Serpent Crown-Incantations of Vengeance

Horror Pain Gore Death  Productions
2016

It has been a long-time coming, but "Incantations of Vengeance" is the sophomore album of California metal band Serpent Crown. With a total running time of twenty seven minutes and fifteen seconds this six-track release was recorded at Green Dot Studios and it serves as the proper follow-up to Serpent Crown's 2013 self-titled debut*. The new album finds band founder Dara Santha** (vocals/guitars) joining up with bass player Tommy and the well-traveled drummer "Woz" (I Klatus, Lair of the Minotaur, ex-Earthen Grave, ex-Trifog, ex-Blood of Martyrs, ex-Left Testicle Syndrome). Despite the three year gap between releases, "Incantations of Vengeance" actually picks right up where Dara's band last left off and for longtime fans of this sludge-laden thrash metal group that of course means more soul crushing material that is as fearsome as it is fascinating! On album number two Dara sounds just as menacing as she did the first time around (if not more so!) and that applies as much to her guitar playing as it does her voice!! With the help of her new crew and a nice production that does it's job by not stepping on the toes of Serpent Crown's fiery front-lady (!), Dara Santha has showed the heavy metal community not only what this California band has to offer, but women in general!! In a scene that is still far too dominated by men, heavy metal in general needs more terrific musicians like Dara Santha so that we might encourage young women to step up and get involved. There's a huge reason why Serpent Crown is as intense and imposing as it is and that has everything to do Dara Santha. As the mastermind behind this acid-spitting mythological beast, Dara wields all the power and when it's fully unleashed on the unsuspecting public at large it is best to simply stop what you're doing, turn around and face the wall of heavy fucking metal as it comes crashing down upon you! Like "Serpent Crown" before it, "Incantations of Vengeance" packs a real wallop and it is one of those ear exploding albums that you will want to hear over and over again. In closing I would just like to say welcome back Serpent Crown. What took you so long? 





*As you can see by clicking here, 2013 was a great year as far as heavy metal music was concerned. If you scroll down through my list best of the year list you will find "Serpent Crown" and for good reason! Serpent Crown's debut is a one hell of a album and just like "Incantations of Vengeance"it comes with my highest recommendation!

**Back in August of 2013 I had the pleasure of interviewing Dara Santha. If you have never read that piece then you can find it here.

Axxion-Back In Time

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Active since 2011 (and featuring some top-notch musicians who have spent time in such group's as Skull Fist, Cauldron, and Phantom!), Axxion* is a (simply stellar) four-piece Canadian heavy metal/speed metal band with one EP, a single, and two full-length albums to it's name thanks to the forthcoming "Back In Time". The band, which is based in Toronto and lead by crazy mad vocalist Dirty D Kerr** (ex-King, ex-Midnight Malice), offers up one hell of an appealing vintage sound on their soon to be released sophomore album and with nine tracks of pure metal love going on here it's all but impossible to go wrong! The all too brief "Attakr" opens things up on "Back In Time" and from there it's just one blazing hot cut after another until the totally kick ass number that is "Sinner" finally burns everything around you to the ground!! As this highly-energetic group takes it's cues from not only 80's metal, but N.W.O.B.H.M., Swedish traditional heavy metal, and the early days of the U.S.P.M. moment (!) there is more than enough nostalgia to go around. Does that mean Axxion's newest album won't appeal to modern heavy metal fanatics? Thanks to the outstanding lead work of Sir Shred (ex-30 Years Too Late, ex-Carpadium, ex-Skull Fist ) and the overwhelming display of power that is Axxion's rhythm section*** the answer to that question is a resounding "Hell No!". True heavy metal thunder runs through the veins of this hard-hitting & high-flying Canadian band and it's almost as if it is a matter of principle that their particular take on the "subject" should be as universally accessible as humanly possible. Or to put it another way, "Back In Time" should easily find it's way into the loving hands of older and younger' metalheads alike and that is thanks in no small part to the album's overall sense of enthusiasm and this young band's keen ability to craft memorable material that makes you long to hear more! When the only downside to be found on your sophomore release is it's short length (Dammit(!), I needed way more heavy metal goodness than this album's mere 34 minute time limit allowed!!) you know your band is onto something special. But, that's Axxion for you in a nutshell! This Toronto tornado of a heavy metal band is something truly and the same goes for this gem of a release! Here in the U.S. this album is due out on October 15th so be sure to grab a reliable highlighter and circle the date! This is one album that is not to be missed!!

 


*Pronounced "action" and it is a fitting moniker for this Canadian act!


**Dirty D Kerr does all kinds of wild and crazy things on the mic and at times you do have to wonder if some of them are even possible in this realm of existence that we call life on planet Earth! Sometimes his high pitch notes reminded me of Steve Grimmet (Grim Reaper) while other times I wasn't sure what the hell was going on LOL! Either way it was always enjoyable and at the end of the day it made this album come alive for me!!


***Axxion's drummer is Alison Thunderland  (Phantom, ex-Skull Fist) and she is all kinds of wonderful on this heavy metal platter. This impressive musician provides some outstanding fucking awesome drumming on "Back In Time" (it is just too damn hot to handle folks!) and if that wasn't enough she also steps up to the mic when called for! That's right my fellow metal maniacs, "Back In Time" has both male and female vocals and that kind of coolness is all thanks to the one and only Alison Thunderland!! I can't help but wonder how much heavy metal would benefit from having more exceptional musicians like her, but really that is another story (and a worthwhile one at that!) that is best saved for some other time. Anyway, the bass duties on "Back In Time" fall to Axxion's newest member, Jason Decay. Well-known for his work in the group Cauldron, Jason Decay (ex-Forcefed, ex-Goat Horn, ex-Thor, ex-Ash Lee Blade (live), ex-Corpsebike, ex-Kïll Cheerleadër) brings a shit lead of talent to Axxion's latest release and in his role as the group's new bass player he does not disappoint! The bass work on "Back In Time" is nearly perfect and when it is combined with the other unique elements that are at play here it gives this 9-track album a very nice edge.

Mortal Peril-The Legacy Of War

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Teutonic thrash metal. Those are three words that I will never get tired of hearing. As a teenager I fell head over heels in love with German thrash and ever since that first fateful encounter* I just cannot get enough of the stuff! Like many others before me it was the Big Three that first turned me on to the glorious insanity that was and still is the German thrash metal scene and now I cannot even begin to imagine my life without that trio. It should go without saying, but just in case it isn't obvious then I am talking about the gods themselves: Kreator, Destruction, and of course Sodom! Those three groups helped get me through the living hell that was high school and I cannot even begin to tell you how many copies of "Extreme Aggression", "Release From Agony", and "Agent Orange" I wore out along the way! To me these three F**king Awesome bands will always be the absolute best that Germany has to offer the thrash metal scene and I simply cannot see that ever changing. So, what exactly does that have to do with Mortal Peril you might be asking? Well, a lot actually. First off all Mortal Peril channels the spirits of all three of those veteran bands. Yes, Mortal Peril is also influenced by the eighties thrash scene in general (Slayer, Exodus, Overkill, and Metallica) and there are flashes of speed metal, HEAVY traditional metal, melodic thrash and even doom to be spotted along the way. So technically it's not 100% Teutonic thrash metal we're talking about with "The Legacy Of War". Still, in all the best ways humanly possible, Mortal Peril reminds me of the greats. On "The Legacy Of War" I get the same kind of wonderful sensation I got from some of Sodom's more technical albums. From the songwriting to the performances I can feel the bands Kreator and Destruction. Somehow this six year old band has managed to put together an album that has all the vintage charm of those three bands while still packing enough of a modern day edge to make it relevant. It's all there and more and it is wicked! But, here's the kicker. Despite the involvement of these influential spirits the band Mortal Peril still has their own thing going on and man oh man is it ever energetic! You're going to want to be careful where you are when you first play this disc as this is pedal to the metal thrash we are talking about! I was on my way to pick up my daughter from school yesterday when I first put in this CD and the let me just tell you the opening number, "Generation Hate", had me FLYING down the back-roads! More than once I had to dial it back some because this CD is SICK! With their second full-length album since first forming back in 2010 the four members of Mortal Peril push everything to the absolute limit. For band mates Jan Radermacher (vox/bass), Pete Rode (lead guitar), Mr. Greene (rhythm guitar), and drummer Jonas Linnartz this is as good as it gets. Frankly-speaking this the kind of album that many bands dream about but are never able to achieve. My friends this is the complete package and to get back to our earlier conversation I can't help but imagine a new generation of kids using this album as an outlet in much the same way that I used tapes by Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction! How is this all possible? How can one band that many have never heard of do so much on their sophomore release? Honestly I don't have an answer for that particular question, but if you want to try to answer it for yourself then it is all packed neatly inside this CD. Needless to say, "The Legacy Of War" is A+ release and it comes HIGHLY recommend! 



*My very first taste of German thrash came from Kreator's "Extreme Aggression". I found the tape one day while visiting a music store in Chapel Hill Mall in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. To this day I absolutely LOVE that album and while Mortal Peril's new disc might actually lean closer to classic Destruction at times I can still feel the spirit of Kreator creeping about in the background! What I dig about this band and this CD is how they take classic thrash and give it a modern feel. Well, there's that and then how damn catchy this stuff all is! 

Lucid Dreams-Build And Destroy

Red Ball Productions
2015

What's this we have here? A new album from Oslo metal band Lucid Dreams? Well thank you God above for this metallic blessing! With Thanksgiving only a few days away it looks as if I will have plenty to be thankful for this year! Oops, wait just a minute. Does anyone out there besides me remember this classy (and yet criminally underrated) Norwegian band? Yes? No? I'm hoping it's the former, but just in case let's set the stage for "Build And Destroy". It was back in late November of 2013 that I reviewed the self-titled debut album from this fucking skilled hard & heavy/melodic metal group. As you can see here I flat out loved that album! I still do!! That release, which eventually made it's way onto my 55 best albums of 2013 list (and for good reason as it took it's cue from everyone from Bon Jovi and Whitesnake to Dio & Iron Maiden!), made me a instant fan of Lucid Dreams and it eventually lead me to interviewing the group. That memorable album also made me appreciate melodic metal all the more and over the past two or so years I've honestly been wondering when we would hear from this lot again again. A few weeks back I got my answer. First it was in the form of some cool mp3s and then one day out of the blue a signed CD showed up. I'd feel like a creep if I didn't thank the band for both versions of their sophomore album, but rest assured as neither one had any bearing whatsoever as to how I feel about "Build And Destroy". As to why it's taken me so long to get this review? The short answer is life. My life has become far too complicated and busy and it's become more of a challenge to carve out time for this blog. With that said, "Build And Destroy" is too good to to be kept all to myself so I all but have to share the news of this album with all of you. Especially as it is so well-written and every bit as damn good as "Lucid Dreams" is! If only all sophomore albums were this great! I mean how many times have you found yourself loving a group's debut album only for their second release to be pure garbage? Black Tide anyone? How about Stranger? Perhaps even Praying Mantis? All three of the bands issued follow-up albums that were nothing compared to their debuts. Talk about sad second albums! But I digress. Let's talk about the album's technical aspects and then we can get on to the overall sound of "Build And Destroy". This eight song release (which was actually unveiled at the beginning of last October) was produced by one of the band's two guitarists, Rune Gutuen (with Henrik Antonsson serving as the group's other guitarist), and mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman in Sweden. Compared to the band's self-titled debut this release is about 10 minutes shorter, but at around 37 minutes in length it's still a solid enough amount of material to digest. From a production standpoint Lucid Dream's second album sounds impressively smooth even as it retains a familiar & well loved metal edge. Of the eight numbers on "Build And Destroy" (of which there are no duds!) the shortest one would be "Fear No Evil" (a memorable cut that forges 80's melodic metal with catchy hard rock!) at 3:43 while the longest song is the Queensrÿche-infused "Absence Of Innocence" with it's run-time of 6:36. Incidentally these two numbers are tracks 3 and 4 respectively with the melodic metal masterpiece "Wings Of the Night" serving as the disc's opener and "Eye Of The Storm" (a melodic metal take on Iron Maiden!) closing things out. With a two year gap in-between albums it's of little wonder how tight each of the individual tracks are. From both a performance stand-point and actual song construction that is. Just like on their 2013 debut the musicianship and the songwriting on Lucid Dreams' latest release is second to none. The same goes for the vocal work of Fredrik Sindsen (aka Freddy Vain). Once again Fredrik Sindsen (formerly of heavy metal/hard rock band Trendkiller) moves effortlessly between killer hard rock cuts ("Hellbound" anyone?) and the heavier stuff ("High Heeled Devil" and "Shanghai Cyanide") and he helps add a grandiose vibe to what is already a fantastic metal release! "Build And Destroy" is not only a memorable and downright catchy album, but it's energetic and driven by the same kind of sensational solos that used to be so prevalent back in the heyday of hard rock and melodic metal. Keyboard arrangements come courtesy of  Thorleif Østmoe and he is spot on yet again. For once we find a band that is capable of enhancing the music with such things without ruining the overall metal aspect that really helps drives albums like this. And here's the thing. Lucid Dreams new album "Build And Destroy" is as metal as it gets! In fact Lucid Dreams second album might even be heavier than their first one! Sure enough these Norwegian hard & heavy rockers still pull a part of their sound and style from lighter acts such as Whitesnake and there is the same kind of (early) Queensrÿche/Dream Theatre progressive metal here that I enjoyed on their first disc. But here's the real kicker folks. In addition to the hard rock, melodic metal and progressive metal there is some riff-dropping heavy metal goodness to be found on "Build And Destroy"! Usually it takes the form of Iron Maiden-like metal and I still hear some Dio and 80's-era Judas Priest sneaking in. Thankfully though Lucid Dreams part 2 (aka this eight-track must own CD!) works in homages to early Def Leppard, Dokken, and even Europe's undervalued self-titled album! Lucid Dreams are still kings at taking hard rock, melodic metal and the like and jamming in sharp guitar solos and sweeping arrangements! In other words "Build And Destroy" is just like it's predecessor in that it's all things hard rock. melodic metal, progressive metal, and heavy metal as envisioned by a exceptionally talented band! One has to think that sooner or later the world is going to catch on to just how good this band is. With albums like this how could they not?   

Shock-Forewarned

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Well now what's this? A new album from Canada's Shock? It's not Christmas and my birthday's long past so what's with this gift? Not that I'm complaining or anything. Far from it friends! It's just that this album hit me from out of nowhere. Kind of  like a punch in the face in the dark. Wait a second. Am I getting to far ahead of myself here? Hell bells man! Why didn't you say something? OK, let's back the car up and head towards home. In this case the home would be Ottawa, Ontario as that's where this story first unfolds. It seems like only yesterday, but in actuality it's been almost three years now since we first the news that traditional heavy metal/power metal band Shock had risen from the dead and released it's debut album. That particular recording was the critically acclaimed "Once Denied". It made my list of  The 55 Best Releases Of 2013 and to this day it's still in heavy rotation at the Davis homestead. In fact the more I listen to it the more I am convinced that it is a near perfect album! By which I mean that it is a must-own CD. Especially for fans of classic metal bands such as Megadeth, Metal Church, and Anthrax. Or even for those who love N.W.O.B.H.M. music along the lines of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Grim Reaper. So yeah, "Once Denied" ended up being quite the success. Now we fast forward a few years and that brings us to the here and now. All of a sudden I'm granted the privilege of hearing the follow-up to "Once Denied" and I have to be honest here. I was scared going into this album that it would end up being a let-down. In my mind I hyped the hell out of album number two for Shock before I even attempted to open up any of the files that came along with it's promo. "What happens if it isn't any good?" I asked myself. Fearing the worst I dove straight in. Thankfully Shock (who I had the pleasure of interviewing back in 2013) avoid the dreaded sophomore slump with "Forewarned" and then some! Produced by Mike Bond ( www.producedbybond.com) and the band members themselves, "Forewarned" is everything that I loved about Shock's 2013 debut album only it's more direct in it's approach. Shock‘s sophomore effort could best be summed up like this. Picture "Rust in Peace" and "Countdown to Extinction"-era Megadeth joined at the hip by old school Armored Saint and Riot. Got that image in your head? OK, now imagine that this collaboration was a product of Canada's classic metal scene, but with more of a modern edge. In a way that's Shock's forthcoming album.....only it's better. It certainly has it's own style and means of delivery. It also has it's own distinct attitude and it's a justified one at that. Given all of that this album is appropriately titled. You should be forewarned that Shock's latest album doesn't mess around. Between "Bend or Break" and "Not If But When" there's a lot of menacing metal to behold. To that end it's no coincidence that "Forewarned" is being released on Friday, November 13th. Seeing as it slays and all! For the guys in Shock (Tony V-vox/guitars, John Tennant-guitar, Steve Monette -bass, and (new for this album) Taylor Calderone - drums ) life is all about METAL and it shows! "Forewarned" is just what fans of Shock have been waiting for and it can be pre-ordered by heading to the group's Bandcamp website. For now be sure to check out the band's first single from "Forewarned", "Sonic Assault"*. It's all or nothing wicked power/thrash metal with a mean bite and it's just one out of the eight tracks on "Forewarned" that absolutely shreds! 

*"Sonic Assault" is just one of several songs on Shock's new album that can trace it's roots to the band's early demo days. The thing is you would never know that it is originally from the eighties as it sounds fresh. I'd even go so far as to say it sounds hip! Just like on "Once Denied" it is incredible how well these "older" songs hold up. Granted in some cases they have been re-worked, but even so numbers like "Sonic Assault" are just so good! These thrash-filled cuts from another time and place work eerily well in this setting and as a whole "Forewarned" is just too good of a metal release to not be scooped up and displayed proudly! While I have no idea how Shock is still unsigned (they should be on a major by now!) I can't help but think that albums like this one are the real deal self-release or not and that headbangers such as "Once Denied" and "Forewarned" are the (super) glue the holds the whole metal scene together. In other words just get this album when it comes out. If you're a real heavy metal fan you won't regret it!

To The Pain-Seven

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Take heed of my warning friends! It's time to batten down the hatches and lock up your sons and daughters! You need to hold your loved ones close and say a pray or possibly two so that dawn's early light finds you all safe and sound. There's a storm coming in and it's coming in fast! Ladies and gentlemen prepare to meet your maker! Doomsday is upon us and it's name is "Seven"!!!! It's taken two years to put all the pieces together, but here it is all the same and yes, the wait has been worth it! This is the follow-up to 2013's "To The Pain" and for this New York power metal/thrash band there's no such thing as the sophomore slump! "Seven" is everyone that fans could have hoped for only better. Oh, and it's also heavier. As in much HEAVIER! That much was hinted at when To The Pain released the album's title track and first single, "Seven". Fans and critics alike found themselves drooling in anticipation of To The Pain's sophomore album
and quite obviously this one does not disappoint! Vocalist John Intagliata sounds as good here as he did on "To The Pain" and it's not just the title track that we're talking about friends! This underrated front-man is right there IN YOUR FACE from the word GO so make sure that you're well aware of what's in store before you decided to hit play! John Intagliata's impressive range has always been from low demonic grunts to hitched-pitched banshee wails and on "Seven" he is as evil as he is enlightening! And he's just the lead vocalist of this Long Island five-piece! If this is first you've ever heard of To The Pain then here is the skinny.  To The Pain was formed in 2012, but their roots go back to the band-members high-school days. Back in July of 2013 I covered the band's self-titled debut and that fantastic release was somewhat of a long-awaited dream for the members of To The Pain. I followed that review up with a interview and between these two articles you can get a good feel for the band's past as well as their current standing. The band's 2013 debut album is a must-have and now the same can be said of the upcoming "Seven"! To The Pain's new album is both a continuation of the sounds and style of their self-titled release and a step-forward in terms of originality and overall intensity. "The March For Mankind/Heavens Carnage" opens things up rather perfectly and this raw thrasher had me caught up in the moment and raging for more! From there it's the previously-mentioned title track and let's just call it like it is. "Seven" is nothing short of awesome(!) and on the title track this New York band goes full-tilt BALLS TO THE WALL! "Seven" is the very definition of metal and it's a heaven sent moment for those metalheads out there who still believe in the power and glory of true blue heavy metal! Lead guitarist Steve Shaver is at his technical best on "Seven" (the single and this album as a whole!) and the same thing can and should be said of his fellow bandmates! Second guitarist Craig Piano forms a solid tag team with Steve Shaver while the rhythm section of Chris Borgia and Jimmy Klimatas (crunchy bass and thunderous drums respectively!) helps push the band's new album to it's absolute limit! It was actually "Killzone" that made me push my car to the absolute limit so maybe another word of caution is in order. Take special care should you decide to play this album in your car. Before I knew what I was doing I was speeding along rather fast. Thank God I caught a glimpse of the speedometer and came back to my senses. The last thing I needed was a speeding ticket! That's the power of "Seven" though. It reaches right in and grabs hold of you. It makes you want to speed along and there's not much you can do about it friends! Not that you'd want to let up on the gas. The wicked "Is It My Turn To Die?" doesn't let up so why should the listener? That same feeling of frenzied excited follows over into album's last two tracks, "Cry Out For Justice" and "Don’t Eat The Eyes". Both numbers combine traditional heavy metal with gritty thrash and it's interesting to see just how far this band has evolved between albums. On "To The Pain" there were still fleeting images of the band's many influences. From Megadeth to Black Sabbath it was all there on "To The Pain" and even though the material was original you could still pick up on these ghosts and hear what bands helped to sculpt this New York act. On "Seven" you get the sensation that To The Pain has found their groove and that the band has really come into their own. "Don’t Eat The Eyes" offers telltale signs of this great achievement as it's all kinds of nasty, but nasty in such a way that it's distinctly genuine and original! At this point in their career To the Pain has crafted their own version of heavy metal and it's one that is second to none. It's abrasiveness and loud as f**k, but it's still technically sound and it has all the hallmarks of traditional heavy metal. Even though the music is aggressive and often-times stone-cold evil it still feels oddly hopeful. "Seven" is well-constructed and soundly-executed. While it embraces the band's past it doesn't so much rely on the group's previous influences as the building blocks for the album's foundation as it does crush those influences into a fine white powder to be mixed with the foundation's concrete basement. In a word "Seven" is Awesome and it fits in perfectly with what To The Pain is all about. This one comes with my highest recommendations! Just be sure to play this one at home first and not in your car. Especially as To The Pain can not be held responsible for speeding tickets or potential road rage incidents!

Metal News: Hellraiser announces new album "No Turning Back"!

It has been a long time coming, but I am stoked to report that Alton, Illinois' Hellraiser are finally releasing a follow-up to their 1995 debut-album "Cut Yer Teeth On This"! That's right ladies and gentlemen. The very same Hellraiser that appeared in my January 8th, 2012 Forgotten Gems article* has announced the long-overdue release of album number. Man alive I never thought I would see the day that this hard & heavy outfit would treat us to another round of down-home/shot-worthy metal so imagine my surprise when lead vocalist/songwriter J.W. Street contacted me out of the blue to ask if I would be interested in covering the group's new release! Of course the answer to that question was a rousing "Hell Yeah!"! And as much as I loved the band's last album, "Cut Yer Teeth On This", there is simply no comparison between the two recordings. "No Turning Back" is not just the band's sophomore release and it sure as hell is not just another hard rock/heavy metal platter. Instead, "No Turning Back" is (hand's down!!!!) the COMEBACK album of the year! All I can say is WOW! Band members Jeff Street, Robert Thornton (Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vocals), Brett Hall (Bass Guitar & Backing Vocals) and Craig Moss (Drums & Backing Vocals) have outdone themselves and then some! Obviously these heavy rockers spilled some serious blood over the making of this new album as it is one ass-kicking monster of a metal album from start to finish! October 25th is it's tentative due date and for fans of Hellraiser this album will be well-worth the long wait! So, what of the album then? Well, read on! The overture "Time (Stands Still For No One)" leads right into "No Turning Back" and my first thought was was "I am totally digging the mix of Motörhead, Judas Priest, Metallica and Motley Crüe!". Heavy as it gets and a hundred times more hot than their name suggests, Hellraiser makes quick work of the naysayers who still insist that rock and roll is a young man's game with "Stand Up" serving as their battle cry! "Devil Woman" is blistering AC/DC worship (as if there is anything wrong with that!) while "Locked And Loaded" is outlaw Kiss. I must confess that by this point in "No Turning Back" I did start to wonder if this was the same band that made "Cut Yer Teeth On This". Simply put the energy of this band is off the charts! Talk about getting better with age! It's as if the years off did nothing but rejuvenate this band. I mean "King Of The Road" sounds like Dio getting shitfaced with American hard rock/blue's band The Four Horsemen while "Go Away (Bitch)" is AC/DC and/or Krokus as envisioned by a dirty gang of riff-hungry garage metalheads! Love it! "Little Bit Of Action" is Hellraiser doing what they do best. By mixing up a lethal cocktail of rock, hard rock and heavy metal and then delivering it straight to the listeners eardrums it's nothing short of heaven! The regularly version of "No Turning Back" ends strong with "Nuthin 4 Nuthin....." and it's cuts like this (where the band perfectly blends together the likes of AC/DC, Guns 'N Roses and Motörhead" that leave you aching for more! I'll tell you what. I had to hit repeat several times just because I could not get enough of the new Hellraiser! This one is just track after track of hard rock gold! Now, while the regularly album ends there (incl. my "bootleg" copy which simply reads "Radio Promo Copy"!) the digital version of "No Turning Back" looks like it will include two bonus tracks! At least that is per the group's Facebook page. The two tracks in question are on "Heatstrokes" (Krokus) and "Trick or Treat" (Fastway). As I have not heard the two cover tracks I cannot in good conscience comment on the quality (or lack thereof) of these digital album exclusives. That said, both Krokus and Fastway are like-minded acts making the choice of covers a particularly inspiring event. The thing is no matter what version of Hellraiser's upcoming album you spring for we're still talking about the strength of the group's original compositions. That is the heart of "No Turning Back" and it's a heart that will hopefully keep on pumping this kind of killer music! Let's just hope that the wait between this one and album three isn't quite so long!

You can find the band online here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hellraiser/216918791685237

*http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/01/forgotten-gems-hellraiser-cut-yer-teeth.html

Jar'd Loose-Turns 13

Threshold of Pain Records/The Path Less Traveled Records
2014

Buy it. That's all there is to it. Just buy "Turns 13". This Chicago-based band has just dropped their sophomore disc,"Turns 13" and it is fantastic! It's so good in fact that I immediately stopped what I was doing and picked up their first album (2012's equally raved over "Goes to Purgatory") and a t-shirt from this four-piece noise-rock band featuring members Eddie Gobbo (vox), Eva Bialecki (bass, vox), Nate Madden (guitar) and Phil Hardman (drums). And I did it just so that I could further bask in their kick-ass noise-rock glory! When it comes to Jar'd Loose it's almost like the lead singer (or original) of The Accused (good old Blaine Cook!) were to front this wild and crazy  noise rock n roll outfit whose sound is drew as much from the Jesus Lizard as Entombed (their own words)....only it's like 1,000 times better on tape! Whether it's the way in which Eddie Gobbo goes about hitting the mic with some unreal, wicked and absolutely gnarly, "swallowing razor blades here boss!" vocals or the band's (complex and colorful!) take on garage-like (noisy, punkified and down-right dirty!) rock n' roll it's all equally sick and it made me appreciate the music of Chicago all over again! And it's not just the music of Jar'd Loose that makes me go back to this lot over and over again! I'm loving everything about this band-their cool female bass player (always a plus for me-there is just something awesome about killer female bassists!), their apparent obsession with pro wrestling (just check out this quartet's Facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/jardloose) and their well-organized, A-Z list of influences (check 'em out below). It's like Chicago's Jar'd Loose's are the whole package! And their second full-length, "Turns 13," is just adding to what will be their legacy! Available on both CD and (starting June 26th) LP, "Turns 13" is a must for noise rock fanatics and another release that will be featured in my year end best of list! You can find it (along with a whole slew of other cool items!) at the band's store here:http://www.shopbenchmark.com/jardloose/new-products.html



The list of influences:

Alice Cooper, Alice In Chains, Apocalypse Hoboken, Black Sabbath, Buzzcocks, Buzzoven, Coalesce, Coliseum, Corrosion Of Conformity, Converge, Crowbar, Dead Kennedys, Death, Deftones, Devin Townsend, Dwarves, Emperor, Entombed, Eyehategod, Faith No More, Frank Zappa, Godflesh, Gojira, Goreguts, Helmet, The Jesus Lizard, L7, Lair of the Minotaur, Mastodon, Melvins, Morbid Angel, Motorhead, Prong, Screaming Trees, Sepultura, Soundgarden, Swans, Thin Lizzy, Vision of Disorder, White Zombie, Zeke.

Stone Magnum-From Time...To Eternity

Rest In Peace Records
2013

There are few bands these days that are capable of releasing two albums in the same year. Of that lot, I'd be more then willing to wager a dollar or two, there are probably even fewer that can pull off having both releases be worth listening to. Enter Michigan City, Indiana's own Stone Magnum. With new vocalist/long-time metal legend Nick Hernandez (ex-Dysphoria, ex-Kommandant, ex-Violent Wisdom, ex-Incestuous) on board and a new bass player added in Ben Elliot (ex-Afterlife, ex-Lordes Werre) these fine purveyor's of doom are back with what just might be their best release yet! This sophomore undertaking features 7 new tracks of Black Sabbath worship that's likely to bring a smile to even the grimmest of doom metal fanatics. Of course all of these bands who participate in Black Sabbath love-ins can be one-dimensional at one time or another right? Well, seeing as there was numerous incantations of Black Sabbath that the guys in Stone Magnum could find their groove from (other then just the Ozzy years), founding member/lead guitarist/former lead vocalist Dean Tavernier (Skullview, Black Funeral, Prophecies et Sanctus, Sorath) ended up recruiting a new lead singer that echos Ronnie James Dio at times! So, while the guys in Stone Magnum, which is incidentally rounded out by guitarist Jim Brucks and drummer Brad Toth, might just still be loving on that Black Sabbath doom vibe there's simply more to love about the band thanks to this interesting directional turn. Clocking in at just over 46 minutes in length, with the opening title cut alone running over 8 minutes long, "From Time...To Eternity" is the logical next step for this young band. Formed in 2010, with just these two albums and a 2012 promo EP to their name, Stone Magnum now find themselves in a position that, with hard-work, good-fortune and just the right amount of mainstream press on their side, they could make some serious head-way towards the top of the proverbial doom mountain!