Sunday Singles: Dawn Of 7th Sky-"Island in the Sky"

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Dawn Of 7th Sky is a post-hardcore/metal band from Aix-en-Provence (France). Fronted by lead vocalist Marika, Dawn Of 7th Sky released this single in the summer of 2017. Backed up by the menacing yet melodic track "Persecuted" (a rhythmic post-metal meets nu metal number which clocks in at over six minutes!), "Island in the Sky" is as beastly as it is beautiful. Infused with pop rock dynamics courteous of lead singer Marika, Dawn Of 7th Sky's latest single has one foot firmly planted in electronic rock territory while the other foot dangles above modern metal. Thanks to it's clever construction and somewhat somber vibe, this three minute plus song gets stuck in your head while it silently digs deeper into your heart. On a scale of 1 to 10, "Island in the Sky" gets a 8 from me. The hard & heavy "Persecuted" gets a 7. With Mido (guitar), Bulle (bass), and  Bambie (drum) rounding out things out, Dawn Of 7th Sky has a captivating sound that slickly mixes smooth female vocals with aggressive rock, metal, and post-hardcore. It is a style that works really well for this four-piece band and it makes you want to find out what else this band is capable of. You can find "Island in the Sky" at the following link.

Rigor Mortis - Welcome to your funeral: Part 1-beginning to 1987

2016
12 Pound productions
MVD

In 1988 I remembered all these ads popping up with long haired skull logo with weapons behind it for some band called Rigor Mortis. Being that it was 1988 thrash was in style and bands playing that style coming out  of everywhere. Major labels were stepping forward, signing acts and hoping to land the next Megadeth or Slayer. I bought that debut from Rigor Mortis based on the cover, the horror themed titles and the fact that I knew it was thrash. It was good and I played it fairly often back then, but I never knew a whole about them other than they were from Texas and the style of music they played. This DVD tells much of their early back story. Eventually members of this band would go on to play in the Ministry, Gwar, Warbeast and other acts. This is the story of how these young musicians came to form this band. Through interviews with the band members, friends, members of other bands and other various people involved with them in their early years we are told the story of how Rigor Mortis came to be. Every band has a story of how they came about but this one is interesting for several reasons. Coming together as a unit was neither a quick or easy process for Rigor Mortis as it took several years and various members came in from different bands in the DFW (Dallas/ Ft. Worth metal scene). Plus although the band knew the kind of metal they wanted to play it did take them some time to get all the people in place that allowed them to do this. There are some early clips mixed in showing the band progressing as well in between the interviews. One of my favorite stories was when the band saw a flier for Megadeth coming to their area in 1986.  They didn't recognize the opening band and thought  that Rigor Mortis should be on this show, so band members went to talk to the owner of the club about this. I won't finish the story because you really need to see the DVD and hear the band tell it. Some times this type of documentary paints the band in a light they want it to. In this case the band members are very honest and that's part of the charm of it. It was bittersweet seeing hearing guitarist Mike Scaccia in interviews as he passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. Phil Anselmo of Pantera fame narrates the documentary. Rigor Mortis/Warbeast singer
Bruce Corbitt produced the film. The film goes up to the band being signed. Since the title says parts one I am assuming a part two is being planned and will cover the album releases. I thought the quality was solid and focused as it came me interested throughout. After finishing the film I did wish there had been more whole songs/live clips. Then I saw under special features there is over half an hour of live footage and rehearsal clips that you watch after the movie gets you psyched to hear more of the band's early material. Fans of the band and old style thrash will definitely want to check this one out.

Conveyer-When Given Time To Grow

Victory Records
2015

Just released this past Friday and already the talk of the neighborhood(!), "When Given Time To Grow" is the latest hard-hitting release from the five-man wrecking crew known as Conveyer. This full-length recording serves as the natural follow-up to 2013's "Worn Out" and with this powerful performance the band makes it's official debut on Victory Records. For the spiritually-minded/emotionally-deep Conveyer it's a clear cut case of divine intervention as this relationship between band and label is a match made in Heaven (no pun intended!). I mean seeing as Conveyer is hardcore to the bone and what not!! OK, technically speaking this is melodic hardcore and really strong melodic hardcore at that. But with that said, Conveyer hit hard and they hit fast. They're also incredibly aggressive and more than a little capable of throwing out razor sharp leads. In other words these guys know how to utilize the almighty riff so there is more than enough here to please our metalhead readers! As for the who, what, and when of this cool band? Let's tackle that next. Formed in 2011, with their debut EP, "Empty Handed" seeing the light of day later on in that same year, Conveyer is based in Minneapolis, MN and comprised of Danny Adams (vox), Ty Brooks (guitar), Nick Matako (guitar), Ben Greene (bass), and Daniel Glover (drums). Since day one this band has had a D.I.Y. approach to life and everything that they have achieved so far they have had to fight tooth and nail for! Obviously the hard work has paid off. The appropriately-titled "When Given Time To Grow" is proof of that! For melodic hardcore fans this one seems like a no-brainer. From the killer voice of  Danny Adams to the slamming guitars this release has it all! There's no question you should jump on this album if you're in that crowd. For everyone else? Well, like I said there is a lot of strength on display with this one. You can feel the power of Conveyer rage through your speakers and it is nothing if not absolutely AWESOME! It's a fierce battle as to which is better-the gripping message at the heart of the band's lyrics or the way in which this band throws down the beat! Either way it's a think to beyond....

Yerbadiablo-It doesn't Work

Atomic Stuff Records
2013

 The 13-track "It doesn't Work", which was recorded, mixed, engineered & mastered by Luca Gomedi at High Distortion Level Studio between April 2013 and October 2013 and is the follow-up release to (previously-reviewed as noted by following link) "Jester In Brick Lane" (http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Yerbadiablo), is the latest work of art from Italy's experimental rock/indie rock/garage rock (and one-time one-man project) outfit Yerbadiablo. First appearing on the scene sometime back in 2010, with multi-instrumentalist/founder (and as stated then lone member!) Nik (the Öyster) calling all the shots, the project has evolved into more of a full-fledged band resulting in a much more fluid and natural sounding affair. Although let's be clear up front one point. Even when stacked next to other (world-wide) experimental rock acts a band like Yerbadiablo is unlike any other act out there expanding the boundaries of rock and roll. And yet, as evidential by the growth and (what comes off as) natural progression between 2012's "Jester In Brick Lane" and last year's "It Doesn't Work", the group's latest still seems as if it's roots are firmly planted in this reality*! Now backed by a rather impressive group of players**, Nic (vocals, guitars, bass, percussion, synth, diablo toys) takes Yerbadiablo on many adventures over the course of these 13-tracks. The album's first single "Hemp Generation" is the opener on "It Doesn't Work" (which should really be called "It All Works"!) and it's pure/blissful garage rock and roll! It's a great way to start off an album like this and, while it's a bit rough (language-wise so heads up being you go blaring this one around Mom & Dad and/or the kiddos folks!), "Hemp Generation" (http://youtu.be/wnzqmPdyiJc) sets the course for what proves to be a amazing journey! Drawing upon their influences (really, it's a list of who's who that includes act both acknowledge and unacknowledged including Blue Öyster Cult, Tom Waits, The Black Keys, Green River/Motherlovebone/Pearl Jam, McLusky, The Rolling Stones, Infectious Grooves, El Tri, Ramones, Todos Tus Muertos, Pj Harvey, Deep Purple, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Sam the Sham, The Trashmen, MC5, The Stooges, (Detroit's) Death,  The Sonics,  Mudhoney, Grand Funk Railroad, King Crimson, Miles Davis, The Kinks, The Troggs, Lou Reed, The Clash, etc!!!!) Yerbadiablo makes easy work of early cuts like "El Viparo" (featuring tasty harmonica from Rick Martello this cut comes across as Iggy Pop collaborating with The Black Keys!!), the psychedelic "Eurozone" and post-grunge/alt. rocker "U.S.A. (United State of Alienation)" as they scamper along with (mellow) closure "Pink Clouds Purple Eyes" being the proverbial "X marks the spot" on the map! The sound patterns of the 60s & 70s end up being explored on "Black Beard" and (jazzy lounge/Spanish rocker) "Calavera y Veneno". Meanwhile "Ojos de Bruja" starts off like some sort of elevator (to hell!) music before switching gears towards something more (dangerous and dark) rock-oriented before "Rattlesnake Tail in the Belly of the Whale" opens the floodgates all the way with nothing but sick& sinister (and rustic and raw!) heavy metal pouring out! So, as you can see there are a shit-load and a half(!) styles coursing through this (garage rock) album and, unless you are unable to step forward and grab hold of something new and different, there remains "something for everyone" on "It Doesn't Work"! Highlights would be too many to list as Yerbadiablo makes everything work! Whether we're talking about the album's first single "Hemp Generation" (a saucy, sassy and sax-filled rock and roller!), (metal-like) "Rattlesnake Tail in the Belly of the Whale", (acid trip in the making?) "Eurozone" or the "Now, that's what I call punk rock!" track "Habemus Punk" (a gritty rocker that falls somewhere between 1970's New York punk of old and charming variety or early 80's Cali-punk) everything comes across as if it is perfectly suited for that particular genre! It's really hard to pull that off unless your fans first and you do everything with integrity and the mindset that you're paying homage to music you love for yourself first and then fellow-fans second! Yerbadiablo have really come a far way in a short amount of time so it will be really interesting to see where this act goes from here now that there is a (hopefully) steady/stable line-up in place! You can find out more on the group's Facebook page below and be sure to check out the video for the excellent "Hemp Generation"***!!  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yerbadiablo/187711264596993

 *The group's last release (as can be read in my review!) left me "stranded somewhere in a state of confusion"! While their latest (which happens to be sung in both English and Spanish!) is still quite "wild and crazy", what with a track like "Imbunche" (heavily) relying on percussion (and being one of a few gems here sporting a cool ass sax solo!), the (almost there, but not quite) countrified/folk diddy "Diving Chamber" and the trashy punk rocker, "!Crash" serving as just a couple examples of the album's variety, it actually comes off as being (all-around) more grounded!

**Per the band's Facebook page the line-up also includes:
Pol-bass, vocals, guitars, percussion, sound fx, diablo toys 

Elvis-guitars, background vocals, percussion, diablo toys 

Gomez-drums, percussion, diablo toys  

Additional (guest) musicians include:  
Gabriele Bolognesi (sax on "Hemp Generation", sax & percussion on "Imbunche", clarinet on "Cazzillo Cramps", flute on "Black Bird". 

Il Demonio (guitar intrusion on "Ojos de Bruja") 

Ili (delay guitar improvisation on "Ojos de Bruja")

Rick Martello (harmonica on "El Viparo") 

***For the record I do not endorse the use of marijuana and/or any other narcotics so kids use your brains and think about the (potentially damaging) long-term effects before you do anything stupid!

Wild Throne-"Blood Maker" Single

Brutal Panda Records
2014

Dig that crazy album art!!! Certainly the music inside this (3-track) single can't be anywhere near as colorful as that album art would suggest. Right? Nope! Wrong! When it comes to Bellingham, WA-based trio Wild Throne (formerly known as Dog Shredder) and their Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, Machine Head, The Cure) produced debut EP it's all about the "COLOR"! Featuring members Josh Holland (guitar/vocals), Jeff Johnson (bass) and Noah Burns (drums) the band Wild Throne is loosely described as progressive rock/metal hence their inclusion here. In reality though Wild Throne, who have been justifiably compared to The Mars Volta and These Arms are Snakes (other points of reference would have to be Deer Hunter, At The Drive-In and Dillinger Escape Plan), would be better suited to the pages of Alternative Press magazine then Metal Hammer, but that takes absolutely NOTHING away from how amazing this 3-track release is! On the group's bandcamp page they self-describe their sound as a "dynamic mix of elements of Judas Priest, Mastodon, Queen, the Mars Volta, classic metal, thrash and progressive rock" and man alive if that doesn't make your musical taste-buds salivate then my friends you might just want to check your pluses to make sure that you're still alive and kicking! "Blood Maker", which can also be picked up in vinyl form, was a release that I stumbled across but sometimes those are the best kind of discoveries! Experience this one for yourself right here: http://wildthrone.bandcamp.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

Dirty Shirt-Freak Show

Est Ouest - Est Vest
2013

Released back in February of this year, "Freak Show", which was produced by Mihai Tivadar & Charles "Kallaghan" Massabo, is the third studio album from "rock/metal" band Dirty Shirt. This Romanian act features two vocalists in Dan "Rini" Crăciun and Robi "Metalistu" Rusz  and is rounded out by Mihai Tivadar (guitars, synths, programming), Cristi Bălănean (guitars), Pali Novelli (bass) and Vlad "X" Ţoca (drums). Now, it was actually Mihai Tivadar who sent me a email asking if I'd be willing to give "Freak Show" a listen and review it. I'm always happy to accommodate such requests (especially when bands say please!) although the difference between the email request's title of "Balkan Crossover Metal from Romania" and the actually reality of what Dirty Shirts is all about is a bit striking! On their latest release this band is technically "crossover" if you consider throwing everything and the kitchen sink into your music crossover. Describing the group's actually sound on "Freak Show" would be almost impossible as there is ANYTHING and EVERYTHING going on here and yes friends, it is rather freakin' awesome (and then some!) so sit back and enjoy this wild ride! Check this out. We have the "typical" sounds of rock and roll and heavy metal from what is said to be one of the most original bands in Romania. But then you're also treated to funk, punk, hardcore, thrash, death metal (mostly it comes crashing out in some of the album's sick & twisted vocal deliveries!) elctro, world music, Romanian traditional music, folk rock, rap-like rock and even some nu metal! Oh yeah, you better believe that it is crazy folks, but at it's heart it's still very much a "loud and proud" kind of release from a group that obviously has way more talent in their little individual pinkies then most groups have collectively! Is "Freak Show" the right fit for everyone? Maybe not, but it sure as hell is fun, interesting and very creative! It's one of those rare albums where it keeps you glued to your seat just waiting to see what pops up next. You can hear it yourself at the link below (and trust me you'll want to hear "Freak Show" for yourself as it's just too original to be missed) and maybe even find out what it is exactly that makes this band tick!

http://dirtyshirt.bandcamp.com/album/freak-show-2013

Forgotten Gems: The Spades-Learnin' The Hard Way

Go Cart Records
2004

Forget everything you think you know about hard-living, punk-fueled, biker sleaze-rock. The Spades are about to school you in the fine art of all things greasy and grizzly/hard and heavy. This is spit in your face/loudmouth heavy rock born from those who grew up down and out. Straight from the word go the members of The Spades were finding themselves in trouble so it's no wonder that the music here bleeds angst and frustration. Despite the inner-city, anywhere U.S.A. look in their eyes these guys come from across the pound. The Netherlands that is. Yes, The Netherlands. That just goes to show you that growing up down and out doesn't have to be limited to those living here in the States. Not at all. Of course where they come from means little compared to what they can teach you about real punk and roll. For this band it's all about playing pissed-off, mean metal. Let's roll off the obligatory names. Motörhead, Ramones,MC5, Dead Boys, AC/DC, Black Flag and The Hellecopters all resonate throughout this release. Don't let that fool you though. This is the real deal. All of those bands just get smashed together with those results being one bad mother of a rock platter. The Spades are guys straight out of the streets who, having seen their fair share of misery and bigotry, found that they were tired of having to just "fall in line" so they picked up their guitars and played. And play they did. "Learnin' the Hard Way" is 17 tracks of gut-punching mean music. It's not pretty. It's raw and real. It's also hard hitting in a "Open your eyes and see the lies right in front of you" kind of way. I can't and won't pretend like I know what it's like to walk a mile in the shoes of these six guys (Denvis Wankalot - Vocals, Barry Black - Guitar, Tony Slug - Guitar, Enus - Guitar, Dick Spade - Bass and Son Of A Cop - Drums), but I will say that it makes for some killer punk metal/rock and roll!

Newsted-Metal EP

Chophouse Records
2013

If you don't know already Newsted is Jason Newsted's new band/project. Of course if you don't know who Jason Newsted is then I'm not quite sure why your reading this review or if you should be aloud to call yourself a metal fan! Either way, while the band's title (or the EP's title itself) might lack originality, it's nice to see Jason playing old-fashioned heavy metal again. This 4-track EP isn't anything brilliant, but with it's early/raw Metallica meets Motörhead sound it's still rather cool. It's also better then the bulk of Metallica material being released these days (which honestly doesn't take much). Anyway, Jason handles bass and vocal duties here, but for the life of me I couldn't find any backing band info. Oh well. For now this EP is a digital-release (iTunes), but there was some talk awhile back that it could be released on vinyl and/or CD. Of the four tracks on "Metal" it was probably the cut "Godsnake" that stood out the most for me followed by "Soldierhead". While he was never truly appreciated in Metallica (big surprise with all those egos right?) I always loved Jason's familiar bass sound (and bass breakdowns!!!!!!) and, while he is no doubt a nice guy and all, Robert Trujillo just couldn't replace Jason Newsted just as Newsted couldn't replace Cliff Burton. Thankfully though Jason seems happier these days doing his own thing and "Metal" is Newsted playing music for himself and for those that love real metal. For that reason alone this is a worthwhile EP to get.

Ouijabeard-Die And Let Live

High Roller Records 
2012


Just the other day I was talking with fellow music-lover/reviewer/all around swell guy Ray Van Horn Jr. (whose excellent reviews can be found these days over at Blabbermouth.net) all how people don't fully understand how much hard work goes into writing. It is not that I am complaining as that is far from the case. The true joy I am able to take away from writing about music I love can never truly be expressed in mere words. As far as I'm concerned I'm living the dream being able to listen to and review good music. That is especially clear to me when an album comes along that leaves me breathless that, without the benefit of working directly with record labels, I might never have heard. By way of explanation Ouijabeard is a side-project of Dr. Ape. Yes, the same Dr. Ape that is the vocalist of Dr. Living Dead. With that said this is nothing like Dr. Living Dead so put that name out of your mind. Dr. Ape is really Andreas Sandberg and on "Die And Let Live he handles vocals, bass, rhythm guitar and all synthesizer work. The only thing that might tie this to his other band is the fact that Dr. Toxic (Dr. Living Dead's guitarist) handles some lead work. Other that that Andreas Sandberg's Ouijabeard is a million-miles removed from the crossover sounds of his main band. Andreas himself describes the project as such: “Dr. Living Dead is a band that I am involved in. Yes, that is correct. Dr. Living Dead is very important and so is Ouijabeard. I am Ouijabeard. That is no secret. Ouijabeard is me and a bunch of musicians that I like. This is a serious musical project. It is for real." Andreas worked alongside some great guest musicians like Blaze Bayley, Thomas Zwijsen, Tor Nyman, Johannes Wanngren, Christopher Hjelte, Sofia Bagge, Filip Geete and Olov Hamilton to create a soundtrack to his vision. The album's influences are said to be Grigorij Rasputin, 'The Elder" by Kiss (especially evident on "Curse of the Stones" which sounds like Kiss if Kiss had actually been a NWOBHM act), Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Seeing as I have listened to this album four times already since downloading it's kind of obvious I enjoyed it...a lot. The main thing about Ouijabeard is how dreamlike it all sounds. Opening number "Eyes in the Night" comes across as a little bit of B.O.C., Merciful Fate, Black Sabbath and The Doors. That is after an opening that equally recalls Led Zeppelin and Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain". At times you can taste the metal in the air from the likes of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. The difference is that with Ouijabeard you also find yourself fondly reminiscing about classic rock's heyday and the way that 70's hard rock felt very natural. It's refreshing to find that this record is recorded in such a way that it comes across as vintage and modern. The album was written and produced by Andreas in such a way that a track like "Alexandra" (which is what Metallica was trying for with the track "Unforgiven") comes echoing out at just the right speed that a listener can't help but focus in. "Die And Let Live" wasn't so much an album for me as it was a reminder that reviewing music is first and foremost a privilege. It was also a reminder that for me music is life and life is music. How anyone can hope to have one without the other I have no idea.

Fictional metal bands in horror movies

Probably no one in the world cares about this junk except me but on occasion I take notice of fictional metal movies in horror films. I won't make a list and will just leave that for anyone who wants to add examples in the comments sections. The main ones I think about come from 1986 film Trick or Treat which of course had the soundtrack done by Fastway. I have reviewed it here years ago and if you grew up during a certain time and like metal then you have probably seen it. If you saw the film then you know much of the plot revolves around metal singer Sammi Curr (played by former Solid Gold dancer the late Tony Fields) who dies early in the film, but comes back throughout the rest of the movie trying to exert his demonic power. Curr comes over as a combination of Alice Cooper, Ozzy and Gene Simmons (and of course you know that those last two are in this movie). There is another musical act in this film that has far less screen time. That's right it's the Kickers! Yeah, pretend you don't know. The lame local band that have trouble with feedback as they get ready to play at the hgih school dance. Then Sammi shows up,sings and then starts blowing people up left and right. Nice trick that one. The lead guitarist of the Kickers was played by Kevin Yagher who is a special effects make-up artist who even at that point had already worked on Friday the 13th-the final chaper and Nightmare on Elm Street 2. He has since gone on to have a great career in that field working on tons of movies and shows mostly in the horror and action genres. Anyways I liked the inclusion of the Kickers and they probably do a good job of being the local inept hard rock band.


***So there are some mindless ramblings for you. Any other fake metal/hard rock acts from horror movies that have stuck in your mind?

The future of metal

 There's a reason that many metal fans refer to the 80's as the glory days. Yes, I am not everyone thinks that was the best decade for the music, but many people do. Why shouldn't they? The NWOBHM, NWOSHMN, thrash, early death metal, early doom acts and crossover all popped up in that decade. Yes, so did hair metal but hey decade can be perfect. Anyways despite being a strong decade for metal a number of styles became watered down as the 90's came. The 90's was tough for metal when other sounds became popular but there was still a healthy metal underground and death and black metal bands flourished. Also during the 90's there were some other sub-genres taking shape and pushing on like stoner rock, European power metal and prog-metal. In the previous decade the 00's and it feels like many of the styles from previous decades were floating around being represented by both old and new acts. We seem to have gotten retro-everything from thrash to hair metal to NWOBHM complete with all those fashions being sported by guys who were either in diapers or not even born when those styles were in their hey day. There has been an increase in post-metal and expereimental acts that touch on element on metal to certain degrees as well. Today metal is around and doing well popularity wise although creativity wise depends on the style or bands in question. Speaking of questions here are some for you.

***What do you think about the metal scene these days?

***What do you think metal will be like ten years from now?

Retro/old-school/throwback metal-views and opinions

Every musical style seems to come back in fashion at some point and in various forms. It seems to has happened a great in hard rock and metal over the last decade. Whether it's thrash, glam, death or classic metal there seem to be plenty of bands that have popped that play these styles similar to the way they were played back in the 1980's to early 90's. Certainly there are bands who build on that sound, brought some ideas of their own and maybe added some more modern ideas. There are other bands whose mission seems to be to relive the look and sound of bands from two plus decades again. I loved metal back then and still do, but it's hard to take younger bands whose total goal seems to be to sound just like it was 1985. If it's done right and it's a debut then I might be able to take it. However I always have the hope that this is a starting point and that the band will work to bring in their own ideas the next time around. If they come back sounding like it 1986 on album #2 then I tend to be less optimistic that they do anything other than live in the past. Now that may sound hypocritical for me to given the name of my blog. Still I stand by that view. Now I do think a high energy level can help a band's approach even if the music is all too familiar as is the case with Enforcer's latest effort "Diamonds". I normally judge these bands like all others in a case by case basis. However I have read reviews from both sides. Some reviewers hear these bands and embrace them because it's the style they love while others roll their eyes when they hear bands who stick to this style. While I often claim these bands lack originality I have been told by defenders of these bands that being good means more than being original. I think lacking in ideas can count against a band. While I liked how Motley Crue sounded in 1983 or how Slayer sounded in 1986 that doesn't mean I want to hear a band popping now sound just like them. Then again that may just be me. Feel free to chime in, add on or tell me off.

Top ten albums to listen to for Halloween

Once upon a time I used to listen to albums on Halloween and that was probably all I could do at the time. I remember being in college or high school being excited about setting aside time to just kick back and listen to a King Diamond or Maiden album in it's entirety around Halloween. Now that I have kids things have changed for my Halloween activities. However if my week was more open and I could pick ten albums to listen leading up to and during Halloween then I would choose these. They are listed in no real order.

Black Sabbath-s/t
Cirith Ungol-King of the dead
Alice Cooper-Love it to death
Iron Maiden-The number of the beast
Grim Reaper-Fear no evil
Halloween-Don't metal with evil
Trick or treat soundtrack (Fastway)
Ozzy-Diary of a madman
Misfits-Walk among us
King Diamond-Abigail

Maybe I will listen to some of these this year if I get time.

Fury UK-Salvation

Rocksector
2008



Fury UK formed out of the ashes out of guitarist/vocalist Chris Appleton's school bands back around 2002. They have gone through several line-up changes since then and released two CDs prior to "Salvation" which contains three tracks. The music has a definite tightness slightly like prime Metallica plus they have a number of swirling riffs that remind me of early Iron Maiden. The music is somewhat basic, but it's just so direct, crunchy and heavy that's instantly likable to any fans of NWOBHM or early speed metal. The pace on three songs are generally medium fast and everything just centers on the killer riffs which benefit from some sharp production. This trio plunges ahead and attack each song and they waste no time as every second of each track really works towards building the song as a whole. They easily have a good grip on the control of the pace, the heaviness and overall song structure so all these elements work towards making these three tracks come across as the total package. It's a shame there aren't more metal bands coming out these days who know how to crank out real metal with the ease and precisions of Fury UK. My only complaint is that it's just three tracks because it really wets my appetite for more.

http://www.myspace.com/furyuk