Moth's Circle Flight-My Entropy

Logic(Il)logic
2016

Originally formed back in 2003*, Moth's Circle Flight is a heavy & melodic 6-piece metal band that hails from Parma, Italy and has two EPs and two full-length albums to it's name. Just released back on March 1st, "My Entropy" is the band's second full-length album and it combines elements of groove metal, metalcore, modern metal, nu metal and extreme metal. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Luca Cocconi and Simone Sigghinolfi at Audiocore Studios in Fontevivo, Parma and it features a line-up that is composed of four musicians and two lead singers! Rhythm guitarist Francesco "Baldo" Baldi, lead guitarist Luca "Pellach" Alzapiedi, bassist Marco "Satir" Reggiani, and drummer Fabio "Bersa" Bersani make up the musical side of Moth's Circle Flight while lead singers Gabriele "Gabbo" Rosi & Simone "Pancio" Panciroli provide both harsh and clean vocals. Musically, vocally and lyrically tight, Moth’s Circle Flight is damn near solid gold on "My Entropy" and from it's overall production to the actual delivery of the individual songs everything seems to be in order on this HEAVY release. If I was to grade this CD it would get a A- or if you will a 8 out of 10. The only reason it doesn't get a perfect score is because a few songs sound rather similar. It's such a small issue and you can blame that on the metalcore aspect of this Italian band if you want. Even so it is what it is and if this ambitious band is to continuing growing it should be addressed. Has it kept me from listening to this CD a few times through in the past week? Hell no! It's not even close to being a big deal and it hasn't kept me from PUMPING this one up as loud as it fucking goes! Chances are you'll want to do the same thing. Especially if you are a fan of any of the following band's that helped shaped the sound and style of this ambitious metal band. A few of those groups would be Pantera, Parkway Drive, Caliban, Sevendust, Killswitch Engage, Drowning Pool, Mnemic, Trivium, and Diecast. The thing is those are just influences and at the end of the day this Italian metal band marches to the beat of it's own drummer... 





*Moth’s Circle Flight suffered through a few false starts and the obligatory line-up change or two before finally coming into it's own in 2012. If I'm to go by the sounds of their new album here then it would certainly seem as if those trials and tribulations helped shape this band into something special. Even though the group does have some room to grow, "My Entropy" is the product of a strong and confident act that has been polished to near perfection. If this band can get rid of a few bad habits (the monotonous nature of metalcore being a big one!) then they could sure be onto something....

Novacaine Nothing-Noughts and Crosses

Self-Release/Independent
2015

With a release date of December 18th (which is incidentally this Friday ladies and gentlemen!), "Noughts and Crosses" is the first major release from alternative metal/ nu metal band Novacaine Nothing. That particular fact wasn't lost on me as I made my way through the lead single, "Closure", and the rest of this EP's equally stellar tracks ("Kill You", "Smiling", and "Generation"). Then again neither was the part about how this London-based band has been through 3 drummers, 4 vocalists, 5 bassists, and 4 guitarists since forming back in 2013! Despite all of that noise (and the admittance on the part of some of the band members that there has been personal struggles with depression and addiction*) Novacaine Nothing has released one hell of a bang up EP in "Noughts and Crosses"! For a general ideal of what is in store for you should you decide in engage this band in one on one combat, "Noughts and Crosses" is the explosive sound of one highly-skilled and extremely-diversified (culturally at least) band** whose aggressive take on extreme rock/heavy metal comes by way of influences that include the likes of Korn, Slipknot, and Stone Sour. Now, that was certainly a mouth-load of a sentence, but one does have to go a bit out of the way in order to properly describe everything that this London metal band brings to family game night! As this is just the beginning of Novacaine Nothing I do get the feeling that there are much bigger and better things waiting in the wings for this act. With the right kind of backing and a stable line-up this emotionally-provocative band has all the makings of a knock you the freak out (!) powerhouse!!. Let's all hope they get that shot. In the meantime Novacaine Nothing has posted a trailer for the new EP. You can check it out by heading here. And for more information on this up-and-coming band be sure to check out their Facebook page.


*As someone who has struggled with depression for well over 28 years I appreciate this group's honesty of the subject. These personal struggles have obviously influenced the nature of this EP seeing as "Noughts and Crosses" simply bleeds pain and anger.

**Band members Jason Leung (vox), Ronan Kemp (guitar) Roman Uetskiy (lead guitar), and Jamie Parker (drums) hail from various parts of the globe including Russia, Canada, Hong Kong, and France.

Forklift Elevator-Borderline

Self-Release/Indpendent
2015

It looks as if I'm on a Italian kick today as first there was one-woman occult/doom rock project Psychedelic Witchcraft and now we've got the heavy metal act Forklift Elevator. While the first one is inspired by groups such as Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, Iron Butterfly, and Coven this band lists the likes of Pantera, Black Label Society, Lamb of God, Rammstein, Korn, and System of a Down as their influences. There is one connection between both of these Italian bands though and that would be the mutual influence of one Black Sabbath. Both Psychedelic Witchcraft and Forklift Elevator owe a debt to the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, but let's be honest here and just say that there are LOTS of bands that would fall into that category! It's simply a curious notion that one particular band (in this instance it's Tony Iommi's band) could have such wide-ranging impact. Not that it's all that important to the issue at hand. It's just curious. Anyway, as we are here today to talk about the self-produced "Borderline" let's jump on into that fire!. Forklift Elevator's first full-length album is available on Soundcloud and on the group's official website and for a group that began life in 2009 as a cover band it sure seems as if they've come quite a ways! These days Mirco Maniero (rhythm guitarist) and Enrico M. Martin (lead vocalist) are all that remain of the original line-up, but given the chemistry that members Stefano Segato (lead guitar, backing vocals), Marco Daga (bass) and Andrea Segato (drums) bring to the party everything about "Borderline" is right as rain! What exactly are we looking at then when it comes to "Borderline"? With influences as wide flung as Black Sabbath and Pantera (by way of the nu metal band Korn it should be noted!) this one particular slab of metal has a nu metal thrash vibe going for it and my friends it most certainly IS better in person than it is on paper! The band's sound works because it's foundation is built out of legit metal riffs as made popular by the likes of Black Sabbath, (early) Metallica, Slayer and Motörhead. That being said, Forklift Elevator could stand to adopt more of the lead guitar work of said bands. Mirco Maniero's rhythm guitar seems to get most of the action and these five musicians would benefit a great deal by focusing more of their attention on the Lamb of God and Black Label Society influences and less on the Korn and System of a Down! Or at least that would be my preference as I always prefer ripping leads over heavy riffage. Both styles have their place in heavy metal and it's likely that Forklift Elevator are more geared towards their sound for a reason. As they are already working on a new album that is scheduled for release in the second half of 2016 maybe, just maybe that will be a fortunate change for the band. Either way I like what I hear on "Borderline" and I'm board this band's rock train as they roll on out of the station and make their way down the line. Now backed by Atomic Stuff Promotion, Forklift Elevator have every-chance in the world to make-it or break-it. That ball is in their corner so we'll just see what their next move is....

Almøst Human-Ø

Self-Release/Independent
2012

Disregard the original release date of this EP as Almøst Human's "Ø" has been making the rounds once more thanks to Fullblast! PR. Actually, it has been making the rounds since early summer (or possibly even sooner), but in all honestly it was only yesterday that I stumbled upon it and a bevy of other promos from New York's Fullblast! PR. That is what happens when you make multiple folders for review material and then forget to actually open them once in a while! But, I digress. We're not here to talk about my poor organization skills. No, we are here to talk about Swiss metal band Almøst Human and their 5-track debut EP, "Ø". Initially formed in the 90's by guitarist/songwriter Olivier Perdrizat and drummer Rosario Fullone, Almøst Human (a modern metal/nu metal band with keyboard/electronic flourishes) did not get off the ground completely until 2010. By that point in time Almøst Human had become a fully-recognized, alive and alert life force thanks to the fortunate addition of vocalist Ben Pluss, second guitarist Chris Matthey and bassist Jan Peyer. Naturally the self-produced and self-released "Ø" EP serves notice that Almøst Human is here. And damn if they don't mean business then I don't know who does! Armed and at the ready, Almøst Human opens the show with gritty and raw, metallic brainbuster "Living Wreck". At over seven minutes in length this industrialized Ministry meets American Head Charge fist-banger is a full-on feast for the senses! The all-too brief, sample-heavy "Mørning Star" leads straight into "Øbey, Cønsume Ør Disappear" and it's at this very moment that one becomes fully aware of all the various influences that are vying for attention on "Ø" . Emotionally-driven, "Øbey, Cønsume Ør Disappear" is a humbling combination of mid-90's alternative rock, late-90's nu metal, "Black"-era Metallica and Pantera. There's more Pantera to be found on "Nørmøsis" and it's the band's primal instincts to mix in the electronic anarchy of bands like N.I.N., Filter and Ministry that will ultimately make or break them. As "Each Øf Us" (a modern metal take on System Of A Down minus the hardcore raps!) wraps things up one can't help but appreciate what this Swiss act is trying to accomplish even if they do face a uphill battle due to the inclusion of nu metal hallmarks. Still, with harsh and clean vocals mixing things up and the interesting use of electronic elements a band like Almøst Human has more going for them then against them. Øbey, Cønsume Ør Disappear" and "Nørmøsis" hint at better things to come and "Living Wreck" has more than enough fire-power to appease thrash metal fans and those who crave full-on carnage! Should Almøst Human choose to lean more on the thrash metal aspects of their sound I could really see this band making hard hitting metal that would turn heads. The promise is there and so is the talent so Almøst Human is one band to keep an eye out for!

Idiom-Movement

Dirt Track Records
2014

Included free with the March 2014 issue of Metal Hammer, "Movement" (which may have initially been released back in 2013) looks to be the latest from Exeter-based "alternative metal" band Idiom. I say "looks" because there are no other references to other recordings on the group's Facebook page. Online, and indeed on iTunes, the album "We Can't All Be Superheroes" (from November of 2010) is shown, but beyond that it's anybody's guess as to what else this band has done since first forming back in 2005. As for the second phrase in quotation there ("alternative metal") that's their description and not mine. For this lot (and this is none too surprising given Metal Hammer's containing obsession with the better left dead genre!) is prime-time nu metal with just the faint hint of metalcore. Said to be influenced by the likes of Faith No More, Korn and Deftones the band comes across as more of the later and not more of the former. Descriptions have been made to the likes of Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down and both tags are more then a bit fair. Admittedly this English metal band has a solid front-man in Matt Sharland and his companions (guitarist Kris Gibbs, bassist Grant Knight and drummer Dan Harrison) are none-too-shabby. The problem is music like this has been played to death and really it should remain DEAD and BURIED! There is nothing worse they hearing bands like this that have the HEAVY part down, but then are extremely limited because they refuse to allow their guitarist to let loose. That's always been a issue for me when it comes to both nu metal and metalcore (the lack of solos) as you end up with (essentially) nothing more then a HEAVY rhythm guitarist! That said the band does have potential. You can sense that. But why restrain yourself? Why settle for being a second rate nu metal/metalcore band when you could easily take your influences (which would also seem to be the likes of Papa Roach, Korn, Ill Niño, P.O.D., DevilDriver and even Pantera) and with a few twists and turns of the dial turn them upside down and inside out creating something truly wicked and fresh? If that were to happen, and this band suddenly developed the urge to thrash their heads straight off(!), then I would ENTHUSIASTICALLY endorse this English act. For now though I just feel like shrugging my shoulders and saying "Eh"....

Set To Rise-Set To Rise

Relium X Records
2014

As someone whose adult life has been spent in the company of local bands, spanning from co-workers in rock and roll cover acts to friends playing original material of the heavy thrash/death metal variety,  I try my best to give "preferential" treatment to underground and unsigned acts (as far as coverage goes!). So, when Set To Rise bassist/vocalist Jack Carter contacted Heavy Metal Time Machine about the possibility of covering his band's new self-titled EP I took them up on their request. After all it's either I cover new and up-in-coming bands who actually posses integrity and ingenuity or I review the gawd-awful likes of Metallica whose "One (Awards Show Rehearsal Version)" does to the thrash metal scene what Carrot Top does to stand-up comedy! I know what your thinking and yes, it is a damn good call that we go with England's Set To Rise! And speaking of which, on one hand Set To Rise is (self) described as nu metal while on the other hand we find them simply taking ownership of the (less-descriptive, but equally justifiable) term "metal". With the truth falling somewhere in-between (or at least one could argue as much), Kent-based Set To Rise, who started out in 2012 as (briefly) a cover's band before making the jump over to original compositions, list their influences as being Rage Against the Machine, Trivium, Faith No More, Disturbed, Papa Roach and System of a Down. The Rage Against The Machine reference point shows up in opener "Because Of You" and carries on over to one of the EP's two live cuts, a cover of Rage Against The Machine’s "Sleep Now In The Fire". The other live cut, "Taken", is an original composition and shows what this band is capable of in a live setting (hint: BIG THINGS!), but we're getting ahead of ourselves so let's turn back towards this EP's three studio tracks and Set To Rise's varies strengths (well, beside Jack Carter who lays down some drop-dead serious bass riffs on tracks like "Lost" and "Forgetting Me"). Starting with vocalist Adam Fisher (A British Zack De la Rocha?) and ending with drummer Steve Fisher, with skilled guitarist Jonathan Rennick probably the other real highlight here, Set To Rise prove worth on the three original compositions that are included on this 5-track self-titled EP. Of the three original studio cuts picking a favorite proved to be a hard chore as they each bring something different to the party. Then again so did the live track "Taken". Cover to cover what I liked about the band was their ability to mix things up (fantastic guitar solos abound!) while maintaining the one aspect of nu metal I did/still do like-the heavy ass bass backdrops! Even with the nu metal tag and the Rage Against The Machine reference point though there is plenty about a band like Set To Rise to appease traditional metal fans. First of all unlike 99.9% of nu metal bands this Kent-based act employees actual guitar solos ranging from punk ("Forgetting Me") to almost metallic hardcore ("Lost"). In-between Jonathan Rennick throws in (what could almost be described as) garage rock riffs disguised as street metal ("Taken"). And while Rage Against The Machine were more about mad rhymes then mad rhythms we find Set To Rise force-feeding HUGE metal moments to listeners all while lead vocalist Adam Fisher takes the mic so that he can maneuver his army his army into post-hardcore territory. So yes, regular metalheads could enjoy an EP like this one if they give it a chance. If there was any advice to be given on my end to the band though it would be to concentrate on original material first and foremost. Their own compositions stand up just fine and from Adam Fisher down each and every one of these four musicians has serious skill-sets to make Set To Rise a real legit force to be reckoned with. Also, if it were me leading this band (from a management stand-point) I'd advise the band to lean more on traditional metal then nu metal. Given the extreme talent of guitarist Jonathan Rennick and bassist Jack Carter the foundation is in place should Set To Rise ever decide to take up the banner of lean and mean heavy metal. One could only imagine what kind of post-Black Sabbath wonderment could be achieved if  Jack Carter suddenly decided to lay down some SOUL-CRUSHING, Geezer Butler-infused moments over-top of this band's punk and hardcore attitude! That would be insane! Still, I give this band props for who they are now and for how far they have come from covering other artists to writing their own material. This band warrants future listens and is worth following from this point on!

Dollar Bin Discoveries: Spit Can-Spit Can

Knuckle Down Productions
2007

I'm not exactly sure if this is the sole release from Pennsylvania's Spit Can or what. Formerly known as Cyphilis, which, let's face it folks, isn't much better or worse of a name then Spit Can, this band was billed to me as a cross between Pantera, Clutch and Prong. That's about the extent of the (online) information that I was able to dig up when I first stumbled across this CD in a dollar bin. It's a fair enough assessment. Further online snooping  revealed that all of this material on this nine-track CD was previously available on earlier Cyphilis albums. Well, eight of them at least as the last track on this self-titled release, "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", is a cover of Prong cover. You can usually tell a lot about a band by any/all particular tracks that they might choose to cover and with Spit Can we're talking prime-time Prong worship on about half of these numbers. Is that a bad thing? Well, if you love Prong (and I do!) then the answer is probably no. And this band, which has a guitarist who goes by the name of Germ(!), does Prong proud and then some! While the band's previous incarnation (Cyphilis) also reportedly dabbled with influences like Hatebreed and System Of A Down (in addition to the Prong, Clutch and Pantera elements!) here Germs (along with lead vocalist Nick D., bassist Deuce and drummer Feist) relies on a much more stream-lined and more defined sound. With that being the case and all the heavy riffs that come from Germ are of the post-Clutch variety. That means while there is some fierce hardcore/thrash converging in the background up-front it does bear a slight resemblance to the (thankfully just about dead and buried) nu metal movement. It's not enough to ruin your appetite or anything, but a few more well-rounded guitar solos would have gone a long way with this Penn.-based four-piece. All in all it was most certainly worth the dollar I spent and other then the fact that a few number's do tend to blur together this ended up being one of the better bargain bin CDs that I've acquired in some time!  

DEVILDRIVER-WINTER KILLS

Napalm Records
2013 

"Winter Kill" makes album number six for Dez Fafara and DevilDriver. It's also the group's first new material in two years. That's six full-length albums from a band that I'd have bet any amount of money on not surviving past an album or two. And yet here we are looking at a new album from this California bunch which started out as Deathride some ten or eleven years ago. Everyone should already know the story of how Dez Fafara formed this group after the demise of his nu metal act Coal Chamber. Other then maybe bassist Christopher Towning (Bury Your Dead, ex-Corpus Christi, ex-Suffocate Faster, ex-Too Pure To Die) it looks as if there has been the same line-up in place since 2004 or so. That means this band should have consistency and chemistry on their side. I'd say that for the most part they do seem to gel together nicely. Therefore, you're not going to hear any argument coming from me about how well this band works together or for that matter their obvious skills as musicians. My only argument then is that DevilDriver is more hit or miss on "Winter Kills" then anything else. The group's last album, 2011's "Beast", was also a mixed bag for many and while I never actually heard it I do remember reading quite a few reviews of it and how friends (who were fans of the band) thought it was just so-so. When it came to this album I left all my expectations at the door. I'd like to say that I also left all of my bias at the door as well, but some sneaked in. With that being the case I opted to listen to this album a second time to make sure I wasn't just writing them off because of Fafara's past band. The thing is there are parts of this album that were better then expected. What works on "Winter Kills" then? One thing is the heavy riff-age. There are points on this album where the heavy riffs threaten to just take off and destroy everything. Of course that is one thing I like (heavy riffs with nice depth and the potential to be soul-crushing) and in that regard the band does succeed. If nothing else "Winter Kills" is a HEAVY album. It's meant to sound loud as the group is using it as a sort of sonic soapbox upon which to preach. Per the promo, "Winter Kills" is "all about the creation of flash over moments to empower people with hope and affirmation—or at the very least, the inspiration for people to create great work and engineer their own meaningful universes". So yeah, you're going to want to be heard LOUD and clear when you're looking to enlighten and empower people. Also, the vocals of Dez Fafara were better then I remembered them to be. Mind you Dez doesn't have greatest set of pipes or anything silly like that. But, they do work here as he stands atop the band's evolved sound (evolved for me that is as I remember this band being some sort of nu metal/thrash combination). Describing said sound might be a bit difficult. There's still some of that old sound I remembered (nu metal and thrash) in tiny amounts, but now DevilDriver also cuts into some melodic death, groove and even speed metal (to be clear it's a small teaspoon or so of it) on their sixth full-length release. Before "Winter Kills" is all said and done the band bounces back and forth between good ideas and bad ideas resulting in an album that, as previously stated, is hit or miss. No doubt fans will buy it regardless of good or bad reviews as this band does have a loyal following. For the rest of us it's a little less clear whether this album is worth the cost or not. Your best bet would be to listen to on iTunes (or maybe even Youtube?) before plucking down any hard earned cash.

Massive Audio Nerve-Cancer Vulgaris

Dead End Exit Records
2013 

Leave it to the Swedes to give us something like Massive Audio Nerve. Where do we begin with this 4-piece? Nu Metal? Well, yes and no. I mean not really. Nu Metal is there, but then so is metalcore. There's also some progressive metal, but it's more Djent then anything. It's sort of like Prong, System Of A Down and White Zombie merged their collective consciences together and looked toward Slipnot and Korn for influence, but they didn't go full-fledged into that groove...thankfully. Utterly heavy, with some of that wonderful, bottom-end, thick ass bass-playing, this LP is sort of like the bull in a china shop. Brutality destroying everyday beauty amidst lots of dust and carnage. That heavy as hell bass-playing only helps to make the sound of Massive Audio Nerve all the more huge. With slashing guitars constantly crashing the party (In a oh so good way!)  "Cancer Vulgaris" ends up being as much a true heavy metal album as it does  a crunchy platter that is, in the end, after the assault is over with and you have a chance to collect yourself, extremely rhythmic and down-right pulsating! Could this be rave metal? Perhaps, either way though alternative metal fans will want to check this one out as well as those who enjoy metal with a more mechanical nature. A word of warning though folks. This is the kind of metal that could result in the utter collapse of society and/or random spontaneous human combustion!  

Slaves On Dope-Covers EP Vol. 1

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Slaves On Dope are one of those polarizing groups where people seem to be either crazy about them or dead-set on writing them off as nu metal cast-offs. I'll come right out and say that I'm not here to argue either point, but rather I'm here reviewing this EP because I dig cover songs/cover albums. I especially dig album's/artists like this that offer metalized versions of songs you wouldn't normally expect to be heavy and twisted. With the exception of "Digging the Grave" (Faith No More) these are all tracks that fall well under the tag of "hard and heavy". You could perhaps argue that Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend" (which opens this EP up) or Genesis ("Mama") are not too far removed from getting a serious heavy metal look, but covering Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and Sheriff's "When I'm With You" are kooky choices on any level! So, what do these Canadian alt-metallers do with the material at hand? It should first be mentioned that this isn't the band's first rodeo as they have covered Black Sabbath in the past as well as Poison. So, Slaves On Dope know their way around cover songs. With that said the first single from the EP was Slaves On Dope's take on "Mama" (which you can hear below) so let's tackle that one first. "Mama" was actually the first single from Genesis' self-titled 1983 album and this one-time hit, at least in the hand of Slaves On Dope", is tapped for into for it's sinister and dark nature. While their version is obviously heavier it's a good choice for the band as it translates rather well into a gritty street-rocker. While "Mama" was a good choice for the first single as it's a dark and crunchy rocker "Working For The Weekend", which actually opens this EP comes off (unfortunately) as a tad lifeless. In a way I think trying to make Loverboy's 1981 hit into something dark (when it's clearly meant to be an upbeat nod to having fun) was a bad call, but it's not without merit as the band does give it their all. "Digging the Grave" works well as a grunge-inspired thrasher as the source material was heavy to begin with. And then there is Sheriff's "When I'm With You". I was really wondering about how they would pull off this cheesy ballad. As I never liked the original (it made me want to puke) I feared it would be truly dreadful, but it's a cool take on the cut and actually makes it bearable to the listener! It's a really interesting choice to make into a heavier rocker so what do they then do with "Sexual Healing"? Well, it's both good and bad. It does work as a heavier, almost sleazy, grunge cut and Slaves On Dope play it full-tilt. It's only that when you've heard the original and experienced the original (if you know what I mean) then hearing it like this takes away a lot of it's "power". As it's played for fun though it's all good in the hood as they say. Of the bunch my favorite is probably "Mama" followed by "Digging the Grave" with "Working for the Weekend" being my least favorite. All in all it's a cool little EP though.
 
http://www.noisecreep.com/2013/04/09/slaves-on-dope-genesis-mama/

Mind Pulp-Mind Pulp

Self-Release/Independent
2013

A little while back I was commenting on how there are just too many new Ohio rock and metal bands to for me to stay up to date on all of them. That was when I was struggling to come up with words for The Unclean's latest release. I'm not having that problem with the five-piece band Mind Pulp. If anything it is just that without another Ohio band (Black Valor who I have reviewed in the past as well) chances are I might not have heard of these guys. That just goes to show you that in any given area there will always be a new band left to be discovered. You just might have to either look harder or, in the case of Mind Pulp, just get lucky. Originally hailing from New Philadelphia, Ohio (yeah, I didn't know there was a metal scene there either folks) it looks as if they're calling Canton home these days. Even though it is the birthplace of Marilyn Manson I'm not going to hold that against these guys! Granted, Canton would seem to be more of a fit for the band anyway as their sound and style, which is reportedly influenced by the likes of Korn, Static X,  Machine Head and Mudvayne, has a real urban grit to it. Mind Pulp was formed back in 2011 and, from the very start, the band's main focus was "to create a style of music that could be embraced by everyone no matter what their taste in music was". I'm not sure that's going to work so well for Mind Pulp unless your average listener's personal tastes includes the word "heavy". More then anything that is what Mind Pulp has going for them on this 9-track release. It should be noted that while there are 9 tracks here it's just 30 minutes in length. So it does run more like an EP. It's not like Mind Pulp doesn't make the most of that short time though. "El Diablo", "Tell Me Why" and "Blood Clot" (all three of which you can be heard on the band's Reverbnation page) offer solid metal in the vein of both Korn and Machine Head. Their Reverbnation page also features a sweet cover of Prong's "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" so I'd wager that some of Prong's heaviness has rubbed off on Mind Pulp. Of course there's also some of Pantera's heaviness to be found in Matt Pettit's bass playing so you can kind of see where I'm going when I mention that Mind Pulp as that bottom-end crunch factor in their sound. As for the other four musicians there are no slouches among this bunch. Doug Wright and Nick Bonner easily handle the guitars and, on a track like the relentless "Relapse", the solos speak volumes about the talent level of Mind Pulp.Vocalist Chad Heck and drummer Brent Mathias round things out and both do a pretty smashing job with things through and through. The only (minor) complaint to be found of this self-titled release is that when Chad Heck sings clean (I'm assuming he sings both clean and rough vocals) it doesn't have quite the impact of the much more "metal" vocals. And Mind Pulp is very much a metal band as a cut like "Evil Intentions" will attest to. Sometimes when one guy tries to handle both ends of the vocal spectrum it doesn't work so well. Vocalist Chad Heck has the rough vocals nailed down, but his clean singing could use a little tweaking. I do have to wonder though if it's just the mix of this release and if his singing sounds better live? That could very well be the case as Mind Pulp has one of those sounds that must be killer live. Have you ever listened to an album and thought to yourself  "I bet this band is heavier then hell and loud as f**k live!"? Considering how well things chug along on this disc I'm willing to wager that the real fun would be found in seeing Mind Pulp live and in living color. While checking out Mind Pulp's Facebook page I noticed that it has pictures from their past gigs (and some "interesting" ones at that) so it looks as if a live setting might just be as good as, if not better, then this studio-release. Of course, judging by some of those live pictures posted on their Facebook page, it's got to be quite the experience seeing them live and Lord knows I wouldn't mind some of those "experiences" right about now!  In addition to the numerous bands mentioned above I also picked up on both Dope and White Zombie so the influences are quite varied when it comes to what makes Mind Pulp click. This one would be perfect for the alternative metal/nu metal crowd, but there's also enough here for your average metal head to get excited about. If you find yourself craving something new that's HEAVY (while still sort of fitting into the standard "metal" genre") try hitting Mind Pulp up. There's a good chance you'll find something you like and who knows, you might even find a new favorite band to get behind and support! Find out more at either of the links below.


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mind-pulp/219592814733432
http://www.reverbnation.com/mindpulp

Boon-The Essence Of Everything

Self-Release/Independent
2012

Rock and roll is a universal language. It transcends borders and (most) cultural differences. That's always been a good thing. But, while it might be a universal language (and sound similar no matter what tongue it's sung in) that doesn't mean that I'm able to read other languages myself! So, my knowledge of this band (history, etc.) is sketchy at best. Google Translate can only do so much after all! Here's what I do know.   I believe it was "Sweet Times", one of the albums cuts, that was included on a free digital sampler. Most likely that was from Amazon. Anyway, the band's harder take on rock intrigued me so I went online and downloaded this album. At the time I recalled that "Sweet Times" came off as something between Staind and a heavier AC/DC. It's not surprising then that this Austria-based band, who reportedly formed in 1998, has shared the stage with AC/DC a couple of times (they also have played with everyone from The Dillinger Escape Plan to Sepultura). What is surprising then is the fact that Boon's first album, 2006's "Beauty Is a Sign of Weakness" drew comparisons to bands like Pantera and Slayer! Unless I'm missing something here (and I don't think I'm am as part of the line-up info matches between that album and this album) Boon took a WIDE directional swing. While I only skimmed over it, in order to find out some information about Boon, reviews of their last album, 2010's "The Almighty Love", mentioned how the band sounded like Metallica. Or at least Metallica's Black album. It's not that this album is bad. It's just that if this is the same band then somebody must have put something in their drinks! "Give It a Go", the album's opener, is slightly Disturbed and slightly Black-era Metallica, but it's a long way off from bands like Slayer! Whatever the case this thing jumps around a lot. "We All Breathe As One" shows how far-reaching mid-nineties Metallica was while "Wash It Clean" needs to have it's nu metal arrangements washed off! "Addicted to Rock" actually has this White Zombie/Rob Zombie meets "Load" era Metallica vibe going for it.  And then there are songs like "Minutes" (almost a power rock ballad!) and "Because Time" (modern radio rock). The only actually influence I can find is "love" and, weirdly enough, the band's nickname seems to be "Love Lovers" (or something similar). OK. What it comes down to is that, while this is no Pantera/Slayer like band, this digital album is different and has it's moments. It's inconsistent (and does suffer it's fair share of faults), but there's some cool songs on here worth downloading (especially if, like me, you like making random rock/metal compilations) like "Sweet Times". Oh, it does look as if a CD release is in the works (if it hasn't already been released), but you can buy a digital copy through iTunes and Amazon.

Dollar Box Discoveries

One of my favorite pastimes is digging through the dollar bins at record stores. There's one in particular that's about 20 minutes away from me that I usually hit about every two weeks or so. Most of the time my kids are with me. My latest outing took place during "guy's day", when it was just my son and I, and proved to be a jackpot in regards to hidden gems, potential review material and even some newer albums. I hope to make this a semi-regular feature where I'll present some "goodies" I found and, hopefully just maybe, persuade others to not be so quick to pass over discount bins. So, here is what I found while out and yes, they were all $1.00 a piece.

1)The Godz-Mongolians: Ohio's own! This 1987 album is a reissue on FNA Records (2012) and actually has "promo" written on the disc!

2)Dead and Buried-Bear Witness: Hardcore that is as influenced by the Cro-Mags as Slayer!

3)Five Foot Thick-Blood Puddle: Nu Metal w/ some heavy metal adding in. Feature's single "Ducked Out" with guest Myles Kennedy.

4)Ignorance Never Settles-Cycles Of Consumption: Hardcore metal act from Canada. This was their only full-length.

5)Republica-Repulica: Female-fronted alternative rock.

6)Plan of Attack-The Working Dead: Chicago Hardcore.

7)Birdbrain-Bliss: Grunge/Post-Grunge

8)Pump Up The Volume Soundtrack: Now, don't be a hater! This has Concrete Blonde, The Pixies, Bad Brains (with Henry Rollins), Soundgarden and Sonic Youth! Not that bad all around.

9)Breaking Point-Coming Of Age: The first album by this alternative rock band. Mostly got it because it features the single "One Of A Kind" which I've always secretly liked.

10)Sons Of Elvis-Glodean: Ohio's own Sons Of Elvis! Sort of post-grunge/alt. rock.

11)Brute Forcz-Out For Blood: Bought this one just for the album art and cheesy band photo inside! I plan to review this one as it's not that old (released I believe in Oct. of 2012) so I won't spoil things now!

So, there you have it. For less then $15 I got 11 albums that run the gamut from alternative rock to slayer-infused hardcore! In this day and age where everyone and their grandmother seems to have cell phones with Internet access there is no reason why you can't dig through a box and just search up bands you've never heard of. I have gotten more great albums (incl. rare & OOP) from dollar bins then I can count. My greatest find was an album that goes for up to $80 or more on Ebay that was opened, but otherwise MINT! So, take the time and search for yourself. For a dollar or two you just might find some real treasures!

Love and Death-"The Abandoning" Single

Tooth & Nail/EMI
2012 


You might want to hold on a second as this one is a bit hard to explain. Love and Death, not to be confused with the country band Love and Theft, is the new band led by former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. Apparently the group is a re-branding of Welch's own touring group that backed him while he was out and about promoting his first post-Korn solo album, 2008's "Save Me from Myself" (also the same of Welch's autobiography). Although I apparently missed this bit of news, as it was formally announced back in February of 2012, Love and Death album have an EP to their name ("Chemicals" was released back in April of this year) and a new album set for 2013. "The Abandoning" is the first single to be released from their new album, "Between Here & Lost", and, despite only being a hair over three minutes in length, it sounds a masterpiece of rock art compared to Brian's last band. In case it isn't obvious I am not into nu metal fan and I am most certainly not a Korn fan. Quite weirdly the only thing that Korn ever brings to mind for me is when, in a time before kids (but post-marriage), I offered up my services, as a street-level therapist,to talk to a couple's teenage son who was headed for nowhere good. It was just incidentally that he was a Korn fan and, instead of sitting down with this kid, I talked to his parents about him and the problems teenagers faced at that time. I also remember that around that same time I knew younger kids who were into the band and tried to persuade me that nu metal/Korn was going to turn metal on it's head and then, as a result, put an the end to "boring heavy metal" (as they put it). Of course that never happened, but I did get my fill of Korn from these kids and the fact that they were tearing up FM radio. Thankfully nu metal faded away. Sometime after that wondering moment Brian "Head" Welch found God and the rest is, as they say, heavy metal history. So, back to this single and Love and Death. Well, I never heard any of Brian's solo work and truthfully I had no clue who this band was when the single showed up. From the sounds of it Love and Death isn't hanging on to nu metal's tired past as much as they are playing something between nu metal, radio rock and modern metal. It isn't anything to stop the presses over, but it doesn't annoy me as much as I would have expected it considering having an ex-Korn member involved and all. Maybe just maybe I'll have to put in for Love and Death's new album and rethink my position of at least Brian "Head" Welch.

ILL NINO-EPIDEMIA

VICTORY RECORDS
2012


Ill Niño in a New Jersey act that was founded in 1998. In all that time I'm not sure I have never heard more then one or two of their songs all the way through. Other then samplers, which are threatening to take over my CD collection, I don't have any of their other material on hand in which to judge the band's newest album against. That isn't for lack of trying though as I have their "Greatest Hits" CD heading my way thanks to "Swap A CD". Anyway, how and what now I wasn't sure what to expect out of these guys. For my money they were always some sort of nu metal or alternative metal outfit. As such I never associated Ill Niño with "real" heavy metal or thrash. Was my opinion changed at all with "Epidemia"? Well, by my count this is album number six for what it is worth. It took all of my ambition to even click on this promo and, truthfully, the only reason I did was that I figured Metal Mark wouldn't. Take one for the team I said. Fortunately, when all was said and done, I escaped rather unfazed. That isn't to say that I'll be running out and buying the group's catalog, but that album that is (hopefully) headed my way ("The Best Of Ill Niño") will be headed toward the top of the weekly list of  "Listening to:" If only out of curiosity mind you. Back to the album at hand and, too much turkey and wine notwithstanding, this one rolls along fairly nicely. Thrash it isn't sadly, but that isn't to say it's all a waste. Rather, what we have here is a mix/mash-up off nu metal (hold on, it gets better folks), alternative metal, metalcore and heavy metal/thrash. More then anything you could say this is metalcore meets "nu thrash". Clean and harsh vocals mix it up with mellow, melodically inclined moments and all out hardcore/thrash. Only thing that sets this one apart is the lack of efficient solos. Instead you get those sudden "drops" that nu metal was famous for as well as the occasional "breakdown" moment that has been played to death. In the end I can't get too excited about this one as it swerves far too into alternative/nu metal territory, but at least it pretends as if it is influenced by heavy thrash so a few style points must be awarded. Fans of the band will love this release, but it's highly doubtful that it will suddenly hook new followers.

P.O.D.-Murdered Love

Razor & Tie
2012

Let's start with the obvious shall we? First, P.O.D. is not the type of band I would purposely choose to review and secondly, this album is several months old. Usually I'd stay from an album like this for those two reasons...or even one of those reasons. But, since this album "fell" into my lap and I have a friend who raves on and on about P.O.D. I decided to just toss it in and see what is what. I will say that pound for pound there are few "rap" metal bands as good as P.O.D.(Payable on Death). It's hard to fathom that these guys have been at it since 1992 (man, that makes me feel old-as if I needed another reason!) and, to be fair, they have evolved somewhat from a simple rap/nu metal band into something more unique and heavy (if this album is to be any indication that is). On this, their 8^th album (and the first I've heard all the way through truthfully!) the band teamed back up with producer Howard Benson and, from what I've heard from fan's of the band, tried to recapture some of the power and intensity of their early work. Never one to shy away   from their Christian faith tracks like "Higher" and "I Am" question this world we live in with all of it's hate, despair and the feeling of going it alone. Obviously the group are pointing upward, but the real question is how does the album come across right? Well, album opener "Eyez" (that features a cameo from Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta), does a quick gut-punch with it's HEAVY take on nu metal. brings forth this hard Nu-metal sound that demands attention from the first listen. The next track is a bit of a wash. "Murdered Love" fell flat, and honestly, "Higher" risked the same fate. It was almost way too much nu metal for me but, just like "Lost in Forever," the album's first single, the lyrics really make it worth while. This is especially true on "Lost in Forever". It's easy enough to get caught up in the number as it's both crunchy and catchy. Musically it's also closer to alternative metal/ heavy radio rock/metal then plain nu metal. Rap metal (rock really) is up next with "West Coast Rock Steady". Sen Dog of Cyprus Hill guests on the number. It's all about west coast love and all about trying to be Rage Against The Machine. At least that is better then trying to be Limp Bizkit. And so it goes. "Murdered Love" is one part heavy, crushing metal and the other part message. I suppose though that about sums up P.O.D. in a nutshell. From "Eyez" to the emotional and powerful closing number, "I Am", P.O.D. lay it all out there. It's metal with a message. While I had thought that the band had moved a bit on from their Christian message it does seem louder then ever and it's kind of refreshing in a way. The band obviously cares about ti's fans and the youth of America today and have found a way to offer up bone crushing metal that has a motivational message behind it. It might not be completely my thing (I found the tracks to be either really good or just so-so), but fans should eat this album up.