Buck Tow Truck-Death Wields A Six String

Self-Release/Independent
2017

Formed by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Dona, Buck Tow Truck is a one-man metal band from Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. The self-produced "Death Wields A Six String" appears to be the full-length debut for this one-man project, but that is only a guess on my part. There is little to no information available on Buck Tow Truck...I mean other than the origin of the name (see below) and a brief list of influences: "Van Halen," "Dokken" (more specifically George Lynch) and "Bathory.". With that said, "Death Wields A Six String" is a nine-track album that has it's fair share of good and bad points. First, here is what works. From a music standpoint, Buck Tow Truck's latest recording is tight and solid. There are some good ideas here and is pretty obvious that Andrew has a lot of skill and talent as a musician. With a better production job, "Death Wields A Six String" might have been a cool metal album to jam out to. Or at least it could be as an instrumental metal album. Since there is really no good way to put this how about if we just skip the pleasantries and call it like it is? Andrew Dona is a terrible singer. I'm not sure who told Andrew that he could sing, but that person should have their ears examined!! What could have been a decent heavy metal album is all but ruined by Andrew's bizarre vocal delivery. If this was an instrumental album and/or had another singer, "Death Wields A Six String" could have been graded a B- or maybe even a B. As it stands now, Buck Tow Truck's debut, which incidentally you can snag for free by heading here, is a C- release. If I'm being honest, C- might even be too high for a recording like this one. Whatever the case, Buck Tow Truck does have some promise. If only Andrew could get a new singer and a better budget...

According to the promo material: "The name for the band was conceived by combining a typical 80's tough guy name "Buck" with what George Carlin considered to be a man's word. To him, man words have 2 syllables such as shotgun or tow-truck. While saying these words be sure to pump one's fist forward and back in a horizontal line as if cocking a shotgun, as George did."

Free Metal Monday: Decay Within-Demo 2018

Who's Mic? Recordings
2018

Decay Within is a one-man death metal/grindcore band from Oxford, Michigan. Formed by ex-Writhing member Mike Nastasy (vocals, guitars, bass, and drum programming), the solo project is about six years old now. The self-produced "Demo 2018" looks as if it is the studio debut studio for this gnarly one-man band and it can be downloaded for free by clicking on the highlighted link above. While it is primarily a (old-school) death metal meets underground grindcore kind of release, the six-track "Demo 2018" does use a little bit of raw thrash to tease it's listeners. As a solid first attempt, Mike Nastasy's solo project shows off a world of promise and I for one cannot wait to see what's next. You can follow Decay Within by way of Facebook and if you are into uncompromising death/thrash/grind then make you you snag "Demo 2018".

Viölence-MotörDemon

Self-Release/Independent
2018

"Loud, Fast, and Rude". Not only is that the way in which I want to live my life, but it is also the motto of Australian' blackened speed metal project Viölence. Lead by Dylan Potter (all instruments), with "MotörDemon" serving as the debut EP from this one man wrecking crew from the wastelands of hell(!), Viölence seems to have shown up from out of nowhere! It was like one day there was nothing and then the next things I know is that this 5-track recording was showing up everywhere I looked. There's a damn good reason for that happening. While it's only an EP, "MotörDemon" is more than enough proof that Dylan Potter knows how to rock the dead back to life! Without missing a beat, Viölence throws you wave after wave of sinister riffs that one minute sound like classic Venom and the next (early) Sodom! In addition to the godfathers of blackened speed metal, Viölence seems to pay homage to the underground side of the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene and quite obviously then, Lemmy. Fact is, "MotörDemon" is too good not to share. So, strap in tight and put your helmet on. This EP is going to be on hell of a ride!

Descent Into Maelstrom-Descent Into Maelstrom

Self-Released/Independent
2017

Descent Into Maelstrom is a one-man band from Emilia-Romagna, Italy that has been active since September 2016. Recorded, mixed and mastered at the Treehouse Lab Recording Studio in Lodi, Italy, "Descent into Maelstrom" is the self-titled debut for this melodic death metal band that takes it's name from one of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories, "A Descent into the Maelstrom". Onetime Krygar guitarist Andrea "Maelstrom" Bignardi (vocals, guitars, bass) is the man behind the curtain when it comes to this eight song release and he does a admirable job on his first solo outing. Lyrically inspired by gothic and romantic literature, Descent Into Maelstrom has all the appeal of a edgy (up-and-coming) underground metal band with a "Don't give a fuck!"outlook even as it sets it's sights on becoming one of the more accessible faces in the overcrowded melodic death metal scene. To Andrea Bignardi's credit this self-produced album lands right square in the middle of those two extremes (the raw side of the underground metal movement and the (suddenly mainstream) death metal scene) while expertly splitting the paper thin line between melodic death metal movements and (balls out!) death metal 101! In most cases self-released albums like this one would hit the scene hard enough, but (sadly) they would get glanced over for the "name" bands. Thankfully Andrea "Maelstrom" Bignardi is now working with Atomic Stuff Promotion. That gives him a better chance of getting properly recognized for his damn good work here. For more information on this one man project be sure to check out D.I.M.'s Facebook page.

Free Music Monday: Bull Funk Zoo-"Would You?" Single

Self-Release/Independent
2016

 
"Would You?" is a brand new (name-your-own-price) single courtesy of the unique & largely experimental Dubai project known as Bull Funk Zoo (aka producer, multi instrumentalist, vocalist, and skilled guitarist Assaad Lakkis). It follows a 2013 self-titled album and finds Bull Funk Zoo taking fuzzed out and extremely dirty funk garage rock on a quick (drug-fueled) trip back to the early eighties where alternative/indie music could be anything that you dared to dream up. My original intention was to post this far-out single over the weekend, but this past week or so has been as  funked-up & frenzied as this short and sweet song is! You can (or really most certainly should!) download this fuzzy and fun funk-rock single by heading here and while you are on Bull Funk Zoo's bandcamp page it wouldn't be a bad idea at all to check out the full-length "Bull Funk Zoo". While that album was recorded with the help of a backing band, "Would You?" finds main man Assaad Lakkis going at it alone and doing a smashing job in the process! While this free single won't appeal to every one's tastes, "Would You?" should still be able to find a nice home with fans of gritty/dirty garage rock and fuzzed-covered funk n' roll!

Pneuma Hagion-Trinity I

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Formed at the start of 2015 by R. (The Howling Void, Hordes of the Morning Star, Intestinal Disgorge, Tethered to a Dying Animal, Serpentine Tunnels, Endless Disease, etc.), Pneuma Hagion is a one man black/death/doom band from Texas. Written, recorded, mixed and mastered by the "band" itself, "Trinity I" is Pneuma Hagion's first demo and it was actually released back on January 28th. For those of you who are keeping count at home that is indeed a remarkable turnaround time as Pneuma Hagion went from it's official formation to finished product in less than a month! To quote the old TV show of the same name, "That's Incredible!". High fives all around! Wait, what was that you said? You say you want more information before you take a huge bite out of this three-track demo? That's fair enough. How about we start from the beginning then? Good? OK. "Trinity I" was actually first sent to me back in mid-February by my good friend and fellow blogger, Metal Mark. Incidentally, Mark received the demo from the mysterious R himself and it came with the heading "Beherit meets Teitanblood". As to the question of why I didn't knock out a review of "Trinity I" back then? Who knows? I have no idea why I do the things I do anyway so who bloody knows why I'm just now getting around to this ghastly beast of blackened death doom. Besides, it's not like it's important to the story at hand. So anyway, I was told by the forwarded e-mail to "Imagine a blend of Beherit's "Drawing Down the Moon" and Teitanblood's "Seven Chalices" mixed with a touch of Coffins". So I did as the email requested and you know what? "Trinity I" is all of that and more. But, it's also none of that but rather a horrific sneak peak into the nightmare world of R. That's an odd response to this demo I realize, but "Trinity I" isn't your typical black/death/doom release. For sure it's plenty sick and twisted and main man R does a good job handling everything from the vocals & instruments to the demo's production. So yeah, "Trinity I" is every-bit the apt descriptions it's been giving. And yet there is something more here that I can't quite put my finger on. Even with it's short length the demo has plenty character and Pneuma Hagion's mixture of all things dark and oppressive produces quite the emotion response from the listener. The demo is atmospheric and most certainty evil in all the right ways. "Trinity I" is creepy and it paints the picture of a man that is being hunted and haunted by something otherworldly and assuredly unholy. It's all these things, but still I feel as if I'm missing a huge piece of the puzzle. Maybe you can find that missing piece for me? Head here
if you dare try!

Jovian Litany-Heroes Leave

Self-Release/Independent
2015

E-mail submissions are the best as you never know exactly what you are in for. Site-founder/main man Metal Mark received this particular submission and promptly sent it my way. I have to admit that the e-mail's title alone peaked my interest. "A Doctor with a Metal Album.... Whaaaat?" found me filled with curiosity so I quickly sprung into action! And as that title goes it is a doozy! Or rather it's background information. For you see Jovian Litany is a one man recording project founded in 2008 by Charlotte, NC's Jeffrey Py and Mr. Py is of all things a Doctor of Audiology! Crazy weirdness all around with that one! But anyway, Jeffrey, who was raised on a strict diet of fried scrapple (Hell yeah! Yum!) and disappointment (Sadly I know the feeling all too well...), has produced a total of four albums under the Jovian Litany name with this particular nine- track album serving as the "band's" latest & great work! Devoted to the concept of loss, "Heroes Leave" is not so much a concept album as it is a themed one. Or so says the main man himself so who are we to argue? And if you are going to tackle the subject of loss then you just know that the music at hand has to help convey the heartache and absolute sorrow associated with a concept right? For Jeffrey Py and Jovian Litany that translates into something quite different (Or flat odd weird if you will!!!) but nonetheless completely satisfying! And that would be extreme metal mixed up with New Age with some Techno tossed in for good measure! Jeffrey Py's e-mail to Heavy Metal Time Machine suggested a release that was a "mish mosh of musical styles, alternating songwriting between a heavy album and an ambient album" and damn right if he didn't make good on that promise! The latest release from one-man band/solo project Jovian Litany offers listeners extreme material that borders on full-fledged death metal, ambient New Age passages and music that combines the two star-crossed lovers into one glorious slab of electronic metal mayhem! And all the while the mood is as dark and depressing as death rock making "Heroes Leave" one of those perfect releases for when all you want to do in life is turn the lights down low, tune out to the world and just get lost in the loneliness that is this bizarre ride we call existence! By moving back and forth between artificial studio creations and harsh/sick guitar work that at times recalls the best of the Floridian death metal scene(!) an album like "Heroes Leave" allows you the opportunity to slip out of this world for awhile. In other words,  "Heroes Leave" should be enjoyed with your headphones on so that there are no distractions other than the sound of your own beating heart and your personal thoughts so that when you slip out of time and space it's a clean and pure trip! As the music of Jovian Litany is as effective clean and focused as it is dirty and chaotic it is a smooth and seamless journey listening experience when it boils right down to it. And with each new spin of this album you're very likely find something new to appreciate. All told this nine-track album is very cool indeed and for the guitarist/vocalist responsible for "Heroes Leave" I say good on you my friend! Take pride in the creation of "Heroes Leave" Jeffrey as this mad cap metallic adventure is nothing short of fantastic! It's a shame that the music of Jovian Litany isn't more well-known, but hopefully this review and of course word of mouth can help change that. Let's hope so as this album is just too good to be kept under wraps! You can pick up a digital copy of "Heroes Leave"over here at CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jovianlitany3 Meanwhile you can find out more about the man, the myth and the legend either here: http://www.jovianlitany.com/ or here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jovian-Litany/144316111801

Bloodsoaked-Religious Apocalypse

Comatose Music 
2014 

After three years of (studio) silence one-man death metal band Bloodsoaked will make it's return on September 2nd. For fans of Death, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Decide and Cannibal Corpse that should be an important date as this Raleigh, North Carolina project has recorded an album that covers all the bases. New studio material? Yep. That would be "Devouring" , "Abomination" and the title cut. Live material? But of course! How about a few cover tracks to sweeten the deal? Well now, that is where this one really gets interesting! OK, make that awesome! You see Bloodsoaked, a "band" that was formed in 2006 and has three additional full-length releases to it's name, throws in not one, but TWO gems from the hard rock scene of yesterday! Getting the royal (brutal death metal) treatment are Cinderella's "Shake Me" and (a personal favorite of mine) Ratt's "You're In Love"! And for that sole reason I ENTHUSIASTICALLY recommend this upcoming release from Bloodsoaked! That's not to say that the original music that comes from Bloodsoaked is anything but enjoyable. The Brainchild of Peter Hasselbrack* (ex-Archaic Winter, ex-Deslok), Bloodsoaked does brutal death metal just about as well as anyone else. Scratch that. Bloodsoaked does a solid to the death metal scene and then some! As a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Peter Hasselbrack is in fine form here as he is equally skilled in both areas. The original material offered here falls right in line with the above mentioned acts as Peter does a smash-up job at balancing technical death metal with the more extreme side of the genre. Ending with live versions of "Suicide" , "No God" , "Infestation" and "Grinding Your Guts" (all of which prove this band's ability to pull off it's sound in a live setting!) the new album "Religious Apocalypse" was a pleasant surprise and one that should appease both old fans and new!

*On a side note Peter looks a lot like "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff!

You can pre-order "Religious Apocalypse" here:

http://www.comatosemusic.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4892&osCsid=f5hcceibti223spq0q6de4cb03

Primalfrost-Prosperous Visions

Maple Metal Records
2014

Active since early 2012, Primalfrost is a one-man band/project from Toronto, Ontario. With Dean Arnold (ex-Will of the Ancients, ex-Lesion) being the sole member and with just one other release to the band's name (2012's EP, "Chapters of Time") "Prosperous Visions" makes the proper full-length debut from this Canadian band. At 55 minutes plus the album, which was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Thomas Ireland at Icehouse Studios in Goderich, Ontario, Canada in late August of 2013, aims at covering as much ground as humanly possibly and by the Gods of all things metal if it just doesn't accomplish that and then some! It's a toss up as to what is more amazing here. Is it the fact that Dean Arnold not only composed all of the music and lyrics on "Prosperous Visions", but handled all of the instruments, vocals, and programming or is it the overall epic feel of everything that makes it so great? "Prosperous Visions" finds Dean trekking through the untamed forests of folk metal while simultaneously embracing blackened power metal, death metal, orchestral music and symphonic metal. In Dean's Arnold's skilled hands everything bounds together nearly seamlessly and as a debut-LP one couldn't ask for more graceful and well-timed material then this!  With Dean's harsh vocals steering the music at hand into dark and uncharted waters and song-structures that beg to tell the story of a longer-established act Primalfrost (as a band) is near the top of it's game and they've only just begun! 


PS. Did I mention that Dean Arnold is only 18? I didn't? Well, he is and as good as he is now just imagine how scary it will be when he really hits his stride! Yeah.....