Sunday Singles: Rockstar Frame-"Christmas Rape"

Musicarchy Media
2017

Formed in 2012 by drummer Max Klein, Rockstar Frame is a (Top Notch!) heavy rock/hard & heavy band from Italy that I have talked about on numerous occasions (link). This socially-conscious/emotionally-powerful single was released earlier in the month and it is the first song from Rockstar Fame to feature new lead singer Kiara Laetitia (ex Skylark, Virgin Steele). Having gone through a line-up change sometime after the release of "Bullet For Birthday ", Rockstar Frame would be forgiven had they lost any steam. Despite the set backs, "Christmas Rape" is a tremendous number that goes a long ways towards pointing out Max's skill as a band leader. Packed with passion and intensity, Rockstar Frame's latest single also showcases Kiara's amazing set of pipes! If this new song is anything to go by (and why shouldn't it be?), Kiara Laetitia and Rockstar Frame are a match made in heaven!! Rockstar Frame has a new album set for release in February of 2018. A tour of Europe will follow in it's footsteps. While my location in the U.S. might make a live performance impossible for me to witness, Rockstar Frame's next album will be reviewed on this site. That alone makes me anticipate the change from 2017 to 2018!

Venom-100 Miles To Hell

Spinefarm Records
2017

Venom is a band that needs no introduction. Having released their debut album "Welcome To Hell" in late December of 1981, England's Venom was not only a part of the N.W.O.B.H.M. movement, but early pioneers of the black metal scene. Active on and off since first appearing under their current moniker in 1979, Venom last appeared on these pages with "From the Very Depths" (link). This three-track EP is the follow-up to Venom's 2017 box set, "Assault!". Line up-wise you have Cronos (vocals/bass) along with guitarist Rage and drummer Danté. Released on 12" vinyl, cassette, and digital format, "100 Miles To Hell" includes the title track as well the songs "We the Loud" and "Beaten to a Pulp". The EP runs a little over 11 minutes and the recording sports a production job that is perfectly suited to Venom's fast, furious, and frenzied sound. At almost 55 years old, front-man Cronos still sounds as good/sinister as ever on this EP. His bass playing remains solid and the same can be said of guitarist Rage and drummer Danté. From a production standpoint each and every instrument comes across crystal clear. Credit goes to founder and front-man Cronos for that. Everything is where it should be and that makes "100 Miles to Hell" all the more essential for all of the Venom fans out there. Opener "100 Miles to Hell" sounds like classic Venom (fuck yeah!) with a devilish groove. It's a great way to start off this new piece of metal from the guys in Venom. Up next we have "We the Loud". Sure, "We the Loud" might not win the clever song title of the year, but it is a thrashed-up slab of metal that occasionally sounds like Motörhead crossed with vintage Sodom. The guitar playing of Rage on this cut is unreal and the same can be said of the amped-up & highly-aggressive "Beaten to a Pulp". This vicious track closes things out and it certainly lives up to it's title! With Cronos working his bass like a madman on "100 Miles To Hell" and the pair Rage & Danté at the top of their game, Venom's latest release is absolutely killer and a great way to end out the year in metal!

Ignitor-Haunted By Rock & Roll

EMP Label Group
2017

Austin, Texas' heavy/power metal band Ignitor returns with their sixth full-length album since first forming in 2003. With eight original compositions and a cover of Raven's "Hung, Drawn, and Quartered", "Haunted By Rock & Roll" is also the forth full-length album from this N.W.O.B.H.M.-influenced group to feature lead vocals from Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, ex-Watchtower). Things start off with "To Brave The Way" and then run straight on through to the aforementioned Raven cover. There is a lot of N.W.O.B.H.M. (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden) meets old-school U.S. power metal (Metal Church) madness going on over the course of the nine tracks, but unfortunately the album's terrible production job just ruins it. The album is completely muffled. The vocals are way to high and up front while the bass gets lost in the mix. If it wasn't for the awful production this could have been a eight out of ten kind of metal album. Having given it a few spins, "Haunted By Rock & Roll" failed to win me over. At best this is a C- release from a band that I normally love.

Anialator-Rise to Supremacy

Xtreem Music
2018

There is some  background explanation that I obviously have to toss out here first. No, I did not misspell the band name because this is not the long running Canadian thrash band Annihilator, but rather a return of the Corpus Christi based Anialator. This band knocked out a few EPs and demos back in the 80's before some of the members went on to form Sufferance. Anialator reformed in recent years, re-released their old material and now have a brand spanking new EP set to go out in the new year. Okay, let's get at this sucker and see where they are at now. Much like their old material this is very raw which contains both positives and negatives. This is old style thrash with some early death metal vocals leading the soar throated way. I admire the energy, but the first two tracks suffer from low production and quite honestly the style on both is so similar that the two blend together much more than they should. Track three "Rise again" has much personality with  a twisted riff, some pounding drums and good enough variation to the vocals to make it fairly memorable. Track four 'Thick skinned" slows down some, but heaviness level keeps the intensity going. The closer "Black" races ahead with more of a death metal sound than any of the previous tracks. Unfortunately it lacks the tempo changes of the previous two songs. What we have is an uneven but mostly comeback album. Fans of old style thrash might like it, but there's definitely some work to be done.

Roadrash-Thunder In Paradise

Independent/Self-Release
2017

Roadrash is a speed metal band from Vancouver, British Columbia that is lead by seasoned musician David Power (bass/vocals). Preceded in life by a cassette demo and a digital cover of  Tank's "The Snake", "Thunder In Paradise" is the first full-length album from this four-piece group that has been active since 2014. It features nine-tracks in all and has a run-time of just over 34 minutes. Inspired by old-school speed metal and every-bit as quirky as the above album artwork would suggest, "Thunder In Paradise" is the sound of a laid back (if not capable) band that realizes that there is much more to life that being uptight and serious all the time. With a bit of a punk rock feel, a tongue in cheek approach to car-themed dynamics, and an obvious love of the aforementioned Tank (which no one can blame them for!), Roadrash isn't breaking new ground in the speed metal movement, but they sure as hell are having a whole lot of fun! With some road warriors like this thrashing up the scene why not call shotgun and join in the good times?  

Scratch The Floor-Hellhound

Musicarchy Media
2017

Nü-metal/modern metal band Scratch The Floor hails from Tbilisi, Georgia and they have been around since 2012. According to the group's Facebook page the band is lead by vocalist Sid (Tornike Tsorikishvili) and they now have three recordings to their name. The ten-track "Hellhound" serves as the group's first full-length album and it was preceded in life by a self-titled demo and the "Rage EP" recording. From what I have been able to gather these two early releases were home recordings. That goes a long ways toward showing the DIY approach of this hard working outfit. Having endured more than it's fair share of line-up changes and the usual ups an downs that come from playing in a underground metal outfit, Scratch The Floor is remarkably consistent at this point in the game. Above all else those are the two descriptions that I would use to introduce this amped-up band. Hard-working and consistent. Further more, "Hellhound" has the feel of a competent veteran act that has adopted the mentality of "Cut the crap and carry on rocking!". Opening up by way of the excellent "At The Edge", Scratch The Floor's "Hellhound" paints a picture of one up-and-coming band that has trimmed away the fat and is now 100% pure muscle. Even with some of the melodic overtones of this album, "Hellhound" is a (hard as it gets folks!) punch to the face recording that should put this Georgia-based heavy band on the map to stardom! Already a much-loved band in their local scene (and for good reason given the well-honed chops of these riff-mad metal rockers!), Scratch The Floor has an appealing take on modern metal/nü-metal that just screams for a larger audience! Most certainly a song like "Rage" lives up to title and it should be embraced by all metalheads that love it Loud & Proud!! In fact pretty much everything going on between the opening number (the aforementioned "At The Edge") and the album's last cut, "Where It Ends" (see video below for this twisted cool track!), rocks hard and they all rule in their own way. Now, it is true that the phrase "Nü-metal" has left a sour taste on the heavy metal scene over the years. While a lot of the hate is well-deserved (Limp Bizkit anyone?) I'd hate to see people pass over this engaging album without giving it a proper chance. If they did it would be their lose. They would be missing out on what is a really good first album from the guys in Scratch The Floor. Built up over the years by all of the trails and tribulations that Scratch The Floor went through, "Hellhound" is a damn fine listen that gets my stamp of approval. It is available to purchase on sites like iTunes and Amazon.

Straight Edge: A clear headed hardcore punk history by Tony Rettmann

Bazillion Points
2017

Straight edge is almost old as punk rock itself dating back to the early 80's when Minor Threat sang about being clean and sober. Over the years it became more a movement then merely a lyrical theme with bands in scenes from DC to California to Boston and of course New York taking up the call and spread the message. This book documents goes through the origins and how it grew over time. There are first hand accounts from members of Minor Threat, SS Decontrol, Youth of Today, DYS, Slapshot, Uniform Choice, 7 Seconds, Chain of Strength, No for an Answer, Insted, Gorilla Biscuits, and many more. In addition to the stories there are plenty of live photos and fliers to accompany them. Whether you grew up following the scene, got into later or where too young to have been around for the early years but want to know more, no matter the case this is a great presentation of a very strong and important part of the hardcore scene. I listened to and still listen to a number of these bands, but for me the best part of this book was  reading what it meant to the band members that were part of it. A very cool presentation and maybe not too late to still pick one up as a Christmas present for someone you know.

Electric Vengeance-Homicidal Relapse

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Texas crossover/thrash metal band Electric Vengeance, active since 2007 and comprised of Bran Damage (vocals/guitars), Napaulm (bass/backing vocals), and Trey Lunabomber (drums/backing vocals), make their long-awaited return with album number two. The nine track album is dubbed "Homicidal Relapse" and it serves as the follow-up to 2015's well-received "Manic Possession". Having previously reviewed this wicked/street-legit trio (link) I had a pretty good idea of what I was in store for with "Homicidal Relapse". That being said, Electric Vengeance's sophomore album is most definitely a solid step forward and one or two steps upward. In the two years between albums this Texas metal act has only grown stronger. Any inconsistencies have been tossed to the side and the group has all but perfected their aggressive take on crossover-tinged thrash. Picking right up where the band left off with the must-have "Maniac Possession", "Homicidal Relapse" finds Brain Damage, Napaulm, and Trey Lunabomber diving head first into the glory days of thrash (Anthrax, Exodus, Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer) while keeping one eye fixed on the likes of C.O.C., Gang Green, S.O.D./M.O.D., Suicidal Tendencies, Murphy's Law, and the Cro-Mags. In addition to several new numbers, "Homicidal Relapse" features material from the group's 2012 EP, "Street Metal Attack". It's actually the EP's title track that opens this fist-bangin' affair up and from that point forward Electric Vengeance's new album is a mosh pit just waiting to happen! You've got flesh-shredding guitar solos, twisted bass lines, and rib-rattling percussion. You have street metal music that is as groovy as it is gnarly. And you have old school-inspired thrash arrangements, simply killer riffs, and more than enough gang vocals to go around. At this point in time these Texas' metal merchants have moved way beyond underground status. With their latest slam-dunk of an LP the three guys in Electric Vengeance have made a strong case for becoming a household name. Fans of both old school thrash and crossover metal would do well to hunt this disc down.

Psychocide-Alcohol & Bad Decisions

Self-release/Independent
2017

Formed in 2013 in New York City by vocalist/guitarist Goldwyn Thandrayen, Psychocide is a upbeat hard & heavy rock band that now calls Montreal, Quebec it's home base of operations.  The self-produced "Alcohol & Bad Decisions" serves as Pyschocide's debut album and it is a strange (if not somewhat satisfying) offering. Seeing as the band's influences range from Mötley Crüe to Muse (by way of System of a Down and any number of radio-friendly mid-90's pop punk bands!) you're bound to have that! If not for the catchy nature of this material (memorable lyrics and well-structured songs are the name of the game here) and the energetic attitude of Goldwyn Thandrayen and company this could have been one huge mess. For whatever reason though it works. If you have ever wondered what a hard rock band would sound like if they drew inspiration from all the best things that the eighties and nineties had to offer (Depeche Mode and Dangerous Toys influences on a lone album? I'm in!) then this is the group that you've been waiting for! You can check out this album at your leisure by heading to the highlighted link above. For more information on this interesting band by sure to clink on this link. It will take you to the band's official website.

Dungeon Wolf-Slavery Or Steel

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Dungeon Wolf is a brand new project from one of the hardest working men in all of heavy metal, vocalist/guitarist Deryck Heignum (ex-Stormlurker member who is otherwise known as Norse Law). The every so cool artwork above, which comes courtesy of Joel Sanchez Rosales and does a bang-up job of representing the epic metal storm that awaits the listener, depicts Dungeon Wolf's founder and front-man as the "Supreme Master of Metal and the Universe" that he is! Skillfully-engineered by Dungeon Wolf' bass player (and fellow Stormlurker' band mate) Stan Martell, "Slavery Or Steel" serves as the full-length debut album for this impressive three-piece band. Ex-Stormlurker' drummer Austin Lane rounds things out this metallic trio. Speaking of all things metallic, Dungeon Wolf's debut combines elements of epic metal, power metal, progressive metal, speed metal, technical metal, and traditional heavy metal. The highly-memorable "Hidden Dreams" opens the band's first album up in style. Not only does it show off the amazing guitar skills of Dungeon Wolf's founder, but his ever-evolving vocal delivery. High-pitched vocals come as a pleasant surprise from this muscular metal maniac. They work well when stacked up against high-classic U.S. power metal. Of course there are still plenty of heavy & harsh vocal lines to be found on this eight song album. Thanks to the versatile nature of this tech-savvy trio, "Slavery Or Steel" offers up the perfect mixture of melody and full-throttle metal. As this is the same line-up that was responsible for Stormlurker's "A Dark Formation", chemistry is at an all-time high (line-up wise). All three members of Dungeon Wolf excel when it comes to the album's overall performances. These are top-tier musicians playing top-shelf epic/power metal. The individual songs show passion and dedication to the holy grail that is heavy metal and each track offers something new and exciting. With splendid lyrics and a fantastic vibe(!), "Slavery Or Steel" is the cream of the crop as far as new metal offerings are concerned! Kudos to everyone involved with Dungeon Wolf's Grade A debut.

Conan-Man is myth

Napalm
2017

If you listen you likely know this band, but possibly not these songs. That's because this one of those "early days" collections. In this case it's seven demos recorded between 2006 and 2012 which is when their debut album came out. Demo collections aren't going to be for everyone. Whether or not you check it out probably depends on how much like the given band. To be honest given my limited listening time I don't always give time to every demo collection that gets released. For this band and this style I wanted to give it a listen because this kind of sludge is a genre that I think might be cool in raw versions. Was I correct in this? Partly the older tracks certainly see the band establishing parts of the style they are known for but they aren't perhaps songs I would listen to over and over. The songs from 2012 are the strongest entries on this collections as we get offered more of what we know this band for. There's some messy parts, but there's also enough thick sludge to make up for any shortcomings. At the very this album will serve to fill in the gap a little bit while fans for the next studio albums which is supposed to be coming out in early 2018.

Slander-Resolution Defiance

Stormspell Records
2017

English heavy metal band Slander, formed in 1990 and initially only active until 1993, released it's full-length debut album, "Careless Talk Costs Lives", way back in 1991. Now lead by vocalist Martin Moffwood (Stonefist), Slander are back on the scene with their long-anticipated sophomore LP. Clocking in at just under 38 minutes, Slander's "Resolution Defiance" comes along some 26 years after the group's critically-acclaimed debut. It also serves as the follow-up to Slander's 2013 split with Twisted State of Mind. Along with new and improved vocalist Martin Moffwood, Paul Snape makes his studio debut as Slander's bass player. He joins guitarist Ian Snape (2014-present) and founding members Andy Saxon-Lamb (guitars) and Andy "Eddie" Edwards (drums). With these new members in place, Slander comes out with all guns blazing and they make up for lost time with album number two. Things open up strong with the slightly-atmospheric "Lazarus" (a one minute instrumental opener) which runs straight into the metallic muscle punch of "Backs Against The Wall". The (riff-heavy) metal rocker "The Machine Keeps on Rolling" is next and it's followed up by the equally-awesome "When We Die". From there we have the slick title cut, the N.W.O.B.H.M.-infused "Take Me Down", and the powerful "Juggernaut". The album's longest track, "In a Dark Place", closes things out with a bang. It's a hard-edged/rock-steady take on classic heavy metal and it is beyond epic! Ultimately this is as perfect an album as one can get! And no, I don't say that lightly. From start to finish Slander's new album gets a A+ grade! Thanks to the addition of second guitarist Ian Snape and the marked improvement that is Martin Moffwood, Slander's new album is a step forward from what was already a dynamite sound! When it came to Slander's debut, N.W.O.B.H.M. meets eighties heavy metal is the description I used when I first heard it. Those influences are still here, but on album number two they have been merged with creative and highly-memorable heavy/hard rock. With Any Saxon-Lamb on one side and Ian Snape on the other, "Resolution Defiance" features some of the best guitar work that I have heard in a very long time! Whether it is the general riffs (which are energetic and just plain fun!) or the simply killer guitar solos, "Resolution Defiance" greatly benefits from having Andy Saxon-Lamb backed-up by a second guitarist. Special praise should also be given to Slander's new & improved rhyme second (I'm loving Paul's bass work and the always reliable drumming of Andy "Eddie" Edwards!) and the great vocal work of Martin Moffwood. Collectively-speaking, Slander circa 2017 is the best line-up to date and it has produced an album that cannot be topped! Even though it hasn't been officially released yet, "Resolution Defiance" is my vote for the heavy metal album of the year!! We can only hope that it doesn't take nearly as long for album number three to arrive!

Current playlist-end of 2017 edition

To be honest I missed a lot of releases the first half of the year and have been trying to play catch-up the second half of the year. I am still way behind in getting around to hearing all the albums I wanted to this year. Over all it's been a good year for the styles of music I like. Here is what I am checking out recently.

Listening to-
Kreator-Gods of violence
Blood Feast-The future state of wicked
Horrified-Allure of the fallen
Primitive Man-Caustic
Morbid Angel-Kingdoms disdained
Bell Witch-Mirror Reaper

Reading-
Nine lessons I learned from my father

Watching-
Twilight Zone the complete series
The Broncos trying to not get a high draft pick.
The Capitals getting it together and getting hot.

Feel free to add what you are listening to, reading or watching in the comments.

Clamfight -III

Argonauta
2018
New Jersey's Clamfight has their aptly named third studio album album III hitting shelves next month. Gone are the album covers that looked like they were drawn by a middle schooler, but they stay the course with thick and slow slabs of fuzzy heaviness. We get five tracks in all this time around. Most of the songs require some degree of patience from the listener to allow the band to plod away and get to their destination. The music itself leans towards the basic side, but the tones and the bands quest to twist those tones certainly helps their cause. They don't compromise what they are trying to do on any of these songs, but instead hope we will hand in their and ride along on this winding, snail paced trail they lay out. Overall I think each of their studio albums has been better than the one before it and III keeps that trend going. This is likely I'll revisit soon as it's definitely one that needs a few spins to really take effect.

Legendry-Dungeon Crawler

Non Nobis Productions
2017

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the home base of operations for epic traditional/power metal band Legendry. Formed in 2015 and currently comprised of vocalist/guitarist Vidarr (Defeat, ex-Bare-Sark), bassist Evil St. Clair, and drummer Kicker, Legendry has two full-length albums and one demo to it's name. The eight song "Dungeon Crawler" is the latest recording from this (classic metal loving) trio and it arrives one year after the group's well-received debut album, "Mists of Time". The epic 10-minute title track opens up Legendry's newest release in grand fashion. It name checks not only the title of the band's 2016 (Mists of Time), but one of the group's inspirations (Pagan Altar). Other influences include Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Brocas Helm, Omen, Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, and Lords of the Crimson Alliance (whose "Swords of Zeus" they cover!). Along with compelling lyrics and the album's vintage vibe (especially in regards to the album's production), "Dungeon Crawler" features some truly fantastic music! On a few of the tracks the band is joined by guest keyboardist Drea, but overall it's Vidarr, Evil St. Clair, and Kicker that are responsible for all of the great metal on display here. With it's splendid mixture of epic metal, American power metal, classic metal, and seventies-infused prog(!), "Dungeon Crawler" is a smashing success and one album that I am glad to have stumbled upon. With bands like Legendry alive and well the true heavy metal scene is in good hands!

Jacobs Moor-Self

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Jacobs Moor is a progressive power metal/thrash metal band that has been active since 2010. Self-produced by the band members themselves (Richard Krenmaier-vocals, Rupert Träxler and Johannes Pichler-guitars, Stephan Först-bass, and Rainer Lidauer-drums), "Self" is the latest studio album from Jacobs Moor. It was sent my way courtesy of drummer Rainer Lidauer. Having covered the band's 2014 debut album, "All That Starts", and the 2015 EP, "The Evil in Me", I looked forward to diving straight into this recording. After a brief instrumental introduction ("March of the Flies") we cut right into the heart of the matter with "Watching Atrocities" (see video below). This powerful piece rips the album wide open and leaves little doubt as to the fact that this five-piece band is back and as killer as always! Not that there was any doubt whatsoever. Given the strong effort that was was "The Evil in Me", "Self" merely reaffirms the mad skills of this technical and precise power/thrash unit. Making our way through the heavy thrash of "The Absence of Me" and the sick title track (progressive metal with muscle and might!), "Self" proves to be a remarkably consistent album. Not so much in a style kind of way. It's actually impressive songwriting and the overall performances of everyone that wins the day. It seems pretty obvious that the material on "Self" has been re-written and re-worked to maximum efficiency. When it comes to "Self" there is also a lot of variety to be found. While technical power metal is primarily what is on display, "Self" goes a long ways towards adding a little bit of everything to the mix. It's all here from the blues to modern day extreme metal. There are touches of classic metal and hard-edge thrash. Harsh and clean vocals give way to sensational drumming while the stringed instruments are nothing short of dynamic! "Self" is the rare kind of album where every song gels together and yet each track could work on it's own. Opening with the shortest track on the album ("March of the Flies"), Jacobs Moor ends "Self" with the longest cut of the bunch. Clocking in at over eleven minutes(!), "Hopeless Endeavor" shows of the many talents of this veteran act. Now in their seventh year together (it's almost eight years really), Jacobs Moor should be a household name by now. The fact that they are not is a tremendous shame. Maybe "Self" will end up being the band's winning ticket? Let us hope so. Because quite frankly this Austrian metal band has sat on the sidelines for far too long.



Video for "Watching Atrocities":