Dinosaur Eyelids-Left Turn on Red

Independent/Self-Release
2017

New Jersey's Dinosaur Eyelids issued their 5th studio album back in late November of 2017. With it's tongue-in-cheek title of "Left Turn on Red", I had this CD arrive unexpectedly at my door. With 11 tracks in all, "Left Turn on Red" is the long-anticipated  follow-up to 2014's "Bypass To Nowhere". From what I have read, "Bypass To Nowhere" was well-received by both the fans and the critics. While I cannot vouch for their last album, "Left Turn on Red" is an absolute winner in my book and the exact kind of rock album that I would stop the presses for! Opening with four straight rock and roll gems in a row, "Left Turn on Red" is the gripping story of a five-piece garage band that works through it's personal struggles by plugging in & kicking out the jam. Influences seem to range from Ween, The Stooges, Dinosaur Jr., The Replacements, and Sonic Youth all the way up through Nirvana, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, and Kyuss. On this excellent album you are just as likely to witness the influence of Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young and The Who as you are Blind Melon and Saigon Kick! As an example of the wide array of influences let's check out two song. First we have "L.A. Lady". This semi-ballad is rock and roll all the way though, but it also has a bit of a late eighties/early nineteens hair metal vibe to it. Dinosaur Eyelids perfectly executes this cool number which could have easily been a hit for any number of L.A. glam metal bands. On the other end of the spectrum we have "Making Up Memories". On an album where (heavy) rock and roll rules the day, "Making Up Memories" sounds like a hard rock take on Jane's Addiction (without all the drama naturally). It is a great song, but then again, "Left Turn on Red" is nothing but one great track after another. As part of the alternative rock scene, Dinosaur Eyelids might have a hard time breaking through all of the preconceived barriers that come from closed minds. Whatever you do, do not fall for such a trap! At it's core this is a rock and roll album that demands to be played "Loud & Proud"! An album like "Left Turn on Red" is just as likely to appeal to the alternative/indie rock crowd as it is those of us in the hard & heavy scene. You can and most-certainly should check out this heavy rockin' release by by heading here. Be forewarned though. These NJ alt-rockers are a loud bunch! As such this album is all kinds of LOUD. You can try turning it down, but ultimately it needs to be played at maximum volume. That's what you do for any great rock recording and this gem is no different!

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.

Free Metal Monday: New Jersey Metal Attack Vol. 1

NVNM Productions
2016

Today's Free Metal Monday feature (which was just released today!) comes courtesy of the fine folks over at NVNM Productions. Available for free by clinking on this link, "New Jersey Metal Attack Vol. 1" includes five new and unreleased songs from some of the talented groups that are affiliated with NVNM Productions  Said bands include Jaws Of Hades, Siege Column, Retaliation, Nefarious Cabal, and DSS and in addition to this name-your-price digital download there will be a limited number* of hand-dubbed cassette available in the very near future. For more information on the limited-edition cassette tape or the individual bands that were involved with this HEAVY sampler be sure to check out the link that was posted above.

*Only 50 copies will be made available!

The Black Heart Gospel-Wasteland America

Self-release/Independent
2016


Based in New Jersey (and comprised of four musicians who are long-time veterans of said scene!), The Black Heart Gospel is a up-and-coming modern hard rock/heavy metal band that has shared stage with the likes of Quiet Riot, Life of Agony, Overkill and even Buckcherry(!) and has one studio release to it's name in "Wasteland America". The group's line-up includes Todd Knowlden (vocals), Stan Chan (guitar), Mark Ramsey (bass), and Pete Colvin (drums) and all four tracks on this gripping EP ("Before My Eyes", "Scary", "The Growing Unknown", and the title track) are re-worked numbers from the band member's past projects. And by "re-worked" we are talking about some seriously-fierce material that has been purged of any imperfections and then re-shaped in order that it can take the form of one to stellar fucking debut! With "Wasteland American" you get four songs that are lyrically-strong and insanely well-constructed  and seeing as they all fall under the four-minute they are all perfectly suited for today's rock radio crowd! Now, considering the fact that this (recommend) EP was put out shortly after this band first came together one would have to imagine that any new material is even better. Or at least we can all hope as much! Available on sites like CD Baby and iTunes, "Wasteland American" makes the case that we could be looking at one of the next big things to come out of New Jersey! And given that scenes success that is really saying something! 

Hammer Fight-Profound and Profane

Napalm Records
2016

Active since 2011, Hammer Fight (whose name I fucking love!) is a Atlantic City, New Jersey four-piece that just recently-released their major label debut, "Profound and Profane". Initially created by two former members of the death metal/grindcore act Call the Paramedics, Hammer Fight made their studio debut in 2012 with a self-titled EP. The loud & proud "Profound and Profane" comes three years after the release of the full-length "Chug of War" (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) and it answers the question of what you would get if you were throw the likes of Motörhead, Slayer, "Bonded By Blood"-era Exodus, Zeke, S.N.F.U., Discharge, Cro-Mags, Sex Pistols, and English Dogs into a blender that's already been filled to flowing with cheap beer and M.D. 20/20! Obviously it's not always pretty and this can be one those sketchy cocktails that is hard to swallow, but when Hammer Fight does manage to strike the right cords it's a thing of real beauty! 

Cognitive-Cognitive

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Hailing from South Jersey (no jokes please) and now fronted by former Due For Extinction member Jorel Hart, Cognitive is a up-and-coming death metal band that has already shared the stage with the likes of Between the Buried and Me, Cattle Decapitation, Suffocation, Broken Hope, Wretched, Misery Index and Origin (among countless others!). Formed in 2011, with rhythm guitarist Rob Wharton (ex-The Adept, ex-Doomsday Machine Schematic, ex-Waking the Cadaver) and lead guitarist Jake Iannaco (ex-Amorphic Form, ex-Putrid Abscess) now the sole original members, Cognitive's first release came out one year later in the form of  the EP, "The Horrid Swarm". Remixed and partly re-recorded last year in order to include the band's new and improved front-man, Jorel Hart (I'm absolutely loving his near guttural, cookie monster-like vocals!), 2012's "The Horrid Swarm" originally featured the services of (now former) lead singer Scheenier Ramirez, but for these heavy hometown favorites (who are rounded out by bassist Art Sikora and drummer Mike Castro) it's all about moving progressively forward with each new recording. On the band's self-titled debut that much is clear as this 10-track, 30 minute plus release is as technical as is destructive with well thought out and constructed passages highlighted by razor sharp guitar solos that cut clean, but still leave plenty of blood behind! Featuring two instrumentals in "Oceanic Erosion" and "Affliction Humanity", "Cognitive" is the right kind of recording to get these New Jersey metalheads noticed as it shines a bright light on all aspects of this band. Cognitive has all sorts of deadly skills at it's disposal and the band has just the right kind of brutal death approach to appeal to a wide range of death metal purists. With the right kind of marketing and push a band like this could make a decent run for it, but ultimately only time will tell.

Speed the Plough-The Plough & The Stars

Bar None Records
2013

Last year in celebration of New Jersey band Speed the Plough's 30th anniversary Bar None Records released this charming career retrospective. For those who may not be all that familiar with the name (outside of secondary, unrelated projects) the band, which is a multi-generational act featuring both male and female members, falls under the category of chamber pop* even if a better description might be comfort pop! Taking their name from an old Scottish folk song, which oddly enough fits an outfit like this(!), Speed the Plough (or STP for short) has been performing (on and off) since 1984. Founded by John and Toni Baumgartner (Keyboards/vocals/song writer and Woodwinds/vocals respectively) and Marc Francia (Guitar) the band has seem many members come and go and yet this wonderfully assembled collection** proved to be a thoroughly consistent overview of this entertaining act! Because of their colorful take on classical pop (one which employees 60's folk and psychedelic rock) STP ended up being a hit within my own multi-generational homestead. This New Jersey-based band has the same kind of universal appeal as The Beatles and it stands to reason that any act that can invoke such comparisons is well worth investing in! Pleasantly enough "The Plough & The Stars" had me daydreaming about the adventures of childhood*** and if  I had any regrets as far as this collection goes it would simply be that my personal promo copy is not as expansive as the real offering which can be found at any of these links below:

www.bar-none.com. 

http://www.amazon.com/

musicdirect.com

http://www.insound.com/

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_pop

** Pulled directly from the band's own website (http://speedtheplough.com/) here is what you are looking at when you buy this beautiful retrospective for your own personal music collection! And yes friends, you should do just that if the idea of shiny pop (that's clever and performed by seasoned musicians!) with classical music elements appeals to you even a little bit!

• A 17-song “Best Of” CD culled from our first four long out-of-print albums on Coyote and East Side Digital (the eponymous first, Wonder Wheel, Mason’s Box, and Marina). 

• A split 12" album with six brand new songs grouped together under the title Tag Sale, a return to the lush, pastoral sound of our earlier albums. And on the flip side five live songs from our 1993 appearance on WFMU’s Live Music Faucet. 

• A 16-page booklet featuring photos of all the band’s lineups, along with reminiscences by Speed the Plough members past and present. 

• A download card entitling you to digital versions of all of the above, along with 10 additional live tracks from Mountain Stage, WFMU, and Maxwell’s, and an interactive version of the booklet with links to more songs and videos. 

*** Speed the Plough's strength lies in their ability to offer near perfect, blissful pop/indie rock with classical musical elements. I would purposely use the words playful, colorful, comforting, dream-like and endearing to describe the music of STP. In what proved to a unexpected side-effect to this remarkable collection I was whisked away to my carefree childhood. Just as certain smells can trigger flashbacks, STP brought about visions from long ago. I'm dating myself here, but as a child I was comforted by not just The Beatles and The Beach Boys (two bands whose lush pop arrangements play a part in the music of this Jersey outfit). I remember the sense of wonderment that was to be found in The Mamas and the Papas, Peter, Paul & Mary, Crosby, Steels & Nash, The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim Croce, John Denver, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Arlo Guthrie. Life was so much more simpler back then and everything felt free and open to endless possibilities. And that was without all the endless electronic devices we now find ourselves slaves to! It's the age old adage that less is more and here on "The Plough & The Stars" that saying rings absolutely true! STP offer complex arrangements no doubt, but here it's presented as rather quaint pop with more of familiar, home-town acoustic/electronic rock band vibe to it. That takes nothing away from the the band's crafty/orchestrated sound (especially as this band's work takes a cue or two from highly inventive outfits such as Traffic and The Velvet Underground!) or the fact that STP channel the spirits of many a great 60's rock/psychedelic rock band (Jefferson Airplane). It's simply that STP offers comforting pop that can be enjoyed as much by pre-teens as those in their golden years! And it's all easily accessible and digestible! Prior to receiving this retrospective CD I can honestly say that I had never heard of Speed the Plough and now I find myself wondering exactly why that is? Maybe it's because STP are not trendy enough for today's kids or the fact that this wouldn't be considered Top 40 Pop? Who knows? What's important though is sharing music like this with our diverse readers. I know I'm not alone in having a wide ranging taste in music. That's why Heavy Metal Time Machine has, under my watch of course, taken more of an approach of anything and everything can and will be reviewed here these days.


 Need more info on this shinning chamber pop band? Why not head over to their Facebook page then?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Speed-the-Plough/292471066217

Midnite Hellion-"Hour of the Wolf" Single

Witches Brew
2013

Fronted by Pamela "P.J." Berlinghof (Twilight Odyssey, ex-Wind Wraith), who replaced original vocalist Sonny Zackeo from the looks of it,  Midnight Hellion are a traditional heavy metal act from New Jersey that was formed back in 2011. This 7-inch, limited-edition vinyl (100 copies on translucent blue and 400 classic black) features two tracks (the title cut and "The Morrigan") (400 copies) and, along with a soon to be released live (cassette) entitled "Bitchin' at Champs! 11-15-2013", serves as an appetizer while the group works on their first full-length LP. With not only a new vocalist in place (and a powerful one at that!), but a guitarist as well (Nick DiGiovacchino), Midnight Hellion, which also features guitarist/backing voclaist Dan Sclavi, bass guitarist/backing vocalist Bill Dripps and drummer/backing vocalist Drew Rizzo (ex-Capitalist Death Machine, ex-Horrifier) draws their sound from a variety of sources while (effectively I might add) cramming them into it's (compact) original identity. Musically it's some U.S. power metal (Helstar, early Satan's Host and Virgin Steel), some traditional heavy metal/eighties heavy metal (Metal Church, Jag Panzer/Titan Force, Malice, Shok Paris, Warlord and Tarot), some N.W.O.B.H.M. (Judas Priest, Desolation Angels, Satanic Rites, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Fast Kutz and Rock Goddess), N.W.O.T.H.M. (Skull Fist, Enforcer and Cauldron) and, naturally given P.J.'s presence on the mic, some female-fronted acts like Warlock/Dio, Acid and Hellion (P.J. sounds quite a bit like Ann Boleyn!). On paper that sounds like a jumbled mess I'm sure, but in actuality it's some fair solid, heavy rocking, straight-up metal that should (given time to develop and gel with a consistent line-up) make for a nice addition to the field of traditional heavy metal. This is one band to keep an eye and ear out for as all of the pieces seem to be in place for something special! 

http://www.midnitehellion.com/

Primeval Realm-Primordial Light

Pure Steel Records
2014

Pure Steel Records is not a label that one would usually associate with doom metal. So seeing them sign a band like Trenton, New Jersey's Primeval Realm does seem a tad bit odd. Still, it is what it is and with Primeval Realm we're talking about (essentially) a one man project with, prior to this seven-track debut album of course, three demos having been unleashed. Joe Potash (also of Horrifier) seems to be the main-man here and besides writing all of the music and lyrics he plays guitars, bass, keyboards and drums. Oh, and he sings quite divinely as well! Hmmmm, is "divinely" the right word for what Joe Potash lays down (vocal-wise) over top of straight-up old-school doom metal? Maybe "melodic" is a better choice? It's really a moot point as it's just one piece of the puzzle of Primeval Realm. The promo let's us know right off the bat that they are "full of homage to bands like Trouble, Candlemass, Saint Vitus/The Obsessed and Solitude Aeturnus" and man if that isn't about the straight up truth of the matter! Toss in some Black Sabbath and you've got a band that's doom-riffic (LOL) while, as Bruce Campbell would say, "Groovy!". You can check out the band's rather rock-filled "Heavy Is This Mind" video right below and kudos to Pure Steel Records on broadening their horizon with this pick up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83DQ0IpCE1A

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