Free Metal Monday: Here's The Metal-October 2014

"Here's The Metal" is a free digital sampler featuring the likes of Exodus, Sister Sin, Fit For A King, In Flames, Decapitated and more. With 13 tracks in all this release from Google Play and Here's the Metal is bound to bring a smile to those suffering the terrible side effects that come courtesy of another Monday morning! Enjoy!




https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Various_Artists_Here_s_the_Metal_October_2014?id=Bsheoghp2hxqi67drt3n5wgmp3a

Sister Sin-Dance Of The Wicked

Victory Records
2013

Originally issued back in 2003 this was Sister Sin's first LP. Looks as if Victory Records is giving it a nice and proper re-release. Packed with a re-mastered sound and some nice cover songs in "Paint It Black" (Rolling Stones) and "Rock N' Roll" (Motörhead), which features guest Doro Pesch, this is a nice way to see where it all started and what it was all about. Without a doubt Doro/Warlock influenced lead vocalist Liv while the band settles into some rather sweet punk rock/hard rock by way of 80's heavy metal. Musically I hear everything from the likes of early Ratt and Mötley Crüe to that Doro/Warlock vibe and even early cues taken from Wendy O. Williams/The Plasmatics. Raw at times it captures a point in this band's career where they had finally realized the dream of being a real band with real metal music. This one should be a nice pick-up all around for fans or casual listeners.

http://www.victorymerch.com/store/sistersin/packages 

Sister Sin-Now and forever

Victory
2012

I first heard this band on their "Smash the silence" EP back in 2007. I definitely hear the potential even then. So over the course of the last few years this band's popularity has certainly gone up a few notches to say the least. However their style hasn't changed terribly as they still draw on influences such as early Motley Crue, Accept and even Warlock/Doro. Sister Sin are exactly breaking any new ground, but instead they are pulling some of the best elements from bands of the bands and adding their own twist into it. That was true on the previous two LPs and if anything the band sounds even more confident in their direction on their latest creation. They are necessarily heavier on this album, but it does sound like the volume was cranked up a bit on their sound and I appreciate it so kudos to the producer. As always there are some anthems here and the band handles them well with tracks like "Fight song", "In it for life" and "The chosen few". All three of those selections feature simple, but instantly likable choruses with vocalist Liv leading the way. We knew there had to be an album because after all this is still a hard rock album so we get "Morning after" which has a definite Doro Pesch influence guiding it and that's fine by me. I wouldn't chosen it as the closer because I think all albums should end on a heavy, powerful song but that may just be me. My favorite tracks on this album are the solid stomper "Shades of black" and freakishly catchy "End of the line". Acts trying to emulate older metal bands are all over the place and plenty have come and gone over the last decade. However Sister Sin have not just survived during that time period, but they have actually emerged as one of more impressive bands playing this style today. If I had any doubts about success spoiling their sound well they were all swept away very early into "Now and forever". Again Sister Sin have hooked on their new album and I know I will be playing it well into 2013.

Sister Sin-Switchblade Serenade

Victory
2008

I remember those days back in the mid-1980’s when hard rock and metal could sometimes blur together and the music was very straight forward and the lyrics may have been cheesy, but there so instantly likable. Sweden’s Sister Sin are very much from that school of metal as they openly embrace yet master this style. This album has the solid vocals, big rhythms, catchy choruses and ripping solos that you expect from this kind of metal. At several points during “Switchblade Serenade” I could close my eyes, soak in the music and it wasn’t too hard to imagine this album having been made in 1986 instead of 2008 and I mean that in a very positive way. Their approach is basic yet highly effective as they pound and smash their way through yet they never lose their grasp on creating a fairly true metal sound. I would say the influences here include, but are not limited to early Motley Crue, Motorhead, WASP and maybe even mid-80’s Accept. The have a great handle on the pace of almost every song and they seem to shoot out each song rather quickly as there is very little down time and virtually no fillers here. My only real problem was that all five tracks from their 2007 “Smash the silence” EP are on this CD and I played that disc to death months ago. So that was a little disappointing that I had already heard five of the elven tracks on this disc. Out of the other six tracks one is a cover of Motorhead’s “Make my day” and although it’s a barnstormer I still felt a little let down by only getting five new original songs. Yet this is still a fantastic, solid metal effort in a year where there have not been enough bands attempting this style.