Unscarred-Fake Democracy

Contorted Records
2014

Neo thrash metal from France featuring a "mysterious Persian metal princess" named Nelly* on lead vocals? Where do I sign up? Seriously though, when the promo for French metal act Unscarred was forwarded to me by site founder/main man Metal Mark I could help but be intrigued. Still, I must admit that I proceeded with caution as, truth be told, I've been burned by similar promises before. But once the vocals kicked in on "100 Lashes" I was sold! Well, the music hit me first (old school U.S. thrash acts such as Megadeth and Anthrax meet German thrash metal bands like Kreator and Coroner) and I was already impressed enough by that, but the powerful voice of Unscarred's beautiful lead vocalist adds that extra icing to the cake (if you will.) Having started out in Paris, France in 2002 (when bassist/founder Brice first came up with the idea of forming his own band) the modern day version of Unscarred actually began a few year later in 2006. With the addition of two talented guitarists in Boris (lead) and Niko (rhythm) the groundwork was firmly in place for what would eventually be one remarkable five-piece band! With the current line-up being rounded out by drummer Franck, and with modern influences such as Lamb of God now standing side-by-side some additional influences such as Pantera and Helmet, Unscarred's unreal talent soaks through the covers of "Fake Democracy" and spills out everywhere thanks to gnarly tracks like the title-cut and "Puppets Territory"! Now, technically speaking this release looks as if it dates back to October of 2012 (when it was most-likely still a self-release), but forget all that noise as this demo is about as relevant to today's metal scene as they come! Not only that but the production is so clean and clear that it's hard to believe that was actually a demo to begin with! Now snapped up by Contorted Records, whose motto, "Supporting the local music scene wherever local is.", I can most certainly get back behind, this one is available as both a digital download and (for the second time around mind you!) a limited-edition cassette tape! While I've obviously stoked about having found another awesome female-fronted metal band, with killer high-pitched vocals to boot, there is more to Unscarred then just the the lovely Nelly. Baking her up is one tight act which never strays far from Unscarred bottom-line message. What pray-tell is Unscarred's bottom-line message? While it's never actually spelled out one would have to assume that it is providing the most powerful, groove-heavy, Neo thrash/modern metal out there whether in France or worldwide! And in that regard this five-piece has achieved their goal!  Don't just take my word for it though. Check out the group's bandcamp page below to hear the aptly-titled (given America in the year 2014) "Fake democracy" for yourself!


Unscarred's bancamp page:
http://unscarredthrash.bandcamp.com/

Unscarred's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Unscarred.Thrash.Music 

* Otherwise known as Niloofar (Nelly's Melody)

French Metal Friday: Sultan's Seed

First known as Synthèse, who, having formed in 1981, released a single called "Black Ghetto" in 1984 before releasing one full-length studio album entitled "Prisoner" two years later, the French act Sultan's Seed remain another one of those long-lost, one and done bands. Their sole-release, "Aimin' For Victory", which, like "Prisoner" before it, was released in 1986 and stands as a solid heavy metal/speed metal release, seemingly came and went with little in the way of fanfare which seems a shame. Despite outward appearances (see horrific band photo above!) Sultan's Seed, which carried the same exact line-up over from Synthèse (making one wonder if the there was actually that much of a style-changed or if the moniker change was simply an attempt at having a more Americanized name?), was fronted by the capable Marc Dura and rounded out by skilled guitarist Gerard Jendrzejewski and the none-too-shabby rhythm section of bassist Pierre Blanchet and drummer Philippe Blanchet (brothers?). Musically (at least for Sultan's Seed) an album like "Aimin' For Victory" falls squarely into the heavy meal/(near) speed metal category that was all the favor a few years prior to this album's release although there are moments when the band almost comes across as a (raw) eighties metal version of Van Halen like on "Spread Your Wings" and "Hot Rock'n Roll"! Elsewhere tracks like the title cut showcase a real maturity and the understanding that much can be achieved by perfecting the balance of hard rock rhythms and traditional heavy metal solos. The only downsides to Sultan's Seed lone album would be the under-produced nature of the record and the dreadful inclusion of a number like "Let Me A Chance". Obviously the band was trying their hand at writing a commercial power ballad (something that really took off towards the late eighties/early nineties in all of it's nauseous glory!), but the track crashes and burns shortly after takeoff leaving no survivors! Thankfully it's the only track of it's kind on "Aimin' For Victory" and, with the invention of the fast-forward button on most modern day stereos, it can be easily avoided! After this particular eight-track release the band issued two demos (in 1987 and 1988 respectively) before (seemingly overnight?) disappearing. Current whereabouts remain unknown....   

Jokerbats-"Vampire" Single

EvilZ Records / Exor's Magicvision Entertainments 2014 Hailing from a mythical land called EvilZgate, which may or may not actually be in London somewhere,  Jokerbats are a two-piece band comprised of vocalist/guitarist Byron and vocalist/bassist Trix. Along with help from Blond Wolf (lead guitar), Jester (drums/percussion) and Exor (Theatrical voices and keyboards), all of whom help out in studio and/or live situationist, the pair have created a band that is as capable visually as they are musically! Self-described as such: "We're a rock and hard rock band with a penchant for gothic horror and more. With a pinch of parody and a smack of glam, we are, when all is said and done, overall, quite a theatrical thing" the band, who list their influences as being Rob Zombie, Lordi Alice Cooper, Wednesday 13, Bauhaus, Motörhead, The Cure, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Ozbourne, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Murderdolls, Queenadreena, The Stranglers, The Cramps and Metallica has also been described by some sources as a hard rock/heavy metal version of The White Stripes! Truthfully Jokerbats, who will be officially releasing this single on the 24th of February, are all of the above while unlike anything you could imagine! A long-talked about and long-delayed EP was in the works although it now appears as if that will be expanded into a full-fledged album. One can only hope for as much seeing as "Vampire", which can be previewed below thanks to it's official video, is captivating even with it's (somewhat) camp overcoat! Be sure to check this pair out for yourself (and trust me you'll want to friends if for no other reason then the lovely Trix!) and "Like" their Facebook page below so you can be kept up to date on the comings and goings of this EvilZgate-based band! Video for "Vampire" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s5DnwlzNbQ Official Site: http://evilzgate.com/ Facebook Page for Jokerbats: https://www.facebook.com/JokerbatsBand

Pleonexia-Break All Chains

Pure Underground Records
2014

Pleonexia, who hail from Turin, Italy and take their name from an ancient Greek term*, was formed in 2012 by Michele Da Pila (vocals, guitars and keyboards). Initially a one man band, and self-described by front-man Michele Da Pila as "Philosophic metal", Pleonexia eventually grew into a full-fledged project with Federico Fondrini (guitars/backing vocals), Leonardo Manoiero (guitars/backing vocals), Davide Arneri (bass/ backing vocals), Lorenzo Luca (keyboards) and Stefano Clara (drums/ backing vocals) filling out the ranks. This Italian six-piece, which (musically) revolves around Michele Da Pila's wide vocal-range and the skilled-use of twin guitar solos**, make their professional debut with "Break All Chains". While it's almost impossible to make any sort of assumption about this being a "Philosophic metal" act (as Pure Steel Promotion never seems to include lyrics with their promo releases) one can certainly remark on the actual music that makes up "Break All Chains". The album's promo material makes the claim that Pleonexia "play a mix of 1980s hard rock and heavy metal with strong epic influences and with lyrics that encompass philosophical subjects". OK, so we've already discussed how it would be hard to make any kind of guess about the lyrical approach of "Break All Chains" let's break down the other claims one at a time. It's true that this Italian six-piece draws upon a "mix of 1980's hard rock and heavy metal". But, it's an odd mix. Yes, there is a lot of eighties hard rock influences here (LeMans perhaps? Highway Chile?) although it's more like eighties MELODIC hard rock. And sure, there are plenty of leftover eighties metal movements (Manilla Road), but they mostly come in the form of Manowar-like epic metal or Liege Lord without the speed (or respectability). Translated that means that anyone who were to go into this one looking straight-up, kick ass eighties metal would be sorely disappointed. And here's the thing. Along with these elements of 80's (melodic) hard rock and (epic) heavy metal you have more then a little N.W.O.B.H.M.-influences (Phoenix Rising and maybe Praying Mantis?) creeping into the mix. Normally that would be a good thing, but here it all comes across as more of a mess as if these different genres were evolved in a horrific head-on collision! Add to that a so-so production, which is nothing terribly tragic, but it definitely ends up lacking any sort of punch, and what you end up with is an odd albums that tries really hard but never manages to take off. You would dare to hope that by album number two this band might be able to work out some of the kinks (frankly a lot of this is rather flat) and produce something a tad more "refreshing". For now though I'd tag this as a "hand's off band to watch".


*Directly from Wikipedia:  Pleonexia, sometimes called pleonexy, originating from the Greek πλεονεξια, is a philosophical concept in writings by Plato and Aristotle, employed also in the New Testament. It roughly corresponds to greed, covetousness, or avarice, and is strictly defined as "the insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to others", suggesting what Ritenbaugh describes as "ruthless self-seeking and an arrogant assumption that others and things exist for one's own benefit".

**While there are post-Judas Priest/Iron Maiden twin guitar solos they are not as potent as one would hope for.

Drawers-Drawers

Kaotoxin
2014

Due for release on February 11th, and having been proceeded by a 2012 split with fellow-French noisemakers Hangman's Chair, this eight-track release is apparently a way for Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées-based Drawers to "reinvent themselves". Having never heard this lot prior to receiving the digital files for this self-titled release I can't vouch for where they've been, but I sure can and do appreciate where it is they find themselves at now and where they plan on heading from here! As this is only the group's second full-length affair since forming in 2006, with the first one being 2011's "All Is One" (along with the group's 2008 debut EP, "This Is Oil" that's all she wrote kids!) one would have to suggest that the future looks bright for these down-tuned rockers! "Officially" this is all sludge/stoner metal with (justifiable) comparisons being made in passing to the likes of Mastodon and Baroness, but (truth be told) that seems to bypass the band's own personality and it simply cannot be used as an exclusive tag given all of this album's quirky traits. In much the same way that a body's scars add character, with each one in turn telling a remarkable tale of survival, it's the various jagged edges of "Drawers" that makes it such a compelling listen. Alongside the towering waves of blackened sludge and (implied) doom, which are most-likely left over from the band's early days, you'll find yourself staring right at knuckle-punch garage metal, mean street rock and roll and, shockingly, groove-happy hard rock that's been rolled-up and lite ablaze via some wicked stoner rock riffs! Said gnarly riffs come courtesy of Alexandre Berenguer and Laurent Bringer while it's the pair of Jérémie Ruiz and Olivier Lolmède (bass and drums respectively) that keeps everything from flying of the page! Even so make no mistake about the intentions of Drawers in regards to this new album and their new direction. This is still the sound of a band at their heaviest when it comes right down to it. Recorded live in the studio, which merely adds more fuel to raw rock vibe of Drawers, this eight track LP is still punk through and through. Skipping with the pleasantries Drawers, without ever loosing focus on the goal at hand (one that I would assume would be to deliver knock-out material for those who believe in the power of really loud real music), plows there way over the listener never once stopping to offer anything in the way of an apology. And I for one couldn't be happier with the results! With Niko Bastide on the mic (as we can't leave out his fine contribution to the metal at hand!) and a backing band dead-set of rolling out honest music (warts and all!) this one only gets better with repeated listens! You're going to want this one folks.

Salvación-God Gold and Glory

Self-Release/Idependent
2014

"God Gold and Glory", which is a concept album about Spanish conqueror Hernán Corté, is the third full-length studio album from traditional heavy metal/ power metal band Salvación. Formed in 2009 by Carlos Sergio Denogean (drums, lyrics, concepts and gang vocals) and childhood friend Nicky Love Sponsel (vocals, guitar, bass, organ, E-Bow), and hailing from the last pace on Earth where someone would expect to find a band like this (Wilmington, North Carolina), the band released their debut album, "Going To Hell", in 2010. Followed by "Way More Unstoppable" in 2011, which is oddly enough also the title of the last cut on "God Gold and Glory", the band has evolved from their humble hard rock and heavy metal beginnings ("Going To Hell", while an excellent release in it's own right*, lacks the overall power, style and flair that is found on "God Gold and Glory") into a band begging well deserving of being heard by a wider audience! After the atmosphere is properly set by "Take Overture" (at 1:15 in length it allows the listener a chance to be transported back in time when the fall of the Aztec Empire was eminent!) the band proceeds to kick things up a notch or two with the urgent "Fortune". Falling somewhere between British metal (Judas Priest, Saxon) and German metal (Helloween, Running Wild) this three minute plus slab of power metal is pure gold as is the following track number, "Obsidian Knife"! Meanwhile "Stroke Of Luck" seems to favor the band's early roots while "Gambler's Throw" (featuring a simply fantastic, Judas Priest-like guitar solo, from Ian Millard who recorded "God Gold and Glory") could have easily been penned with Rob Halford and company in mind! "Satan Shame And Steel", which was an early favorite to win the best track on "God Gold and Glory"(!), is like a supercharged Black Sabbath as interpreted by "Painkiller"-era Judas Priest. And yes, that is as awesome as if sounds on paper! If not more so! Moving on, "Savage Reprisal", like the previously mentioned "Stroke Of Luck", is straight up hard rock which features a killer guitar solo from fellow Wilmington, North Carolina-native Dan Todd! And speaking of guests, "Way More Unstoppable" (the album's speed metal/power metal-tinged closing track and another fave track of mine!) features Ozzie Darden (Children of the Reptile, ex-The Disasters, ex-Death Machine Weapons), Sean Buchanan (North Carolina-based Colossus) and Peter Lemieux (Praetorius, Viper, Widow) sharing lead vocals! With it's splendid production (courtesy of Carlos Denogean, Nicholas Sponsel and Ian Millardon) and the awesome album-art pictured above (provided by the amazing hands of Yannick Bouchard) only adding to the overall appeal of "God Gold and Glory" one can't help but wonder where this act has been hiding over the past few years? You can find out more about these self-dubbed "Defenders of the of the Heavy Metal Faith!" at the link below and if you're a fan of  guitar-driven power metal then be sure to pick up a copy of "God Gold and Glory"!


https://www.facebook.com/salvacionrocks

*After listening to "God Gold and Glory" I went back and listened to "Going To Hell" out of curiosity. 

Lionheart-Welcome to the West Coast

FastBreak! Records
2014

Longing for the days when hardcore was still real, street-wise and honest to a fault? Well then how about we have a look-see at West Coast bangers Lionheart. Lead by Rob Watson, and calling Northern California home, this five-piece cuts straight to the point on opening "The Truth" and, in 16 minutes flat(!), proceeds to drill seven metal-laced hardcore tracks right into the base of your skull! What they do next to your skull I will leave up to your imagination, but needless to say on cuts like "Rat" these California natives do not mince words! Paying tribute to their scene on "Lhhc" we find the band (Watson, guitarists Nick Warner & Evan Krejci, bassist Brandon Wells and drummer Jay Scott) outdoing the likes of Hatebreed as they throw down the gauntlet! Less an album then a total shout-out to their hardcore posse, "Welcome to the West Coast" rattles heavy metal's cages on "I Am Forever" and "Hail Mary" by delivering crushing riffs and brutal beat-downs! When "Wasteland" shows up to finish the job once and for all you find yourself left wondering "What the HELL was that?". Swapping out Madball guitar solos for Motörhead-like bass riffs (all while reflecting back on what made the hardcore scene of the nineties so legit to begin with!) Lionheart, who have a (half-crazed and hellbent for flesh and blood!!!) pit bull with a solid-gold heart in front-man Rob Watson, prove that it's still possible to find bands with street cred even in this day and age! Hardcore with a message, and the muscle to back it up, "Welcome to the West Coast" is the real thing in a scene filled to overflowing with pathetic imitators 

Whiplash-"Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword" Single

Self-Released/Independent
2013

Not sure how I missed this one as it was released way back at the start of June in 2013! Having heard that the band was supposed to be releasing an EP called "Old School American Way, Volume 1." sometime in late 2012/early 2013 it now appears as if that whole idea was null and void! Still, at least we have this single off  of said EP right? Admittedly I lost track of these Jersey guys after their 1990 "Insult to Injury" album. O.K., I actually stopped listening to them after that. Still, when I last read about the "upcoming" EP I thought I'd give the group another try. From what I remember the EP was supposed to be a return to the group's roots. If "Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword" is anything to go by then Whiplash, which features original member Tony Portaro handling both vocals and guitars, has done right with that promise! This single, having been produced Portaro himself, features newcomers Dan "Loord" Foord (SikTh) and Dank DeLong (drums and bass respectively) joining in on the fun that can be had by blasting out straight-up speed/thrash metal! Old-school thrashers will love Portaro handling of both the vocals and guitars as his voice is just rough enough to give "Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword" edge while his leads are classic Whiplash circa late eighties/early nineties! From the looks of it Tony's two partners in crime have been backing him up since 2011 and the consistency/chemistry is obvious from the technical beat-down that is "Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword". My only gripe is at a little over three minutes in length it's come and gone before you really have a chance to sit back and settle in! I'd love to find out what the hold-up is with "Old School American Way, Volume 1.". Is it's a matter of not being able to find the proper label to release it on then why not just go ahead and release it yourself? If the lack of funds is the problem then why not go the Kickstarter route? Considering how much has been accomplished this way on the part of bands (A Sound Of Thunder is a perfect example!) Whiplash could easily raise the funds one would think. Either way this single shreds and if this is what Whiplash could be like in 2014 and beyond then you better believe I wouldn't be losing track of them again!

http://officialwhiplash.bandcamp.com/track/sword-meet-skull-skull-meet-sword

Alcest-Shelter

Prophecy Productions
2014

Arriving safely by mail, with Matt Boroff's "Sweet Hand Of Fate" serving as it's companion during the course of said journey, "Shelter", which (even if it is actually the fourth studio release from this creative French outfit) was my first exposure to this unique act, had already peaked my interest before I even had a chance to unwrap the CD. Based-solely upon what I had read, whether within the confines of the e-mail asking me if I would be willing to give "Shelter" a listen (with the answer being a resounding "Yes!") or online in anticipation the CD's arrival, this two-man project from Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France could either be shoegaze act descended from a post-black metal band, a dream-pop act descended from an ambient black metal band or a little of both. Either way the band, which was founded in 2000 and is still lead by multi-instumentalist Neige (Stéphane Paut), began life under the black metal banner before evolving into the beautiful creature that stared back at me as I surveyed "Shelter". Taking the form of a concept album, with the title track accurately describing the direction in which this experimental album chooses to head, the album can best be described as a comfortable hiding place far away from life's noisy distractions. With the aid of Sigur Rós producer Birgir Jón Birgisson, guest's like Slowdrive's Neil Halsted ("Away", which is one of the tracks here that is sung in English, finds Neil Halsted's voice roaming the accent hallways of indie rock, a school where the sounds of authentic strings carelessly floated about in the background while it's students created dream-like alternative music) and singer-songwriter Billie Lindahl (Promise And The Monster) and with ex-Peste Noire drummer Winterhalter serving as the second part of the two-man equation, Neige has managed to re-write the book on how to properly nurture your (humble) black metal roots so that they can be deconstructed and then carefully reassembled into a (dream-like) soundtrack where melancholy is more the norm the anything else. And yet, as offered by the album's opener "Wings" and this releases' first single, "Opale" (fittingly track one and track two), "Shelter" isn't entirely bleak to the point of absolute despair. In actuality these two numbers, which (for better or worse) end up falling somewhere between dreamy pop, classic rock and shoeglaze, were seemingly made/hand-crafted with love to serve as the perfect backdrop for all of the imposing snow that my part of the East coast has been buried under. Or at least that is how I perceived such an offering. On a day in which the temperature hardly rose above the teens, and with more mountains of snow being threatened for the days ahead (or is that weeks ahead?), such numbers as "Wings" and "Opale" cut (more then) a welcoming pathway in the roadway ahead. It's one (the surgical cut of these two numbers) that is filled with light and welcoming warmth even when faced with the cold and bitter darkness that is Ohio in January. Could it be that this melodic album, despite the recurring appearance of post-black metal ghosts, is remarkably "alive" and, as such, could be viewed as if it's attempting to pass itself off as the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing? Is this a death-rock album pretending that it is some sort of pop-oriented rock and roll creature? Dolled up and rolled out as if to lull the audience into not looking past it's fake makeup? For whatever reason I was reminded of the line in "Carry On My Wayward Son" where it goes "Masquerading as a man with a reason. My charade is the event of the season". Neige has changed in his appearance, but the charade can only go on for so long right?  Or maybe it can. For even as "L'Eveil Des Muse", which is undercut with the presence of darkness and despair (or at least in it's opening), manages to convey this feeling of helplessness and abandonment you still find yourself being drawn in closer and closer as if pulled by some mysterious force that you just can't see. Whether by way of it's evocative guitar playing, a highlight not only on this track but throughout all of "Shelter", or Neige's oddly calm voice one fact is routinely exposed. Even at it's darkest, when you know you are looking right into the very abyss that is nothingness, the latest release from Alcest is a dream paradise and it is the soundtrack of the any-man as he reaches forward in hopefulness, with out-stretched and longing hands, that he might just find a way to return to the warmth and security of his mother's womb. Does he find it? Can any of us really hope to find that again? The only answer I can give is to listen to "Shelter" for yourself and then decide. Is it a journey we can ever really hope to take or is it just the reality that some of us can only dare an escape while within the comfort of our nightly dreams...

Ice Nine Kills-The Predator Becomes The Prey

Outerloop/Fearless Records
2014

Formed in 2006 by high school friends Spencer Charnas (lead vocals) and Jeremy Schwartz (guitar and vocals), with the original moniker of Ice Nine being swapped out just prior to the release of the group's debut album, "Last Chance to Make Amends", Ice Nine Kills are a Boston-based melodic hardcore/post-hardcore/metalcore band whose musical exploration/evolution has been, if nothing else, "interesting". From start (2006's "Last Chance to Make Amends") to finish, with the 11-track "The Predator Becomes The Prey" serving as home plate, Ice Nine Kills' transition could best be summed up with a Grateful Dead line: "Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it's been". Early on the band rolled out the pop-punk/emo rock wagon and custom fitted it (by all accounts) with post-hardcore and ska! Thankfully things changed for the better and by the time the group had released the follow-up to "Last Chance to Make Amends", which would be 2007's well-received EP, "The Burning", the band's sound has been greatly-improved with welcomed-arrival of (more straight-forward) hardcore and metallic riffs. Onward the band would prowl and in 2009, after guitarist/co-founder Jeremy Schwartz left the band after having (reportedly) had enough of life lived on the road (thus leaving lead vocalist Spencer Charnas as the sole original member), members of Rochester-based post-hardcore band Remember Tomorrow were recruited to fill out the line-up. Evidently this had the effect of driving Ice Nine Kills, or if you will their sound, further down the rabbit hole of all that is melodic hardcore/post-hardcore because we have on "The Predator Becomes The Prey" is anything but emo and/or pop-punk! Spencer, now credited with vocals and screams, with Justin "JD" DeBlieck (guitars, screams), Justin Morrow (bass) and Conor Sullivan (drums) rounding out the current version of Ice Kill Nine, furiously takes hold of the reins on opener "The Power Is Belief" and never once looks back! With the benefit of a proper-production and the effective interplay that comes by way of Spencer and JD's shared "vocals", and not to mention DeBlieck's well-timed and refreshing metallic solos (something not often seen in post-hardcore/melodic-hardcore albums like this one especially when metalcore gets added to the equation) the picture that is painted when it comes to "The Predator Becomes The Prey" is one of reflection (the previously released benefit single, "The Product of Hate", was a response to the horrific tragedy that was for the Boston marathon bombing) and outright intensity ("The Power In Belief" and "Let's Bury The Hatchet...In Your Head" are just the first two numbers of this nearly 40 minute long release and the way in which they force-feed HUGE metallic riffs and ear-shattering screams down upon the listener is nothing short of CHAOTIC and DESTRUCTIVE!). Along the way tracks like "The Coffin Is Moving", "The Fastest Way To A Girl's Heart Is Through Her Ribcage" (love the tile there guys!), "Jonathan", "What I Never Learned in Study Hall" (featuring very cool guest vocals from former Woe, Is Me front-man/current Issues lead vocalist Tyler Carter) and the previously-released single "Connect The Cuts" keep the energy flowing until "My Life In Two" fulfills this band's obligation to lay waste to everything and everyone in their path with emotionally-empowering rock! Yes, just like any melodic hardcore band worth it's two cents the band slows things down when needed and they do an excellent job at showcases their humanity (as evident by the lyrical narrative of this album) even amongst all of the album's utter-most heavy moments. Still, albums like this one (if there are any ones I mean as this is remarkable fresh!) are meant to be played LOUD and enjoyed for the emotional-release that they give off. Obviously that first part (playing this one LOUD!!!!) is optional, but that second part about releasing ones pent-up emotions? Well, I wouldn't think that would be much of a choice! For a band like Ice Nine Kills, who live in the shadows of the great Boston hardcore scene, this is an album that SHOULD serve as a real door-opener. Other then the album's relentless use of screams there is more then enough of a HEAVY edge about this one to appeal to thrashers out there especially as there is no shortage of metallic solos. Let me put it another way. I would be really surprised if  three or four years down the road (that is provided this shaky world of ours survives that long!) we didn't look back upon "The Predator Becomes The Prey" as the album that broke this Boston-based collective into the mainstream. Yes, it is that strong, both musically and lyrically, and, even if you've never given much thought to post-hardcore and/or melodic hardcore, this is one of those album's that I enthusiastically endorse! It appears as if my best-off list for 2014 is already growing pretty long and we are not even out of January!

ForChristSake-Death is But A Breath Away

Self-Release/Independent
2010

No label? No problem! In what would prove to be just the first step of many taken by this extreme metal band from Northern Ireland, the (then) five-piece band known as ForChristSake self-released their debut EP, "Death is But A Breath Away". Fronted by lead vocalist/keyboardist Guy, with all of the lyrics and music written-by the pair of Ignatios (drums & vocals) and Seraphim (guitar & vocals), this Christ-first/death metal-second act might have wore their faith on their sleeves, but, given the fact that it was being backed up by some of the most brutal and extreme metal out there, it was presented in such a fashion as to reach every corner of every pit whether in their home country or world-wide! "Heavy for Christ" is a battle-cry that I've heard, or rather have felt and laid witness to, many times over from my first "real" Christian metal concert "experience" (Deliverance w/ Sacrament) up to and including now (with Christian heavy metal and thrash at an all time high, quality-wise and availability-wise, there is no longer the tired old stigma of "this band is just a Christian version of this band, etc." that haunted it for far too many years). Still, I fail (epically!) in my attempted rummaging through my warn-out memory banks to find any Christian band as destructive on tape as this bunch! While it's not strictly death metal we are talking about with these four tracks, as there is plenty of black metal and thrash metal to be found within a release like "Death is But A Breath Away", it's probably the best starting point from which to jump when chatting about this (soon-to-be) Roxx Records act! Other then lead vocalist/keyboardist Guy the same bunch that recorded this EP appears on their recently-released full-length debut album, "Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror". Having heard their Roxx Records full-length debut release first though, which you can read all about at the link pasted below, it's somewhat interesting walking backwards to this short recording. But, other then the switching-up of the vocal duties between releases this is the same crushing entity that blew me away with "Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror". So, if you've heard their first and liked it then you'll no doubt like this EP. That's not to say that there hasn't been growth as there certainly has been. This is almost a case of addition by subtraction as I actually prefer the vocals on ForChristSake's new LP more then I do on this 2010 EP. Also, the band seems to have tightened up all of the various lose edges and made more then a few steps toward being more technically-sound. But of course that's what is supposed to happen when you grow as a band and have a few years between releases. All of which means exactly what in the end? Well, if I was going to give out an album to a fan and fellow lover of all things extreme metal (as a "Hey, have you heard this new extreme metal band from Northern Ireland yet?") I would definitely go with "Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror". That seems fairly obvious right? But, after letting them soak up the awesomeness of "Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror" I would slide them this EP in an ever-so-cool manor and say "If you thought the full-length debut from this gnarly bunch was wicked wait until you listen to this raw beast of an EP!!!!!".

http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=ForChristSake-Apocalyptic+Visions+of+Divine+Terror+

Lucifer's Hammer-Night Sacrifice (Demo MMXIII)

Shadow Kingdom Records
2014

Initially a 2013 self-release/independent recording, with Shadow Kingdom Records doing the right thing by stepping in and snagging up this Santiago-based traditional heavy metal band's 3-track demo for a (limited-edition) cassette run (which seems fitting enough as seeing as it looks as this remarkable slab of true heavy metal was a limited-run, cassette-only release to begin with!*), "Night Sacrifice (Demo MMXIII)" showcases the efforts of this two-man heavy outfit to re-create the perfect eighties metal recording! Or at least that's how I take it having now listened to this demo a half-dozen times through! Now, technically-speaking Chile's Lucifer’s Hammer, who are not to be confused with the black/death metal band of the same name from Westland, Michigan**, are not a strict, by-the-numbers, eighties metal band. As that would entail total Priest/Maiden devotion and nothing else it would be far too restrictive, and not to mention hardly fair at all given the sweeping nature of their work, to simply start and finish with those two heavy metal heavyweights! Rather, the band, which features Hades on vocals and guitars and Titan on drums, draws their sound from not only the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene, but cult U.S. metal bands like Salem's Wych, Graven Image, Sinister Angel, Griffin, Warchylde, Heathen's Rage and DarkStarr!  All of which adds up to a mini-album that could have been a long-lost nugget from another time and another place! From the vocals, which seem custom-crafted out of pure fire on a number like "Night Sacrifice", to the actual music on hand here for Lucifer's Hammer sole-release this is one band that SCREAMS "Huge Potential"! With any luck this demo will just be the first of many as nothing short of pure heavy metal thunder runs thru the bloodstreams of this epic release from this highly-talented two-piece! For now, while you wait until (from the looks of it)  February for the limited-edition cassette re-issue, you can download this great demo from the group's bandcamp page below.  


http://shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/night-sacrifice-demo-mmxiii

*The Metal Archives does make mention of a hand numbered (and limited to a mere 40 copies!) CD-R being released by the Argentinian label The Power Cage Records, but (for all intensive purposes) this was/still is a cassette tape release.

**Besides the difference in genres, which is quite the huge gap anyway(!), this Lucifer's Hammer from Chile reportedly took their name from a Warlord song (which would be more then appropriate!) whereas their U.S. counterparts took name their name from the 1977 apocalyptic novel of the same name by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle!

Mustasch-Thank You For The Demon

Gain/Sony Music
2014

You know it helps having friends in low places. Case in point: Mustasch. Or rather this Swedish act's latest album "Thank You For The Demon". Despite having formed in the fall of 1998 and having truckloads of other worthy (and highly-praised apparently) material under their wings this is (somehow) the first that I am now hearing about them. That sucks as it sure as hell sounds as if I've been missing out on a LOT! "Thank You For The Demon" is, for all intensive purposes, a dandy little rocker (sent lovingly to me from someone from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away) that finds Mustasch rocking along quite comfortably to a mix/mash-up of tradition heavy metal and hard rock as envisioned by a stone cold groove rock outfit with more then enough knowledge of classic rock and the current rock and roll scene to roll modern radio for the foreseeable future! Lead effortlessly by vocalist/guitarist Ralf Gyllenhammar (rather aptly described, previous to hearing the band for myself that is, as almost Ian Astbury-like in his vocal delivery) and rounded out by David Johannesson (lead guitar), Stam Johansson (bass guitar) and Jejo Perković (drums) this Swedish four-piece sound really be a household name by now! Why they are not one is one of life's most puzzling mysterious! As the follow-up to 2013's "Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heavy" (an album that, having now heard some sample tracks from, I will shortly be looking to acquire whether through iTunes or Amazon!) this one shreds the light fantastic and yes, you bet your sweet a**, it will be highlighting my best of 2014 list! Hard rock and roll by way of (riff-happy) heavy metal and ("Lay it all on the line Sucka!") stoner rock has never sounded better my friends. Find this one at all costs and learn to live again!

Picture-Eternal Dark + Heavy Metal Ears (2014 CD Re-Issue)

Tribunal Records/Divebomb Records
2014


Having just reviewed the other Picture CD re-release on Wednesday of this week I will know turn my attention to "Eternal Dark + Heavy Metal Ears". Up front let's clear up one thing. The cover album is not a  proper reflection of the album artwork for this re-issue. Instead it's the same deal. It's only posted to highlight the fact that these two albums, which were released in 1983 and 1981 ("Eternal Dark" and "Heavy Metal Ears" respectively), appear on this one CD. Now, someone (on the side) asked me about bonus material. No, there is not any bonus material on either of these sets. Instead the "bonus" features that are attached to these two separate sets, which can be picked up at the link below, include: 1) Improved sound 2) A fabulous booklet with bio, (what are most likely to be exclusive) pictures and lyrics and 3) They are being made available on CD for the first time ever in North American! Tack on the fact that they are reasonably priced at $15.00 a set and you could actually stretch that out to 4(!) bonus features folks! For someone like me, for whom the previous CD re-issues are wildly out of reach (price-wise) and, as a result, have (admittedly) only had the (slight) comfort of second-hand burned copies, the previously mentioned items are bonus enough! Especially when hearing "Eternal Dark" (for what seemed like the first time despite having this one in my possession for well over 10 years!!!) is all of it's crystal-clear, heavy metal glory! But, we are getting a little ahead of ourselves so we will get to that aspect in a few as, unlike last time around, I'm going to cover "Heavy Metal Ears" first. On the CD said album is actually on the tail end of "Eternal Dark" which means that these particular numbers run 11-19. Still, giving the huge jump (style-wise and sound-wise) between 1981-era Picture and 1983-era Picture it's probably best to cover "Heavy Metal Ears" and then move forward. In hindsight, having "Diamond Dreamer" to break up the flow and all (what with it's Ronnie James Dio fronting Judas Priest-like vibe), "Eternal Dark" was probably a (somewhat) logical step style-wise. But, "Heavy Metal Ears" (which, although being released back in 1981, still remains a relevant release/modern source of inspiration as bands such as Serpent and Spikes have covered it's title-track!) sees this legendary Dutch heavy metal act not only hearing the battle cry that came from Saxon's 1979 debut, but also acting upon it a if following the same path that lead their British comrades from an album like "Saxon" all the way to "Denim and Leather"! It shouldn't be seen as all that much of a surprise then that Picture actually toured Europe with Saxon in 1981! Opening with the classic title cut, "Heavy Metal Ears" moves effortlessly through numbers like "Spend the Night with You" and "Unemployed" (a surprisingly heavy cut even for an album like this!) before truly hitting it all out of the park with cuts like "Night Tiger" and "No No No"! By the time the album's closer comes calling (the 7+ minute epic "Rock & Roll / Under Your Spell") you've been treated to Saxon-style rockers like "I'm Just A Simple Man" (Motörhead and AC/DC influences anyone?) and even the oddity of a track like "Funky Town" (No, it's not a cover song!)! For classic heavy metal and N.W.O.B.H.M. fanatics Picture's "Heavy Metal Ears" should be a given! So, what of "Eternal Dark" then? By 1983 Picture was leaning on yet another new lead vocalist Pete Lovell. On the plus side this one would stay the course and even appears on 2012's excellent exceptional "Warhorse". The downside though would seem fairly obvious to anyone paying attention to the band dynamics of Picture during those early eighties years. With Pete Lovell the band was on the third lead singer in as many albums. Not only that, but guitarist/keyboardist/backing vocalist Jan Bechtum, whose distinct style of playing had anchored the previous three albums, was suddenly gone as well! In his place came Henry van Manen and Chris van Jaarsveid. Two guitarists to replace the one lone guitarist/keyboardist who had made Picture into the band they were? It could never work right? And yet it did! Maybe it's not as well-loved and worshiped as "Diamond Dreamer", but in it's own right it's a damn fine heavy metal platter especially for when it was released! While the early Saxon-vibe can still be found on album number four with two guitarists in the fold the band went all in! Along with the Saxon (and Judas Priest/Dio experimentation of "Diamond Dreamer"!) the band's latest sound seemed ripped straight from the pages of N.W.O.B.H.M. 101! Listening to "Eternal Dark" now, with more then a few years of musical experience behind me*, I can pick up on the Blitzkrieg elements as well as how bands like Chariot and Chateaux influenced Picture's new direction. Toss in the likes of Dio-lead Black Sabbath, Manowar, solo-Ozzy, Accept, (early) Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden and some cult bands of the day like Faithful Breath (try on "Hard Breath" and "Gold 'n' Glory" if you are looking for new titles to add to your eighties hard rock/heavy metal collection), Heavy Load and Dark Wizard (who actually came about, or at least released their first, highly-recommended mind you, EP, "Devil's Victim", in 1984!) and you've got a decent idea of what "Eternal Dark" has to offer! Of course it wasn't just the band's style that changed with album number four or even their line-up. With "Eternal Dark" the band dove head first into fantasy/Dungeons and Dragons territory as evident by "Griffins Guard The Gold", "Battle For The Universe" and "Flying In Time"! No doubt there were more then a few of the Picture faithful who were scratching their heads when this album was released! For 1983 though it's fairly typical theme-wise. Music-wise it is also fairly typical as this was the dawning of eighties metal (stylized by all things Priest/Maiden in nature) when bands were suddenly applying dual lead guitar solos and the distinct "galloping" song-structures that made for many a great classic!  Still, "Eternal Dark" seems to be the one early Picture release that people either love or loathe. While the band gets (unfairly in my mind) knocked for the sudden change by a lot of modern day metal fans I've always had a soft spot for this album and, as a stand-alone piece, I find it charming. It's heavy when it needs to be (the soul crushing "The Blade") while it also features great Iron Maiden/Dio-like like rockers in "Flying In Time" and "Into The Underworld" and "Tell No Lies". Meanwhile that (early) Mötley Crüe reference point (as well as the solo-Ozzy bit and Accept mention) shines through in the likes of "Power Of Evil" and "Make You Burn". Listening to the album again (as I type this review) brings up another "interesting" reference point that I never noticed until now (and yes, I'm well aware of how crazy this one sounds!). Could there be a little bit of the punk-vibe of (early, as in first two full-length albums with Paul at the helm) Iron Maiden and even a bit of the sleazy/street-wise attitude of early-Twisted Sister running wild through "Eternal Dark"? Quite possibly yes! All of which means that album number four in Picture's back catalog needs to be heard to be fully appreciated for what it has to offer! Again, I simply cannot express how refreshing it is to hear these early Picture releases presented like this. With improved sound (and the bonus of a killer booklet with bio, pictures and lyrics!) both "Eternal Dark" and "Heavy Metal Ears" come off as fresh and vibrant! For fans of this killer Dutch heavy metal outfit I cannot think of a better way to celebrate these early albums than with this set as well as the "Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1" offering! Samples to both sets can be found by going through the Tribunal link below and it is worth noting that, while supplies last as there were only 100 of these made available, if you buy both sets at the same time you can receive a rather nifty Picture logo magnet! Of course that is only while supplies last and, seeing as there were only 100 of these made and all, I can't imagine they'll last long!      .


http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/picture-eternal-dark-heavy-metal-ears

Review of "Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1" Set:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Picture-Diamond+Dreamer+%2B+Picture+1+%282014+CD+Re-Issue%29+

*When I first heard "Eternal Dark" some 13 years back I was in my late twenties and had not yet rediscovered the joys of the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene. I had a young daughter and a job, working in a (now-closed) screen printing shop, that required long, tiring hours. Many early hour mornings (three or four AM) were spent (working by myself in the screen-prep area) listening to this album and marveling at it's raw, early eighties metal appeal and it's fantasy elements. As I worked with the motto of "Do it for her", with the her being my (then) young daughter Haley, "Eternal Dark" allowed me a measure of escape from a job that I had found broke my spirit as much as my body!

Manta Ray- Visions Of Towering Alchemy

Divebomb Records
2013

For this entry into Divebomb Record's "Bootcamp Series" we must step inside the WABAC machine and return to another time period. While it might not seem as if it was all that long ago, as we're only talking about 20+ years having passed, the fact is so much has changed (from our day to day lives to the world in which we now we come home) that it might have been a 100 years ago! Long before the internet made us all slaves to technology, and the best albums (usually only to be found on cassette tape and vinyl mind you!) could still be had by going to your local Mom and Pop store down the street, a young band named Manta Ray released their one, and unfortunate as it would prove to be, only release in "Visions Of Towering Alchemy". The exact time (1990) and place (Dallas, Texas) are recorded in the pages of history (or Heavy Metal History that is), but what has been previously laid to paper in regards to this young band is woefully inadequate! The band Manta Ray, which had formed one year earlier and was lead by guitarist/vocalist (and recent Hollywood Musicians Institute' graduate) Lance Harvill, issued this (originally) four-track EP that, despite being less then twenty minutes in length, told the world everything that they needed to know about the band's long-term potential. Unfortunately for every good album that came out that year (Death's "Spiritual Healing", Annihilator's "Never, Neverland", Judas Priest's "Painkiller", Prong's "Beg To Differ", King's X's "Faith Hope Love", Mother Love Bone's "Apple" and Social Distortion's "Social Distortion") there were more then enough train-wreck releases from likes of  Poison, Warrant, Slaughter, Don Dokken, Firehouse and Dread Zeppelin (God, remember them?) to derail the hopes of any up-and-coming band. And of course lost in the shuffle of a dying heavy metal scene was this young Dallas act. At the time this should have been just the starting point for a promising career. While the Lance Harvill might not ring any bells now there was some serious talent waiting in the wings as far as Lance's cohorts. Standing beside Lance was guitarist Mike Morgan (ex-Hell Church, ex-Seventh Gate) and two gentlemen who would go on to have quite the successful careers (bassist David Harbour and drummer John Luke Hebert). While both of these individuals would go on to play with Chastain, Leather and King Diamond (!) it would be David, whose exceptional bass playing was obvious from the very start of his career, who really took after Manta Ray's far too brief existence! Not only did this talented bassist find himself with Chastain, Leather and King Diamond (and not to mention the ambient act Equimanthorn), but he was also involved with solo projects from the likes of David T. Chastain and Michael Harris. All of which is fine and dandy I hear you saying, but what about this particular band and the re-released "Visions Of Towering"? I'm glad you asked as "Visions Of Towering Alchemy", which was originally laid to tape at Dallas Sound Lab Studios (Pantera and Rigor Mortis), showcases a young band that had so much to offer a scene that was in desperate need of earnest heavy metal like this. Early Queensrÿche would be one good starting point as far as references are concerned. Anything from the "Queensrÿche" EP up to "Rage for Order" would be in order. But, "Visions Of Towering Alchemy", having now been expanded to a six-track EP thanks to the inclusion of two bonus cuts in "Guilty" and "On My Own" (both from the 1991 demo "Die Hard"), would likely be a welcomed addition to those who count Sanctuary's "Refuge Denied" and Dio's "Lock Up the Wolves" as part of their personal heavy metal collection. Along with a little maybe a little Crimson Glory ("Transcendence"-era), Lethal (their "Programmed" album), Fates Warning (only up to their "No Exit" album though) and Mainiax & Ray Gunn (two cult 80's metal bands who sadly only released one release apiece like Manta Ray!) and there you have it! Six (slightly) prog-leaning heavy metal/power metal tracks of exceptional quality. That is what this particular "Bootcamp Series" release from Tribunal Records' offshoot label, Divebomb Records, has to offer. Here's the thing though (and this is one thing that I really like about Divebomb releases). You don't just have to take my word for it. Nope. You can actually listening to samples of this cult re-release at the link below! How sweet is that! Just be forewarned though of one tiny little detail. As with the other release in the "Bootcamp Series" this one is limited to just  500 copies! So, you know the drill then right? You snooze, you lose! It's as simple as that folks! Personally I'd suggest that you not miss out on this one, but that's just me! Still, at a mere $7.00 this one seems like a real no-brainer my friends. I'm just saying....

http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/manta-ray-visions-of-towering-alchemy

Boatrocker-Antagonize

Self-Release/Independent
2014

I've got the great site Stereokiller to thank for this one. And up front I'm just going to admit that I plan to cheat as far as the release date goes on this one. Technically-speaking it was released at the tail end of 2013. Or at least digitally. With CD copies just becoming available earlier this month though I can sneak a release like "Antagonize" right passed the cut of line and we'll just pretend that it came out in 2014. That means I can add it to my 2014 best off list. Booyah! Still, I'm getting a fair bit ahead of myself here so let's rewind the tape shall we? Self-described as a "bunch of dorks playing bad music" (although their Facebook page actually states the opposite, which is way more closer to the truth, with "We are great") Boatrocker is a 4-piece band (Chris, John, Sean, Will) from Wilmington, Delaware whose style could best be described as post-hardcore. But, then again, the band, which, prior to this 7-track thing of beauty, released a 2009 demo ("Turn it The Fuck Up") and one other full-length album (2011's "Delicious Jams" which features one of the best album covers I've seen in a L-O-N-G time!), adds in these different elements/ingredients so they are a bit more then just merely "post-hardcore". Whew, that was more then a mouthful. Especially as all I had planned to serve up was the notion that the cool-named Boatrocker turn-up to 11 their overall potential appeal thanks to some timely-placed heavy metal and pop-punk elements! The Stereokiller "suggestion" was New Jersey's Thursday which I can sort of see. Other names have been tossed out as well, but it's more of the same "take this band (x, y or z) and then add these bands (more x, y and z pieces & parts)" when all that really needs to be said is that Boatrocker, whether they are trying their hand at the various nuances that made up late nineties alternative music or attempting to crush your skull with (early 2000') hardcore riffs which have been miraculously raised from the dead through some mystical source (Radiation? Voodoo? A Strange glowing comet?), rocks to the beat of their own drummer and that said beat is deliciously divine!

http://boatrocker.bandcamp.com/

Electric Age-Electric Age

Divebomb Records
2013

Last October Divebomb Records, which is a division of Tribunal Records, announced the arrival of a new series called "Divebomb Bootcamp". Initially the Bootcamp series was set-up so that it could "pay homage to seminal record label, Combat Records, and the vinyl 12" releases they originally issued back in the late 80's bearing the same moniker". Translated that means that the series would be used to highlight long thought lost gems of the hard rock and heavy metal underground. We're talking about unreleased albums, lost-sessions and demo recordings from misc. bands. These releases would be strictly-limited to a mere 500 copies and they would include a smorgasbord of cool extras like brand new artwork, full-color booklets with previously unavailable pictures and even new interviews with the bands! All of which is fine by me. Especially seeing as there are more then enough (extremely worthy) "lost" recordings floating around out there to keep a series like this going strong for years and years to come! But, here's the thing. While Divebomb Records might have started off with the notion that they would just unearth lost gems, which again is a damn fine idea all around, somewhere along the way a new idea popped into their heads. Why not use this series as a way to (also) highlight new and exciting, up-and-coming bands that might not otherwise get a chance to step up and shine in the spotlight? Solid idea right? All of which brings us to the aptly-titled Electric Age and this recently released six-track EP. Despite calling Brazil home, and (overall) being from the wrong-time period, this young outfit sounds remarkable British in their approach to seventies rock. Yes, I said seventies rock. Probably the only thing that would give this one away (in regards to it being from the here and now and not the late seventies) would be the more modern production. Otherwise this limited edition CD (we're talking about only 500 copies boys and girls with this sweet EP so you might not want to drag your feet on snagging this one up!) sounds as if it was ripped straight out time and dropped right into the laps of those of us who long for a time when rock and roll was still real and not so "artificial". Lead by the rustic vocals of (rock star in the making) Junior Rodrigues, whose soulful and heartfelt voice sets the stage for what is to come early on with Rainbow meets Uriah Heap rocker "Rise", Electric Age rolls through their Divebomb Records' debut-release with the cruise control set firmly on ROCK! And rock this band does! Cuts like the Rainbow-flavored "Dreamer" and the UFO-inspired "All Night Long" offer up hope real rock and roll is still more then ready and willing to kick down the doors of the establishment and give modern radio rock the old heave-ho that it rightly deserves! Sure, "All Night Long" might also have a bit of (early) G 'N R going for it, but at the end of the day this is a band that is more rooted in the likes of  Rainbow, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Blue Öyster Cult (bits and pieces of "Echoes Of Insanity" show a clear love for the more straight-ahead rock style of late eighties B.Ö.C and, yes, it is awesome!) and even Sweet (see "Good Times Are Coming") then late eighties/early nineties hard rock! In fact when you hear a track like "Snake Eater" it's not too surprising to find out that the band began life as a Deep Purple tribute act. Besides being custom-crafted arena rockers, meaning AOR lovers should stand up and take notice, both "Snake Eater" and it's follow-up number, "Echoes Of Insanity", sound as if they could be long-lost Deep Purple numbers! A lot of that goes back to the skillful playing of guitarist Luiz Felipe Cardim whose rock riffs make a release like "Electric Age" sizzle! Together with Junior Rodrigues (and let's not forget the lethal rhythm section of bassist Otavio Cintra and drummer Nico "The Boss") guitarist Luiz Felipe Cardim cuts a clear a clear path through the mess that passes for rock and roll these days. The fact is if numbers like "Snake Eater", "Echoes Of Insanity", "All Night Long" and "Dreamer" don't make you believe in the healing powers of rock and roll again then you might want to check your pulse as you're probably dead! This EP, with it's full-color, 12 page booklet(!) serving as nothing short of a spicy addition, is a must for those who love real rock and roll especially the classics!


http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/electric-age-electric-age 

Backwater-Take Extreme Forms

Iron Shield Records
2013


Calling Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg (Germany) home, Blackwater, which has been around in one form or another since the early eighties, released this, their third overall full-length release, late last month. With a new lead vocalist in tow (Oliver Hirsch who looks as if he is taking over the duties once held by Backwater's long-time/still current as of this typing guitarist Thomas Guschelbauer) and what appears to be a renewed sense of urgency and intensity  (given the overall strength of  this nearly fifty minute long recording!) "Take Extreme Forms" is one album that shows it's never too late in the game to make a significant score! For a band whose last two "official" albums were released in 1984 and 1985 ("Revelation" and "Final Strike" respectively with neither release receiving high marks from the looks of it ) and one which took some strange detours along the way (from 1992-1996 they were known as Tai Pan and released one full-length album in 1995's "Slow Death" before turning into X-Ray in 1996 and releasing "Dehumanized" the very same year) Backwater sure seem as if they have finally hit upon a winning formula with "Take Extreme Forms". Despite it's unassuming album art and ho-hum song titles ("Arise", "Run or Die", "The World", "Aliens Blood", "Burn", "Nuts and Guts" and "Grizzly Bear") this album simply slays! On one hand the band's sound channels many a great German band, thrash metal or not (everything/everyone from Accept to Living Death) while on the other hand visions of group's like Metallica and Slayer popped into my head as this 12-track album came ragging out of home stereo! While maybe not perfect (lyrically some of this seems a little "weak") there is much then enough positives to recommend an album like "Take Extreme Forms". From the throaty lead vocals of Oliver Hirsch to the thrash-attack guitar solos of  Thomas Guschelbauer and fellow six-stringer Lothar Lauble (with bass player Miguel Di Muzio and drummer Steffen Gottwald doing an excellent job of filling out the ranks of Backwater) heavy power metal/thrash fanatics should enjoy the pummeling that this album unleashes upon one's eardrums!  Backwater, or at least "Take Extreme Forms", is proof that it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks!

Vornth-Vornth

Iron Tyrant
2014 

Active since the year 2000, with this self-titled, twelve-track release (which runs nearly sixty minutes in length!) serving as their first full-length recording/warning sign that they have arrived, the Swedish band Vornth are the ultimate vehicle of all that is unholy! This mechanism of pure evilness, which incidentally (or at least is this mortal form) is lead by vocalist/guitarist Erik Hartmann, is blackened speed metal/thrash for the modern day metalheads who thrive amongst us who wish that black metal wasn't so....well...shrill. Amongst other things this band's sound seems as if it is derived from the likes of  (in their words) Razor, Destruction, Exciter, Kreator and Sacrifice. A closer examination though suggests other "influences". Take the nearly eight minute long "Grave of the Living" for example. This last cut, which closes the door on an album that also sees the likes of Motörhead, Warfare and (early) Tank being dragged out and put on display like lambs being prepared for the slaughter, sounds like Slayer getting severely violated by Venom! When bookend with opener "2740°" (a track that could represent Metallica overdosing on all things King Diamond/Merciful Fate!) it's nothing if not unsettling!  For those who choose to venture down such a dimly lite path, with tracks like "Rip Rip Rip", "Spit Black Fire", "Devil" and (clocking in at 7:20!) "Axemurder" offering no comfort whatsoever as far as those longing for rest or a reprieve, the warning has been issued. "Vornth" is not for the faint at heart or the weak-willed. It is the embodiment of pure evil all rolled up into one nasty piece of speed metal-tinged, fist-bangin' fifth! Proceed with extreme caution on this one friends....

Picture-Diamond Dreamer + Picture 1 (2014 CD Re-Issue)

Tribunal Records/Divebomb Records
2014

With 2013 having been such a banner year for re-releases (can you say Nitro and Mox Nix my friends?) one would have to wonder just how 2014 could possibly hope to stack up. With this recently released double album* (1982's "Diamond Dreamer" and 1980's "Picture 1") from Divebomb Records, which (incidentally) is a division of North Carolina-based Tribunal Records (an independent label which has been going strong since 1999!) the answer would seem to be "Just Fine, Thank You Very Much"! Combining Dutch heavy metal band Picture's first and third full-length albums onto one re-mastered CD, with a nice glossy booklet filled with pictures, a bio and lyrics serving as the icing on the cake, this re-release is nothing less than a thing of beauty for fans and collectors alike! Now, this isn't the first time that Picture's "Diamond Dreamer" has been re-released on CD. In 2001 it was re-released with the band's forth full-length release, 1983's "Eternal Dark". That said, this is the first time that these two classics (along with 1981's "Heavy Metal Ears" and 1983's "Eternal Dark") are seeing a North American release and in such grand fashion to boot! Kudos to Tribunal Records/Divebomb Records for that! Now, seeing as I first discovered Picture some 13 years or so back (thanks in no small part to a former co-worker of mine/long-standing friend Tim) I'll all too familiar with both "Diamond Dreamer" and "Picture 1". For my money though they have never sounded as good, or for that matter as clean and as clear, as they do on this one collection! Of course my copies were not originals as these releases have been out of print now for something like 15 years! As the CD starts off with "Diamond Dreamer" album I think that is where I will start things off. By that point in their career Picture had enlisted a new lead vocalist in Israeli-born Sammy Avigal. In hindsight Sammy, known in Picture at the time as "Shmoulik" Avigal, would go on to have quite the career playing with, amongst others, Dutch bands Horizon and Hammerhead as well as briefly fronting The Rods and being involved with the Jack Starr project/one-off, Guardians of the Flame. On the excellent "Diamond Dreamer" we find that Avigal, who shared a love for the band Rainbow with Picture guitarist/keyboardist Jan Bechtum, ends up sounding a lot like a certain Ronnie James Dio while the band (rounded out on both of these albums by bassist Rinus Vrugdenhil and drummer Laurens "Bakkie" Bakker) channels the spirit of bands like Judas Priest and UFO as well as some of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene with a dash or two of Saxon! Speaking of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene, "Picture 1", which featured Ronald van Prooijen handling lead vocals, very easily could have been mistaken for a N.W.O.B.H.M. product, but not in the way most people would automatically think! On their first album the very talented Picture play a simple (and yet legitimately effective!) blend of heavy rock and seventies hard rock that is, besides being a bit bluesy in places, down to earth and remarkably charming! On the N.W.O.B.H.M. side of things there are more then a few songs on "Picture 1" that could have easily fit in well (side by side) with the likes of Sledgehammer, Toad the Wet Sprocket, E.F. Band, Nutz and Praying Mantis on the the first "Metal For Muthas" compilation! Additionally fans of  N.W.O.B.H.M. acts like White Spirit, Chevy, Stampede, Trespass and Weapon would probably get a kick out of  a lot of the material on "Picture 1" as would anyone who enjoyed Hammerhead's collection, "Will To Survive"! Of the two release "Diamond Dreamer" has the better production although, seeing as they have both been touched up here for these re-released sets, that's really not much of an issue. As far as which one would I consider to be the better album? That's a real toss up as they both offer different and distinctive sides of Picture while they also showcase a Dutch heavy metal act that had the ability to not only roll with the changes but effectively adapt with whatever curve-ball was thrown their way. It's probably a cop-out, but I enjoy both of these releases equally on their own terms as they both have plenty to offer! And, even if I have had the pleasure of listening to these two releases over the years, time and time again in many states of mind, when they are presented in this format (with the nice booklet and improved sound) it's almost as if we are talking about a brand new version of Picture! These are definitely fitting re-release for this classic Dutch band! Both sets of releases can be purchased at the link below. Hopefully I'll get around to covering the "Eternal Dark"/"Heavy Metal Ears" set by the weekend. At $15.00 a piece** they are quite reasonable especially considering the fact that (as of the last time I checked mind you) previous CD re-releases of Picture's first four full-length albums are going for well over $100 a piece ! While I wouldn't say that these albums are not worth such change (as these are every bit the classic albums we're talking about here friends!) I would say that $15.00 per CD set (plus shipping of course!) is more then reasonable! Whether you are looking to replace your older, worn-out copies of these albums or you are new to the band this two-album set, along with the other (soon-to-be reviewed) one, is a must pick-up!
  
http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/picture-diamond-dreamer-picture-1

 * The CD artwork pictured above is simply used to demonstrate that both albums are on the one set. On both CD sets you can use whichever piece of album artwork you prefer (in this case it could be "Picture 1" or "Diamond Dreamer") by simply flipping around the booklet!

**If you buy both sets there is a reduced shipping option for international orders. Also, while supplies last (as there are only 100 99 of these things on hand!), if you buy both sets at the same time you can get a free Picture logo magnet! As this is a limited time offer (or until they are all gone!) it would probably be a wise idea to act fast folks!

Steel Prophet-The Goddess Principle (LP Re-release)

Pure Steel Records
2014

Originally released in 1995, which (as previously mentioned) was a fateful year for yours truly, "The Goddess Principle" helped set the stage for L.A.'s Steel Prophet and their long-running reign atop the power metal  scene. Or at least in regards to the quality of one's product if not necessarily the quantity sold. Years before the band would emerge from cult status thanks to 1999's legendary "Dark Hallucinations" (although they still seem to be sadly overlooked by many when it comes time for discussions as to who reins supreme within the ranks of exception power metal!) the band, which was/and currently is lead by the Bruce Dickinson-like vocals of Rick Mythiasin (Mystic-Force, Agent Steel (live), ex-Taraxacum, ex-Masters of Metal, ex-Pantera, ex-New Eden, ex-Redemption, ex-All in Vein, ex-Mythiasin, ex-Psycho Twin), released "The Goddess Principle" and now (in celebration of the band recently signing on to Pure Steel Records) it will be seeing an LP re-issue. Limited to a mere 500 copies, which seems far too little an amount for a classic release like this one, "The Goddess Principle" is a must for fans of power metal and/or heavy metal collectors! Mixing in elements of (early) Fates Warning and Queensrÿche along with the likes of Iron Maiden and Metal Church this release is enduring thanks in no small part to it's epic embrace of U.S. power metal at a time when U.S. power metal was not in vogue. While we wait to see where Steel Prophet goes from here this is a good re-release that shows us exactly where it is they came from and why they are still so important to today's scene!

Forgotten Gems: Defiant-Can't Give It Up

I've got the fabulous site Boneyard Metal to thank for this discovery. Released in 1985 on the (fun-named) label Rad Elmo, which may or may not have been a homemade record label of the band's own making, this five-track EP was most-likely only released on vinyl. Featuring Sylvia La Mar on lead vocals, with Kenny Williams (guitars, keyboards), Tracy Wright (bass) and Clark "Moose" Johnson (drums) rounding things out, this was the one and only "official" release from this Hollywood, California act. Mind you that's if you don't count the group's self-titled cassette demo from 1987. That's neither here nor there though when we're talking about this heavy rock-leaning act with sultry and seductive lead vocals!  This female-fronted heavy metal act, which should not be confused with the other Defiant that hailed from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and released "Hear The Laugh" in 1995, gets extra points for Sylvia La Mar alone....even if the rest of the band members present here were no real slouches either!Maybe this one is not up to the standards of similar-themed hard & heavy acts of the mid-eighties (or for that matter some of the female-fronted rock and roll artists that were shinning on a spot-light on how well the leading ladies of the time could compete with their male counterparts!), but as a stand-alone piece it's a fun EP with straight, no-filler numbers and smoking hot lead vocals! Definitely worth downloading if you're into female-fronted heavy metal or the more rock-oriented sounds of eighties metal!

Immoral Hazard-Convulsion

Self-Released/Independent
2014

Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia is home court for Immoral Hazard. Formed in late 2009, and having previously released a six-track demo called "A Minor Innovation" in 2010, this Greek heavy metal/thrash metal band is lead by vocalist/guitarist Teo with "Convulsion" serving as their first full-length release. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Stelios "Stelth" Koslidis, with the actual production duties falling on not only Koslidis, but the band members themselves, "Convulsion" is the sound of another young band that has greatly been influenced by the mid-late eighties thrash metal scene. With physical copies due out later this year (March 9th, 2014), this ten track album, which (at least for the time being while the eager amongst us patiently await a CD copy or, better yet, a LP copy of "Convulsion"!) can be secured in digital format at the link below,  looks as if it will be used to open up new doors in regards to the possibility of playing more live shows. Speaking of playing live shows, the band has (apparently) already played alongside at least one of their chief influences in Sepultura. Musically and vocally, with lead singer Teo routinely coming across as a more pent-up and pissed-off version of Max Cavalera in his youth (the exception being a cut like "Dead End Trails" where Teo's lead vocals send this band off on a post-"Black", upward if not onward, Metallica quest!), Immoral Hazard sound as if they wore out more then a few cassette copies of some select Sepultura albums (pretty much anything and everything in Sepultura's early catalog from "Morbid Visions" to "Arise") with band's like Metallica and Slayer coming in a distant second and third respectively! Backing up Teo in Immoral Hazard is guitarist Angelos, bassist Alex and drummer Tolis and, when looked at as a heavy-handed collective, these four are spot-on in their devotion (and thus tribute) to thrash metals heyday. Mind you it's not just the music (even if "Alcowhore" sounds as if it could have been written by Metallica sometime between "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride The Lightening" and "Haven", which is just splendid in it's execution, coming off as a long-lost Slayer classic!) that gives this four-piece band such an old-school charm. No, the actual production of "Convulsion" also helps in that regard as this album feels like it could have been recorded in the late eighties! By the time the somewhat-raw "Last Nerve" (which also recalls mid-period Slayer) closes this ten track release out you could almost swear that you just had the pleasure of listening to another golden oldie from the glory days of thrash metal! Between that great service and the way in which this Greek act (nearly-flawlessly) executes the material on hand it's a win-win combination resulting in one of 2014's (early) thrash favorites! This one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

https://immoralhazard.bandcamp.com/