Kosta Vreto - Pictures Of A Broken Heart

Steel Gallery Records
2013

"Pictures Of A Broken Heart" is the second solo album from Kosta Vreto (Wardrum, Horizon's End, Vavel, Jade Star). Hailing from Thessaloniki, Greece (and well known for his nail-picking style of playing) this metal guitarists has also played for the likes of Paul DiAnno and Uli Jon Roth. Along with fellow Wardum and Horizon End's band-mate/drummer Stergios Kourou (also ex-Death From Above and ex-Escape) and a few guests (Just to name a few we have Uli Roth's Corvin Bahn, Muris Varajic, Horizon's End's Sakis Bandis, and Psycho Choke's George Motesnitsas) guitarist Kostra Vreto, who also handles bass and keyboard duties here, gives fans of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai someone new to idolize! Serving as the follow-up to 2008's "Skin on Strings", "Pictures Of A Broken Heart", which is much better then the owner of a broken heart (Sorry, but couldn't help myself with the Yes reference given the album's title and all!), finds this Greek guitar hero showing off his natural, "God of Rock"-given talent and doing it in such a way that I can't help but find myself being drawn deeper into the rabbit hole that is instrumental metal. For fans of said genre this is one release worth investing in as I'd like to think that this is one new name that we'll all be hearing more of in the near future!

A Fucking Elephant-Seven Inches 7

Nefarious Industries
2013

 With a name like A Fucking Elephant you really have to wonder. Formed in 2007, the New Jersey-based twosome (guitarist Matt Keys and drummer Greg Meisenberg), actually are not as off the wall as you would expect (given their name and all). Even with a song titled "I'm Addicted to Drugs & Sex and I Want You to Chok" (sic) I'm sure no one will blame me when I admit that I half expected this to be some sort of (fingernails on a chalkboard) noise/grind atrocity. Instead it's simply two tracks of instrumental garage rock that, while it might wallow in weirdness, is nothing that shocking. The material in question is the first new music from A Fucking Elephant in two years. The band's last release was a split full-length with El Drugstore. Incidentally, Nefarious Industries is the indie label formed by members from both bands and collectors would do well to note that, in addition to a digital release, there will be 250 copies released on black vinyl and 250 copies released on yellow vinyl. With a cover like that (courtesy of  Eric Nyffeler/Doe-Eyed Design.) you just know people are not just going to buy this for the groovy music, but they are going to want to display the artwork as well for all to see!