Helevorn: Forthcoming Displeasures [2010]
June 8, 2010 at 11:27 am (fvcking brutal!) (2010, aweseome, death metal, drums, guitar, helevorn, metal, thrash metal)
Helevorn’s 2nd Album is a Dark Metal Masterpiece
Helevorn is a six-piece dark metal/ doom metal band from Spain that have come forth to deliver a second album since their 2005 debut, Fragments. Using the musical structure akin to bands like Draconian and My Dying Bride and vocal patterns like Opeth and Paradise Lost, Helevorn have crafted a clean, beautifully depressing album. Forthcoming Displeasures is certainly no displeasure to anyone who enjoys any sort of doom metal. Each track offers something strong, with nothing to cringe or frown at.
The most prominent features on Forthcoming Displeasures is the gothic elements through the guitars, vocals and keyboards. The guitars are not crushingly slow like that heard on funeral doom, or heavily distorted. Instead, they are mid paced and chord focused, keeping an even sound with the drums and keyboards. A lot of times they will let up, allowing the piano/keyboard moments to come in clearly before diving into a wailing solo that doom metal is famous for. Again, the fact that the music as a whole is so cleanly produced and harmonized is what makes this album so well done. Vocally, the death growls are the standard roars of anguish, but the clean vocals are fantastic. Deep, emotional, and almost having an electronic edge to it, they are hypnotic and soothing in their own sense to go along with the calming parts of the piano. Even the spoken word passages are haunting.
Not all of the album is calming, however. Some tracks like “Hopeless Truth” have a much darker, more evil tone to them in the sense they are more guitar and drum driven. However, there’s also some great clean vocal work done on this track, which does a good job at substituting the atmosphere that they keyboards originally created. Other tracks like “On Shores (Of a Dying Sea)” sound directly like something taken from a Draconian album; long, haunting, and melodic. Even the growls sound similar. It’s a good thing that Helevorn decided not to use female vocals or they’d risk losing their unique sound. Altogether, Forthcoming Displeasures is VERY good. Heavily Draconian influenced, or not, the band certainly makes a sound for itself, especially in vocals. Gothic doom metal fans or anyone hunting a romantically suicidal album will have found their mark. May these doomsters keep on making the world a better place of melancholy!
Avantasia: The Wicked Symphony/Angel of Babylon [2010]
June 8, 2010 at 11:26 am (fvcking brutal!) (2010, avantasia, death metal, drums, guitar, metal, power metal, thrash metal)
Vain glory symphony
Avantasia, the solo project of Tobi Sammet from Germany’s favourite power metallers Edguy. This act has had a longer life than what was once expected, and what was supposed to finish at 2 albums has now become 5 releases and an EP with contemporary Arjen Lucassen and his act Ayreon. Avantasia has consistently delivered high quality metal releases that appeal to the prog/power metal fans among us, whilst remaining poppy and catchy enough to enjoy mainstream attention. This isn’t to get sales, but this is all part of the grand design of Tobi Sammet, who has honed his craft to absolute perfection on these two releases. It’s impossible to judge them separately; they are two parts to a divine whole that delivers from start to finish. It’s all killer, no filler.
The Wicked Symphony is the first album of this two part release, and begins with perhaps the highlight and strongest song of all the tracks on both albums, the title track ‘The Wicked Symphony’. Clocking in at over nine minutes, it is from start to finish a power/prog epic. Featuring not only the voice of Tobi Sammet himself, but the voices of legends Russel Allen from prog masters Symphony X and Jorn Lande from his own project Jorn. All three voices are strong, competing with each other for prominence in the song and it works majestically throughout. The song also has the best damn chorus I have heard in a long time, and I can’t help but tap my foot and sing a long to it when it comes on, even if my girlfriend starts giggling at me. Whilst Jorn and Russel sing on every other track on the two releases, there are other vocalists that lend their talents throughout. Heavy metal Pariah Michael Kiske lends his voice box to tracks like ‘Wastelands’ and ‘Runaway Train’ whilst the perennial second runner and ex-Iced Earth/Judas Priest vocalist Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens stands on his own two feet on ‘Scales of Justice’, which is great to hear, his vocals are absolutely ferocious when he isn’t trying to sound like Rob Halford.
Angel of Babylon continues the strength of The Wicked Symphony. The opening track ‘Stargazers’ is just as epic and strong as ‘The Wicked Symphony’, thought without as catchy a chorus to get lost in. Perhaps the standout track on this album is ‘Death is Just a Feeling’ which sees the prolific Jon Oliva taking up the mic and lending his unique, gravelly voice to lead the song. His voice is a hit/miss with most people, but it works incredibly well with this inspirational mid-paced mover. The chorus gets me every time, sending chills up my spine. For those of us wanting to hear Tobi at his vocal best, there’s the symphonic ballad ‘Blowing out the Flame’, sounding very much akin to ‘The Spirit Will Remain’ from Edguy’s album Hellfire Club. Tobi’s vocals are strong, and they always have been, this sorrowful track just goes to show how much stronger he’s become in his already longstanding career. There’s no fault I can find here, the song is majestic and inspirational, a standout track in a release of all diamonds and no rough. But this would all be worth nothing without something strong, to end this double release and close the trilogy that began with The Scarecrow. ‘Journey to Arcadia’ is strong, happy, yet at the same time something sad, it’s a departure, the closing of the curtains, the end of the story. You don’t want it to end, but unfortunately it does, its’ great to hear, and I’d love this album to never finish, but it does.
Fortunately, when it does end, I can always flick all the way back to ‘The Wicked Symphony’ and begin the journey again. So you’re not a fan of power metal or prog? Big deal, these are worth at least a listen and if they’re too fruity for your tastes, don’t waste your energy with them. However, I think there’s something to gain here. Here you have two fantastic examples of absolutely refined and perfected song writing, the roles are played perfectly, the actors have rehearsed their roles to an art and it’s something that’s worth seeing from start to finish.
Heathen: The Evolution of Chaos [2010]
June 8, 2010 at 11:25 am (fvcking brutal!) (2010, awesome, guitar, heathen, metal, pantera, thrash metal)
A lesson in violence indeed!
Anyone that knows me knows that I love thrash and that I’m chuffed at the resurgence within the genre from new acts like Bonded By Blood and Warbringer and legends such as Exodus and Death Angel. Add to that Bay Area’s Heathen with their latest release, The Evolution of Chaos – a long overdue (some 19 odd years between drinks!) release that is chock full of everything great about thrash metal! It’s possible that the group (who are vocalist David White, guitarists Lee Altus and Kragen Lum, bassist Jon Torres and drummer Darren Minter) have crafted the thrash album of 2010 – a big call when you consider that Exodus have unleashed Exhibit B: The Human Condition and Overkill have released Ironbound this year already!
Brief eastern flavours of the simply titled Intro aside, and Heathen launch relentlessly into Dying Season, an outstanding track full of blistering riffs, soaring vocals and an infectious, mosh inducing chorus. It might be Altus and Lum’s first outing together but you’d swear otherwise as their playing gels beautifully. Speaking of guitar work, Exodus riffmeister Gary Holt guests on thrashy Control By Chaos before the Pantera like stomp of No Stone Unturned pushes the envelope as it clocks in at a tick over 11 minutes. In the latter stages of this epic number, things take a very melodic Opeth like twist that morphs into distorted instrumental Metallica like territory before returning to its roots.
The Overkill like thrash of Arrows of Agony is reinforced by the ever so slight Bobby “Blitz” Elsworth inflection that appears in White’s vocals from time to time – by no means a bad thing – and whilst we’re on the subject of similarities, the Exodus like riffage of Fade Away cannot be denied either. A Hero’s Welcome is a gentle track through and through showing that Heathen are anything but one dimensional before the thrash pedal gets a gentle shove towards the metal with mid paced Undone, the blistering Bloodkult, the strong power ballad Red Tears of Disgrace and the crushing finale, Silent Nothingness.
It’s been a very long time coming but without doubt, Heathen’s The Evolution of Chaos has been well worth the wait. Heathen fans rejoice. Thrash fans rejoice. The Evolution of Chaos is hands down the thrash album of the year.
Anim8: Anim8 [2010]
June 8, 2010 at 11:23 am (so so) (anim8, australia, classical rock, guitar, keyboards, rush)
Wow, what a surprise packet this is. I knew little of this Melbourne three piece before being sent their debut long player, but this masterful 10 track progressive instrumental work of art leapt out at me from the very first listen. My thought was ‘where have these guys been all my life?’!
The next thing to strike me was how heavily influenced they were by my all time favourite band Rush. Especially in the snare sound and guitar tones, but also just in general tone and vibe. The influence is worn pretty plainly on three piece’s collective sleeves, but all bands display influences and I would definitely not describe Anim8 as a carbon copy. Far from it in fact. They throw in some Jazzy/Fusion-esque moments and other experimental elements that are absolutely all their own. Elsewhere they simply lay down a big fat groove and rock the hell out (check out ‘The Freeway’), which is always enjoyable.
Instrumentally and sonically this album is absolutely superb. I suppose it helps when the man handling the bass, guitar and keyboard duties on the record is also a nationally renowned producer, a bloke by the name of David Carr. The sound is meticulous and flawless and the dexterity of the musicianship is palpable.
What really stood out though, even above and beyond the aforementioned elements, is just how damned catchy it all is. It’s about as hooky as non-vocal music can get, without sacrificing the exquisite instrumental interplay that we prog/fusion aficionados love so much. Almost every guitar and keyboard line and drum groove on this album is a hook. They don’t appear to take themselves too seriously, and they haven’t neglected the fun element in their music, as do many prog acts.
Apparently the tragic passing of their bass player from cancer has interrupted Anim8′s progress, but I would dearly love to see them do some shows, release another album and really push themselves in the Aussie and world prog markets. This is uber-classy stuff, and they could go a long long way.
Bullet for my Valentine: Scream Aim Fire (2007–08)
June 8, 2010 at 11:16 am (brutal enough) (2007, bullet for my valentine, emo-metal, metal, metalcore, scream aim fire, the poison, uk)
Metal-core UK sensations Bullet For My Valentine have returned with their highly anticipated sophomore full length release Scream Aim Fire. After already leaving an impressive mark after their debut The Poison, the foursome is back with a heavier sound with hopes of capturing the attention of many and proving to the rest that they are in fact a band to look out for in 2008.
The band formed in the late 90’s in South Wales as a college cover band but thanks to the lack of finances the band took a twist in their direction and Bullet For My Valentine was created. After playing shows in hopes of grabbing the attention of a record deal, Roadrunner Records stepped up with an offer but was rejected and Sony BMG signed the band to a five record deal . Bullet For My ValentineWith their debut release selling over one million copies worldwide the band toured constantly and graced the covers of many magazines including Kerrang! and even Revolver. It seemed like this band was the golden child and they could not be stopped. If only it were that easy.
Bullet For My Valentine had a rough experience on a Rob Zombie tour in 2006 leading them to be dismissed from the tour. Where many other seasoned bands saw it as an inexperienced band not meeting up with the heavyweight’s expectations, it was more of a band not wanting to overcharge their fans and not being treated like the rest. To make matters worse the lead singer Matthew Tuck caught a mean case of laryngitis later that year and the band was forced to cancel shows in order for him to heal. These small detours did not distract the band one bit. Once Matthew Tuck healed the band was back in the studio to create Scream Aim Fire.
As soon as the CD starts the title track “Scream Aim Fire” almost pushes you out of your chair. It is a heavy track and really declares this band is not slowing down one bit. The drums are powerful and guitar solos are simply gratifying almost recalling past metal bands such as Pantera and Machine Head. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite tracks off this CD and I have a feeling I am not going to be the only one who digs it.
“Hearts Burst Into Fire” calms down the metal-core for a moment to remind you the guys in the band are musicians and not just heavy metal warriors. This rock ballad reminds me of all the hair-bands of the past that wanted to show you a softer side to their hard exterior. The song, calling upon the way the band feels when they come home after a long time away, will be getting a lot of airplay this year.
“Waking The Demon” replaces the soft ballad feel you were just left with to a mix of pure metal fury with harmonizing vocals backing the screaming. This is almost of a melodic thrash metal song and was very interesting to listen to. This is the heaviest track on this album by far.
“Disappear” sounds like it was taken off their previous release The Poison as did “Deliver Us From Evil. Neither song was intolerable but it did seem two steps behind some of the other tracks on this CD. Most tracks on Scream Aim Fire seem so much fuller and involved over The Poison but regardless, I loved their debut album so I still enjoyed them.
As much as I hate to say this, “Take It Out On Me” sounds a lot like Avenged Sevenfold. I am not saying that Bullet For My Valentine are copycats by any means. Both bands are on completely different levels and unique in their own styles. This song merely reminded me of the American metal (pop) band mostly due to the singing and guitar riffs.
Make sure you take your lighters out for “Say Goodnight”, another rock balled. I was really worried, when I heard this song, that the guys stepped a little too far out of their terrain but midway through the song they redeemed themselves making for a great track to sit back and listen to.
Catchy choruses, intense vocals, solos galore, and crazy tempos are what Bullet For My Valentine is all about. They could care less about their image or commercializing the band’s sound. Their attitude alone will help grab that spotlight this band so willingly deserves. In support of their new release the band will be showcased on the Taste Of Chaos tour this year.
Expect big things from Bullet For My Valentine in 2008 as Scream Aim Fire will smack you in the face and steal your attention. It seems as if the band has taken a more mature approach musically but has not forgotten about the metal-core. Some fans may think differently after hearing Scream Aim Fire but I have become a bigger fan.
Fans of metal bands from today (Killswitch Engage, Eighteen Visions, Avenged Sevenfold) and yesterday (Metallica, Testament, Pantera) should at least give this UK band a chance. Try not to judge them immediately though, with as much as they have put into this CD they deserve the attention they crave.
Kiss – Destroyer [1976]
March 14, 2010 at 5:28 pm (brutal enough) (1976, destroyer, disco, drums, glam, guitar, kiss, metal, rock, rock and roll)
K.I.S.S. needs almost no introduction. I mean, honestly, you can have lived on a deserted island and you would’ve heard of them, probably from one of their million action figures/comic books/lunch boxes that washed up on your lonely shore. They were the near-perfect business strategy of Rock ‘N’ Roll, the entertainers of their time, and surprisingly, not very talented with their instruments (Save Gene Simmons, but it wasn’t with his bass guitar. The guy has supposedly bedded over 4,000 women!)
But what K.I.S.S. was good at was controversy and entertainment. Highlight entertainment there first. K.I.S.S.’s main attraction was their live show. And boy oh boy could they put on a show. Animatronics, fire-spewing, and enough pyrotechnics to last for 10 4th of July celebrations, their concerts enthralled people across America. But in order to have concerts, one must have songs. And to have songs, one must’ve released a record or two. Well, K.I.S.S. released a crap-load of albums, sometimes even 2 or 3 each year. Now, when you think of today’s standards, artists slave over their work, sometimes not making a follow-up album till about 3 years later. It is my belief that they wrote these songs in order to fuel their never-ending tours.
However, some of these albums are a fun listen. And such is the case with their triple-platinum Destroyer. It’s also named 496 on Rolling Stone’s ’500 Greatest Albums of All Time’. But we all know that doesn’t mean s**t, as Rolling Stone usually has no idea about music even though they claim to.
Upon the first track of Destroyer, you’re treated with one hell of a song, which is ‘Detroit Rock City’. Consisting of a rather funky and dominant bassline from Gene, some simple flowing guitar-riffs, and pop-friendly chorus, ‘Detroit Rock City’ is one hell of an intro song, and not surprisingly is one of their most famous songs of all time. ‘King of the Night Time World’ continues on the fun-loving Rock atmosphere, with almost-bluesy guitars. The bass is almost non-existent in the verse, but then in the chorus takes on a dominant climbing tone. Peter Criss’s drumming is still quite average, just as you will find on all the tracks here. He never really does anything out of the ordinary, just basic beats. Then just when you thought this album was a happy-trip down Rock lane, ‘God of Thunder’ comes chugging out of the sounds of children playing with the heaviest riffs on the album. It has the darkest feel out of all the songs on the album, and the chopped riffs during the chorus are quite interesting. And after that, the album starts to dip a good deal. ‘Great Expectations’ is this albums first ballad, and although it features a children’s choir during the bridge and a rather beautiful, slow guitar intro, it feels bland after awhile. ‘Flaming Youth’ tries to be like the first two tracks, with its upbeat riffs and happy melodies, but it actually quite laughable, with its atrocious chorus. However, Gene’s bassline again is a rather grooving one, and *gasp*, Peter still does nothing interesting on drums! Amazing! ‘Sweet Pain’ features a rather groovy guitar intro that’s chopped into segments, only to become repetitive after the 20th time you’ve heard it. At this point, I had rather mixed reactions. Part of me just wanted to go on, throw the first three songs on a disc with other great rock songs, and forget about the rest of this album. But then this review wouldn’t be written, now would it’ Well, I decided to keep around for one more song, and I was quite surprised with what I got next. The anthemic ‘Shout it Out Loud’ features one of the most addicting choruses you might ever hear in your life, not to mention some rockin nearly-straightforward riffing that’s thrown out from the guitars. If you can’t past the rather cheesy intro and stick around, you’re in for a great one. ‘Beth’ is one of K.I.S.S.’s most known ballads, and is one of the more interesting tracks off this album. There’s a piano, some other string instruments, and what I believe to be something of a flute or clarinet, instead of guitars/bass/drums. It’s a great change, and is totally relaxing. ‘Do You Love Me’ starts off with a rather dull drum intro, which is actually then repeated multiple times for the first verse. Yawn. The rest of the song is the same way, dull riffs, repetitive, the works on this one. Not a good way to end a rather fun album.
Solos actually appear on this album, but none of them are really even worth mentioning. Ace Frehley actually can’t eve be credited with writing some of them, or even playing them on this album, since this was the start of the other band members recruiting other guitarists to take over for him since he was gone a good deal of the time with his substance abuse problems. And the other guitarists were never credited for their work, so it’s hard to tell where and where not Ace is playing. Most of these solos are extremely basic, they’re just here to serve the purpose that it’s Rock ‘N’ Roll, and to satisfy some people’s craving for solos. However, the solo on ‘God of Thunder’, if it’s Ace, is pretty good, easily the best on this album with its shredding tone.
As for the vocals, their shared on this album between Gene, Paul, and Peter. Paul handles most of the work here, and his voice is very-well suited for his career choice. High-pitched, and sometimes a little whiney, he’s actually not that bad. His vocal range is pretty decent to, with some interesting change in tone on tracks like ‘Detroit Rock City’ and ‘Shout it Out Loud’. Gene, on the other hand, tends to be more monotone. On ‘God of Thunder’, he actually delivers the best vocals on the album, sounding malicious and evil. Peter Criss takes up a mic on one song, the ballad ‘Beth’, although I much would’ve preferred it to be Paul, as Peter’s voice seems somewhat cracky.
Much of the lyrics deal with rock, partying, and some rebellion every now and then. Seriously, that’s about it. And they’re not that great either. Take some lines off of ‘Flaming Youth’: ‘My uniform is leather, and my power is my age. I’m gettin’ it together to break out of my cage’. Sounds like one of my poems that I wrote when I was in detention in 5th grade for trying to feed the class gerbil pencil lead. Honestly, they’re not good at all. Some of the more sexual ones that are meant to be serious are just funny. On ‘Great Expectations’, Gene grumbles out ‘ And you watch me playin’ guitar, And you feel what my fingers can do, And you wish you were the one I was doing it to.’. Very funny. The best here are probably off ‘Detroit Rock City’, which tells the story of some fans that died on the way to see one of their shows.
Overall, Destroyer, much like K.I.S.S., is a fun listen. Most of these songs individually are quite good, but as a whole, the album is good, not great, and no where near deserving the 496 album rank it got. Even if it’s near the bottom of the list, it still shouldn’t have been there. But, if you like K.I.S.S., go buy this album. If you’re looking a good time without anything serious, buy this. If you’re looking for amazing talent, don’t touch this album with a five-foot pole while wearing a Nuclear Radiation proof suit.
Click here for the lyrics pdf (whole album)
Motorhead: Motorizer [2008]
January 3, 2010 at 7:55 pm (brutal enough) (2008, ace of spades, drums, heavy metal, lenny, metal, motohead, motorizer, new wave of british heavy metal, nwobhm)
There can’t be any rock band in the world that could release its 24th album and manage to maintain the same speaker shattering energy as they did with their first. Lord Lemmy and Motorhead main stays Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee manage to do just that with this, their new album, Motorizer (SPV Records). The success of Motorhead couldn’t be more straight forward – you know where you are, you know what you’ll get and you know that you’ll love it. Shoving two fingers up to trends, and to those who have tried to write them off throughout the ages, they have released another typical Motorhead album of solid rock n roll.
It’s almost as if Lemmy is hell bent on a life mission of providing a timeless definition of what rock music actually is for future generations. Despite living in Los Angeles for nearly twenty years he has lost none of his ability to write lyrics that capture the warped side of British humour. Finally awarded a Grammy back in 2005 Motorhead have achieved nothing short of legendary status. With Motorizer they have provided us with eleven slabs of rock ‘n’ roll concrete to pound out to your neighbour’s disgust. Go to any Motorhead gig and you see it in action – people old enough to really know better, head banging hair that is no longer there, before getting up for work the next day totally incapable of hearing anything, or constructing intelligible sentences. That is the awesome power that Motorhead generates.
So what does Motorizer give us that other Motorhead albums don’t? Well, in short, nothing. There is nothing earth shatteringly new but then again would we actually really want that? What we do get is another block in the monument that is Motorhead. Lemmy’s lyrics, so often underrated or even unnoticed under the wall of sound, are on form, particularly on, “When the Eagle Screams”. It is a military song and, knowing that it is a subject that rings Lemmy’s bell, it’s a safe bet that it works well. It’s full on war, death and battle. Right from the off when the driving riff that is “Runaround Man” opens up at full throttle we know we are back inside the dangerous world of Motorhead. It is music to make you want to quit your job, buy a Harley and take route 66 away from anything remotely sensible. Sad, I know, but that’s how powerful rock music should be – isn’t it? The audible shock when this track suddenly stops is quite amazing – silence – total silence before “Teach You How to Sing the Blues” kicks in with Lemmy literally menacingly growling the words at you.
“Rock Out” starts at such a pace that you literally have to catch your breath. A live anthem if ever I heard one. I can’t wait to see this live in their forthcoming tour. “English Rose” is infectious foot stamping rock of the best possible kind. As with most of their albums you really should try and cut through the incendiary riffs to listen to Lemmy’s lyrics particularly on tracks such as “One Short Life”, “Heroes” and “The Thousand Names of God” that has Lemmy spitting out wisely ‘the war is never over’.
Stand-outs are the fantastically wired drumming of Mikkey Dee, easily at the top of his game, Lemmys’ lyrics that snarl at the world and Phil Campbell who just gets better and better. Motorhead simply refuse to lie down and grow old gracefully. The obviousness of that statement is there in all its own ridiculous glory – of course they won’t. There would be such a huge gap left behind that many of today’s pale imitators would simply fall straight down the hole. Instead of merely churning out rehashed stuff they care about their loyal following and, dare I say, their legacy and have come up with an album that will keep even the most rabid fan satisfied.
Warbringer: War Without End [2008]
December 30, 2009 at 7:53 pm (1) (2008, drums, guitar, heavy metal, metal, rock, slayer, thrash, thrash metal, war without end, warbringer)
5 youths from Ventura, California finally develop a working time machine. It’s not a Delorean, but a rusted out ’80 Ford Econoline Cargo Van.
I started listening to thrash metal in its original heyday…even then I was a little late. It was around 1987 that I first started with Metallica and from there it quickly led to Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament and Slayer. I was totally into the big 5.
So imagine my surprise and delight when 5 kids from the L.A. area come along and closed the circle on what has been the thrash metal revival. Warbringer’s War Without End is the closet anyone has come to replicating the music of the time without sounding like cheap rip-off artists. Everything thrash was and was meant to be has been captured here. The true spirit of the music has finally been fully revived and is alive and well. Producer Bill Metoyer, who, in the ’80′s, produced many of the early albums by several now legendary thrash bands (including: Slayer, D.R.I., Sacred Reich, Hirax, Fates Warning, Trouble and Flotsam and Jetsam) has dusted off the control board, cleared the cob webs in the old studio, found some analog tape (you can’t tell me they used digital recording equipment, Pro Tools, on this) and got back to the business of recording metal old school style. The sound of the album is much like the raw and straight-for-the-throat production heard on pre-Rick Rubin era Slayer albums. Holy crap this is good stuff. Hopefully it will show some younger metalheads to how it’s really done. Just the sound of the album alone cries ’80′s all the way. This point cannot be overstated or underscored enough. I haven’t heard drums like this on a new album in a long time. Drummer Ryan Bates doesn’t use any triggers here folks (or if they did use them, Metoyer unlocked the secret of how to do so without sounding like it). The rhythm section, anchored by bassist Andy Laux, is reminiscent of the Kill ‘em All days. There are riffs aplenty from the guitar duo of Adam Carroll and John Laux that will remind you of early King/Hanneman, Hetfield/Hammett, and Holt/Hunolt. Want solos? No fear John Laux has just what you’ve been craving. Vocalist John Kevill rounds things out perfectly with his own version of the thrash metal snarl in a classic Tom Araya sort of way.
I’m sure there will be plenty who say this album lacks in originality and there is nothing new or exciting here. To them I say, you’ve missed the point completely. This is some pure, honest to goodness thrashing fun. I predict that Warbringer is going to be big. Being such a young band (most of them aren’t even of legal drinking age) I expect they will have a long career. I don’t think this one album is a fluke nor will they suffer from the sophomore effort curse that has plagued so many (since they have gotten so much stronger than their powerful self-released EP, One By One the Wicked Fall). As long as they stay true to the heart of what is their music (like Slayer) and don’t change (like Metallica) they should enjoy much success.
Mournful Congregation: June Frost [2009]
December 30, 2009 at 7:35 pm (1) (2009, drums, guitar, heavy metal, june frost, metal, mournful congregation, rock)
Mournful Congregation are certainly one of, if not Australia’s best doom/death metal band. Their music is slow, yet aggressive and emotional. I recently got into these guy thanks to a friend of mine, and just this year, they’ve released their third full length album titled The June Frost.
The June Frost is considered to be their best work sofar, from what I’ve heard from other fans of this band, and after hearing some of their earlier stuff, including the double album “The Dawning Of Mournful Hymns” (which is also excellent), I’d be incline to agree. This band has grown heaps, and they certainly do keep getting better, with this album, it’s 8 songs of pure metal doom.
“White Cold Wrath Burnt Frozen Blood” is one of my favourite tracks from the album, and the longest at 17 mins. Part of it includes an awesome harmonized melody with acoustic guitar and the usual deep vocals that are featured on this album. This is the doom I’d been waiting for, but hadn’t realised yet. It doesn’t get much better than this song. Some side guitar that reminds me a little of Opeth pops up here aswell, which sees this song off to an end. Very thought inducing and emotional playing here, as it is with the rest of this album.
The album is very diverse in it’s style of doom, with a few instrumental pieces. The title song of the album, “The June Frost” is one of those instrumentals which features solos playing over an acoustic guitar, which pretty much proves that this band can do more than one thing for an entire album, which is rarely seen in some bands these days. It’s a curious song that seems to use mainly major sounding scales and chords, yet it invokes the same feeling on despair as the other songs on this record. The contrast between this type of playing and the slow doom of the other songs is quite interesting in itself.
This is a very impressive album, with many interesting and well written musical ideas. The mixture of heavy and soft is pulled of with amazing precision. The production of the album is also spotless. It sounds absolutely awesome! What I find to be the most interesting thing about this band, is after some 15 years of being around, they only just did their debut live performance this year. It’s definitely a great time to get into this band, with an European tour supporting Mourning Beloveth coming up this April to follow-up this album’s release.
The June Frost will mark a very important spot for Australian metal, with much recognition following in it’s wake. Definitely an album worth buying, and Mournful Congregation are definitely a band worth seeing live (keep an eye out for a live review coming soon).
Mournful Congregation – The June Frost
Solemn Strikes The Funeral Chime
Descent Of The Flames
White Cold Wrath Burnt Frozen Blood
The June Frost
A Slow March To The Burial
The Februar Winds
Suicide Chior
The Wreath
Playing Time: 60 mins
www.myspace.com/mournfulcongregation
Upcoming: The God Awfuls
December 25, 2009 at 7:35 pm (1) (american nightmare, punk, punks not dead, the god awfuls)
The God Awfuls are a punk rock/street punk band from Los Angeles and are currently signed to Kung-Fu Records.
The God Awfuls emerged out of a rather desolate and uncultured section of Los Angeles, a potential influence in their style choice.
Floating around between high school bands, singer/guitarist Kevin De Franco and bassist Kyle Lumsden eventually crossed paths and formed the base of The God Awfuls. A few random band members passed through before the groundwork solidified with guitarist Chris La Fave and drummer John Skelly. Luckily, the popularity of punk in their area and their keen attitude gave them a boost. The God Awfuls’ songs are typical punk rock, but they have considerably catchy choruses. The God Awfuls became highly acclaimed to “true” punks, due to attitudes towards “fake punk” all over the place.
Their debut album, Next Stop Armageddon and one such song, Watch It Fall, is featured on the 2005 skateboarding video game Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. It was produced by The Greedy Bros. (a.k.a. Blag Dahlia of The Dwarves and engineering partner-in-crime Brad Cook). The God Awfuls took a hiatus until about 2007/2008 when they were featured in the documentary “Punks Not Dead”. In July 2008, The God Awfuls released 3 new songs on a demo.
On October 28, 2008, The God Awfuls announced on their MySpace page they would be changing their name to Brand New War.
