Zephaniah-Stories from the Book of Metal (2014 Re-Release)

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Six years has passed since Indiana's Zephaniah first released "Stories from the Book of Metal". Recorded at JTW Recording Studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (with producer Joel Wanasek working side-by-side with Zephaniah on this unheralded gem!), "Stories from the Book of Metal" was the band's lone piece of studio work during their initial five year run (2005-2010). With the band now reformed and two new members, guitarist Tony Rudny (Beneath It All) and drummer Cody Johns (Viking, 80000 Dead), pairing up with the returning original members, (vocalist) Logan Detwiler (Valhalla), (guitarist) Justin Zych (Viking, Vindicator, Valhalla) and (former drummer turned bass guitarist?) Ian Bender (Beneath It All), Zephaniah can turn their attention towards their upcoming sophomore, "Reforged". That release should drop sometime later this year and it's worth repeating this little bit of information that has been making it's way around the net (especially for long-time fans of the group although even those who might be new to this Indiana-based band's distinct take on heavy metal would do well to jot this note down as it's bound to be a headbanging good time!). Per the promo material: 

"The band will triumphantly return to the stage to headline the USA's Warriors of Metal Fest VII from June 26-28, 2014 in Columbus, Ohio where the band will play their entire debut CD, "Stories from the Book of Metal" from start to finish."

That sounds like it would be an epic event given the overall strength present on Zephaniah's debut album! On any other day you could call this one straight-up power metal, but that tag would seem to fall short as there is much more to this release then initially meets the eye. Helped out by the stellar production, "Stories from the Book of Metal" features catchy melodies and fairly lethal lead solos that flirtatiously dance between speed metal and European-style power metal. On the one hand it's a somewhat smooth take on the genre (with Logan Detwiler's clean singing giving the band a bit more flash and class then what one might expect from a band of this particular field), but there's little chance of mistaking this album for anything but METAL, what with (amazing) drummer Ian Bender pounding the living daylights out of his drum set and all! Even more amazing is the fact that the bass playing of (the departed) Tyler Sumwalt is actually discernible(!) as that is something that is far too often for my tastes buried in the mix. and finally we are treated to some rather nice piano passages courteous of guest musician Adam Guingrich and it has to be said that the direction that the band took when it came to "Stories from the Book of Metal" is something to be admired. For comparisons sake you could look towards the likes of Hammerfal and Dragonforce as (quite honestly) those two names were thrown around long before I even was aware that this album would be getting a re-release. As source material goes both bands would seem legit although it has to be said that Zephaniah's debut album is colored in differently then those two bands making "Stories from the Book of Metal" a tastefully assembled piece of speed metal/power metal. It's also one that should most assuredly be added to ones' metal collection and it's an album that has me anticipating what this band can pull off on their 2nd full-length adventure!

Metal Message - "Compilation V"

Metal Message
2008

When was the last time you heard of a CD compilation that came packaged in a DVD case? There can't be all that many out there right? I mean I rummaged through my memory banks and couldn't think of one. Not one. True, it might not be entirely practical as far as shipping them and displaying them. And yet I can't help but wish more compilations came housed in a nice DVD case like this! But anyway, on compilation number "V" from our friends at Metal Message, which is a limited edition affair (mine being 1,496 out of 2000!), the name of the game is pagan metal. Truthfully speaking and all I'm not the least bit knowledgeable when it comes down to said subject. But, I'm always open to new and exciting things (hey, I even tried marriage once friends!) so I dove into this one head first and took a long swim in the deep, dark and cold waters that is pagan metal. And what did I discover? Well, first off let's take a look at the overall packaging of this compilation from it's case to it's 30 pages booklett. Yes, you read that right friends. The booklet that comes with this compilation is 30 pages long with band pictures and line-up/contact information for said bands. Along with beautiful shots of nature (as pagan metal has a powerful connection with nature) this is one great booklet and let me just say that this is how you do serious heavy metal justice to a various artists compilation! What we have on hand here is a deluxe package for a compilation that, while described overall as a pagan metal compilation, actual has bands that also play folk metal and viking metal. With this 2008 compilation, which also comes with a neat little postcard, you get it all (pagan/viking/folk) with most tracks running about five minutes or so on average with a total run-time being in the neighborhood of one hour and seventeen minutes.As I would have no prior reference points for any of these bands I do realize that going track by track would probably not make much sense. Instead I'll list it for you all to read over and then give you my overall impression of it below.

1. Fimbulvet - Helias Bann
2.. Hromovlad - Slavia
3. Tumulus - Kochevonov Plyas
4. Dark Forest - Journey To Ever-Eternal Skies
5. Tiwaz - The Battlelore
6. Dyrathor - Im Auge des Sturms
7. Xerion - No Pazo Derruido Da Existencia
8. Adorned Brood - Sons Of The Damned
9. Waylander - As Deities Clash
10. Natan - Volkskracht
11. Andras - Miasma Track
12. Obscurity - Nach Asgard wir reiten
13. Vinternatt - De Zwarte Mis 


These bands come from all over the world. We open with Fimbulvet, who hail from Germany and have a stripped-down and raw viking metal vibe going for them, and we close with Belgium's Vinternatt who, in spite of coming across as harsh more often then not thanks to the black metal vocals of Bert Baeyens, add an interesting element to their sound with the use of the violin! Along the way we have bands popping up from Slovakia (Hromovlad), Canada (Dark Forest), Brazil (Tiwaz), Spain (Xerion) and Ireland (Waylander). So, a lot of ground (distance-wise across this great globe of ours!) is covered here on "V" and for fans of pagan metal (as well as both viking and folk metal) that can't be a bad thing I figure. Admittedly I'm not sure what else to add to this review as my understanding of said genres is vastly inferior to the bulk of heavy metal blog writers. Still, I will say that I found this compilation interesting if nothing else. A few of the tracks were a tad long for my short attention span (the Dark Forest track is over 8 minutes long!), but I'm still glad I gave it a chance as it's always best to try out new bands and new styles of music when ever you can! So, in a nutshell I found the packaging to be killer (the booklet is stunningly put together folks!) while the actual music ran from decent to good. If you're a fan of pagan metal then this release isn't a bad way to go (especially as it makes for a cool addition to any collection thanks to the packaging alone!).

Sacred Oath-'Till death do us part

Angel Thorne
2008/2012

 'Till death do us part captures Sacred Oath live at the Keep it true Festival IX in Dittigheim, Germany in 2007. Back in the 80's when Sacred Oath were preparing and then releasing their debut "A Crystal Vision" they had developed a reputation as a really good live band. Even though this show was around two decades after that time it still proves that they were indeed able to bring the energy to their live show. This set draws tracks from 2007's Darkness Visible and 1988's Crystal Vision. Listening to the tracks live it's hard to believe theses tracks were done almost twenty years apart because they certainly have the same flavor and are played with the same high skill level. By this time vocalist/guitarist Rob Thorne and Kenny Evans are the only ones left from their debut album. Bill Smith fills the other guitar slot and Scott Waite is on bass on this live album replacing Lou Liotta who had played on "Darkness Visible". Despite only having two albums at the time these guys just go into it like a band with a dozen albums as rule the show and control all that's going on. Rob Thorne keeps the introductory banter to a minimum between songs as the band instead just lays song after song with the right amount of energy and precision. I don't know how much the show was touched in any post-production, but the sound quality is very strong here. Perhaps I would have also have like to have heard what they sounded like live say around 1987. Still I have no complaints with this album. The highlights for me include "The omen", "A crystal vision", "Prophecy" and "Battle Cry". This disc also includes the video "Words upon the stone".

Reviews for suckas-Judas Priest-Nostradamus

Mr. T is a true tough guy, but this time he's taking on an album that's so bad it could wear down most people. Hey, this is Mr. T, surely he can take it and give Judas Priest what they deserve. Let's see what he has to say.



"I didn't need to be Nostradamus to predict this album was going to smell like a full dumpster on a Sunny day. This band used to be good, but they just ramble on like idiots and spout out crazy jibba-jabba on this album.
Look at some of these songs.
"Alone"? No wonder they're alone after putting out this boring garbage.
"Pestilence and Plague"? They'll be praying to have pestilence and plague instead of what I'd give them if I got my hands on their fool necks.
"Future of mankind"? Don't know about the future of mankind, but the future for Judas Priest is pain from me if they keep making worthless albums like this.
What's worth than a bad album? A really long bad album like this one.
I pity Judas Priest if they think they are going to keep getting away with releasing junk like this."

Thank you, Mr. T.

Forgotten Gems-XINR-Beyond Woodword

This is a different kind of forgotten gem I guess. This one was recorded a while ago, 1984 to be specific. However it was not released back then and was just released a few years ago. Hailing from Portland this band was very much into classic style metal and the NWOBHM too. The sound here is similar to 70's Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, Cirith Ungol, early Iron Maiden and others. The sound quality is more like a demo, but that's alright because the fuzzy sound and slight rawness add to their rather loose sound. They sound at times like a band practicing in a basement and doing some real improvisation which really works with their style. The guitars have a great tone and the riffs are plenty. The vocals very from mid-range to slightly high and frequently seem spread out. The rhythm section was solid although the drums get buried in the mix on a few tracks. XINR have a slight quirkiness to their sound like Cirith Ungol. They don't always follow the normal course and the metal world could use more bands like this. Being a bit unpredictable helped define their sound. If this album had been released in 1984 I think it would have at the very least be a cult classic by now. At least it did eventually see the light of day. This release includes some bonus tracks as well. Fans or early 80's metal are going to love this one.

I need that record-The death (or possible survival) of the independent record store

MVD VISUAL
2009

Young film maker Brendan Toller takes a look at the world independent recordstores and examines the causes and effects of the struggles that many of these stores have had over the last decade. Now I must admit that I was actually hesistant about seeing this film because my fear was that it was going to be nothing but owners and record fans ranting on about how fine their stores are and how wonderful they are because they go to a indie record store. Fortunately Toller digs way deeper than that. Now many of the owners and store patrons do go on about what they like about their shops and why it's important to them. There are also plenty of interviews tossed in with perspectives from Ian McKaye, Mike Watt of the Minutemen, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and many more. However the film is balanced by quite a bit of research as to why 3,000 record stores have closed across the nation in the last decade and what this means for record fans. This back and forth between personal experience and figures from the business world creates a powerful view of what is transpiring and why it's important to notice before it's too late. The thoughts presented here have the origins of the indie record stores woes beginning back in the 90's. The blame is distributed to several sources including radio stations, big box stores and of course major record labels. The motive is greed of course and the tools are dominating and controlling the market. These facts are countered by the stories and views of the record store owners and the musicians. They talk about why they love music and about the importance of sharing views with and how it's great for record fans to have a local record store to go to. If you have or have ever had your favorite record store and spent time searching through their collection, choosing records, talking to the people that work there or just soaked in the atmosphere then you know the feeling. Likely most people that are long time record store fans are the ones who are going to seek this movie out because they already have that connection. Toller does a fine job of pulling facts and personal views together and bringing the film to some sort of closure in showing in something is not done then these stores will continue to go under. I also liked that he mentioned about it not being record stores, but that other speciality type small store like comic book shops and others are also in danger to. That's true that in a world where every town of any size has a Wal-mart that it's more and more difficult for speciliaty types stores to compete and stay above water. The only thing that could have been missing was that not much mention of the sagging economy was mentioned as a possible cause for record stores being in trouble. This film is fast paced, looks fantastic with all of the views of various record stores and brings in lots of sources. So overall a fine job.

Saint-Crime Scene Earth 2.0

Retroactive
2008/2010

This album was self-released just two years ago, but now this version has new artwork plus it has been re-mixed and partially re-recorded. I always kind of liked Saint back in the 80's. Stryper got more attention for supposedly being "christian metal" for putting out radio friendly, sappy songs, but Saint were more concerned with playing metal and getting their message across than they were with album sales. This album is based around 80's classic style metal. However there is a major problem with this album and that's the effects that are all too often added to Josh Kramer's vocals. I don't know if this was intended to add something to their sound or not. All it really does it make Kramer sound like Rob Halford singing into a drinking glass or it may be Tim Owens singing a glass. The effects deprive the vocals of any power they could have and serve to dampen the overall sound and hold back much of the energy that could have been present. The music manages to make up for the above to some extent. It's very Judas Priest influenced metal that heavy on rhythms although not too big on pace changes. Even the music isn't allowed to just burst forward. The drums frequently have a tin-like quality and the guitars could have come up in the mix. I am not sure what overall sound they were shooting for, but the ideas only serve to restrain their material rather letting them hit their potential. There are some strong moments, but too often I was having to strain to hear parts or change settings on my CD player to hear it well enough. What a shame because I think this could have been a good album.

Slave Traitor-Man Infest Destiny

Self-produced

2009

I love it when I know what I think of an album the moment it hits my ears. Makes my job a lot easier that way. Seattle's Slave Traitor know exactly what they are doing and they immediately establish themselves. My initial thought was that they sound a lot like High on fire. The vocals are similar to Matt Pike's and the music and thick and heavy roll to it. They are more subtle at times as they possess a knack for grabbing the pace in a steel grip as they slowly squeeze notes out getting as much out of each and every sound. This six song EP is strongly crafted with each song sounding as if it was carefully mapped out and executed. Once I got a few tracks into the disc I began see where they differed from High on fire to some extent. Even though they have traits of stoner rock just due to the pace they still have some definite thrash undertones in places. I think that influence provides a spark that sets this band apart. There is a definite Slayer sound here and there along the lines of the Reign in blood and South of heaven only slightly slower of course. They just easily manage to create and maintain a definite intensity. My only complaint was that they have now done two EPs I would love to see what they can on a full length release.

www.myspace.com/slavetraitor

Syrym-s/t

Hatrix
2008

I wasn't sure at all what to expect from this one. I knew that Babylon A.D. founding member/guitarist Ron Freschi was in this band so I was expecting late 80's-early 90's hard rock perhaps. That indeed part of this equation, but certainly not all of it. When I heard someone use the phrase modern rock or modern hard rock I am afraid that I oftentimes cringe. This is because my experience has lead me to believe that bands that receive these labels often tend to be more about slick edges and less about really rocking. Syrym are a band where I feel like they represent at least a good attempt at being what I wish modern hard rock or modern rock was. Much like Lillian Axe they carry the solid riffs and sharp hooks of hard rock from years ago, but they manage to bring in some modern elements without losing their edge. The combination of the two styles isn't always seamless, but it's a worthy attempt with strong results. The production is rich and greatly enhances the sound. There were several songs where the main riffs were so loud and vibrant that they helped the band establish themselves mere seconds into the song. There were places here and there where some general tightening and trimming could help, but overall a very strong album.

Spirits of the dead-s/t

Voices of wonder
2008



Before starting this disc the cover caught my eye. The shiny, intricate shield put upon a white background drew my attention in, but it didn't afford me any clues as to what the music would sound like. A few seconds into the opener "White Lady/Black Rave" and the fuzzed out, 70's influenced sounds assaulted my sense immediately. Further on they continue to reach back a few decades and bring forth music that is obviously influenced by the the likes of the Doors, Black Sabbath, Moody Blues and others. Still they are not merely a retro act nor are they just a progressive band although they may likely be branded as both. They are a contemporary band first that uses elements of past music in their own concoction of energetic blasts to help form their own musical identity. On songs like "Fields of gold" and the title track they bring a lot of ideas into play and just keep them all in motion while bringing out enough passion and emotion to to really make them special. There is a lull in the middle of the album with "Red" and at least part of "T.I.T. (Traveller In Time)". During these songs they let their guard down some and seem to lose the combination of old and new ideas as they go for a more current sound. Certainly they are talented enough that this is decent, but they follow several really good songs and the change in direction seems oddly out of place. However they quickly get back on track for the final two songs and finish strong. I think they need a little work here and there on tightening some parts, but overall a refreshingly exciting release from a band with a great deal of promise.

Misery-Fifteen years of aggression

Self-produced
2008



Misery hail from Long Island, New York and were formed in the early 90's and is now stronger than ever in the year 2009. The album was produced by Life Of Agony guitarist Joey Z. After looking at the cover at the band name my immediate hope was "please don't let this be as typical as I fear it will be". Unfortunately my hopes didn't deter the inevitable. Misery play a loud, but thoroughly limited style of metal with a few hardcore splashes. I hear some Pantera, BLS, Biohazard and Pro-pain only far more basic than any of those bands which should tell you something of their lack of originality. The first thing that struck me upon sliding this disc in my stereo was that it's very loud. That's more volume than heaviness as a few minutes reveals this band to be more bark than bite. Vocalist John Lo Casto gives a good effort and he a strong set of pipes, but he just doesn't have enough back-up or strong enough material to be totally convincing. Still the vocals are the strongest part of Misery. The guitars are by the book and simple with limited variation and a distinct lack of emotion. The drums took me back to ninth grade typing class because they just sounded a mess of thin clicking that relies very little on rhythm. They try to convey a heavy handed attempt at a powerful mid-90's style of metal, but they just can't pull it off. Something tells me these guys might sound better live with some room to move around in and an audience to feed off of. That still doesn't alter the fact that Misery try to sound like they are fire and they come across like a few scattered sparks and a lot of smoke. You have undoubtedly heard this kind of fist pumping material done by more talented bands.



www.myspace.com/miseryny

Elvenking-Two tragedy poets ...and a caravan of weird figures

AFM
2008



Italian act Elevenking have bounced around styles including folk metal, power metal and now they come back to folk music with a little metal tossed in. This album feels more like an album of extras than a real studio effort. There are acoustic versions of previously released songs "The Wanderer" and "The Winter Wake". That's not so bad, but covering Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" is a bad idea and Elvenking give us an absolutely atrocious version that will leave a bad taste with you for hours after it ends.They sound like they spent a few too many hours at a renaissance fair. Okay, they are tight and upbeat. Those two aspects help this to move along well enough. The main question in my mind is who will this appeal to? Folk metal fans? I doubt it or least not for most fans of that sub-genre. The reason is there simply isn't enough metal to these songs. To me good folk metal should include both styles and my preference would be for it to be heavier on the metal side. Maybe people who love the folk aspect will flock to it. I just kept hoping for some kind edge to work it's way into the mix. Unfortunately that didn't happen enough. The overuse of gang choruses wore on me after a while as well. Elvenking sort of had my interest for a song or two, but then they persisted in going down the same road without enough variance. In the end "Two tragedy poets" is just too light and repetitious for my liking.

Magica-Wolves and witches

AFM
2008



Magica oftentimes get the label of symphonc metal, but I think symphonic power metal might be more appropriate. They have a female vocalist and a lot keyboards, but this act really have their feet firmly entrenched in power metal basics. That's good because that helps balance the vocals and keyboards. Inevitably the sounds do compliment each other. My first exposure to this band was 2007's "Hereafter" which I enjoyed, but felt that they sounded not unlike gothic metal from almost a decade ago. Not a whole lot has changed since that album as far as the band moving ahead. However they are solid at what they do which is piece together a brand of metal that's both heavy and melodic without either side swallowng the other. The production plays a major part in that undertaking. The guitars are heavy enough to give their sound an edge and the keys and vocals add depth and atmosphere. The only aspect of this disc that bothered me was that don't always have a handle on the song structure. They know how to start and they know how to vary the sounds early on. Where they fall short is somewhere around the middle they seem to lose site of where to go. On several songs they just wonder along for longer than they really needed to. I mean there are still some decent sounds coming out, but the direction seems to have veered off. That caused my attention to veer off which is not something any band should want to have happen. Still they have a lot going for them they do a fine juggling act while managing to pull a great fown from their various talents.

Assaulter-Salvation like destruction

Pulverized
2008

Australia's Assaulter have a sound that reaches back to the very early days of thrash metal. This is very much like pre-1986 style of thrash when the real speed hadn't quite kicked in. Think early Destruction, Kreator and maybe even some "Hell Awaits" era Slayer tossed into the mix. It's not just the guitar sound and the slightly restrained pace that make this release sound like it was done twenty-five years ago. Assaulter obviously loved those old albums so much that tried to replicate the raw production values as well as the style. Indeed these songs contained here have the fuzzy echoes that permeated thrash albums that I grew up back in the mid-1980's. Perhaps that helps give Assaulter's album a more authentic feel or I guess that is what they were shooting for. There is certainly and instant familiarity to this disc. The bone-crushing approach and primitive style is easy to like, but hardly spectacular. They have a fine handle on getting their mid-tempo tracks going and the level of heaviness compliments the sound. Indeed if this had been done in 1985 then it would have been a job. However, that time has long past. So instead this is a good disc, but one of many that doesn't do enough to really stand out from the pack of the many retro-thrash bands going today.

Drivin-Black Epitaph

Self-produced
2008



British Columbia's Black Epitaph draw on 80's thrash, early 90's death metal and some more recent influences as well. The first thing I noticed about the music is that they immediately established a heavy and deep wall of sound. The production is a little shaggy around the edges, but that actually helped their style because it gives them some needed edginess. The vocals are gravelly, but clear enough to really work. They draw on Slayer, early Cannibal Corpse and down below the surface I even heard some finger bending riffs reminiscent of early Megadeth. Drivin tap into a primitive vibe and that's makes up the strongest parts of their sound. They have a good handle on how to create the kind of pounding rhythms that draw you in right away. The biggest problem with "Black Epitaph" is that on several songs the band seem too content to stay at one speed and they never quite just plunge forward. On several occasions they seemed to be set to burst into some thrash passages, but instead they were simply content to chug along and never step up the pace. In fact it was a few songs into it before they really to pull out the speed parts. There are seven selections here, but the opener "Death Metal Wind" is just an into so we really get just over half an hour of music. Drivin eventually pull everything together enough to put out some powerful and likable material. However there are some place here and there where they could stand some tightening and they benefit from taking a few more risks as well.



www.myspace.com/tdrivint

Arctic Flame-Declaration

Pure Steel
2008

After a few false starts New Jersey's Arctic Flame started up in early 2003. They released their debut "Primal Aggressor" in 2006. They have opened for Thin Lizzy, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen/George Lynch, Helloween, W.A.S.P., Overkill, Motorhead and others. Being on PureSteel records gave me an immediate indication that this was going to be 80's style metal. Indeed these guys are very much in that camp. This is a blend of hard hitting classic influences like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Omen plus early progressive metal like Crimson Glory and 80's Fates Warning. The first two tracks "The Unknown God" and "Blind leads the blind" are both adequate, but not exactly complete. Both sounded like they need some more tweaking to make them complete. I am not sure what got into the band after that, but they turn the tide on on track three "Lords of the wasteland". It emerges with a massive riff and some inspired drumming. From this point on Arctic Flame seem more settled and they take control of the rest of the album. The last six songs are very fine examples of pure metal the way it was meant to be constructed. One of my first thoughts about this album is that it is refreshing to hear a vocalist who really sings and knows how to use their voice to really build their songs. The music is filled with think layers and some sharp turns and twists. There were a few songs where it sounds like guitars are a notch below the vocals and the drums. A minor production problem, but hopefully something they will look at before the next album. This style is very much up my alley so it only took me a couple of plays to really warm up to it.

www.myspace.com/arcticfire

Masterpiece-W.A.F.E

Demo
2008

Brazil's Masterpiece have been in existence since 1998 and this is their third E.P./demo. The bio claims they were influenced by the great heavy metal bands of the late 80's and early 90's. Now my first reaction to that claim was that it was a very broad label that could mean almost anything. So I didn't have an inkling of what this might really sound like as I slipped the disc into the player. The opener "Trajectory of death" comes on and everything becomes much clearer about this band. This song sounds like like Metallica if the band had held on to some "Kill 'em all" elements when they did "Master of puppets". It's tight and thunders along with a great deal of precision, but it has some wildness that keeps it from being too predictable. "Mr. Disgrace" comes on next and again there is a major Metallica influence from start to finish. However this time the sound is more a cross between "Master of puppets" and "And justice for all". The big difference being that you can hear the bass and they keep things on track which sets it apart from most of the songs on "And justice for all". There is more of a galloping sound this time around and a strong control of the pace. "The thing out of control" wraps up the disc. The Metallica influence isn't so great here although there is a little in the vocals. There is maybe a touch of early Anthrax in there as well, but this is the band's most original song. It revolves around a very simple riff, but they manipulate it well. All in all this was a very impressive demo for fans of early thrash.

www.myspace.com/masterpieceonline

LaceBlack

Self-produced
2008



This three song demo from Italy's LaceBlack play a blend of hard rock and pop with strong mid-late 80's influences. "Closed in a shell" kicks off the disc with a strong drum beat and a basic, but immediately catchy riff slides on. The vocals remind me of a cross between Joe LeSte of Bang Tango and Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat. It's steady, mesmerizing and grew on me with each listen. Probably my favorite track on the album. "New Excess Desire" comes on next and it's slightly slower, but revolves around thick melodies. The vocals are smooth and silk which is a big help in selling me on this song. The final song "Anytime" starts out with a slow intro that didn't entirely work for me because the vocals seemed a bit too breathy. Fortunately the pace picks up and the band slip into their comfort zone and ride this one out. The song might overstay it's welcome just a little, but still decent. This is more mellow than I normally like, but they know how to control every aspect of the song and get the most of what they do. It is slightly under produced, but I think that works to their advantage. The bass and drums are certainly rich and even raw to an extent. My only complaint was that all three tracks were around the same speed. I would have liked to have heard a little more variation, but hopefully that will happen once they do a full length album.



www.myspace.com/laceblackuniverse

Maelstrom-It was predestined

Perfect Storm
2008

New York's Maelstrom have been around since the 1980's. That fits as all three tracks on this EP reach back to the days of early power metal and early thrash. All three songs sound like they could have been done around 1985. The opener "Arise" is simple, epic stomper with a mix of both high pitch and lower, rough vocals. This one reminds me of pre-major label Manowar only heavier. The production seems a little thin around the edges though. "A futile crusade" follows and the sound is thicker and much more rich. It's a mid-paced effort that's deeply influenced by the early days of power metal. The closer is "Predestined" is a full on head-banging assault. This one revolves around massive riffs and pounding beats. The solos fly in and help elevate the song as well. This is a likable if unoriginal EP. Each track is better than the one before so saving the best for last helps "It was predestined" to end on a high note. Here's hoping they get around to putting out a full length effort in the near future. I would certainly be interested in hearing what they could create when given more time to fill.

http://www.myspace.com/metalmaelstrom

The Rattlebones-Ready to bite

Suisa
2008



You can't always judge an album by the cover. However as I took this out of it's envelope I couldn't help but think that this one was going to be 80's style glam. That was my expert diagnosis based on the band name and cover art. Of course I was pretty much wrong. The opener "Sister Sinister" does have a dirty, sleaze sound reminiscent of Faster Pussycat only with a more modern twist. That's about it for the 80's glam sound. After the opener Switzerland's The Rattlebones pull us along on a trip back in time. We are treated to a large slab of mid-late 70's hard rock. Think Aerosmith, AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and Ted Nugent for starters. Just smooth grooves and thick, juicy riffs similar to a time when music was more important than image. One of my favorites is "Broken Bottle" which comes towards the end of the album. The slow and controlled grooves had me thinking of Aerosmith around 1974. There is a slightly laid back feel to much of the material on this disc. That works for me because it gives me a chance to try and absorb all that the band is trying to accomplish. My only concern would be how they will get noticed when they rely so heavily on their influences. Coming into your own can always be tough for bands who wear their influences on their sleeves. However the most important thing is that the Rattlebones just simply rock. So hopefully everything else will just fall into place for them.

www.myspace.com/thefuckingrattlebones