Hay Perro-Desert Of Nowhere

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Formed back in 2006, Chicago, Illinois's own Hay Perro first appeared on our site back in March of 2011 thanks to their bad ass debut album, "Eastern Ideas of Death"*, before taking part in an excellent interview with site founder Metal Mark the following month (http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2011/04/interview-with-brian-and-chris-of-hay.html). It was that very interview which peaked my interest in this Chicago "crossover" band and now (after three long years of waiting) we finally get to hear the band's sophomore output "Desert Of Nowhere". Released earlier this month, and unfortunately only available as a digital download at the moment, "Desert Of Nowhere" is (sadly) Hay Perro's swansong. That unfortunate announcement (and indeed it is one once you've had a chance to let this punk/hardcore/heavy metal band rampage you're body like some crazed, meth-fueled grizzly bear freaking the freak out!) was included with the e-mail inquiring as to whether or not we would be interested in covering this release (the obvious answer was HELL FUCKING YES). Still, if this 10-track fist punch to the face album (one which sets the pace early on thanks to the two minute plus opener "Upheaval Dome" before running you over with the kick in the head cut "Arm The Children") is to be the last we hear from Hay Perro then by all that is Hell Fucking Bent For Heavy Metal it's a good way to call it quits! On their second (and now last) release, which again one perfect cocktail featuring all of this band's numerous influences (Black Flag, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Voivod, Minutemen, Husker Du, Thin Lizzy, Minor Threat and Black Sabbath) and more (Ramones, Discharge, Jesus Lizard and The Misfits) we have a line-up of Chris Grubbs (guitar, bass, vocals), Brian Gonas (guitar) and Emily Agosto (drums). With Nate Perry providing additional vocals on "Arm The Children" and "Spirals Of Wire" (two cut throat numbers!) and the members of Hay Perro (https://www.facebook.com/HayPerro) doing their utmost best to redefine the term "crossover" (as a point of reference check out "Aflame In The Sun" which combines old school punk rock, metallic hardcore and some smashing garage rock and roll of yesteryear into one killer closing track!) things have never looked so promising fro this Chicago act. All of which makes their announcement to split up that much more puzzling, but sometimes bad things happen to good bands and there's nothing that can be done about it. Available for a measly $5, "Desert Of Nowhere" comes with my stamp of approval and it will be "topping the charts" when it gets to be that time of the year when "Best Off" lists start rolling out!


http://hayperro.bandcamp.com/album/desert-of-nowhere



Metal Mark's spot-on review of  "Eastern Ideas of Death"
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2011/03/hay-perro-eastern-ideas-of-death.html

Insain-Enlightening the Unknown

Kaotoxin
2014

Reportedly recorded back in early 2013, with production taking place at the 16th Cellar studio (Hour Of Penance, Fleshgod Apocalypse...), the 25 minute "Enlightening the Unknown" will end up serving as the swan song for the French act (aptly-titled) Insain. As the follow-up to 2010's self-released "Spiritual Rebirth" (Mixed and mastered at the Hertz studio in Poland, "Spiritual Rebirth" was picked up and re-released by Kaotoxin Records in early 2012) "Enlightening the Unknown", which saw the addition of new bassist Benoit Jean (Sentence, ex-Inquinatus, ex-Sinister Faith) and features a guest in the form of Daniel Neagoe (Eye Of Solitude and Unfathomable Ruination), not only picks up where this French act last left off, but it builds upon the viciousness that was "Spiritual Rebirth" and takes things into even more of a frightening direction! As technical as this lot was on this EP (Insain's two guitarists, David Schonbackler and Nicolas Becuwe respectively, work well together with some of the solos here proving to be quite exceptional!)  the band still manages to be all the more relentless with the voice of Louis Lafitte (cookie monster-infused growls to the max!) sounding utterly inhuman! With Jonathan Juré's spastic drumming keeping Insain on edge at all times (he's paired up nicely with Benoit Jean as the two really compliment each other) the band's sonic (BRUTAL) death metal assault is nothing if not constant as it's played-up in EXTREME fashion! If this truly is to be the last song and dance from this gruesome death metal outfit then at last they are doing it right. Insain are going down with all guns blazing as they leave a lasting testament to just how insane they were!!!

Deliverance-Hear What I Say!

Roxx Records/3 Frogz Records

2013

A lot of ink has been spilled over the Christian metal band Deliverance since they first came into existence back in 1985. Founded by vocalist/guitarist, and sole original member (!), Jimmy P. Brown (whose vocals,incidentally, are still as powerful as always even after all these years!), Deliverance's first two albums, which can be found as a two on one CD these days if memory serves me correct, are nothing short of classics. Those two albums, "Deliverance" and "Weapons of Our Warfare" (released in 1989 and 1990 respectively) are everything that speed metal/thrash should be. If you've never heard either then I would strongly urge you to check them out as album number one should easily appeal to fans of Death Angel and Hirax while the group's sophomore release showed an appreciation for groups like Metallica, Megadeth and even Slayer!  I was actually my teenage daughters age when I first discovered the group's "Weapons of Our Warfare" on cassette tape and subsequently saw them play live with Sacrament at the Aurora Library. Back then I was a lost teenager looking for the light, any light really, at the (supposed) end of a very dark tunnel. Thankfully that's not entirely who am now and as far as my own 15 year old? Well, I see her and I see a girl with more conviction and passion then I ever had at that age. But, that's another story for another time as we're hear to talk about this group's latest release right? With this serving as their (reported) final album what exactly can fans expect when "Hear What I Say!" drops on December 10th? Well, while the album's unnecessary intro, "Liber 111", isn't something I'd go rushing to stop the presses over (in other words it doesn't really build any sense of climax) that all changes once "The Annals of Subterfuge" kicks in. Having previously heard the demo version of this song on the "Thrashmageddon" compilation I was anxious to hear how it sounded in full, all guns blazing, living color. Needless to say it did not disappoint! Michael Phillips (also of The Sacrificed, Join The Dead) plays lead guitars on "Hear What I Say!" just as he did on the group's last studio-release, 2007's "As Above - So Below" and man if he doesn't make the album version of "The Annals of Subterfuge" sound killer then I just don't know what qualifies as "killer" anymore!  At about 2:45 or so into "Angst" (the third track on this release after the intro and "The Annals of Subterfuge") things gets epic thanks to his lead skills and from that point on, except for one misstep (which I'll soon enough address), there seems to be no stopping this bunch as they keep the positive energy flowing this ten track release! Manny Morales, who seems as if he has played with Deliverance on and off since 1993's "Learn", joins in on the fun of "Hear What I Say!" as does veteran drummer Jayson Sherlock (Mortification, Horde, Revulsed). If this truly is set to be Deliverance's last studio-album then at least they gave it their all and are going out of top! Heavier cuts like "Detox", which is like a N.W.O.B.H.M.-embracing Pantera trying to corner the market on all things Megaedth, "Nude" and the speed metal-tinged "Passing"' all showcase a band that seems strong and confident. Interestingly enough then some of "Hear What I Say!" sounds as if it is written from a very personal place. "Hope Lies Beyond" comes off as quite reflective as does "Nude" and "A Perfect Sky".  It must be said though that when it comes to "A Perfect Sky", while it's a fine song in it's own right and all, it really sticks out like a sore thumb on this release as it's most straight=ahead rock and roll then anything else. I'm not sure what was going on there. At least Jimmy Brown and company chose to follow it up with a solid cover of Iron Maiden's "Where Eagles Dare". The album ends on a good note with a German version of the track "Detox" called "Entgiftung". So, album number ten features ten tracks in all (well, nine I guess as the intro isn't much to write home about) and other then maybe "A Perfect Sky" it's most certainly a nice goodbye letter to fans. For a group that has had a few hiccups along the way (I'm looking at you "What A Joke"!) and had been criticized  for being a Metallica clone ("Weapons of Our Warfare") this release should silence some of the critics and doubters. Diehard fans will likely come away happy although I do wish there was a bit more to this release as far as the actual material goes. I would have loved to had more tracks like "Detox, "Angst" and "Passing" from Jimmy Brown and Deliverance as that might have really cemented this one as a thrash metal classic. But, it is what it is and at the end of the day "Hear What I Say!" is a fine collection of metal tracks with quite a bit of variety (style-wise) and more then enough emotional depth to make you really think about what you're digesting. Iff this is the last dance for Deliverance then let me be the first to thank them for all they did for the Christian metal community and wish them nothing but the best as they move on. 

So pick up a copy of "Hear What I Say!" from either:
www.3frogzstudio.com or www.roxxproductions.com

Ministry-From Beer To Eternity

AFM Records
2013

Plain and simple folks the back-story to this one sucks. It big time sucks. In case you don't know Mike Scaccia, who also played guitar with his other band Rigor Mortis, died three days after the rough tracks for this album were finished. It's understandable that Al Jourgensen both decided to still release the album and that he plans for this to be the last Ministry release. That doesn't make it any easier to listen to this release, but it does put an album like "From Beer To Eternity" into perspective. And while I would normally not take stock in too much of what Al has to say, as he jumped the shark years back when he became overly obsessed with anything/everything George Bush Jr. did and said (it's not as if there were/still are literally hundreds of other politicians from both sides of the isle who deserve such special "attention"), I will agree with him that these recordings are something special. That's not to say that lyrically and sample-wise he doesn't still come off as a one-trick pony. As talented as Al is, he handles vocals, guitars and programing with ease, it would be nice if at some point in time he (like millions of  his fellow countrymen) would actually wake up and see the lies all around him that start from the very top and work there way down. Our freedom is being pulled out from under our feet like a rug and yet those that we depend on, specially artists like this and any number of punk acts, are walking around buying the party line! If half of what is happening now would have happened while a rhino was in charge it would be all that Al and his friends would talk about! That said it's neither here nor there so these people will have to live with their hypocrisy and will sadly have a rude awakening all their own when any kind of political disagreement will be considered a crime. Back to this album we will go as there really is a lot musically to appreciate. Along with guitarist Sin Quirin, bassist Tony Campos and drummer Aaron Rossi the pair of Al and Mikey really put a lot into this release, effort-wise, as is obvious from start to finish. Here Ministry walks the line between industrial metal and thrash metal as if they are one in the same. Credit should go as much to his backing band as it does to Al as (all-together as a band) Ministry has served notice that album number 13 is every bit as soul crushing as all the rest. Only difference here seems to be the fact that Al leaned on Mike and his fellow band-mates as much as possible in an effort to make these 11 tracks pop-out and rip-out the listeners eardrums! If this is truly to be the last Ministry album then Al and company has gone out at the top of their game and they've done it in a way that serves as a fitting tribute to Mike Scaccia's skills.

Cathedral-The Last Spire

Metal Blade Records / Rise Above Records
2013

If this is indeed to be Cathedral's last dance then by god they are going out in style. Having given doom fanatics two decades of blissfully dark, slow and painful metal the band now rides off into the sunset the right way. It's always good to see a band take the high road and fold before they destroy any semblance of credibility (Metallica) and "The Last Spire" is Lee Dorrian saying goodbye the right way. With the almighty Sabbath riffs of guitarist Garry "Gaz" Jennings (somewhere Tony Iommi must be smiling knowing what he inspired) and the rhythm section featuring Repulsion's Scott Carlson (bass) and Brian Dixon (drums) backing Lee up tracks like the 11-mintue "Pallbearer" are epic and truly beautiful. Can darkness and despair truly be this beautiful? Even when Lee Dorrian ups the stakes on "Pallbearer" by invoking evil and misery the band still manages to sound grandiose. Speaking of grandiose material, one must hear the menacing "Tower Of Silence" themselves to truly appreciate the epic nature of this album's highlight. All I can say is wow. About 5 minutes into this track the guitar playing of Gaz takes on this otherworldly quality. As the album opens with the atmospheric "Entrance To Hell", a dark and sinister way to welcome in the damned to Cathedral's swansong, it's only fitting that ends with another unholy number in "This Body, Thy Tomb". This 9 minute plus track wraps things up nicely and encourages fans that while Cathedral will be missed, and they will be, at least the band gave their fan-base one last near classic to remember then. Thanks for the memories Cathedral and for what you meant to doom metal. May the gods of darkness forever bless the rest of your journey.