer!) it proved to be a hit with my teenage children and their respective friends. Given that it's a diverse crowd we're talking about (my own two like everything from The Beatles to AC/DC while their friends like everything from Skrillex to One Direction) "Uranium" was warmly embraced by all who heard it. I even played it for another long-time heavy metal fan (one of my friends who is also seeing more and more grey hairs appear in his beard!) and the general consensus was that Nitro has a potential heavy metal hit  in their hands. So, there is no reason to think "Uranium" couldn't give Nitro the exposure they so rightly deserve. If your a longtime fan of the group, or even if you just like straight-up heavy metal, be sure to support bands like Nitro. True heavy metal isn't going anyway as long as songs like "Uranium" keep the scene rocking. "Uranium" will soon be available for download on iTunes and all other digital music outlets so be sure to keep an eye out for it. And hopefully fans of the real Nitro won't have to wait too much long for the group's new album. If it proves to be even half as good as "Uranium" is then Nitro could end up with another classic release on their hands! In the meantime be sure to check out the band's Facebook page for updates and you can read my original review of "Lethal + II" below.

 Nitro's Facebook page:
 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nitro/291420000913566

My review of Nitro's "Lethal + II"
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/06/forgotten-gems-nitro-lethal-ii.html

Current Playlist

As you may have noticed I'm late with my current play list. You might have also noticed that I haven't made as many posts as I usually do. The truth is I plan to slow WAY down with writing in order to take care of other aspects of my life. While I will still review some albums down the line (and even a possible interview or two in the near future) over the next few weeks it will become more and more sporadic. Perhaps quality over quantity? Or maybe I'll just pick a random album to review every once in awhile? I do know that there are a few items I definitely plan to cover as A) I personally asked for them or B) I find them to be of particular interest/worth sharing. Beyond that though? Who knows what the future holds for this blog? This was always Metal Mark's creation/baby to begin with and I only stepped in to help out (before taking it into my own hands). Therefore it ultimately will come down to how Mark feels if I completely step away. Whether I personally choose to keep going will play out in the weeks and months to come.  Meanwhile here is what I've been into this past week or so. As always what have you been into?

Listening to:
Misfits-Earth A.D. & Die Die My Darling
Scarlett Riot-Faded Memory Single
Halloween-Victims of the Night
Standing Waves-Early Warning EP
Dr. Skull-Wory Zover
Holly and the Italians-The Right to Be Italian
Stiff Little Fingers-Inflammable Material
Jello Biafra with D.O.A.-Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbors
Killers-Fils De La Haine
Spiders-Flash Point

Watching:
The Monkey's Uncle
Darkness Falls

Reading:
Misc. Unknown Soldier comics

The Inferna Sea-The Crypt Sessions

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Whatever hope that I had of covering this EP sooner was crushed when my computer flipped out and went all psycho on me. Could it be that it was scared of what awaited it when I wrote about The Infernal Sea's new 6-track EP? Quite possibly. Or maybe I just need to face the facts that's it's time that I finally look at getting a new computer. I think the answer is to be found somewhere in between. For you see it's all rather sinister how things went down when I first tried to do a write-up for "The Crypt Sessions". Here it was that "Into The Unknown" (the EP's last track which runs over 15 minutes long!) had just wrapped up and, before doing the write-up, I took a break to go refill my wine glass. When I returned to my computer I went to log on to my Google blogger account. Not so fast. First it went and froze up on me like it had been hit with a cold blast of winter's chill and the next thing I know every thing's going to hell! When I tried to do a write-up of the EP my computer reacted like it was possessed! An hour or so later I gave up, powered down the computer and decided to return to this EP another time. The whole ordeal was rather odd. If anything though it did mean that I would get to put aside time listen to the EP a second time to refresh my memory for this write-up. That was a good thing as I'm almost thinking that I prefer this 6-track EP over the band's full-length release (which I happened to really like!). It's a close race though kind of neck and neck. If you couldn't figure it out from the EP's title then this 6-track release was recorded at the Crypt rehearsal studios (hence the title!) in England. Simple enough. Or is it? As it is noted on The Infernal Sea's bandcamp page (link below) the recording took place "on a cold winters eve in Jan 2013".  That could have a lot to do with the overall chilly vibe this EP gives off (not to mention the way in which my computer froze up all to hell the first time around). Anyway, the band hit the studio with Christopher Majewicz handling production for this new release. Or, if you will, he just hit "record" as this EP was (essentially) recorded live with only a few overdubs taking place afterwards. That was "in order to capture the true sound of the group". The beautiful thing is that you do get the feeling that this is how The Infernal Seas sounds like when you see them life, but with benefit of a fairly smooth and clean recording and some extra "sound effects". It should be said then that if this is what the band sounds like live then don't walk, but RUN to their next show as these guys know how to throw down some simply nasty metal!  Of the six cuts presented here three tracks are pretty much sound effects tacked on to help with the overall feeling of dread. Otherwise the other three "real" songs are sick and nasty metal! They are more then effective at putting a chill down your spine. "Into The Unknown" is by far the longest, the most sinister and the most epic of the three "real" cuts. "Skinwalker" opens the EP up and is 5:00 minutes of almost raw, blackened thrash. As is "The Circle Closes". Both of these cuts flow out almost seamlessly, but give off this bone-chilling vibe. While the last album was somewhat black/death in nature there seems to be even more of this emphasis on chilling out while at the same time beating the crap out of their instruments! For you see with some primitive thrash riffs sandwiched between the overall death/black vibe of these songs you get this raw, gritty blast of mean metal. At the Crypt rehearsal studio it almost sounds as if the guys let down their hair (so to speak) and took aim at crafting simple, yet clearly well-thought out, old-school death/thrash. Somehow they pulled off a sound that is laid back and yet perfectly lethal. Its mid-paced metal, but there's plenty of crunchy riffs and gritty vocals to give this a ghoulish polishing.  It's different then their debut, but different can be good and this EP sure is good. Check out the links below for details.

Get the EP here:
http://theinfernalsea.bandcamp.com/album/the-crypt-sessions

 Review of "Call of the Augur", the band's 2012 debut album
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-infernal-sea-call-of-augur.html

The New Black-III-Cut Loose

AFM Records
2013

It was almost one year ago when I reviewed The New Black's "II-Better In Black". After reading back over my notes for that review it jogged my memory and I recalled how I thought these guys, who were formed back in 2009, sounded a lot like Black Label Society (with a few exceptions). I'd say not so much on "III-Cut loose". These Germans are starting to forge their own unique sound. It still falls into that same kind of category as Black Label Society (hard rock/groove/southern rock), but lead singer Fludid and company are doing their best to take their influences and build on them. The band has shared the stage with AC/DC, Volbeat, Alter Bridge and Black Label Society and, with the addition of Motörhead, you could safety argue that about sums up what The New Black aims for. The band, which is filled out by guitarists Christof Leim and Fabian Schwarz, bassist Günt Auschrat and drummer Chris Weiß, does shake things up on occasion. The title is a perfect example. This harmonica-rocker is just flat-out fun. The New Black seems to be learning that it pays to keep things interesting. Of course these guys do excel at simply rocking out so if you're a fan of their southern-fried hard rock have no fear as there is plenty to keep you satisfied. "Not Quite That Simple" just kills it as does the opener, "Innocence & Time". These Germans know who their core fan base is so, by the time the album closes with the cool "Antidote", they make sure there's plenty for fans to rock out to on "III-Cut Loose". It's not an album that's likely to suddenly put them over, but the band's sticking to what they do best while trying out a few new tricks. I give them props for that.


http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=The+New+Black-II+Better+In+Black

Romero-Take The Potion

Grindcore Karaoke
2013

You had me at the name guys. Whether it's a nod to the "Godfather of Zombies", or inspired by the1989 film of the same name (which is about the assassination of Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero), the name Romero just strikes the right chord with me. I'd like to believe it's the former as this northern, Wisconsin 3-piece, who were formed in late 2009, blissfully bridges the gap between the old (Black Sabbath) and the new (Queens Of The Stone Age) in much the same way as George's "Night of the Living Dead" and "Survival of the Dead". The band has recently played with the bands like The Sword, Jucifer, Weedeater, Clutch, Dead Meadow and Black Label Society, but these guys have been tearing up the stage from the word go. The band's driving force is Jeffrey Mundt who, at one point in his career. spent time as the drummer for fellow Wisconsin act (and all around cool punk band) Naked Aggression. That was before fortune and glory called out to him one day. In addition to being a talented drummer he was also a long-time guitar player & songwriter, as evident by his skills here, so before long he was laying the foundation for what would become Romero. Here Jeffery Mundt handles lead vocals, percussion and guitars and he's in this unholy 3-piece by drummer & vocalist Ben Brooks and, since 2012, bass player Steve Stanczyk. The band's first release, the 7 inch "Solitaire", was released on Triceratrax Records in 2010 and, from all accounts, continues to be a hot download. So, what is it about "Take The Potion" that should make sludge & stoner fans drool? With Romero the influences (Black Sabbath, Torche, Sleep, The Sword, Queens of the Stone Age, etc.) are shuffled up before Jeffrey Mundt and company deal out a royal flush. Mighty riff after mighty riff is unleashed upon the unsuspecting listener and before long you find yourself buried by a mountain of fuzzy sludge/stoner rock. Aided by a spot-on production (everything perfectly falls into place here), that's both modern and retro, these seven songs roll out smoothly. By smoothly I mean that you don't seem to notice that while Romero is busy perfectly blending everything from classic rock to doom metal the bodies just keep piling up all around you! Romero's crushing approach is testimony that it's not only the likes of The Sword and Queens Of The Stone Age that has helped shape this band, but that somewhere in the deep, dark crevices of their minds they've witnessed the raw power of  a band like The Melvins. These seven songs range in length from just under 4 minutes to just over seven minutes so there's no "3 minute pop songs" here. Instead the riffs are monstrous and, like their bio says, "Romero spreads like weeds" choking the life out of everything else around them. Or, if you like, Romero is like a virus which has found a way into your body and is eating you up from the inside out! When this album get's going it fills up every square inch of your speakers and makes you remember why you love loud rock so much to begin with. There's nothing systematic or predictable about this 3-piece band. Inside these seven songs you'll find a band that has taken their time to hone their craft into the best that it can be while at the same time allowing their creative juices to run wild. "Take The Potion" doesn't follow any set rules other then maybe one of my favorite "rules": The LOUDER the BETTER! Romero, despite only forming in 2009, sounds like a veteran act already and this album, which is a free digital download, is bound to make quite the impression in the sludge/stoner scene. If things were to go right for this band, and this album could fall into the right hands, Romero could find themselves headed for even bigger and better things. I could easily see Romero ending up being the current rage. You can hear this wicked release for yourself at the link below and it's worth noting that "Take The Potion" will be out on CD and vinyl as well!

http://grindcorekaraoke.com/album/take-the-potion

Free Metal Monday: She Loves Pablo-Burn And Levitate

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Alright, She Loves Pablo is not exactly "metal", as their sound is a mash-up of stoner rock/groove/ indie rock/punk and alt. rock. But, regardless of whether or not its" metal", this is one cool release. This 4-piece band, who formed in 2005, hail from Zagreb, Croatia with "Burn And Levitate" being their latest recording. The best way I could describ this would be Them Crooked Vultures meeting Foo Fighters and, after they all smoked a crap load of weed, they busted out some sold cold stoner rock. Enjoy.

http://music.geengerrecords.com/album/burn-and-levitate

Free Metal Monday: Terminus-Into Exile

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Blood And Honor Metal shared this UK band recently and, for those of you looking for something a bit more "straight-up", "Into Exile" offers 4 tracks of no frills traditional heavy metal. Other then the vocals (which can be a bit restrained at times) this 5-piece band shows some promise. It's always good to hear new bands playing straight-up, no sh*t heavy metal and, as it's a free download, you've got little to lose by checking these guys out.

http://terminusni.bandcamp.com/album/into-exile

Free Metal Monday: Blood Of God-The Fall And Rise Of Man

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Kudos to my friends over at Blood and Honor Metal ( http://bloodandhonor-metalblog.blogspot.com/ ) for, yet again, bringing to my attention some great new bands offering free albums (digital downloads that is). Blood Of God is the first of a few I hope to post today. The band plays a cool mix of power metal and thrash, but with backing vocals that are more death metal then anything. This is one effective mix and this album, to put it in one word, is "cool". There's a lot of talent behind this band and it wouldn't surprise me to see some label snag this band up.Check this album out for yourself. It's worth downloading for sure!

http://bloodofgod.bandcamp.com/album/the-fall-and-rise-of-man-2

Interview with The Deep End

The Deep End are an Australian band whose latest album, "Cop This", is making some noise in the hard rock and heavy metal community. Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing the band's lead singer, Dale Schober. 

 Andy-Could you introduce us to the band please.

Dale-Welcome to The Deep End. Your hosts will be Dale shattering glass on lead vocals, Drew melting faces on lead guitar, Jazz playing tighter than a nuns nasty on rhythm guitar, Trixxxy chugging on the bass and Nick in the engine room on the drums. Wow, that sounded cornier than I had expected...

Andy-You guys started out playing in a garage right?   

Dale-Thats right. We started off playing covers between drinking beers on the weekend at our former lead guitarists house. From AC/DC to ZZ Top, we played it all a fair bit till we started writing our own songs. From there we started to play gigs in the local area and started to gain a following so it all snowballed from there!

Andy-Who were some of your personal influences growing up?

Dale-Our personal influences vary a little bit, ranging from acoustic rock to hardcore, but the common denominators that we all found to be our biggest influences have been mainly Aussie pub rock bands like The Poor, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, AC/DC and Billy Thorpe. We also draw a fair bit of influence from other world greats like Motorhead, Van Halen, KISS, Thin Lizzy, The Darkness.... I could go on for days.

Andy-Since you happen to hail from Australia I'd wager the comparisons are always the same. Other then the obvious bands, AC/DC and Airbourne, how would you personally describe your sound to someone who might have never heard your band? 

Dale-The AC/DC and Airbourne comparisons are very common, but to be quite frank we are very humbled by that. AC/DC is the greatest band in the world and Airbourne are a band that are headlining European Festivals. We're absolutely stoked to be compared to them, who wouldn't!? However though I think that our blend of rock n' roll is perhaps a bit more diverse and is a little more evolved thanks to our different influences. 'Cop This' is a perfect example of the bands ability to have a certain edge whilst holding down our pub rock roots.

Andy-It's a Long Way to the Top (If you Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) isn't it? Or has it all been a blur? 

Dale-It is most definitely a long way to the top, but for every kick in the teeth you get there is also just enough great things that happen to make you persevere. I don't know too many international touring bands that haven't worked their balls off to get to where they are. Sometimes you're so tired and burned out on tour that it drags along but you only need one great show to completely reverse the morale of the band! It's always amazing to see what the next day in the life of rock n' roll will throw at you!

Andy-Was there ever one of those moments when you stopped and said "I can't believe we're doing this?"

Dale-There has been a few. Good and bad. Good ones were standing backstage having beers with your idols like The Angels, Rose Tattoo and The Screaming Jets just after you played an epic show with them to a huge crowd. The bad ones were times were you're starting a 20 hour non-stop drive back down the East Coast of Australia to get home in time for work the next day, and you can't see out the windscreen because it's raining sideways!

Andy-If The Deep End had a mission statement what would it be?

Dale-No Standing Still On Stage.

Andy-You guys have played with some pretty big names. What has been your favorite show so far?

Dale-Making us choose a favourite support show is like picking favourites out of your children. It's too hard. They were all a blast!

Andy-Any crazy stories from the road you can share? Obviously I mean nothing that would get you in trouble with the authorities LOL!

Dale-Theres quite a few as you can imagine from a band that tours up and down the country in a clapped out van with no money and accommodation regularly! To summarise - sleeping in primary schools, been woken up on the beach by paramedics because people thought you were dead, sleeping in underground shopping centre car parks, picking up girls to get a bed for the night, scabbing as much free beer as possible, storming music shops and doing shotgun shows in public for money!

Andy-What's the one thing The Deep End has to have with them when you hit the road? 

Dale-Instruments. And lots of our favourite bands tunes. When you do 20+ hours a day in the car sometimes you need a wide range of killer tunes.

 Andy-What's your dream tour look like? What bands would you like to hit the road with if you could?

Dale-We will take a 747 jumbo jet decked out just like Ed Force One (Iron Maiden). We will play in every capital city in the world as well as a handful of other destinations we would just want to travel to. We will take some bands from Melbourne that are awesome inc. Empra, Dead City Ruins, My Dynamite, Electrik Dynamite and Sudden State. Headlining will be AC/DC, Motorhead and Van Halen and every night we will play and then watch AC/DC and Lemmy team up and beat up David Lee Roth. Man... that is a dream.

Andy-The new album has a much edgier vibe. Was that your intention when you stepped into the studio?

Dale-We made a point of just letting the songs flow and find their own vibe in the writing process. Naturally the more we played them the more ideas would come into their own and the songs sorta polished themselves in the end just from playing them so many times. Our intention in the studio was to just keep letting the creativity flow and not be afraid of trying anything different if it worked. In the end we found that it come up sounding a lot more epic than we'd ever expected and we are pumped about that!

Andy-How's the reception for the album been in your home country?

Dale-The reception here so far has been fantastic. We sold out the album launch at one of our favourite Melbourne venues which was epic! Plenty of community radio airplay and interviews as well as some great publicity. Our management and publicist have really been doing a stellar job of putting us in front of the right people and its still only early days which is exciting.

Andy- Favorite songs from the new album?

Dale-Once again, picking favourite songs is like picking favourites of your children. But... I'd say the kid who gave you the least trouble would be Cheap Night Out and the very talented sportsperson in the family would be Midnight Sun. 

Andy-I know when we talked early you said you have had a few orders for the new album come from Ohio. What has been some of the biggest surprises for you guys as far as album sales go? Had any orders that made you stop and go "Wow, who would have guessed we'd ever get an order for there?"

Dale-So far we've had orders from most East Coast states in the US, the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand, Japan.. the list goes on and on! Perhaps most exciting though was the order for 100 CD's from a German music store just a couple of days ago! As an Aussie band that's never toured over there its amazing to see the power of the internet. We are beyond stoked about our humble little band going international!

Andy-What's 2013 hold for you guys?

Dale-2013 holds a lot of killer shows around Australia and NZ, a lot of beers being consumed and hopefully some more international touring later in the year whilst we think about the next record.

Andy- I always let the band/artist have the last word. Anything you want to say to your fans? Words of wisdom?

Dale-Huge thanks to everyone for all the support in any which way or form you have given it. To those in the northern hemisphere, thank you for your support even though you haven't seen the band yet. The more that can get behind us the closer we will be to getting over there and meeting you all for rock n' roll and beers! Cheers!

http://thedeependrock.bigcartel.com/ 

http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=the+deep+end+cop+this 

Roger DeCarlo-Lost Horizon

Self-Release/Independent
2012

When it comes to music Roger DeCarlo is a jack of all trades. With a career that has spanned some 30 years he has managed to cover a lot of ground as both a musician and song-writer. He's played everything from the well-loved, and always appreciated, classical, improv style of guitar rock to heavier stuff like thrash and death metal! That's something when you think about the extremes required to pull both off successfully. With that said it's rather obvious that he's talented. More then that I'm just going to call it as I see it (or rather hear it!) and say that it's not just that he can play well, but he's one of those talented individuals who can make a guitar speak to the listener. For that reason alone "Lost Horizon" is a damn near perfect example of how instrumental rock should sound! Some guitarists just get that while others worry more about playing overly technical rock then making an album that is enjoyable to listen to. This CD was released last December and was/is being promoted as "Joe Satriani meets Carlos Santana". That's an almost spot of description of "Lost Horizon". As Roger is both a professional musician and songwriter this instrumental album is simply sensational from start to finish. I've always been one of those people who could take or leave instrumental albums, but this is one of those releases where the overall vibe is what makes it work. The album takes hold of you firmly and never really lets up. Instead of wandering off aimlessly into overly technical solos, filled with a thousand different time changes (you know the kind of guitarists I'm talking about), Roger captivates the listener with emotional rock that is carefully assembled and perfectly executed. What could have been an exercise in patience is instead a remarkably soothing listen filled with uplifting vibes that just seem to lift you up higher and higher and higher and, well, you know what I mean! "Lost Horizon" just leaves you in a good place as it feels emotionally positive. That's not to say that Roger's skills are not up to par with some of your more common household names in the instrumental scene. Over the course of  these 9 tracks the variety offered is only matched by the way in which Roger makes his guitar speak straight to the listener's ears. "Lost Horizon" is both a instrumental album for guitar enthusiasts (considering the technical skill level involved here) and a emotional journey for the casual listener. For a guy whose career has included stops in some rather sinister sounding heavy metal bands "Lost Horizon" is also one of those albums capable of satisfying a wide range of individual tastes. Whether your personal tastes in rock tend to lean on the more mellow side of things or you prefer things to have a little more of a "punch" there's more then enough of both on Roger DeCarlo's instrumental album to satisfy both camps. It's not a heavy metal release though so be warned and if you're looking for some shred guitar playing you'd be better served to look elsewhere. But, if you're looking for some great instrumental music that offers just the right mix of guitar rock and soulful playing then "Lost Horizon" makes for the perfect soundtrack. Without question this solo-release from Roger DeCarlo is highly recommend!




http://rogerdecarlo.bandcamp.com/

Mind Pulp-Mind Pulp

Self-Release/Independent
2013

A little while back I was commenting on how there are just too many new Ohio rock and metal bands to for me to stay up to date on all of them. That was when I was struggling to come up with words for The Unclean's latest release. I'm not having that problem with the five-piece band Mind Pulp. If anything it is just that without another Ohio band (Black Valor who I have reviewed in the past as well) chances are I might not have heard of these guys. That just goes to show you that in any given area there will always be a new band left to be discovered. You just might have to either look harder or, in the case of Mind Pulp, just get lucky. Originally hailing from New Philadelphia, Ohio (yeah, I didn't know there was a metal scene there either folks) it looks as if they're calling Canton home these days. Even though it is the birthplace of Marilyn Manson I'm not going to hold that against these guys! Granted, Canton would seem to be more of a fit for the band anyway as their sound and style, which is reportedly influenced by the likes of Korn, Static X,  Machine Head and Mudvayne, has a real urban grit to it. Mind Pulp was formed back in 2011 and, from the very start, the band's main focus was "to create a style of music that could be embraced by everyone no matter what their taste in music was". I'm not sure that's going to work so well for Mind Pulp unless your average listener's personal tastes includes the word "heavy". More then anything that is what Mind Pulp has going for them on this 9-track release. It should be noted that while there are 9 tracks here it's just 30 minutes in length. So it does run more like an EP. It's not like Mind Pulp doesn't make the most of that short time though. "El Diablo", "Tell Me Why" and "Blood Clot" (all three of which you can be heard on the band's Reverbnation page) offer solid metal in the vein of both Korn and Machine Head. Their Reverbnation page also features a sweet cover of Prong's "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" so I'd wager that some of Prong's heaviness has rubbed off on Mind Pulp. Of course there's also some of Pantera's heaviness to be found in Matt Pettit's bass playing so you can kind of see where I'm going when I mention that Mind Pulp as that bottom-end crunch factor in their sound. As for the other four musicians there are no slouches among this bunch. Doug Wright and Nick Bonner easily handle the guitars and, on a track like the relentless "Relapse", the solos speak volumes about the talent level of Mind Pulp.Vocalist Chad Heck and drummer Brent Mathias round things out and both do a pretty smashing job with things through and through. The only (minor) complaint to be found of this self-titled release is that when Chad Heck sings clean (I'm assuming he sings both clean and rough vocals) it doesn't have quite the impact of the much more "metal" vocals. And Mind Pulp is very much a metal band as a cut like "Evil Intentions" will attest to. Sometimes when one guy tries to handle both ends of the vocal spectrum it doesn't work so well. Vocalist Chad Heck has the rough vocals nailed down, but his clean singing could use a little tweaking. I do have to wonder though if it's just the mix of this release and if his singing sounds better live? That could very well be the case as Mind Pulp has one of those sounds that must be killer live. Have you ever listened to an album and thought to yourself  "I bet this band is heavier then hell and loud as f**k live!"? Considering how well things chug along on this disc I'm willing to wager that the real fun would be found in seeing Mind Pulp live and in living color. While checking out Mind Pulp's Facebook page I noticed that it has pictures from their past gigs (and some "interesting" ones at that) so it looks as if a live setting might just be as good as, if not better, then this studio-release. Of course, judging by some of those live pictures posted on their Facebook page, it's got to be quite the experience seeing them live and Lord knows I wouldn't mind some of those "experiences" right about now!  In addition to the numerous bands mentioned above I also picked up on both Dope and White Zombie so the influences are quite varied when it comes to what makes Mind Pulp click. This one would be perfect for the alternative metal/nu metal crowd, but there's also enough here for your average metal head to get excited about. If you find yourself craving something new that's HEAVY (while still sort of fitting into the standard "metal" genre") try hitting Mind Pulp up. There's a good chance you'll find something you like and who knows, you might even find a new favorite band to get behind and support! Find out more at either of the links below.


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mind-pulp/219592814733432
http://www.reverbnation.com/mindpulp

Current Playlist

This past week proved to be without any drama and rather care-free. That is always a good thing. The above picture showcases my (just started) A Sounder Of Thunder collection. I was quite happy to get my two t-shirts and a limited-edition signed copy of the Queen Of Hell EP this week. There's just something about traditional heavy metal/power metal I love. Especially when it's fronted by an amazing and talented female lead singer!


Listening to:
Direct Control-Farewell
Armour-Can't Resist Your Spell/Hellfire (7" EP)
Depeche Mode-"Heaven" Single
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City O.S.T.-Volume 1: V-Rock
Midian-Thrashology
Dope-Felons and Revolutionaries
A Sound Of Thunder-Queen Of Hell EP
Xandril-Rotting Paradise Demo
Diamond Head-Borrowed Time
V.A.-Brown Bottles Go Ape




Watching:
 Priest
Sanctum

Reading:
Videohound's Complete Guide to Cult Flicks and Trash Pics

Playing:
The Walking Dead


Attending:
Town Hall meeting on Second Amendment rights
Eric Metaxas speaking engagement